Retraite Duneside: 4 BR Highland Park Cottage voisin du lac MI (6 personnes)

Perfect location and clean, would definitely book again

We were very excited to stay here, mostly due to the overall cabin-like feel we got from the pictures and description and the proximity to the beach. There are the equivalent of 3 flights of stairs leading up that were not mentioned in the listing. The pictures made it look like a single flight which is doable, but 3 flights up carrying luggage and then having that be the only access was a deal breaker for someone with a heart condition and bad knees. The stairs were not lit when we arrived around 1030pm. Once we got into the place, the musty/moldy smell was intense and awful. No air conditioning in this place that is listed for a summer retreat. To be fair, the listing did not claim there was AC, but we felt like a note that there was no AC would have been appropriate. There were fans in every bedroom, but with the exception of 1 the rest were FILTHY, caked with dust, dirt, and what looked like mold. The window screens throughout the house were also extremely filthy and did not allow much airflow. The floors in the house are incredibly uneven, even on the stairs. The only shower in the place was a tiny clawfoot that the shower curtain did not close completely around and leaked onto the floor. In the dining room, there was a book with a title Vrbo wouldn't even let me publish that our 8 year old found. Tasteless. We booked for 3 nights and ended up leaving after the first night. Our sons said they did not feel comfortable in the house at night and we felt the same way.

Plumbing needs serious work. Screens were dirty. Single beds were uncomfortable. On the up side, great location, space to spread out, nice screened-in porch. House had needed amenities. Management was responsive with plumbing issues but slow to respond about a refund.

We enjoyed our stay. We would have appreciated some slight updates. Closets/cabinets were a bit cluttered.

This property was exactly what we were looking for, it has an old cottage feel and is close to the Lake. We enjoyed Grand Haven and the boardwalk through the dunes looking at all the old houses, the lake, and the screened in porch Only a few negatives. 1. I emailed the property manager the day before to ask if the grill was gas or charcoal (since the listing only says grill), and whether the coffee maker was a drip coffee maker or a Keurig. I was told there was not a grill in the listing (there is) and that the property has a Keurig. I replied that a grill was listed, and received a reply the next day from someone else telling me the grill was gas. Well they were both wrong, there is a charcoal grill and surprise! There was not a Keurig but a drip coffee maker. 2. I was contacted Friday afternoon and told that the shower diverter was not working and the toilet was running so they would be sending a plumber but they might not be there by 4. That was fine as we actually weren’t going to arrive until around 6. I got a call when we were out to dinner at 7:30 to say that the plumber wouldn’t be able to get there for another hour! We settled on having the plumber come first thing on Saturday. He was very nice and was able to get the shower to work but couldn’t fix the toilet because the shut off was under the house and there was no access to it. He said he would contact the property manager and arrange to come back after we checked out. All and all we had a good time. It was a cute house and the right location, but the property management company was not very knowledgeable about the property. They were, at least, responsive. Oh, and the power went out at 7 am on the day we checked out (hopefully just because it is was windy and not because they didn’t pay a bill).