Entire home

Wilce Cottage Your Cozy Empire Getaway

Photo gallery for Wilce Cottage Your Cozy Empire Getaway

An open door leading to a room with a wooden floor, a desk with a chair, a framed picture on the wall, and a bookshelf.
A compact kitchen with white cabinets, a microwave, and a wooden chair.
A dining area with a round wooden table, six chairs, a ceiling fan, and a large painting on the wall.
A small, single-story house with a yellow front door, a small porch, and a grassy yard.
A living room with a beige sofa, a brown sofa, a coffee table, a bookshelf, and a TV.

Reviews

8.8 out of 10
Excellent

Highlights

  • Arcade/game room
    A rare find - fun for all ages with on-site arcade/game room.
  • Centrally-located
    You're never far from where you need to be with this convenient location.
  • Discover nearby landmarks
    Walk to Lake Michigan

Popular amenities

  • Arcade/game room
  • Barbecue grill
  • Air conditioning
  • Refrigerator
  • Internet
  • Washer

Explore the area

View in a map
Empire, MI
  • Place, Philip A. Hart Visitor Center
    ‪6 min walk‬
  • Place, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
    ‪8 min walk‬
  • Place, Empire Bluff Trail
    ‪3 min drive‬
  • Airport, Traverse City, MI (TVC-Cherry Capital)
    ‪41 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

2 bedrooms (sleeps 5)

Bedroom 1

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 2

1 Queen Bed

1 bathroom

Bathroom 1

Bathtub or shower · Toilet

Spaces

Kitchen
Separate dining area
Garden

Add dates for prices

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About the neighborhood

Empire

Located in Downtown Mmpire, a neighborhood in Empire, this vacation home is in a rural area. The area's natural beauty can be seen at Lake Michigan and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Traveling with kids? Consider Sleeping Bear Point Coast Guard Station Maritime Museum and Burnett Park. Take time off to check out the winery tours in the area, or get some fresh air with adventures like hiking/biking trails nearby.
View more Vacation Homes in EmpireOpens in a new window
Map
Empire, MI

What's nearby

  • Philip A. Hart Visitor Center - 6 min walk - 0.6 km
  • Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore - 8 min walk - 0.7 km
  • beach near Village Park - 10 min walk - 0.9 km
  • beach near Downtown Mmpire - 12 min walk - 1.0 km
  • Empire Bluff Trail - 3 min drive - 1.8 km

Getting around

  • Cherry Capital Airport (TVC) - 44 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Trattoria Funistrada - ‬13 min drive
  • ‪Shipwreck Cafe - ‬5 min walk
  • ‪Joes Friendly Tavern - ‬5 min walk
  • ‪Empire Village Pizza & Spirits - ‬6 min walk
  • ‪Food For Thought - ‬6 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Wilce Cottage Your Cozy Empire Getaway pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

How much does it cost to stay at Wilce Cottage Your Cozy Empire Getaway?

As of Oct 23, 2026, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at Wilce Cottage Your Cozy Empire Getaway on Oct 24, 2026 start from $604, including taxes and fees. This price is based on the lowest nightly price found in the last 24 hours for stays in the next 30 days. Prices are subject to change. Choose your dates for more accurate prices.

How much is parking?

Onsite parking is available at the property.

What time is check-in at Wilce Cottage Your Cozy Empire Getaway?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Wilce Cottage Your Cozy Empire Getaway?

Check-out is at 10:00 AM.

Where is Wilce Cottage Your Cozy Empire Getaway located?

This family-friendly Empire vacation home is located in a rural location, within a 10-minute walk of Philip A. Hart Visitor Center and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Lake Michigan is 0.7 mi (1.1 km) away.

Reviews

8.8

Excellent

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labeled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 5 out of 8 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 2 out of 8 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 8 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 1 out of 8 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 8 reviews

9.0/10

Cleanliness

9.0/10

Check-in

9.0/10

Communication

10/10

Location

9.4/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
It was a cute house that we enjoyed a lot. Nice breeze with fans provided. Beds were comfortable, close to town and lots of great trails. We would love to go back again.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2026
Response from VrboOwner on Jul 24, 2026
Thank you so much for your kind feedback! We would love to host you again!
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, location, listing accuracy
This quaint house in downtown Empire suited our needs. The house was clean except for the occasional ear wig beetle, which showed up in the kitchen and bathroom.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2026
Response from VrboOwner on Aug 14, 2026
Thank you for letting us know! Now we can do something about it! Glad you had a nice time!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
We love Empire, so to find this cozy, comfortable house right in town, walking distance to Empire Beach, close to hiking Empire Bluff Trail, Pierce Stocking Drive and dune climb, Sleeping Bear Dunes - it was perfect for our group of five. It was very clean. The kitchen was well stocked with pots & pans, dishes, basics for cooking. Beds were comfy. This is not a fancy, new place, which we much prefer. It is an historic house with character and charm. The communication with the property manager was excellent. We hope to return next summer!
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2026
Response from VrboOwner on Aug 24, 2026
We're so happy you enjoyed the charm of this older home. It truly embodies the Northern MI spirit!
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Was a great trip overall and the house was perfect for our needs. The house was clean and close to the Empire public beach.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2025
Response from VrboOwner on Oct 2, 2025
Thank you for taking the time to review! We're happy you enjoyed Empire Beach!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
This was such a lovely home right in Empire! A 10 min walk to the beach and close to lots of hiking trails. The home had everything we needed, we enjoyed our stay.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2025
Response from VrboOwner on Oct 2, 2025
We're so pleased you enjoyed being close to the beach! Come back any time!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Sweet cottage

This cottage is super cute, clean, and comfortable. There are so many little extra fun touches that were so thoughtful. On our first full day, we pulled up to the cottage after being out and our youngest proclaimed that the cottage feels like home. The play room is so perfect for kids of various ages! The rotary phones were a crowd favorite!
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2025
Response from VrboOwner on Jul 28, 2025
That's adorable! I'm glad your family enjoyed the cottage! I hope you enjoyed walking to the beach together! Come back anytime. :)
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Loved our stay at this cozy cottage. It was perfectly located close to everything we wanted to do with our young children - the dunes, the beach/playground, a quaint ice cream shop, North Bar lake swimming and tubing on the Platte River. We had one cooler rainy morning and loved chilling in the living room space with games and books and working on our Junior Ranger booklets. Lots of natural light and old home charm that reminded us of our home back in Virginia. The cottage was very clean, organized and well taken care of. We took advantage of doing laundry in the basement and had plenty of space for our family of 5 (kids age 3, 6, 7). We fell in love with Empire!Worth noting that the AC is a portable unit in one of the main bedrooms but fans are provided for the other spaces/bedroom. We enjoyed the open air feel and temps were generally conducive to this setup during our stay but if you expect it to be icy cold all the time (in August) this may not be the place for you. Empire in August is dreamy!
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2025
Response from VrboOwner on Oct 2, 2025
Thank you so much for your insightful review! We're glad you enjoyed the space and proximity to Lake Michigan!
Verified review

4/10 Poor

The cottage was very old, charming, and quite roomy for 2 people. It was reasonably clean but there was an infestation of ants all 4 days of our stay. The management company provided ant traps which helped very little during the 4 days. I appreciate the fact that ant traps take a while to work BUT we paid for an ant free environment and did not get what we paid for. We asked for a partial refund but were refused because the management company said they TRIED to remediate the problem. We feel that we were entitled to a partial refund since we did not get the ant free environment that we paid for. I will not be renting from this management company again.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2026
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