We had an ok time at this rental. The house is older and starting to show its age. The kitchen, however, has been updated and was fairly well appointed, but a pair of salad tongs would be appreciated. The master bedroom smelled a bit musty, but it was dark and quiet at night. We did not find any of the beds to be very comfortable, especially the twin beds. (When I stripped the beds before leaving, I noticed a tag on the box spring that said 2004.) We were initially concerned about cleanliness because the master bath had a dirty, hair filled razor in the shower and there were cobwebs in the master bedroom. We contacted John, the owner, who assured us that the house had been cleaned prior to arrival. The biggest issue, however, was the ants, which were everywhere. John had ant hotels scattered throughout and told us that the house had been sprayed when I mentioned the issue. He phoned us on our check out date to see how the visit had gone, and I mentioned the ants again. I assume he will address this further.
The main thing the house has going for it is the proximity to downtown Charlevoix (about a 15-minute walk) and Michigan beach (even closer). Beautiful beach! Highly recommend it as it has sand and is a wonderful spot for catching the sunset. Depot Beach on Lake Charlevoix is also within walking distance but is very rocky (water shoes are highly recommended). We also enjoyed the sunroom at the front of the house although it tends to get a strong plastic smell when it’s warm outside (windows can be opened to alleviate that). The plastic “wicker” type chairs are also starting to break down. The backyard is small, but there’s a fire pit and a propane grill. We enjoyed a few surprise visits from a cute fawn whose mother was clearly stashing it there during the day while she foraged for food.
We highly recommend Sunshine Charters for anyone wanting to get out on the water on a catamaran for a couple of hours. You can easily walk to the launch point downtown. Also, Royal Farms, which is about a 15-minute drive south of Charlevoix (on the way to Traverse City), has wonderful pies (cherry berry is a favorite). Call ahead to ensure that they have some pies available or pre-order. They also have tasty ciders available there to sample and/or purchase.
We love the Charlevoix area and have been visiting for the past few years. Thanks VRBO! I’m not sure that we’d stay at this rental again but for a large group, it could represent good value.