Sylvan Lake escape for 2: private island, indoor hot tub, 84' pier

Coffee on the deck while mist lifts off Sylvan Lake. The whole property is yours, just the two of you. A queen bedroom with ensuite bath, a vaulted great room facing the water, and an indoor cedar hot tub off the game room. A 72-foot footbridge crosses to your private island... nearly 300 feet of shoreline, an 84-foot pier, and a stone fire pit beneath mature trees. Coffee at sunrise, sunset cocktails on the pier, fire on the island after dark. The entire property to yourselves.

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Hilltop Haven is a 5-bedroom lakefront home offered in three flexible layouts to fit different group sizes. The 1-bedroom layout, built for couples, opens the full property for the two of you. Whichever layout a guest books, the home, island, pier, and grounds are theirs alone... never shared with another guest.

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🌊 **A slower kind of stay**

Days move slow at Hilltop Haven. Slow mornings in the great room with the lake filling the wall of windows. A walk to Sower's Tea Room (five minutes on foot) for coffee and pastries, or a 15-minute hike through the gardens at the Gene Stratton-Porter Historic Site (Limberlost). The chef's kitchen handles whatever you brought back from town. Afternoons in the game room over a long pool match, or curled up by the great room TV.

Evenings start on the pier. A cocktail in hand, the sun dropping behind the far shoreline, the lake catching the last of the light. Then a fire under the trees on the island... 10 chairs and your choice of seat. Dinner at Dock's Landing, a sit-down lake bar with full dinners just around the cove (paddle over in summer, short drive in winter). Back inside for the hot tub, with the lake dark and quiet beyond the windows.

The cedar hot tub runs year-round, indoors in its own room off the game room. Fall colors over the water, a winter morning watching the lake freeze, the first warm days of spring with the deck doors open. Soak with the snow falling outside or the leaves turning red.

When weather and the season cooperate (early spring through October), you'll also have the kayaks, paddleboards, pedal boat, and bikes. Paddle out to Boy Scout Island, a short trip from our pier, for a wooded loop trail and a public dock. Or ride the Fishing Line Trail just behind the house... 12 paved miles to Kendallville and back. The pier is in by mid-spring and stays through fall.

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🏠 **What you get**

**Sleeping**
- Bedroom 2: queen bed, ensuite bath, lake views
- Lake View Sitting Room: loveseat with twin pull-out
- Great Room: queen sleeper sofa

Built for couples, with additional sleeping options if needed.

**Bathrooms**
- 2 full baths (ensuite to BR2, plus main level with walk-in shower)

**Living spaces (all yours)**
- Vaulted great room with wall of windows and 65" HDTV
- Chef's kitchen with double oven and live-edge dining table
- Game room with pool table, kitchenette, and TV
- Indoor cedar hot tub in its own room off the game room (year-round)
- Wraparound deck with Weber grill and lounge seating
- Laundry room

**Outdoor (yours alone)**
- Private island with nearly 300 feet of shoreline, stone fire pit, 10 Adirondack chairs, and picnic table beneath mature trees
- 72-foot footbridge connecting house to island
- 84-foot pier with built-in benches (in by mid-spring, removed by November)
- Wraparound deck overlooking the lakefront gardens (garden paths open spring through fall)

**Recreation (complimentary, seasonal)**
- 1 double kayak, 2 single kayaks, 2 SUPs, 1 pedal boat, 1 floating mat
- 4 adult bikes, 2 tween bikes, 2 kids' bikes (helmets included)
- Life vests in all sizes
- Firewood year-round

Pier, kayaks, and pedal boat return in early spring. SUPs and the floating mat return by May. All watercraft and the pier are removed by November. Lakefront garden paths are open spring through fall; the deck overlooks the gardens year-round.

**Climate & connectivity**
- Central A/C, central heating, whole-house water softener
- Fast fiber-optic Wi-Fi
- Smart TVs with Roku and AirPlay throughout

**Note:** Indoor fireplaces are decorative only. Pontoon rental is a separate booking, available May through October.

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📍 **The area**

- 5-minute walk to Sower's Tea Room (coffee, pastries, gifts)
- 5 minutes to Sylvan Cellars (tasting room, food, live music)
- Year-round: Dock's Landing on Sylvan Lake (paddle in summer, drive in winter)
- 15-minute hike to Gene Stratton-Porter Historic Site / Limberlost (gardens, museum, lakeside cabin)
- Short paddle to Boy Scout Island (wooded loop trail and public dock)
- 12-mile Fishing Line Trail runs just behind the house (biking, walking, cross-country skiing in winter)
- 35 minutes to Pokagon State Park (winter toboggan run, year-round trails)
- 40 minutes to Fort Wayne
- 75 minutes to South Bend / Notre Dame
- 2 hours to Indianapolis
- 3 hours to Chicago

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✨ **Who this layout is for**

Hilltop Haven's 1-bedroom layout is built for couples who want the whole lakefront experience to themselves. Anniversary trips, fall color weekends, winter hot tub stays, spring escapes, and the rare summer midweek gap.

It's not the right fit for: groups (book our 3-bedroom or 5-bedroom layout), parties, or events. We keep this lake quiet and our community happy.

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🤝 **About us**

We're David and Christine, the team behind DaVina. David's family has owned this property since 1974, and we've spent the last few years restoring it into what you see today. We respond fast, we know this house and this lake, and we love helping guests make the most of their stay... whether that's a dinner reservation, a winery recommendation, or just the best spot to watch the sunset. Every booking includes a detailed digital guidebook with our local picks, plus a real way to reach us if you need anything.

Bringing more than a couple? Check our 3-bedroom and 5-bedroom layouts of the same property.

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**A note on availability:** This 1-bedroom layout is primarily a fall, winter, and spring offering (October through May). Occasionally we open short-notice midweek gaps in summer when the full home isn't booked. If your summer dates show as unavailable, message us... we may be able to release them.

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🔑 **Guest access**

The home, deck, island, pier, and grounds are yours alone for the length of your stay. The 1-bedroom layout opens the full property for couples while keeping a few spaces locked for hosts and storage.

**Entry & Parking**
- Smart-lock entry (your code arrives before check-in)
- Parking for 6-8 vehicles on the upper-level driveway (more available on request)
- 1-car garage bay available for gear storage (no vehicle parking)
- Basketball goal in the driveway is guest-accessible

**Arrival & Departure**
- Digital guidebook with property info, local picks, and house rules
- Arrival instructions sent the day before check-in
- Departure details sent the day before checkout

**Spaces open in this layout**
- Bedroom 2 (queen, ensuite bath)
- Lake View Sitting Room (a quiet bedroom-sized space with a loveseat that pulls out to a twin)
- Great room with queen sleeper sofa
- Chef's kitchen with stocked pantry
- Dining room
- Game room with pool table and kitchenette
- Indoor cedar hot tub room
- Wraparound deck
- Laundry room
- Full bath with walk-in shower (off the great room)
- Island, footbridge, pier, and grounds

**Locked in this layout**
- Bedrooms 1, 3, and 4
- Bathrooms 1 and 3
- TV room
- Owner's utility room and owner's closet
- Small closet under the staircase
- Cleaner's closet in the laundry room
- The 2-car garage bay
- The area behind the basketball goal hedges (private, marked)

**Seasonal access**
- Lakefront garden paths are closed late November through early spring (walkways are not de-iced for safety). The deck overlooks the gardens year-round.
- In severe winter conditions, the footbridge and island may be temporarily inaccessible.
- The pier is removed each November and reinstalled by mid-spring.
- Watercraft are stored from November through early spring (kayaks and pedal boat return early spring; SUPs and floating mat return by May).

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🙂 **Booking Requirements**

- Booking guest must be 25 or older and present for the entire stay. No third-party bookings.
- Booking guest provides government ID and agrees to identity and background verification.
- Booking guest signs our rental agreement and safety waivers.
- Refundable security deposit: $500 (1BR), $750 (3BR), $1,250 (5BR), depending on layout booked.
- Deposit hold is placed 2 days before arrival and released within 5 days after checkout.
- All overnight guests must be listed before arrival.

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🏠 **House Rules (the essentials)**

- No pets, no smoking, no parties, no unauthorized events.
- Service animals welcome (no advance documentation required, please let us know in advance so we can prepare).
- Quiet hours: Outdoor spaces (deck, island, pier, yard) 10 PM-8 AM. Game Room and Hot Tub Room: midnight-8 AM. No amplified sound after midnight.
- Overnight occupancy cannot exceed the maximum for your booked layout (infants under 2 excluded).
- Day visitors beyond your booked group require prior written approval.
- Vendors and photographers require prior written permission and a Certificate of Insurance.
- Indoor fireplaces are decorative only and not for use.
- No fireworks or open flames within 50 feet of the house. Gas grill is fine while attended.
- Grill must be cleaned and covered after use. Failure to clean may result in a fee.
- Water and hot tub safety: life vests required on watercraft; no watercraft after dusk; no diving or jumping from bridge, pier, or hot tub. Children must be supervised at all times (the home is not child-proof).
- Food and drink in main living spaces only (kitchen, great room, game room, TV room, dining). Water is fine anywhere; no food or drink in bedrooms, bathrooms, or the hot tub room.
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