We had 13 people in our group—7 adults and 6 grandchildren, all age five and under. The location was excellent, and the shallow beach was perfect for the young children. We were especially happy that none of the kids developed swimmer’s itch, which can be common in northern Michigan. The home included beach toys, games, a high chair, a baby gate, and a crib, all of which were appreciated. The beds were comfortable, the property was quiet, and the beachfront fire pit was a wonderful place to gather in the evenings. The kitchen had plenty of dishes and silverware, and I appreciated that they used durable Corelle dishes.I have stayed in many VRBO homes, and they typically have a few homeowner items such as spices or coffee. This home, however, contained a large number of personal belongings throughout the drawers and closets. There was very little empty storage space for guests, making it difficult to unpack and organize our own belongings.The listing stated that the home had central air conditioning. It does not. Instead, there is a mini-split unit in the main living area with fans intended to circulate the cool air. We found it difficult to keep the bedrooms comfortable during warm weather.The listing also indicated that beach towels and life jackets were provided. They were not available during our stay. We later noticed those items had been removed from the listing, but we had relied on that information and therefore did not bring beach towels. We could find only 10 bath towels for a group of 13, although there were plenty of hand towels and washcloths.One of the three bathrooms was essentially unusable. The shower in the bathroom near the queen bedroom did not work because the shower valve needed replacement, and we were told the owners were already aware of the issue. The toilet in that bathroom also did not flush properly and required service. As a result, our group effectively had only two functioning bathrooms.The kitchen was stocked with many pots, pans, and utensils, but they were so disorganized that preparing meals became frustrating. Finding a functional frying pan with a lid or a large pot for cooking was unnecessarily difficult because of the sheer volume and lack of organization. Guests who don’t plan to cook may not mind, but those preparing meals for a family should be aware of this.
