Painted Sky Cottage

Guest: Lori (Brighton, MI)
Date of Stay: 09/30/11 Review Submitted: 11/01/11

I received my security deposit back today and it reminded me that I have been wanting to let you know what a WONDERFUL time we had at Painted Sky! The location is great for those of us who prefer a quiet setting. It’s beautiful. Short walk to the lake was wonderful. The beachfront was beautiful and a great beach to walk. Your place is very well maintained and stocked with everything we needed to have the perfect ladies weekend. The sleeping arrangements also worked out very well. It was very comfortable. Seating for 8 of us at the dining room table was perfect. And, not to mention your willingness to allow us to stay on Sunday past the usual check-out time. I think we probably left somewhere between 2:00 and 3:00. Allowed us to have a leisurely breakfast and take another walk on the beach before heading home. We have not stopped raving about your place since we’ve been back home. What more can I say? We enjoyed every minute that we were there. Thanks again for sharing your place with us! If we decide to head to Grand Haven again, you can bet we will check to see if Painted Sky is available to rent!

Recommended for:Sightseeing, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

The yearly vacation rental we've been looking for...

Guest: L M.
Date of Stay: 09/08/11 Review Submitted: 09/20/11

This cottage was very pretty and comfortable and most of all: very clean. We've had issues with the cleanliness of some other rental houses we've used, but this one was clean from top to bottom. A few of our favorite features: a large kitchen, wonderful front and back yards for the kids (with playset), a mudroom/sitting room with a wall of hooks and shoe trays for all of your beach stuff/towels, an enormous basement where our kids loved playing (including a ping pong table which was a huge hit), a charming front porch where we had coffee each morning, a fire pit where we roasted marshmallows in the evening, lots of seating at the large kicthen and dining room table so we were able to host our family members in the Grand Haven area, washer and dryer, and of course, the beautiful beach right at the end of the block. GREAT rental! We will be back in 2012 for sure.

Recommended for:Girls getaway, families with young children, families with teenagers.

stocked with the bare minimum

Guest: Lake Michigan stole our hearts (Temperance, MI)
Date of Stay: 05/18/11 Review Submitted: 08/27/11

The price was good and the beach a few houses down was quiet and beautiful. It took a good 10-15mins. to get to "town" though. The house had lots of ants which I noticed other renters had left notes about but the problem was still there. I was very disappointed in the level of "stocking." For our family of four staying 5 days we had only 4 towels/washcloths. Guess you are supposed to use the same ones every day? And there was a grill but no charcoal and the frig was empty. I am used to seeing a t least some condiments in the frig or enough laundry supplies to do a few loads of wash if you need. At this home we had to wash the beach towels before we left and that is exactly how much ration was supplied of laundry soap. There was 1 "dish sponge" in a pkg to wash dishes with... I ended up driving to Meijer and buying dishrags to wash dishes with. The playscape outback was nice until we got outside... the ground below has no grass or woodchips, just dirt. Our kids ended up very dirty with mud-caked shoes. I did contact the owners after our arrival to ask about some of these things but I was told "this is how we've been doing it for years and nobody else has ever had any problems with these things." Hmph.

Owner response: Painted Sky is an impeccably clean cottage located only four miles from downtown Grand Haven. It is a privately owned home we each use with our own families for summer vacations and long weekends, as well as renting it out to others. We have a wonderful housekeeper, handyman, and lawn service to help us out with any issues that may arise during our guests’ stay. The home is stocked with starter amounts of toilet paper, paper towels, laundry detergent, and dryer sheets. We supply ample amounts of hand soap, dishwasher and liquid dish soap, large and small trash bags, stick matches, salt, pepper, and coffee filters. The kitchen has all the necessary gadgets and appliances guests’ would need, such as a coffee bean grinder, blender, electric mixer, Bosh cordless mixer, hand juicer, and even a crock pot. Dish towels, a new dish sponge and a table cloth for the picnic table are also provided. Clean linens are placed on the beds, and each guest is given a set of towels (washcloth, hand, and bath) along with a beach towel to use during their stay. We always welcome feedback from our guests as it helps us “fine tune” our services. For many homeowners in the area ants had been an issue this spring due to the very heavy rainfall. In early June the backyard play area was surfaced with playground quality wood chips. And as for food items such as condiments, in compliance with state health laws, we do not provide those to guests. While we typically advise guests of what is provided, it is evident from these comments that we need to be clearer so guests can better prepare themselves. These comments were helpful in further refining our guests’ experience so they will enjoy Painted Sky as much as we do! Jane and Theresa – Painted Sky owners

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Great Family Cottage

Guest: Busy mom (Dillsburg, PA)
Date of Stay: 06/11/11 Review Submitted: 07/05/11

Grand Haven was a "middle meeting place" for our family that lives in the midwest and on the east coast and the Painted Sky Cottage was a wonderful home for the week. It was clean, fully furnished with everything as was promised on the website and the communication with the owner was excellent. The location is fantastic! A short walk from the beach and a short bike ride or drive from the wonderful little town of Grand Haven. We enjoyed hikes, swimming and sitting at the beach, fishing, shopping at the farmers market and downtown... and a movie at the cinema on a rainy day. It was wonderful for our family that included grandparents and teenagers!

Recommended for:Girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Great Family Vacation

Guest: Grandma Camp (Columbia City, IN)
Date of Stay: 07/17/10 Review Submitted: 08/07/10

This was a cute, clean, and comfortable cottage. We brought too much stuff with us that we didn't need because the owners seemed to think of everything. Our Grandkids loved the back yard set, all the toys in the walk-out basement and the garage and best of all for them, the Lego table and Lego assortment. Each twin bed had a night stand to hold their water and their books. There were plenty of books for both children and adults. We took them to the city beach most days and it was a great place for them to play. There were lots of things for the adults to do also. The cottage has a beautiful front yard with a hammock and adirondack chairs. We saw birds and butterflies come to the flowers and bird bath along the picket fence almost constantly. Grand Haven has great shops, coffee shops and restaurants. We took bike rides along the bike path and watched the sunsets from the near-by beach. It was a great family vacation.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Lovely!

Guest: Kara (Illinois)
Date of Stay: 06/12/10 Review Submitted: 07/01/10

We rented the cottage with another couple and our kids. The cottage was lovely--well maintained and nicely decorated. The kitchen was great--gas stove and all the pots, pans, utensils, and dishes we needed. The bedrooms were very nice with spotless, soft bedding. One of the bedrooms had plenty of space for a pack and play with room to move. Living room/dining area was very nice with a beautiful table with seating for our entire group with room to spare and a comfortable couch. The beach towels provided are great quality. The kids were in the downstairs bedroom and they loved having their own kid space and choosing their beds. One great perk in the kids' room is the bookshelf--a nice assortment of books including some favorites such as Ferdinand and the Berenstain Bears. The kids adored the playset in the back yard, along with another tree swing that was fun as well. We cooked out on the grill and also used the firepit to make s'mores. Kids were able to use sidewalk chalk and loved hanging out on the hammock (actually everyone loved their time on the hammock!). The walk to the beach is short and the small stretch of road you have to travel has little to no traffic. Sand and water were beautiful at the beach, and all of the people we met with were friendly. The town of Grand Haven is charming, with lots of lovely shops & spots for delicious meals whether you want breakfast, lunch, or dinner. (There is also a Meijer and Target very close by for any household shopping you need to do, grocery or otherwise.) We also visited Holland, which was also wonderful--and they have a spectacular farmer's market. All-in-all, a great cottage in a great location. What's more, the owner I dealt with throughout the rental process was very helpful, answering all my questions and providing recommendations for area attractions and restaurants. It was a very good experience. I would recommend to a friend.

Recommended for:Families with young children.

Guest: Dan and Ellie Pettee (Grand Rapids, MI USA)
Date of Stay: 09/14/09 Review Submitted: 09/14/09

We spent a wonderful, relaxing week here with our two daughters - one married with son-in-law and granddaughter, aged 3, and single daughter from Chicago. It was perfect - so clean, wonderfully equipped kitchen, and beautiful location. We loved walking to the beach each day, and biking on the trail. Beds were comfy, and it was so quiet and peaceful there.

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 09/10/09 Review Submitted: 09/10/09

Dear Johnsons and Loackers, Thank you for obviously caring so much about accomedating your guests with a high level of comfort and ease at Painted Sky. Towels and bedding - luxurious, kitchen - admirably supplied, dining/game table - large and comfortable, decor - pleasing to the eye, beach chairs, bikes, parking, scenery, sand, fire pit, grill, sun room, fireplace, front porch, hammock, adirondack chairs, I cannot possibly list all the wonderful ammenities we enjoyed. Everything we needed or wanted was at our fingertips no amtter what the weather! Even the neighbors are friendly. What a great place to unplug and relax! We plan on visiting again and again for years to come. This is definatley the best vacation home we have ever stayed in - and we have been to plenty! Thanks again and keep up the good work. Pleased in Palatine

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 08/28/09 Review Submitted: 08/28/09

This has been one of the nicest places I have ever stayed..I love the open living room and dining room space with the wonderful table built for family game night or card games with my girlfriends! The beach is beautiful and it is a sweet cottage! Thank you so much for all the wonderful memories for me and my family.

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