The Homestead #2514

03 октября 2021

amberkT357WG

1

Not worth the money

First off, I want to preface this off by saying, MY HUSBAND AND I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND LOW STAFFING DUE TO COVID AND THE TIMES. We are beyond understanding of those circumstances. This was beyond that… We arrived on a Friday and stayed at the Stony Brook Lodge. The room was whatever, nothing to ride home about. The doors all needed repairs and were difficult to open/shut. We decided to check out the gym on the lower level and it was absolutely disgustingly dirty, with only 3 machines. I’ll just let the pictures do the speaking … The next morning, my husband went to cavanaugh’s to get breakfast . He said the staff was unfriendly and cold. The breakfast sandwiches we had were laughable. Cold and soggy. PLEASE GO INTO TOWN FOR BREAKFAST and don’t waste your time here… Saturday around 3:40, we showed up to Whiskers(the outdoor bar/restaurant on the property)… we sat at the outdoor bar for about 15 minutes with no one around . Didn’t think anything of it… thought maybe they were still getting things going… until the bar tender came into the bar area and literally didn’t even acknowledge us. For probably another 10 + minutes he sat there and cut fruit and went about his business, without even looking in our direction. My husband and I were SO confused; we weren’t even sure if he was the bartender or not and checked google again to make sure the place was open. I then walked inside and asked the cooks that were standing there if they were in fact even open and if the man outside was the bartender(because he kept walking away and returning)... They said “yes, that’s him, he’s a little reserved , so you just have to start talking to him”… Ru kidding me? …Ok? The rest of that whole experience was odd and off putting to say the least. This cozy “outdoor bar” experience , was literally what I had most looked forward to after looking at pictures of this place. Complete bust. As for the actual door picture I posted… As I said earlier, all of the doors in the hotel room needed repair. Well the last night of our stay, my husband left to meet up with an old friend and I noticed that the balcony door lock was completely nonfunctional. The lock came out only a tiny bit and would not latch completely . Albeit unlikely that anyone would break into a room from a balcony door , I was here alone with my 4 month old baby through the evening and into the night… so I was uncomfortable . At the end of the day, THE $692 DOLLARS WE PAID for two nights at this place ... was just a complete waste of time and money. For that kind of money, there are SO many other incredible places in Michigan and this was TRULY not at all “the hidden gem” it was made out to be on the internet. First off, I want to preface this off by saying, MY HUSBAND AND I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND LOW STAFFING DUE TO COVID AND THE TIMES. We are beyond understanding of those circumstances. This was beyond that… We arrived on a Friday and stayed at the Stony Brook Lodge. The room was whatever, nothing to ride home about. The doors all needed repairs and were difficult to open/shut. We decided to check out the gym on the lower level and it was absolutely disgustingly dirty, with only 3 machines. I’ll just let the pictures do the speaking … The next morning, my husband went to cavanaugh’s to get breakfast . He said the staff was unfriendly and cold. The breakfast sandwiches we had were laughable. Cold and soggy. PLEASE GO INTO TOWN FOR BREAKFAST and don’t waste your time here… Saturday around 3:40, we showed up to Whiskers(the outdoor bar/restaurant on the property)… we sat at the outdoor bar for about 15 minutes with no one around . Didn’t think anything of it… thought maybe they were still getting things going… until the bar tender came into the bar area and literally didn’t even acknowledge us. For probably another 10 + minutes he sat there and cut fruit and went about his business, without even looking in our direction. My husband and I were SO confused; we weren’t even sure if he was the bartender or not and checked google again to make sure the place was open. I then walked inside and asked the cooks that were standing there if they were in fact even open and if the man outside was the bartender(because he kept walking away and returning)... They said “yes, that’s him, he’s a little reserved , so you just have to start talking to him”… Ru kidding me? …Ok? The rest of that whole experience was odd and off putting to say the least. This cozy “outdoor bar” experience , was literally what I had most looked forward to after looking at pictures of this place. Complete bust. As for the actual door picture I posted… As I said earlier, all of the doors in the hotel room needed repair. Well the last night of our stay, my husband left to meet up with an old friend and I noticed that the balcony door lock was completely nonfunctional. The lock came out only a tiny bit and would not latch completely . Albeit unlikely that anyone would break into a room from a balcony door , I was here alone with my 4 month old baby through the evening and into the night… so I was uncomfortable . At the end of the day, THE $692 DOLLARS WE PAID for two nights at this place ... was just a complete waste of time and money. For that kind of money, there are SO many other incredible places in Michigan and this was TRULY not at all “the hidden gem” it was made out to be on the internet.

28 сентября 2021

atxa

1

EEK! There’s a dead animal in my sink!

The grounds are beautiful and the Welcome Center is charming, with a wood fire crackling in the grate. Customer service, however, is totally non-existent. Finding your lodging is tricky. There’s one handicapped park spot and it’s a LONG way from the Inn…….challenging in growing darkness and pouring rain for one legally blind and one knee replacement guest! You’re on your own with luggage. Finally in the room we discovered a broken window (it was COLD) and NO heat. The “fireplace” is a gas log, not an actual fireplace. It did help to make it warmer. They came and fixed the heat and the window but the next morning I put my glasses on and saw a dead mouse curled up in the sink. They had someone to handle that too…..see photo. He said they once had a deer in the hallway! It wasn’t a mouse after all. It was a shrew. The staff did drop clean (old) towels by the door and they exchanged the smelly pillows; we were grateful for that. The vertical blinds were broken…..no light/privacy control and difficult porch access. When I called they said “they knew” and were working on it. At about $400 a night that was the wrong answer! I wasn’t counting on a Ritz Carlton but the Homestead is tired…..old and really really tired. It’s honestly amazing that so few people can manage to keep it open at all. The sound of Lake Michigan is cathartic and dinner at BLU in Glen Lake was delicious and memorable but, for a guest who’s always wanted to stay at The Homestead, it’s a “thumb’s down.” It’s my fault for not reading the reviews! ◦ The grounds are beautiful and the Welcome Center is charming, with a wood fire crackling in the grate. Customer service, however, is totally non-existent. Finding your lodging is tricky. There’s one handicapped park spot and it’s a LONG way from the Inn…….challenging in growing darkness and pouring rain for one legally blind and one knee replacement guest! You’re on your own with luggage. Finally in the room we discovered a broken window (it was COLD) and NO heat. The “fireplace” is a gas log, not an actual fireplace. It did help to make it warmer. They came and fixed the heat and the window but the next morning I put my glasses on and saw a dead mouse curled up in the sink. They had someone to handle that too…..see photo. He said they once had a deer in the hallway! It wasn’t a mouse after all. It was a shrew. The staff did drop clean (old) towels by the door and they exchanged the smelly pillows; we were grateful for that. The vertical blinds were broken…..no light/privacy control and difficult porch access. When I called they said “they knew” and were working on it. At about $400 a night that was the wrong answer! I wasn’t counting on a Ritz Carlton but the Homestead is tired…..old and really really tired. It’s honestly amazing that so few people can manage to keep it open at all. The sound of Lake Michigan is cathartic and dinner at BLU in Glen Lake was delicious and memorable but, for a guest who’s always wanted to stay at The Homestead, it’s a “thumb’s down.” It’s my fault for not reading the reviews! ◦

09 сентября 2021

taylorsK3019NZ

5

Exceeded expectations!

We visited The Homestead for a couple of days after Labor Day. It was absolutely perfect for our group and their facilities exceeded my expectations! We stayed in a North Shore condo and it was literally on the beach which made it so easy to enjoy the Lake. Thanks fir a great experience! We visited The Homestead for a couple of days after Labor Day. It was absolutely perfect for our group and their facilities exceeded my expectations! We stayed in a North Shore condo and it was literally on the beach which made it so easy to enjoy the Lake. Thanks fir a great experience!

09 сентября 2021

lakemichiganGP

5

Proud Michigander

You can tell the homestead is short of workers but the ones that are working put a smile on my face whenever I met one. Hardworking friendly , they looked tired but without hesitation they were there to help throughout our weekend up north. We enjoyed every minute of our trip and reminded our kids of how fortunate we were hike, bike and sit by the fire together. I feel bad for the people who fill this this site with reviews tearing down others. .I'm sure they go through life miserable focusing on any negative thing they can find , missing out on the beauty around and how great we have it in this country. We know the homestead will rebound from pandemic and we wish the best for the staff. To the miserable travelers, just stay away from sleeping bear dunes , or maybe look in the mirror at who you are. You can tell the homestead is short of workers but the ones that are working put a smile on my face whenever I met one. Hardworking friendly , they looked tired but without hesitation they were there to help throughout our weekend up north. We enjoyed every minute of our trip and reminded our kids of how fortunate we were hike, bike and sit by the fire together. I feel bad for the people who fill this this site with reviews tearing down others. .I'm sure they go through life miserable focusing on any negative thing they can find , missing out on the beauty around and how great we have it in this country. We know the homestead will rebound from pandemic and we wish the best for the staff. To the miserable travelers, just stay away from sleeping bear dunes , or maybe look in the mirror at who you are.

08 сентября 2021

klenc

2

Old, outdated, broken and understaffed

Have been coming here for over 20 years. In all of that time it has never been run as a first class resort. When something would go wrong we would joke - well it’s the Homestead. This visit will be my last. The view from the Inn remains spectacular. That is the only nice thing I can say. The rooms are dated,dirty and in disrepair . Bedding and towels thin and worn. The couple we traveled with stayed in Fiddlers Pond. When making their reservation over a year ago, they requested a first floor room. When checking in they restated their request. The young man checking them in confirmed the room was a first floor unit. When they got to the room it was a second floor, with a flight of steps ( no elevator). When we checked in we were given a sheet of paper stating amenities and hours of operation. NOTHING WAS OPEN. Stated pool open until 10 pm. Woman closed it at 6pm stating she was going home. As the pool area was locked there was no access to that beach area. I understand COVID has made finding employees difficult. However the hours of operation of the amenities should be conveyed honestly when making a reservation and checking in. The front desk is either lying or clueless. I suspect the former as it is September - not the beginning of the season , so the employees have been at it for awhile. Initially this was an unique property in a beautiful setting. Over the years it has become over built and understaffed. In season it is crowded and congested. The pool by the lake is crowded with chairs on top of one another. The pool by Fiddlers Pond has not seen an upgrade nor a clean pool chair in 20 years. The owner, Bob, is supposedly on site most of the time. He apparently turns a blind eye to the disrepair and poor management of this once beautiful vacation spot. Unfortunately it has no competition in the area so people come and put up with this overpriced falling apart resort. It is no longe (and I would argue, never has been) America’s finest fresh water resort. Have been coming here for over 20 years. In all of that time it has never been run as a first class resort. When something would go wrong we would joke - well it’s the Homestead. This visit will be my last. The view from the Inn remains spectacular. That is the only nice thing I can say. The rooms are dated,dirty and in disrepair . Bedding and towels thin and worn. The couple we traveled with stayed in Fiddlers Pond. When making their reservation over a year ago, they requested a first floor room. When checking in they restated their request. The young man checking them in confirmed the room was a first floor unit. When they got to the room it was a second floor, with a flight of steps ( no elevator). When we checked in we were given a sheet of paper stating amenities and hours of operation. NOTHING WAS OPEN. Stated pool open until 10 pm. Woman closed it at 6pm stating she was going home. As the pool area was locked there was no access to that beach area. I understand COVID has made finding employees difficult. However the hours of operation of the amenities should be conveyed honestly when making a reservation and checking in. The front desk is either lying or clueless. I suspect the former as it is September - not the beginning of the season , so the employees have been at it for awhile. Initially this was an unique property in a beautiful setting. Over the years it has become over built and understaffed. In season it is crowded and congested. The pool by the lake is crowded with chairs on top of one another. The pool by Fiddlers Pond has not seen an upgrade nor a clean pool chair in 20 years. The owner, Bob, is supposedly on site most of the time. He apparently turns a blind eye to the disrepair and poor management of this once beautiful vacation spot. Unfortunately it has no competition in the area so people come and put up with this overpriced falling apart resort. It is no longe (and I would argue, never has been) America’s finest fresh water resort.

The Homestead #2514

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