LUXURY HOME ON THE LAKE

We loved it. We arrived in time to meet the caretakers who were very helpful. We didn't know how to work some of the features in the house and they were very patient with us. They even checked with us later to make sure we were OK. Just really good people. The place was spotless and had more gadgets and supplies than we could ever have used. The sauna, massage chair and steam shower were fantastic. Like going to a spa! We had family in for lunch and gathered around the kitchen for a nice meal. No problems with seating, the plates and dishes and glasses were all there... and much more. They've thought of everything. There are more decks than you could use and it was SO peaceful. Lots of wildlife yet only a few minutes from town if you need something. Meals can be delivered. We had planned on doing some shopping while we were there but we never really left the place! Even the dog loved it! We are so happy we went and plan to return.

The house was nice and clean. Although there were a couple things I wish I had known prior to booking this place:

- There was construction going on right next door to this house which made the trip not as relaxing as I was hoping for.

- There is another rental unit attached IN this house. This means that some of the common grounds are delegated to the other unit within the house (2 kayaks, a dock, some of the bonfire spaces, etc.) and this makes the house not as private as expected.

Those were my two main issues. Here are some of my pros and cons:

Pros:
+ 4 bathrooms is very useful for large groups of people.
+ The house was clean and had a lot of useful kitchen appliances, dishes, etc.
+ The electric scooter in the garage was fun.
+ The kayaks and large deck were nice.

Cons:
- The exercise equipment in the master bedroom seems unnecessary and obstructs the view of the lake from the windows.
- There are no explanations of how to operate a lot of the amenities in the house which is frustrated when you are left guessing.
- The fireplace in the living room does not work as far as we could figure out.
- Customer service was a little off. Not bad, just not particularly friendly. I never met the owners of the property. I called them to try to figure out how to use the sauna and the man on the phone seemed semi-helpful but also a bit apathetic. We were also having problems with the stereo in the house to which he said there was an iPod dock, which we later found out there wasn't. (So if you're staying there bring your own 1/8th inch cable).
-Their plates are not microwaveable. They get extremely hot if you microwave anything.
-The house is also haunted. Ok just kidding I made that part up. The rest is all true.

A group of 8 of us made our way to Saugatuck mid-June for a wedding weekend, and we loved our choice to stay at this house. The weekend got off to a bit of a rough start with a maintenance issue, but the owner was able to be contacted quickly, and the issue was fixed within hours without impeding our weekend. We ended up not being able to use one shower, but with three others available, it made no difference to us. Even with that little hiccup, the weekend went great. We used the bonfire pit and hot tub every night, enjoyed tasty beverages on the deck, and found it impossible to get bored with all the entertainment of ping pong, darts, and pool available. A lounge in the hammocks was relaxing, the ice machine was extremely convenient, and the living room area is huge! There was so much space, inviting a handful more friends that were in town over for a cookout was a breeze. I did a lot of research for houses in the Saugatuck area, and I couldn't have been happier with my choice. We hope to be invited back perhaps as early as next summer as everyone that saw the house wants to go back, and for even longer next time!

Thanks again for letting us use your house! We really had a great time!