The Frankfort Beach Retreat is a large and gorgeous family home that is in a truly incredible location in downtown Frankfort. Short walk to both Frankfort Beach and downtown! Includes hot tub, two-zone central air conditioning system, high speed Wi-Fi, 3 floors of living space, 3 separate living / game rooms (one on each floor), and a beautiful outdoor patio with a natural gas fire table and deluxe natural gas outdoor grill! Truly provides for an incredible family getaway to northern Michigan!
INTERACTION WITH GUESTS:
We have a local property manager that lives in the area and is available to answer any questions and/or address any issues that may arise.
NEIGHBORHOOD:
The home is in a incredible location for exploring the northwest corner of Michigan's Lower Peninsula! It is located near the west end of Winnebago Street, just a short walk from both Frankfort Beach and downtown Frankfort. It is a very high-end and safe neighborhood. There is a public easement across the street, which cuts across to Nipissing Street, where there is a walking path that goes down the bluff from the west end of Nipissing Street to Frankfort Beach and Lake Michigan. (The path is somewhat steep and rugged and does not have much in the way of handrails. As such, it may be difficult for elderly individuals or young children.) The Frankfort Pier and the famous Frankfort Lighthouse are also just a short walk south along the beach from the house.
The home is just a few blocks from charming downtown Frankfort. Downtown Frankfort has a growing array of shops, restaurants, cafes, a microbrewery (Stormcloud), and a vintage movie theatre (The Garden Theater). All of this is just a short walk from the house!
The home is also conveniently located close to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and Crystal Lake. These provide for a wide mix of hiking, exploring, kayaking, tubing, fishing, and paddleboarding activities in the midst of a truly gorgeous natural environment. The home is also only 18.2 miles (about a 25-minute drive) from Crystal Mountain Resort for skiing, snowboarding, and winter sports.
Also, if larger-city things are desired such as lots of restaurants, great shopping, and lots of entertainment and nightlife options, the home is only an approx. 1-hour drive from downtown Traverse City, which has a wonderful collection of dining, shopping, and entertainment options.
GUEST ACCESS:
Guests have access to the entire property except for the garage and a couple of owner closets, which are all locked off for owner storage. The boat that is on the property is also not usable by guests, but the 5 kayaks and paddleboard are available for guest usage.
THE SPACE:
The home was built in 1932 and has a great heritage! It was bought by the current owners in 2019 and they completely renovated the house over the next few years. The home is now very modern and has a wonderfully casual beachy vibe throughout the house. Please do note that there is some Christian artwork at the property. If this is an issue, we would suggest booking elsewhere.
A great feature of the property is that it has an incredible outdoor patio that includes outdoor seating, a natural gas fire table, a deluxe natural gas grill, an outdoor shower, and a hot tub!
TRANSIT:
There is a public bus system (the Benzie Bus) in the area, but it is recommended that guests have their own means of transportation.
PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING:
1) PET POLICY: Up to 2 dogs are permitted at the property. If bringing 1 or 2 dogs, please make certain that they are included on the reservation, that the pet fee is appropriately paid, and that all pet waste is properly picked up and disposed of. More than 2 dogs is strictly prohibited and any pets other than dogs are also strictly prohibited.
2) AIR CONDITIONING: The property does have an advanced two-zone central air conditioning system. It is available for guests to use for no additional charge.
3) NUMBER OF GUESTS: Please note that our pricing is based upon the number of guests, with pricing being higher with each additional guest that is included on the reservation. Please make certain that the correct number of guests is specified on the reservation so that the pricing is correct.
4) EARLY CHECK-IN: Our policy is to allow early check-in on the day of arrival if the property is available for check-in. We will not know until the day before arrival whether or not the property will be available for early check-in or not. You can check with our local property manager the day before arrival or on your arrival day to see if the property will be available for early check-in or not.
5) LATE CHECK-OUT: We maintain a very strict and structured cleaning schedule. As such, late check-outs are strictly prohibited.
6) WATERCRAFT: There are 5 kayaks and a paddleboard at the property. The kayaks and the paddleboard are available for guest usage for no additional charge. Note that the small boat that is at the property is NOT available for guest usage though.
7) SECURITY CAMERAS: Please note that there are exterior security cameras at the property. The hot tub and surrounding area is also visible on one of the cameras. There are no interior cameras though.
8) HOT TUB: Please note that the hot tub is next to the house (just east of the house) and faces the street. Also, one of the security cameras does have visibility to the hot tub and surrounding area. Note that the hot tub was just recently added to the property and it is not shown in some of the outdoor photos.
9) CHRISTIAN ARTWORK: Please note that there is some Christian artwork on the premises. If this is an issue, we would suggest that you book elsewhere.
10) FIREPLACES: The fireplace on the main floor is a natural gas fireplace. The fireplace on the lower level is an electric fireplace. Both fireplaces are available for guest usage for no additional charge.
11) FIRE TABLE: The natural gas fire table is very convenient for having an outdoor fire, but it is not to be used for roasting marshmallows. If you wish to roast marshmallows over a fire, we would suggest having a wood fire on the beach.
12) UPPER BALCONY: There is an upper balcony that extends out from the upper level living room. PLEASE NOTE THAT, FOR SAFETY CONCERNS, THIS UPPER BALCONY IS NOT TO BE USED! (There is a loveseat in front of the door to the balcony to help prevent usage.)
13) LOWER LEVEL: Please note that the lower level (i.e. basement) is not to be used for sleeping.
14) WI-FI: The home has super fast cable Wi-Fi with speed of 1000+ Mbps.
