Lakefront Cottage on Portage Lake and the Huron River Chain of Lakes
Your completely remodeled, affordable lakeside oasis awaits you and your family! Enjoy luxury vinyl flooring on the main and second level, a new kitchen with an island and wonderful light colors to give you that waterfront escape from the stresses of every day. The home boasts three bedrooms, two bathrooms with showers on Portage Lake on the Huron River chain of lakes. Brand new Washer and Dryer and Water Softner installed as well! Enjoy spectacular views on the lower and upper decks on the lakeside. 4 Kayaks are available for your use at no additional charge. The Upper Level offers sleeping for 7 with one private bedroom and a spacious airy open sleeping area at the top of the stairs with breathtaking views of Portage Lake. Shared docking is available for one (1) boat! Pontoons are available for rental at nearby Wonderland West Marina. The home is fully furnished and ready for you and your family to make new memories at the lake. This home is perfect for kids who love to swim - the water is 2-3 feet deep for almost 400 feet off the shoreline - perfect for swimming! You'll want to reserve your spot for the 1st week of July and enjoy the magnificent fireworks right from the end of your dock. There are wonderful restaurants nearby and the city of Ann Arbor, home of the University of Michigan, is just 20 minutes away.
Other things to note: Our owners are committed to your stay being the very best that it can be with little to no interference.
Thoroughly enjoyed our stay on beautiful Portage Lake! Very clean, well cared for cottage. Loved the kayaks, paddle boards and hanging out on the dock!
Adorable cottage in a great location. Quick, easy access to Ann Arbor and nearby is the cute little town of Dexter. Property owner is super responsive and helpful.
We had a wonderful time on the lake! The house had everything we needed to make memories with the kids. Thank you for allowing us to enjoy your cottage!
Very clean, very easy check in. Well stocked, plenty of cooking utensils. Almost new, Weber gas grill on back porch. Loved the dock and the location on Portage Lake.
This house was perfect for our weekday vacation. It has everything we needed and the view from the backyard was great. Our dog took full advantage of the dock for hours of fetch. Location was perfect for a visit to both Sandhill Crane and Chateau Aeronatique wineries. It was a very relaxing trip and we appreciate the use of your home.
We enjoyed our time at the lake. The dock and paddle boat are fantastic and the welcome binder had good recs for the area. Only minor suggestion would be to get heavier blinds/drapes in bedrooms to keep rooms a bit darker.
We were in Michigan for a tournament for my daughter. We found this property and wanted to take advantage of the lake! The rental came with paddle boards, kayaks, and an aqua cycle. We took advantage of those and being able to fish and have fires. The owner was so helpful. We would definitely stay again!
Property had the following issues:
No dishwasher
No washer/dryer
No electric socket in bathroom
Bathroom sink did not drain
All furniture dated and worn
Shower very small, mold
Water smells
My family really enjoyed relaxing by the lake for a long weekend before school started up again.
The lake was beautiful, and we enjoyed the kayaks and paddleboards. Previous tenants apparently absconded with the life jackets, but the owner had more delivered very quickly. Traffic was a bit busy on the weekend, as the dock is near the marina, but more peaceful on the weekday.
The house has the charms and quirks of an old building (like needing to duck coming down the stairs), but it is well maintained and we stayed cool with the A/C.
The only slight negative of the experience was that the grill badly needed cleaning, but that was a minor blip.
It is a cute little cottage. New owners took possession 2 days prior to our arrival and therefore cottage was not up to the standards of pervious reviews. Cobwebs in every room, light bulb burned out w no replacement, toilet clogged (they did fix right away), not a single spice, minimal utensils, they did not provide the items listed in the VRBO listing. No screens on many windows upstairs where it was over 90 degrees. Outside of house in desperate need of power washing. Advertised sandy beach had algae and algae plums every where (not anyone's fault but not a sandy beach) Owner apologetic and accommodating for first few calls but left vm when we couldn't find a toaster, spatula, light bulb & didn't call back. Might sound petty but day after day it got old. I have never given a poor review but this place was not what was advertised. I hope they step up for future renters. I spoke w owner about a discount due to above and she was arguing over spatula at the same that she was aware that I was placing my mom in HOSPICE. I expressed this was rediculas and ended the call. Just sad that this was my moms last cottage experience. Again, my first unfavorable review ever.
First of all I gave this a 3 instead of 2 rating because Jeanne (the host) was very nice and there was no problem with owners living next door as was mentioned in a negative review earlier. No problem sharing dock or kayaks, paddle boat etc. Cottage was small but very well equipped with linens, kitchen utensils, and clean. But with that said I think people should be aware of the following.
*We didnât realize all bedrooms were upstairs and that were NOT private rooms. If in one room, you have to go thru middle room to get downstairs (not private). If in room with lake view (twin beds) no air conditioning if you shut the door (which doesn't close). Gets very warm even with windows open. No closets and only 1 dresser for all rooms. No electrical outlets in bathroom.
*SAFETY ISSUES that need to be addressed. The OPEN stairs have no guard rail on open side, very dangerous for small kids, as well as older adults going down to bathroom in middle of night. You couldnât put a gate at top of stairs because of side railing being too wide a small child could easily fall thru. Also very unsturdy. needs to be secured better. There is a huge gap on both sides of railing on upstairs deck (another safety issue).
So Because of the safety issues we had to scramble to find another place for the 2 families that were going to stay with us Our main mission was to have all families together at one place so this was a huge disappointment. We did talk to Jeanne & husband regarding the safety issues and they did compensate us for a portion of the rental (which was appreciated). We rented this place because of the pictures and great reviews but canât believe we are the only family that had a problem.
Until the issues above are addressed I would find another property, definitely not worth the money.
My brother and I shared this cottage on a football weekend and not only was it conveniently located, we found it to be warm and welcoming in every way. It was clean, comfortable and the lake view was absolutely serene. The hosts were very responsive and we both agreed we would come for a return visit! The only downside is that there is only one bathroom and it is downstairs from the bedrooms so if you have to get up during the night you need to navigate the stairs. May be tough for elderly guests or someone with mobility concerns.
We were three women who shared this cottage for a little family reunion and were delighted with the cleanliness and freshness of the home. The beds were very comfortable to sleep on and though the weather was chilly we could easily heat the living areas and bedrooms and there were plenty of extra blankets. The whole cottage is spic and span, the kitchen tidy and the bathroom was fine for our needs. The owner was very welcoming and instantly responsive to answer questions for us.
In short, this is a lovely cottage with welcoming and responsive owners. It came with a delightful looking paddle boat and kayaks and paddle boards that would be so much fun in the summer months. As we were there in late September at a chilly time, we talked about coming back to enjoy the waterfront and outdoor space even more.
Great place! Beautiful lake close to Michigan Stadium
A friend and I spent the weekend here so we could easily get to/from Ann Arbor for the football game. It was a real value and easy drive to the game. We enjoyed being on the waterfront. Just be aware if you have mobility issues that the bathroom is on the main floor and the bedrooms are all upstairs. But the stairs have handrails on both sides and are easy to navigate (being tall, I did have to duck slightly).
Beautiful house, great hosts, plenty of things to do in the area. The kayaks and paddle boards were very fun to have the use of throughout our stay. The hosts are wonderful, answered all of our questions and were readily available if needed. The house is beautiful and comfortable and right on the lake. Even though our visit was cut short for a family emergency, we enjoyed our stay tremendously. Thank you to our hosts and we will definitely try to get back there when we can.
Our Summer trip to MI was a complete success thanks to our stay at this lovely home. Rented a boat at the nearby marina and had so much fun. Found a gem renting this home!!