Wamplers year-round family lakefront private sandy beach beautiful sunsets

Thank you for sharing your feedback. We’re glad you enjoyed the beautiful lake views, endless sunsets, comfortable bed, well-equipped kitchen, and the character of our historic, beloved family-owned lake cottage. For future guests reading this review, we do want to provide some context. This is an older family lake home—not a newly renovated or modern luxury property—and we are transparent about that in our listing and photos. The original hardwood floors, doors, and other features are part of the charm and history of a home that has been in our family and loved for generations. Like any older home, there are ongoing cosmetic and maintenance projects, and we continually make improvements. What was surprising to us was how heavily this review focused on a handful of cosmetic items while overlooking what our home is really about: the lake. Our 3-bedroom home has 7 beds and comfortably accommodates 8–10 guests, with direct lakefront access, a beautiful sandy beach, paddleboards, kayaks, water toys, lakefront sunsets, and space for families and friends to truly enjoy a Michigan lake vacation. August is the heart of peak lake season, and our pricing reflects the entire property and the experience it offers—not a two-person hotel stay. We also want to clarify the reference to the “$500 a night” price. That was not the actual nightly rate paid for this reservation. Our rates vary by season and dates, and the home is priced for the entire 3-bedroom, 7-bed property and its ability to accommodate larger groups. We responded promptly to every concern brought to our attention, including immediately ordering a replacement upstairs TV remote, which was delivered the following day. We appreciate the acknowledgment of our responsiveness. We absolutely value constructive feedback and use it to continue improving our home. At the same time, we know our cottage is not the right fit for every traveler—and that’s okay. Our goal is to share a special, historic family lake home with guests who appreciate its character and, most importantly, come to enjoy everything that makes being on the lake so special.

This review does not accurately reflect the circumstances of this stay. From the time of booking through departure, this reservation required frequent assistance. Prior to arrival, I contacted VRBO support to help the guest complete the booking process after payment and reservation issues arose. I also accommodated an earlier arrival time that was communicated as an expectation rather than requested. Upon arrival, additional assistance was required with accessing the lockbox due to the guests' issues on how to open it properly. During the stay, concerns were raised regarding the televisions. However, our listing clearly states that the home is equipped with smart TVs and Fire TV streaming devices. The televisions were functioning properly. The guest also referenced weather conditions during their stay. As the weather is outside of anyone’s control, it was even referenced to me again regarding departure. In fact, the guest directly told me that it was very peaceful to be in our home by the water and our grill was the best she had used, ever. At every stage of the reservation, questions and issues were addressed promptly and thoroughly, though many stated issues were never expressed to me prior to departure. Important: Future guests should be aware that the concerns referenced in this review were NOT the result of missing amenities or malfunctioning equipment, but rather a need for additional guidance and assistance in using the home's existing features. Although my cancellation policy did not require a refund, I offered a reasonable accommodation. I explained that if the reservation were canceled, I would immediately reopen the dates, working diligently to rebook them, and I would refund any nights that were successfully rebooked. The guest declined that option by not taking action. This accommodation was provided solely as a goodwill gesture and was not required under the reservation terms. Additionally, when the guest elected to depart early during a holiday weekend, in order to make those dates available, I incurred significant additional expense for an emergency holiday-weekend cleaning service on extremely short notice. The guest had the opportunity to continue using the property with the nearby family during the stay, but instead chose to leave without prior notice or communication regarding any dissatisfaction. Based on the extensive assistance provided before and during the stay, the accommodations made on the guest's behalf, and the fact that the issues described were never reported while they were present, I do not believe this review fairly or accurately reflects the circumstances of this reservation. In fact, the guest threatened a bad review if she wasnt given a refund. Unfortunately, I would absolutely not host this guest again in our family lake house!

Thank you for your stay and for taking the time to leave a review. I’m glad to hear you found the home very clean & spacious, and that your family enjoyed the lake time in our family home with a private beach and water toys! I do want to clarify a few points for future guests. The Wi-Fi information was provided directly in your check-in messages as well as in the arrival instructions, and I’m always happy to assist during a stay if anything is unclear. During this stay, nothing was ever communicated to me about the need. There is no electric vehicle charging or on-site gym listed in the amenities, so I’m sorry for the misunderstanding there. We also made accommodations for your stay, including an early check-in and approval for a pet, as we are typically a no-pet property and early check-in is not always available. We try to be flexible whenever possible to support a positive guest experience! Regarding the upstairs bedroom, it is accurately represented in the listing photos and description as having an open doorway rather than a traditional door. We aim to provide clear expectations so guests can choose what best fits their needs. We take pride in offering a clean & comfortable place for families to enjoy building memories at the lake with the large sandy private beach, extensive water toys, and lake access with boats, which are among the features guests most enjoy. We appreciate your stay in our family lake home and wish you all the best in your future travels.