Check-In
Check-in is at 4:00PM. Please understand that check-in is 4 so that we can make sure the space is nice and tidy before you arrive. Your lock code won’t work before 4.
You’ll receive a message the day before your arrival that includes your code to enter the property. The Schlage lock is very intuitive. If you have any problem, let us know.
As you walk through the space and look through the guidebook, if you have any questions whatsoever don’t hesitate to reach out. We respond very quickly.
Check-Out
We hope you had a wonderful stay! Before you go, please tend to a few things:
- Wash pans and make sure all dirty dishes are in the dishwasher. Start the dishwasher.
- Check that the back door is locked before exiting through the front door and locking that with the lock button.
Thanks!
We would love it if you could take two minutes tomorrow afternoon to leave us a quick review. Of course we will leave you on in return.
A five-star rating is very important to us and goes a long way to helping our family business. If you had any issues during your stay, please let us know before leaving.
Peek Saugatuck
Don’t tell Holland and South Haven, but Saugatuck is my favorite. I mostly grew up in Holland, but Saugatuck has always been the place to go. There’s really no place like it.
Good Goods — Super fun store with unique pieces: art, jewelry, furniture. It’s a great place to find a gift. There are several stores like this in Saugatuck: many are good, yet I consider Good Goods the best.
Star of Saugatuck — Paddle boat that runs along the Kalamazoo River and out to Lake Michigan. They also run a sunset cruise. Call about tickets 269.857.4261
Adventure Company — If captaining your own vessel is more your speed, these people can set you up with a pontoon or kayak. If they are booked out, there’s a couple other companies too.
Restaurants
Nearby
- For Italian food, Marro’s is the singular destination. Great pizza, traditional dishes, a well-rounded wine list and finely crafted cocktails are on offer here. Marros has always reminded me of a more intimate version of the great Italian steakhouses of Chicago. It will be very busy here. No reservations, but you can order food for pick-up on their website linked above.
- Fish tacos, broasted chicken, ribs and scallop pad thai? Phil’s. You need to go. It has an ecclectic menu, yet everything is on point. Also, the old-school theater-style marquee out front is used to celebrate the momentous occasions of their patrons and locals: it’s a great thing!
- If it’s a nice day and you’d like to sit on the dock, The Mermaid is your ticket. Full disclosure: I haven’t been here much since it received new ownership, so this is a location-based suggestion for now.
- Everyday People Cafe is definitely a foodie favorite. What’s not to enjoy: high quality ingredients thoughtfully assembled for an unparalleled experience. The menu is always changing, so be sure to check the website linked above. If you enjoy bourbon, try the Paper Plane. So you know, it’s located in Douglas, not Saugatuck, so this is more a long walk or short drive suggestion.
- Or, if that’s all sounding a bit too fancy, stop by the Root Beer Barrell. It’s an enormous barrell of a food stand on the way to Oval Beach. Great for root beer floats and hot dogs.
Destination
During high season, I would never send someone away from Saugatuck for dinner, but some of the best restaurants close during low season, in which case Holland will have more year-round choices (come back in summer).
- The traditional Holland breakfast spot is The Windmill. Standard diner, breakfast fare is on offer here. It gets busy, so earlier is better than later if you want to avoid a line.
- Boatwerks is a waterfront restaurant that’s definitely worth a visit. The decor is an homage to Holland’s boat building history.
- Waverly Stone Gastropub is highly regarded. I’ve only had excellent meals here.
Overall
Saugatuck’s thriving restaurant scene helped me pay for college back when I waited tables here (many, many years ago). It makes me happy to see it still doing so well. There are great options on and off this list: let us know what you find and what you think!
Beaches
The two main options are Oval Beach and Saugatuck State Park. If you happen to be in Holland or South Haven, there are good beaches in both of those cities listed in their respective guidebooks here.
The nearer option is Oval Beach. Oval Beach has a day fee for adjacent parking, or you can get there by trekking up and down Mt. Baldy. If you aim to go that route, know that it’s rigorgous. Also, you can get to that side of the Kalamazoo River via the chain ferry near the intersection of Francis and Water streets if you’re determined to get there without a car. You can also park at the base of the Mt. Blady stairs.
Saugatuck Dunes State Park carries the standard day fee for parking unless you have an annual sticker for Michigan state parks or if it’s off-season and nobody is collecting. It’s important to know that the shortest path from parking to the beach is just shy of a mile, so this doesn’t offer drive-up and lay out. It does, however, offer some great hikes through the rolling dunes and woods. There’s a few trails totalling 13 miles. The Felt Estate shares a boundary with the state park and offers a mountain bike trail, disc golf course and wedding venue. …when I was a kid it was a creepy old abandoned mansion we would dare one another to trespass into on the way into the woods.
A note about walking the beach: It is entirely lawful to walk the Lake Michigan shoreline up to the high water mark, which is considered to be part of the Public Trust. You may see private property signs–and it is private property–but you are allowed to walk through along the lake. I wouldn’t set up and stay, however; that would be considered trespassing. Also, you have to get to the lake through public access; Public Trust doesn’t allow you to walk through someone’s property to get to the lake. Enjoy the lake! It’s for all of us!
Trails and Hikes
There are a number of good nature walks around town, beginning with the namesake state park, Saugatuck Dunes State Park. I’ve spent a lot of hours here, and I’ve always enjoyed it.
Closer to town, there’s also the Crow’s Nest Trailhead that leads through the Tallmadge Woods Nature Preserve to the overlook.
Breweries and Vineyards
A short disclaimer: I haven’t been drinking in Saugatuck since long before any of these places were established. What I can provide here, therefore, isn’t much more than a reasonably well-formatted Google search. One of these days, I promise to visit these establishments and offer real opinions–for science! And quality hosting!
- Saugatuck Brewing Company is a spacious establishment with a full offering of food and beer. They also have a private party space you can book if you’re celebrating or gathering while in town. It’s just south of town on Blue Star before you get to 196.
- Guardian Brewing Company is just north of town off Blue Star on 63rd. Aside from having some truly interesting brews, they also offer Beer School classes! Just as Saugatuck Brewing, they offer private party space.
- New Holland Tasting Room isn’t a brewery or vineyard storefront, but a tasting room for New Holland’s spirits. But more than that, they also offer signature cocktails designed by mixologists from their locations around west Michigan.
- As far as vineyards, if you’d like to visit the vineyard itself, there’s Modales, Fenn Valley and Cogdal while if you’re content with a tasting room in town, Fenn Valley and Wine Sellers provide solid options.
House Rules
We want you to have a fantastic time during your stay, but we do have to insist on a few house rules:
- No Smoking
- No Pets
- No parties or events
- Respect occupancy restrictions (5 guests)
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the fireplace work?
Sadly, no. It needs some repair before it’s safe, and we’re getting to it as soon as we can. At least it looks the log cabin part!
Electronics
Television
The TV is a new TCL with native smart features via Roku. Please feel free to log in and out of any of the services that you prefer. If it seems sluggish or refuses to connect to services, you may need to reconnect the network cable that runs from the router on both ends.
Soundbar
It’s a Polk Signa S3 with a wireless subwoofer. Here’s the manual.
If you use qobuz, spotify, youtube music, pandora, tidal or deezer, you should be able to connect to the Polk as a wi-fi connected output from your app, which is more reliable than bluetooth because it doesn’t rely on a bluetooth signal from your device. The service will stream directly to the speaker through wifi.
Nest Thermostat
One thing that can be tricky at first: it looks like a touch screen – it’s not. Instead, all inputs are handled by turning the device like a giant knob and clicking the entire device toward the wall. Here’s a short video that may help. https://youtu.be/3Q7hm5rhw54