Perfect Wedding stay for Bride and Groom

Guest: Lauren (Bemidji, MN)
Date of Stay: 07/21/11 Review Submitted: 08/21/11

My (now) husband I stayed at the Artists Loft four nights in late July. It was an amazing experience and part of that was the Artists Loft. Let me start at the beginning....Stephan made our engagement ring after my husband proposed to me last year on a trip to Grand Marais, and he also made our wedding band. Both are beautiful and unique, and we couldn't be happier with the finished product - we get compliments all the time. After deciding we would have a small wedding in Grand Marais we booked the Artists Loft for our stay. It is exactly what we were looking for; a home away from home where we had the ability to cook and entertain guests. The garden patio outside is perfect for cocktail hour or simply lounging with friends if you don't feel like exploring the town - and you are right downtown so you are close to everything. Stephan was also a wealth of information while we were planning our wedding, he put us in touch with an officiant and also took our wedding photos. All in all, the weekend would not have been as stress free if not for him, thank you Stephan! If you are getting married or having a small event I would highly recommend the Artists Loft, you will not regret it!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, romantic getaway, tourists without a car.

Funkylicious

Guest: beanie (Rogers, MN)
Date of Stay: 07/14/11 Review Submitted: 07/28/11

My husband and I stayed here for 5 glorious days, and loved it. The view is great. Next to a great bar/restaurant. It's very cozy, and eclectic for all the artsy fans. The owner was always available if we needed anything (which we didn't.) Well stocked, and comfortable. The backyard is a hoot. We have recommended this loft to many people, just hope it's available again for us to use!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, romantic getaway, sightseeing, tourists without a car, age 55+.

Summer weekend at the Artist's Loft

Guest: Greg (Minneapolis, MN)
Date of Stay: 06/09/11 Review Submitted: 06/27/11

My wife and I spent four days at the artists loft with our 4 month old daughter. It was our first trip for the 3 of us and we couldn't have picked a better place to stay. The artists loft is perfectly located in downtown Grand Marais. We enjoyed the beautiful sunset views, the cozy rooms, the perfectly equipped kitchen and the gardens in the back. Stephan was great to rent from and gave us great advice about what to do and where to dine. Stephan also conducted a fantastic photo shoot of our daughter and we couldn't be more thrilled with his pictures. He is an excellent photographer and offered a more than reasonable photo package. If you like staying at distinctive, cozy, and comfortable places, then the artists loft is the place in Grand Marais.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, romantic getaway, sightseeing, tourists without a car, age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway, families with young children.

Fantastic Location, Beautiful Place, & Extraodinary Views!!!

Guest: N/A (Steamboat Springs, CO)
Date of Stay: 07/04/06 Review Submitted: 05/25/11

Artists Loft in Grand Marais, MN is everything it is described to be, and more. Step inside the door and you will be stepping into a gallery of art, from the mosaic on the staircase wall to the amazing collection of local and distant artist's work. The walls, painted in their eclectic variety of colors, only enhance the personality of this little jewel in the heart of downtown Grand Marais. The artwork is tastefully hung and perfectly arranged to cover the wall space of the loft. Oh, and what an amazing backyard! It's beautifully manicured gardens, deck, fire pit, and hanging porch swing are a pleasant surprise and benefit to a stay at Artists Loft. From the pictures I notice that it has all new kitchen appliances, and they've remodeled bathroom since my last stay there. What great upgrades! I have to say that adding the window in the bathroom was a good move, it looks awesome! Walking by, you could pass it without notice. But lucky for you, you've come across this little gem and you will fall in love with its character. You will be awestruck by your stay in Artists Loft. Can't wait for my next stay!!!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, romantic getaway, sightseeing, girls getaway.

Creative Oasis

Guest: For the Love of Art (Thunder Bay, Ontario, CANADA)
Date of Stay: 10/08/10 Review Submitted: 03/11/11

We stayed at the Artist's Loft in October 2010 for two nights and loved every single inch of this place. We are both artists and search the web extensively in order to stay in places that are unique, comfortable, and interesting... Stephan's 'creative oasis' did not disappoint. From both the living room and master bedroom we were able to look out onto the rugged beauty of Lake Superior, yet we were also in the thick of Grand Marais' arts/entertainment district... the best of both worlds! The original artwork is amazing, the renovated bathroom is super cool and the bed is like sleeping on a plush cloud. It felt like we were staying in someone's home and that we were being trusted to take care of everything in it. We will definitely stay here again and hope that we can stay longer next time. Thanks, Stephan, for offering such an incredible place for a reasonable price. We hope to see you again soon!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, romantic getaway, sightseeing, tourists without a car, families with teenagers.

Wonderfully indulgent getaway spot

Guest: Mark (St. Paul, MN)
Date of Stay: 05/24/10 Review Submitted: 03/11/11

This loft absolutely radiates charm and coziness. Very wonderfully decorated with the personal touch and eye for unique, artful, and welcoming. I stayed for an entire week & immediately felt at home as if I'd lived there for years. The front room is spacious and has a wonderful view of the harbor and downtown activity. The bedroom is inviting, the bed pleasantly gigantic. The kitchen has everything you would need to cook a meal of your own (I did, often!), and off the back is a small 3-season porch leading out onto a deck overlooking the back private grounds and a wide view of the mountains. Centrally set in town so everything is within walking distance. I would heartily recommend this for a weekend getaway, an hermitage of serenity where you can just slow down and simply "be".

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, tourists without a car, age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway, families with young children.

Two day getaway

Guest: Shelly (South St. Paul MN USA)
Date of Stay: 10/22/09 Review Submitted: 10/12/10

The loft was extremely nice and unique. Great decor. There were unforseen issues that required repair. As a result we weren't able to check in until the 2nd day of our reservation. He called a few days before to let us know and offered other accomodations and compensated us for the inconvenience. Once we got into the loft we were extremely happy. Stephan really went the extra mile to accomodate us in light of our inconvenience. He is such a nice and accomodating guy and offered some great info on Grand Marais! We cannot wait to stay at the loft again! We would highly recommend his place to anyone who wants a unique experience in Grand Marais. We would have rated this 5 stars hands down if we could have stayed at the loft two nights instead of one:)

Owner response:Thank you Shelly! Yes it was a adventure LOL! It was great to meet you and your husband! To clarify the issue here is that I was doing a unexpected (had planned on doing it next year but a floor tear up pushed me to dive right in!) complete bathroom re do/remodel and it ran a bit longer than expected, about till 7:00 pm the day of their arrival after a marathon up till 2:30 AM last minute touches night and a ll day clean up! But NOW we have a gorgeous NEW bathroom with a Sweet Old fashioned Soaking tub with a Harbor/Artists Point view in the Master Bedroom! Pictures are coming soon, but basically we opened up the bathroom wall and set all new beautiful tile with the bathtub up on a pedestal and opened up a 4x4 foot opening in the Master bedroom wall with cute old 6 pane cottage windows that open up to a Lake View! really quite unusual and stunning! See you guys next year Shelly! We are open all winter tho with that same gorgeous view of the Waves of November and December and ......

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, romantic getaway, girls getaway.

Chaming, comfortable, and fun

Guest: Jim (Beaufort, SC)
Date of Stay: 06/29/10 Review Submitted: 09/15/10

My partner and I were guests for three days at the Artists Loft and it wans't enough time. The apartment was perfectly located with terrific views; a great place to relax and read while watching the waterfront or have a cozy meal in. We enjoyed a mix of meals prepared in the efficient kitchen and diningn out at several wonderful restaurants. We plan to return to check out the restaurants and shopes we missed this trip..

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, romantic getaway, sightseeing, age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway.

Guest: BRYC (Debbie) (Ignace, Ontario)
Date of Stay: 07/20/09 Review Submitted: 07/20/09

Purely by chance my girl friends and I discovered this little treasure. The Artisit's loft went beyond our expectations of a comfortable and convienient place to stay. We had booked our "girl" trip with the intent of participating in outdoor activities and found ourselves drawn to the loft instead. The setting is perfect for cozy chats and the decor inspired creative thoughts and wild ideas to share with friends. Grand Marais will always be remembered by the wonderful accommodations that Stephan has allowed us to experience. Thanks so much!

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 05/28/09 Review Submitted: 05/28/09

I just finished a wonderful stay in the artists loft and I heartily recommend it to anyone looking for the perfect place to stay in the amazing town of Grand Marais. The loft is colorful and filled with fascinating objects and beautiful art, and the view of the harbor is stunning. We met Stephen when we checked in, and he was friendly, helpful, and fun to talk with, as was everyone else we met in town. Walking across the street to Artists Point and discovering the rocky shore was an unexpected treat, and we had some of the best donuts in the world right down the road. The bar next door is a hub for the local populace and we spent a great night drinking beer and chatting with people from the area while listening to some really talented musicians. On top of all this, Stephen is a really great photographer and jeweler and I was very pleased with my purchase of one of his silver rings. The loft, as stated, is full of art, but it's clean and well appointed, comfortable and it immediately felt like home. It was also nice to have free wifi. We are looking forward to our next visit as soon as we can make it back.

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