I can't say enough great things about this home away from home. The fact that I can only give them…read more5 stars seems unfair. And I'm sure even this review will not do them proper justice. It was just an awesome place to stay.
Tony and Michelle were born to do this. From the moment we walked in the door, it was clear that this was going to be a great weekend. They both know how to walk that thin line between being ultra-professional and being so welcoming as to feel like long lost friends.
Tony and I talked several times the day of arrival as we were a bit delayed in our travel and each of my several phone calls to him were promptly answered with a cheerful, "no problem... we'll be waiting for you." And sure enough, the minute I walked through the door, he was there with a handshake, and some great advice for a late-night dinner. Old-school charm with new-school technology from the door codes to the free (unbelievably fast) Wi-Fi, I literally don't know what else I could've asked for to make this any more comfortable than it already was.
They're in a beautiful location with gorgeous parks within a stone's throw and walking distance to downtown (right down the road on Washington Blvd) and the water. It couldn't have been more convenient.
The accommodations were amazing. Five bedrooms to pick from, each with their own charm. We picked ours because of the large private bath with an old fashioned claw-foot tub. The bathroom had great water pressure, complimentary high quality shampoos and body washes, and there was even a built-in overhead heater to keep you from getting cold after a shower.
The place could not have been cleaner if I cleaned it myself. Either they buy new towels and linens for every guest that stays there or they have some trick up their sleeves they should teach to the rest of the hospitality industry. The sinks and tub didn't have a single water stain. The bedroom and bathroom were both immaculate. I guess that's just the best way to describe it without continuing to go over every detail -- immaculate.
Beautiful woodwork through the upstairs hallways and there wasn't a sign of wear anywhere. They clearly care about not only their guests but about this beautiful home away from home. Three common rooms and a beautiful front porch give you a choice as to where you want to socialize, meet other guests, have a coffee, do some work, just relax, or play any number of their countless awesome games (such as the biggest wooden scrabble board you've ever seen or a 40-year-old hand-carved chess board with 10-inch hand-carved pieces for instance) while you're waiting for others in your party to get ready to go out.
Free snacks galore (about a dozen different ones to pick from), a refrigerator to use for restaurant leftovers you might bring back, beautiful plateware and silverware, and interesting little furnishings from long past, such as an antique wooden stereoscope viewer and a radio which is guaranteed to be the oldest one you've ever seen, are all a part of the experience.
Which brings me to my favorite part -- the breakfast, which is outstanding. The first morning, we were presented with fresh berries served as an appetizer. And I mean a HEALTHY amount of FRESH, BEAUTIFUL berries. The next course was some hand-made warm, cinnamon, pear crumble thing. And the final course was an egg, sausage, and cheese pastry with fennel. Several of them. Per person. The next morning started again with what must have been hand-chosen berries, but this time we received a different delicious crumbly warmed first course followed by this amazing herbed-egg dish which had some sort of baked Parmesan topping. I remember taking the first bite, and then I remember my extra-large oval ramekin (served hot straight from the oven) being clean enough to put back in the cupboard. Everything else between those two points is fuzzy. And all the coffee and juice you can drink. We did not leave that table hungry either morning. And my mouth has been is watering recalling it for this entire paragraph.
There's an old saying that when you find something good you have two choices - keep it for yourself or share it with the world, and I don't get to Grand Haven enough to in good conscience keep it for myself.
Enjoy!