The Homestead

I absolutely loved my time at The Homestead! It was the perfect honeymoon spot. We went right before the crowd showed up, at least that's what the locals told us. Our condo was stocked perfectly, and the room was amazing. Our view was life changing, and made it hard to even want to leave the room. I have worked in customer service for over 25 years, and process improve. They do a wonderful job on intentionality. I would have a curated list, of suggested spots, grocery stores, antique shops etc. I would honestly have a tourist version, and a home town curated list. You can experience the town the tourist way, or the locals. I would have a mixer, or apps hour, where people could mingle etc. I would offer tours. Honestly, an intentional tour package could be a huge addition to this site. For honeymoon packages, I would offer a grocery shopping package, and for a fee, have requested items already stocked, to add to the experience. Just some things that popped to mind, but all and all I absolutely loved my stay!

We had our wedding at the Homestead in May 24 and we were the first wedding of the season! Jennifer was an amazing coordinator and made the whole process so much less stressful. The food was delicious and the staff was very friendly! Jennifer sat all of our decorations up for us so we could enjoy our time at the resort and did not have to worry about a thing! The wedding went flawless and would recommend for a wedding!

The Homestead is one of the greatest resort and frankly the best property I've been to! The Agency behind The Homestead is so people friendly. Carl Stewart has been helping me book for the past year or so (I've been frequenting at least 10 years now) and he does a FANTASTIC job. We normally stay in the little belle suite and Carl found us a room in the ridge lakefront suite and it was literally the nicest view I've ever seen! Thanks Carl! We will be coming back as often as possible and booking through you any chance we get! I'll attavh beautiful pictures of this beautiful room as soon i find them :)||DEFINITELY check out the homestead over the summer if you haven't before 👌👌👌

Ohhh I so loved this property! I photographed a wedding here and there were so many unique and beautiful places for the couple! They got married at Camp Firefly which was the perfect little venue for their wedding party. The access to Lake Michigan was really easy and Sandy our wedding coordinator did an incredible job of running everything seamlessly!

We went here for a ski get away and it’s the perfect size for a family that’s new at skiing. My kids could be independent on the hills with no worries and my daughter took a 2 hour individual lesson and was crushing it down every hill.

This is our first night. We ate at Cafe Manitou. We Ordered the Romano Salad with skirt steak and the “Waygu” hamburger. The skirt steak was tough, the hamburger tasteless - “Waygu” ?????? Hmmmmmm. But the coup de grace was when my husband asked for pickles on his hamburger. The server took his order but the server came back and said “The chef said he doesn’t serve pickles at dinner, only lunch.” My husband replied incredulously “You mean he won’t let you get me some pickles?” Server “ He said he won’t give you pickles”. Husband “ Do you think you could sneak a few for me?” Server “I’ll try”. Server comes back and says “He hid the pickles” . My husband “Are you kidding ? That’s crazy - do you think that’s crazy?” Server “Yes- it’s crazy”.

Review: Homestead Resort – Glen Arbor, Michigan||We recently stayed at the Homestead Resort in Glen Arbor, Michigan. We had a large group—12 family members in all—so we rented two of the condos or houses on the property. I didn’t book the lodging, so I’m not exactly sure how to find them on their website, but they were 3-story buildings that felt like small homes.||Lodging||The top floor featured the kitchen, living room, a bathroom, and a sunroom. The décor was clean and pleasant, the kitchen fully functional with dishes and utensils supplied. There was ample seating and a balcony to enjoy the weather. The sunroom was my personal favorite: bright, open, and a perfect spot to get lost in a book.||The second floor (also the entrance floor) had a master bedroom with a queen bed and attached bath—including a huge tub. There were two other bedrooms and another bathroom on this level—one with a queen bed, and one with two twins.||The lowest level had a bedroom with a double and a twin bed, another bathroom, and a cozy little den. I think the couches may have been pull-outs—someone mentioned that, though I didn’t check personally.||Surroundings||Nature lovers will adore this place. Outside our bedroom window were pine trees and playful grey and black squirrels. The cabins are built into hillsides, connected by elevated wooden walkways with views of trees and the occasional wild deer. Birdsong filled the air. On a rainy Friday, the entire forest glistened and smelled of earth and pine, leading to one of the best naps I’ve ever had. At night, make sure you look up—you’ll thank me.||The Property||The resort is large and a bit winding, with various buildings scattered throughout: what looked like walk-up hotels or apartments, event buildings, a small shop, an activity center, and even a small ski course with a lift. It took some time to orient myself. The signage wasn’t bad, but I got turned around often. Maybe that’s normal for ski resorts—this was my first.||The Wedding||The ceremony was held at the top of a ski lift-accessed hill or mountain (depending on your definition), with a spectacular view of Lake Michigan. It was chilly, but breathtaking.||The Reception: A Customer Service Breakdown||After the ceremony, the reception was held in a club at the bottom of the hill. Here’s where things took a turn.||Bathroom Incident:|Upon entering, I urgently needed to use the restroom. As I approached the men’s room, a woman—seated between the men’s and women’s rooms—stood, blocked my way, and said, “nuh-uh.” Confused, I assumed there must be a reason, like a plumbing issue or a bride-specific setup. Then she added, “Unless it’s an emergency.” I had to actually weigh my bladder’s urgency aloud.||Turns out, the plumbing had backed up (apparently a yearly issue after winter shutdown), but this wasn’t explained. Instead of treating me like a guest needing information, I felt like I was being corrected like a child. It soured my mood, and could’ve been avoided with a single sentence: “I’m sorry, the restroom is out of order—there’s another one to the left.” That’s it.||Bar Incident:|During a cocktail hour, the same woman denied my wife a glass of wine, saying the bar was backed up and closed until after the toast. Again—why tell a guest your internal staffing issues? That’s not their burden. Guests are there to relax. My wife explained she just needed it for the toast, and the woman replied, “Did you already get one earlier?” As if it were rationed wine. Eventually, she got the glass—but not without unnecessary stress.||Door Incident:|The reception hall was hot. The groom’s mother opened one door for airflow. My wife opened another to create a cross-breeze. This same woman barked that the doors must remain closed because the AC was on. Sure, fine—but again, it was delivered like a scolding, not an explanation. And if your guests are solving the heat problem for themselves, your customer service has already failed.||This woman may be excellent at operations, spreadsheets, and logistics. But guest relations? Absolutely not. Her default response seemed to be “no.” If I were her supervisor, I’d schedule her for retraining—or at least a few days off to cool down.||Front Desk Trouble||Another family member called the front desk for help with WiFi. The first staff member was rude and practically hung up on him. On calling back, another (much nicer) staff member took over and helped graciously. But the bad interaction was already in the books. I chose to skip using WiFi altogether rather than deal with grumpiness.||Town Vibe||Maybe it’s a local culture thing? In the town of Glen Arbor, we went to a place called Art’s Bar—cash only. They lost our $100 tab because we don’t carry cash. We ended up at Blu—fine dining and absolutely delicious.||⸻||TL;DR||The Homestead Resort in Glen Arbor, Michigan is scenic, nature-filled, and cost-effective with spacious lodging and truly gorgeous views. But the customer service—particularly at the wedding venue and front desk—was dismal. Poor communication, bad attitudes, and a failure to treat guests with basic warmth really dampened the mood.||Would I go back? Maybe—but I’ll ask whether the summer staff is on duty first.||Rating: 3/5 stars.

The resort is a perfect place for being in nature. The location has everything needed for long, quiet walks in the woods, beautiful starlit nights, nature with the birds singing, and the lake near by. City is within driving if you prefer that to the silence serene.

We BOOKED a three night stay in this sprawling "resort" complex with hundreds of rooms set across what felt like a hundred plus acres near the Sleeping Bear Dunes national lakeshore to attend a wedding. Unfortunately we had to leave a day early due to TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE CUSTOMER SERVICE... more on that in a minute. We stayed in one of the "suites" in the Little Belle -an aging mini ski village at the base of the chairlift to the ski hills. As it was August, the village was pretty quiet. Our room, Suite 10 was located on the second floor and while spacious, had several flaws including a broken gas fireplace (not really an issue in August), stained carpet, broken base molding, a tiny bathroom with a phone-booth sized shower with a slow drain, a ridiculous 1990s whirlpool tub set in the middle of the bedroom along with a tiny pedestal sink. At more than $350/night ($400 on the weekend) given the modest quality of the room, this would be for me a 2 or 3-star place, at best. Unfortunately we received a shocking text Friday night (see photo) with less than 12 hours notice that the electricity would be shut off at 8 am on SATURDAY for an indeterminate time frame in our section of the property and that they were sorry. Obviously I called asking to move to a different part of the resort but was told they were full. I'm thinking, well emergencies happen, but after additional calls, I found out, no, in fact they had a power issue a couple of weeks ago and have been running off a generator. Further, while there was no time frame for the repair, they were "HOPING to have it done by mid afternoon."!!!!! As we had a 4 pm wedding, this was obviously not going to be acceptable to be without power, hot water or a room for what was expected to be a rainy day. We just couldn't rely on the HOPE that we could get back into the (electric door locks after all) and HOPE we would have enough time to get ready and HOPE there would be hot water... I think you get the idea! Luckily I was able to find a hotel in Empire with a room we could book for 1 night when I called at 9 pm. They were super nice when I explained our situation and promised to get a room cleaned as quickly as possible then call us so we wouldn't have an issue with the 4 pm wedding-No THAT IS CUSTOMER SERVICE! (Hint to the Homestead). What I can't get over is the tone-deafness of the text. Clearly they knew about this issue when we arrive to check in on THURSDAY yet only notified us late the night before when we and the other suckers were stuck with no options during the busy tourist season?! I don't know about you but we travel frequently and stay in hotels of all levels 50-60 nights a year and have never experienced such a cavalier level of customer service. While this is a nice area to visit, I'll never stay at the Homestead again and hope my experience will inform your decision as well. Good riddance!

Zero stars if possible. This review is from a repeat customer. Spent thousands of dollars at this place over the last 10 years. Never again. This hotel canceled my reservation on my day of arrival. Refused to host me! First time ever. On an August Friday in Glen Arbor. The tourist destination of Michigan. They canceled knowing it would be impossible to find another place. Shame on you! The reason for the cancellation was they decided for me that I would not be happy with the resort. They made that determination, not me. Not the customer. No electricity. No water. Mmmmm. Yes, you are correct, I wouldn't be happy. But, as in past stays, I would give the management an opportunity to address the and be reasonable of further issues. I never got the chance. So a bit of background. Some family members were staying at this property before we checked in. They alerted us that the resort had lost power. Virtually everything was impacted. Main swimming pool, restaurants, convenient store, etc. Additionally the water system in the hotel was broken. No water to shower! I called to inquire on status and was met with snotty, defensive staff members, namely Cindy and Sophia, mostly Cynthia. They couldn't guarantee that power would be restored so obviously it's a concern. I called the following morning - the day of our check in and they still had issues. But we were hoping that the power would be restored and move on. That's when the most bizarre thing happened. The two staff members consulted with a senior member of the resort and decided not to host me!! This is the last time we will ever attempt to stay at this run down resort.

We visited Glen Arbor this fall and had a great time staying in the Fiddlers Pond hotel! Our room was cozy and looked exactly like the photos online. We also had a great view from our balcony. The night we got there they had live music outside, bonfires, and an outdoor bar area. There are 2 restaurants and a market shop on the property where we ordered a veggie pizza which was very good! We overall enjoyed our stay and would like to come back again in the future!

So much potential... but dropping the ball in every way. My husband and I had our wedding here 14 years ago and hoped to continue to build memories visiting with our family, but it's simply not the same place it once was. Property grounds have been completely ignored. Broken cobblestone walkways, deteriorating building facade, and an overgrown golf course. Communication is the worst aspect. Very uninformed front desk attendant (Nancy) confirmed with us that skiing would be available, so we packed up two families of nine to make the trip over, only to see a closed mountain lodge, still chair lift, and no snow. Their online website stated the lifts were open... They are in desperate need of a management makeover and a social media coordinator. Their latest post was May 2024... Save your money and go elsewhere.

Didn't sleep for the 2 nights we were there. A/C sounded like an outboard motor and even when we turned ours off the adjacent room was just as loud. We woke up to no power..no coffee maker, frig off, alarm clock off, no light in room. Later learned this went on for over 6 hours. Went to "welcome" desk to ask for mgr. was told he would call. never did. tried calling Carl myself but just rang and rang-no voicemail. Operator suggested emailing him which I did. Never responded. Heard various employees tell us this is business as usual there. So sad and frustrated to have spend the exorbitant amount on this lodging to be treated like this. I guess expensive doesn't mean staying at a first class facility.

My wife and I stayed in a suite in the Lodge. The shower promptly ran out of warm water, the bedroom was depressing at best (we slept on the pull out couch in the living room) and at most times of the day the resort felt like a ghost town. An upside to the Homestead is that it is conveniently located to the dunes and downtown Glen Arbor.

The Lodge was terrible . It was probably decorated in the 60's because it is the furniture that I bought in the 60's . The bed creaked , the paint on the white dresser was chipped , one of the cabinet doors was hanging . The air conditioning did not work and we were on the top floor so it didn't cool off until 2 in the morning . There was no lobby since there is one lobby for the whole resort .. just to check in . There was not place open to eat the first week of June ., I was told the next day that the owner is failing . However we were the ones who paid for nothing and I was very disappointed . There are photos in other reviews with the same complaints . Avoid this place until is renovated !!!!'

Here for a wedding. Been a great experience. Would recommend The Homestead. Amazing venues all in one place. Views of the lake and Manitou north and south ate great. Close to other stuff to do which made this a great homebase

This place has the feeling that maybe a long long time ago it was a great place to go but not anymore. The staff was mediocre at best - with the exception of the massage therapist and the woman at the "spa". It's really a small building with two massage rooms no real spa to speak of.

This place is awful. Stayed at The Inn. Clean but needs major renovations. Resort looks great when you pull in but when you look closer the entire resort is in disrepair. That they charged us $550 a night should be illegal. What was once a beautiful resort is now a run down thing of the past. So unfortunate.

Carl at the front desk has ruined service at the Homestead. Checking in is awful now, as are any special requests. Today I asked Carl to provide me an extra plastic room key. His answer, simply "no". I would normally be understanding that someone is having a bad day. I asked to speak to his manager and again he said "no."This is the normal interaction with him. I have come to the Homestead over three generations, having owned properties over that time. Over the last 4 years service at the front desk staff has become horrible. It is no wonder they have a sign at the front desk asking people not to get upset with their staff. At first I thought it to be a remnant of Covid. Nope. Carl just brings out the worst in guests.

We spent one night in the inn: the bed and bed was horrible, the furniture was old and decrepit The view was great. Will never stay there again. They need to update this dump with the amount of money we spent to sleep one night. Shame on them!!

This very high priced resort ruined our long-planned attempt at a luxury vacation. We desperately needed the break, and got only pain. Had to leave after one awful day-- they knew the blinds didn't work in a premium beach front unit, but they sold the room anyway, leaving us with an unusable unit with the bed exposed to view of everyone walking by. Maintenance guy left an insulting note and in person was like the note. Had to move to a much lesser room just to have a place to sleep at 10pm... front desk was great, undermanned but trying, making me feel embarrassed for them. And the entire area is booked, so we had to just go home. I would love to love the place. Been there before and it was overpriced but nice. Now it looks like the interiors haven't had a dime put into them for a couple decades... the exteriors were not painted in the spring, and even the amazing grounds are showing wear. Way understaffed. Seriously, the nearly $500 premium room was furnished with stuff I wouldn't have in my basement.

We stayed for 1 night Wednesday August 28th. Paid $500+ to stay in Little Bell #1. Check in not until 5 pm but can get there earlier and be on the grounds. The main restaurant on the lakefront did not have power so it was closed. Apparently has been down for over a month now. Check in person very friendly. The room was very out dated and smelled old. The AC did not work but did not notice until we were going to sleep around 11 so just open window to try and cool down a bit. The 2 person hot tub is big enough for 2 if you are both 8 years old. We end up hanging out at Whiskers as this was the only option for food. The Italian restaurant was closed as well. The staff at the resort is predominantly Jamaican. They were very friendly and did a decent job serving. It was definately a Jamaican vibe. They played reggae music all evening which was fine for that night but I would not have preferred that 'every' night. When we left in the morning we grabbed a coffee and latte at the little shop for $12. We got on the road and finally took a sip and both were absolutely un drinkable. Seems this place is existing on a legacy reputation but no where near worth the price even if everything was working. Will never return.

A few years since I've been there but very disappointed in the property. Stayed at the resort last weekend in July, 2022. Facilities were dated, in various states of disrepair, and worn down. Until the facilities are updated across the board I would not recommend staying there. I was not alone in expressing my disappointment as the woman who checked out before me was similarly unimpressed. Photos of the state of disrepair attached (though limited, evidence such as this is everywhere, from buildings to shops closed to weeds and poor landscaping). For close to $500 a night this was a mess. Location is great. Staff was very friendly. Food at the beach was very good.

For a resort this place needs work. The restaurants are all poor service and mediocre food at best. Room had carpet that was frayed and stained curtains. The gutter outside my entrance was plugged and dumping water over the edge drenching anyone who had to go to our room. The room service was good and pleasant.

I had a small intimate wedding at the Homestead and I am so happy I did. Sandy was amazing and guided me through all the details, I live hours away and she made sure everything fell in to place. She fielded multiple calls and emails and was patient and detailed. I can't thank her enough! We stayed at one of the larger cabins and were so pleased with our accommodations! 3 floors and 5 of us had plenty of room with the 4 bedrooms and 3.5 baths. The kitchen is fully stocked with everything you would need if you choose to make your own meals, we even had a grill on the deck. We choose to have dinner at the resort restaurant Cafe Manitou which sits on the water. White table cloths and the table was decorated beautifully. The chef Alec and I were in contact and he came up with a wonderful 5 course meal that exceeded our expectations. My group are foodies and were all very impressed with the presentation and the flavors, you outdid yourself Alec!!! Marsha was our server and she was a joy and made the experience even better! All of the staff at the homestead are friendly and accommodating and we can't wait to come back! Thanks for making our stay amazing.

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.

For the price of this "resort" we will not be returning. We went for our anniversary. You'd be better off in Traverse City. Pros: -Welcome center staff are nice -Beach is not busy and the water was great (some rocks in the water to walk through though) -Decent size tub in our Little Belle room Cons: -Trash was never emptied in common areas -Staff in at restaurant bar seemed annoyed doing their job. -Many sprinklers were broken (see pic for the one at the entry to the beach parking lot) -Room carpet was damaged and hurt when you stepped on it (edge was turned up) -coffee maker was dirty in room -room deemed damp even though AC was on -TVs were small in room -refrigerator was small in room -Towels ran out at pool, no ETA when they would have more -parking for beach was not close as a bridge was out. -The restaurant was booked for 3 weeks, so we went to Traverse City to eat. No callback when leaving a message for restaurant. -

My husband and I decided to get a room for the night to celebrate our anniversary. I've never been to Leland or near this area before and we planned to check in and relax and then drive to Leland. My husband called and was able to make a reservation over the phone the morning of. We paid the $182 rate for the Condo over the phone, only to find out we had a balance of $31 when we checked in... Odd because we weren't told this over the phone at all. (Which I don't care for.. we wanted to know the whole total of what we were going to pay) Our condo was nice and cozy- some outdated things but overall it was perfect for our needs and our stay. Despite the negative reviews (although I can't account for the pool or beach area since they are closed) we enjoyed the condo. We had a fireplace that was nice to burn at night and kept us warm while drinking and watching tv. Check out was fine- we'd like to return to this resort and see what they offer in the summer months possibly.

We have been coming up here for 30 years This is the place to catch steelhead, browns and salmon at the mouth of the crystal river in. the fall before spawning. Grab a towel to chillax at the pool, play tennis, kayak on Lake Michigan or snow ski in the winter. Walking up to the spa before your message is work out in itself. Our daughter was married on the mountain top overlooking the bay and guests were carried to and from ceremony with champagne chilled glasses via chair lift.

Stayed here a month ago with my family. We had a room in Fiddler's creek area which was steps away from Cavanaughs store (I think that was the name). This property was beautiful and full of nature paths to explore. Glen arbor is a nice quiet getaway and the homestead is a wonderful place to stay. Our rooms were not luxurious but were comfortable and homey. The beach club was fun for the whole family; large pool and hot tub as well as access to the beach. The parking for the beach club was far but they have a service where they pick you up in a golf cart and bring you right to the club. The woman that drove us back and forth was the nicest person ever! Honestly, everyone at the homestead was incredibly kind. The views of Lake Michigan were breathtaking. We also had a pool right outside our rooms which was a nice surprise. We went during the week at the end of summer so all the little shops remained closed. We really loved our stay and will try to return annually!

Glen Arbor is such a beautiful area to spend time in. Do yourself a huge favor and only stay at The Homestead if you are looking for a place where they set the bar really low! If you like NO customer service at all, very little appreciation for you being there and LOTS of attitude. This is your place! They seem to treat the guests staying there like they are doing you a favor by just letting you stay there. Spend your hard earned money elsewhere and really enjoy this beautiful area. Don't let The Honestead ruin your vacation time.

Brides, grooms, anyone looking to enjoy Glen Arbor, look ANYWHERE ELSE. ANYWHERE. ELSE. I've had bad experiences here before but hosting guests for my sisters wedding with The Homestead was the most appalling to date. From refusing to leave keys for incoming guests, to wasps nests and dead animals in rooms, to *refusing to give guests welcome bags because we didn't "host the wedding at their facility so they can't be held liable"* I've had it. The arrogance, ignorance, and disregard for their guests is mind blowing. You would think that there'd be an ounce of hospitality here but spoiler alert: there is none. The Homestead makes money because they're the only resort around. That's it. Don't believe me? Ask anyone in town their feelings on the resort. Planning a wedding? Ask vendors and planners their experience with them. It's truly amazing that they're still in business. Lucky for you, there's amazing rentals in the area and plenty of other people around to give other options. I urge you to think twice about this place. Glen Arbor is worth the trip, don't let The Homestead ruin it for you.

Stayed at the Homestead for a week at the end of June. Overall our experience was good but there were some quirks. We rented a cottage and were surprised to not have air conditioning. It made for a warm first night but was fine after opening all the windows and running the fans. The property itself has a small general store to get many of the basics but is 5-10 minutes away from Glen Arbor if you need more than the basics. We did not eat onsite but did have drinks at the beach club. The drinks were fine but their specialty cocktails were not superb. The location was great for what we wanted to do - hit the beaches in Sleeping Bear, shop a bit in Glen Arbor. Note this is about 45 mins away from Traverse. We did make the trek one day and after doing so, we wondered why we did. If you go here, definitely go to Leland and their Fishtown area.

We just checked in to our room at the Homestead and was utterly disappointed. We were so excited to spend the week here (we reserved it about 7 months ago) and upon entry to our room we were over come with a hot musty smell. Our room was 78 degrees, with a broken air conditioner and damp carpet. They said a repair person will come by to look, but how they can rent a room that is in this condition is terrible. We were told that we can not change rooms because they are booked all week. And simply offered $100 credit. This is completely unacceptable. I have asthma and will likely not be able to breath / sleep well while here. If anyone in management sees this and would like to help please call my cell phone so we can salvage our vacation. 312-401-5872.

Like the area a lot, it is beautiful. And the resort itself is quite lovely. It's just not really for me. Hubby and I did a northern Michigan tour this summer in the convertible, and we had to plan a stop to check out Sleeping Bear Dunes after the website was talking about the "Most Beautiful Place in America" hype. Searching out lodging for the area, The Homestead consistently rated high and yes, it was noted it was expensive, I thought it would be worth it. It's a huge place. It wasn't super clear to us that when you arrive on property, you check in at this building that does says Reception, but it also says Resort Sales... which made me think that was for time shares. We were staying at The Inn, so I thought an inn would have a front desk. Nope. No staff whatsoever at the inn, so we drove back out (since we couldn't even enter the parking lot without our key), and then back again. Getting our stuff to our room was awkward since there is no easy loading area, you and your bags saunter up and down a brick hilly sidewalk about a quarter mile. No bellman, no desk attendant, good luck. Are you relaxed yet? We were there height of summer, and this massive complex with tons of cabins, chalets, houses, all these amenities, and only one restaurant operating at the time. Weird, but whatever. It was HOT when we were there... and this area isn't really prepared for really hot weather. We were expecting pleasant temps in the 70s or so, and got high 90s and minimal horsepower air units. The heat and the awkwardness and they very spread out nature of everything just really drained us (literally) and we couldn't wait to leave. If you are younger and athletic and looking for an expansive resort to go hike, kayak, bike, etc. and you have plenty of money (nothing is free except the beach and trails - they charge you to transport you to the river nearby and you float back down to the beach area), then you're good. Me, not so much.

We had the misfortune of attending a conference at The Homestead during the summer of 2018. Although the resort property has potential, the lodging was dirty and poorly maintained. Our unit had broken blinds, ancient uncomfortable beds with disgusting bedding, a refrigerator that didn't work properly and there was a warning sign on the deck door. Although the deck was too dangerous to use, no effort had been made to secure it from young children. Staff made no efforts to repair the washing machines which had been broken for a while. They suggested that we use washing machines on the other side of the resort where we couldn't park. The lack of parking throughout the resort was another issue. During our conference, we heard many stories about the horrible accommodations in other parts of the resort, including no AC or hot water, dirty and worn down rooms. One family had rented a townhouse through an outside company and was not allowed to use the pool or access the beach area. Two of the restaurants were closed although it was peak season. Despite assurances in advance, the food services staff was terrible at accommodating special dietary needs. You could not pay me to return to this so-called resort!!

The level of arrogance and unprofessional customer service is mind blowing. The grounds, the town and the amenities make up for 1 star service because like sheep we keep coming back. Too bad there wasn't a better option in the area but these guys are pathetic. Hour into the stay...fridge isn't working...nobody to call since they have a 5pm check in and close at 6pm. All of our food will be bad by morning. This place is a dump. Read the reviews from past couple weeks...they aren't joking.

We have never been to Sleeping Bear Dunes and was one of our bucket list and we were very excited to stay at the Homestead. The grounds of the resort are spectacular and the employees are very nice and friendly. When we made the reservation, I specifically said what were the amenities that were not in session because of covid and was told the ONLY item closed was one restaurant. That is not our experience and we feel we did not get what we paid for.We all like to work out and we more than disappointed that the workout room was closed. In fact, we would have stayed somewhere else had we been told that No smores by the beach No housecleaning Towel service at the pool did not arrive till the afternoon on Tuesday(the only nice day at the pool) Very limited staff and long lines everywhere. Beach bar, Whiskers. Very, very hot in the loft area to the point where my kids could not sleep all night Cable TV not working so could not watch TV or a movie as a family Coffee maker in room did not work We stay in Bay Harbor at the Marriott and pay quite a bit but the service is outstanding and the amenities make it a special stay. We were beyond disappointed with our stay at the Homestead. This is not something we would usually request but we feel it warranted to ask fort what you feel is fair in the form of a refund. What is the worst part is we communicated our problems with the VP, Tony F. and when we checked out asked to be contacted before we were charged to resolve these issues. Nope, no call back, no return email after multiple attempts over the last 2 months. They obviously do not care about customer service. Stay at Crystal Mountain, little further away but we stopped by there and looked so much nicer with multiple amenities.

First time visitors. we want to make this an annual trip. Went for a long weekend babymoon so spent lots of the time at Spa Amira. There was plenty to do, everyone was nice and friendly. Didn't have a ton of issues that required working with staff, we kept to ourselves. Our South Village condo looked recently renovated and was AMAZING!!! Cafe Manitou was as close to the water as you could possibly get. The atmosphere was great, I couldn't believe how immersive and fun it was to walk around and explore the property but still had really easy transportation/parking options if you can't walk. Close to Glen Arbor and Leland, both really cool downtowns to spend a long afternoon exploring.

Don't stay here unless you want an ant infestation and mice in your unit. Paid $3,000 for 3 nights. Have been trying to get a hold of a manager for 4 days since we checked out to discuss the ants / mouse and nobody will call us back. Every time we call, we are told the manager will call us back and the never do. Will not be spending our money here again.

The year is 2015 and no WiFi is not acceptable especially for the price. I own my owns business and need WiFi so I can stay on top of the daily work that is needed when you own your own business. In 2015 you would think internet in a 4 star hotel would be expected. The rooms are also very dated from about the 1980s and in poor repair. Slight smell and well just ugly. I know you do not come here to spend a ton of time in the rooms but for the price you expect a fresh clean room.

Really overpriced for the room (#14) at the Inn. $390.00/night w/taxes+fees . We checked in on Labor Day Monday 9/2/19. We were unable to check in until after 5pm, and check out is 11am! Watch your bill for hidden fees and a 'community tariff' fee. Parking is not terribly convenient Plumbing and drainage in shower were bad. Good water pressure in shower. Room dusty, outdated, broken window. Great grounds-very pretty and well kept. Tried to call to make a reservation at cafe manitou but no answer. Wait staff at cafe manitou were overwhelmed and couldn't seat is. Outdoor bar was closed due to low staffing. Out of some supplies at whiskers grocery store. They really shouldn't be charging specific summer fees and then downsizing staff and amenities.

So this place is expensive. Understand that you are paying for the lake not the room or food. Rented the condo that was about 900$ per night. The room was decent. Stains on the carpet. Old couch stained. It was liveable. That's about it. The pool side restaurant was not clean. Ran out of everything. Ice cream , sandwiches etc. truly remarkable for the way this place is billed as a luxury resort. Please take a right out of the place on M-22 in Glen Arbor. That's where the good food and shops are located. Don't eat on site. There are paddle boards, kayaks , and lots to do. Just lower your expectations for the money...

Once again, it's just disappointing. The new and not improved Whiskers pub.. Family Friendly...Not really. Forget customer service, we sat at a clean but very sticky table, I wiped it myself with a damp paper towel I got from the bathroom. The music was about the only thing we enjoyed. Serve yourself, even with only 2 tables in the entire place on a Friday during a holiday weekend. 2 bartenders, 1 cook and a sign on the bar behind a big fireplace that says order here... I guess that explains the 2 tables that walked out waiting for someone to say hello and wait on them. With only 3 food choices from the kitchen and not a single item for young kids or even a dessert, we had our drinks and headed to Arts. It may have a fresh coat of paint and new tables but nothing has really changed.

We have visited and enjoyed the Homestead over the last 33 years. This trip we selected a lake view room in Stoney Brook. Setting aside the impact of Covid... the room needs serious attention. What was missing ... dishwasher was inefficient and then no dish soap was provided. Terrible planning to ensure guest have what is needed to maintain cleanliness. Pots and pans need to be discarded and replaced. Not even a sauté pan to make eggs. Toilet tissue was the lowest quality. Pillows also need to be discarded and replaced. If you plan to go, ignore the advice that the unit has everything you need. It is simply not true. General store staff are not pleasant and of course Covid is impacting everything. However if you make the decision to be open then take a moment to remember you are in the hospitality business.

Too many issues to list. The view is great but not worth the hassle. We'll return to the area but will find a different place to stay next time.

After a few hiccups, our daughter's wedding went off without a hitch. We want to especially thank Liz, Tony, and Jessie. This group of staff members went above and beyond for us.

Went to Whiskers with my family last night and we were very disappointed. The restaurant it replaced had nice staff, fresh pizza, and menus that didn't look like a seven year old made them in computer class. Our waitress didn't tell us her name or wear a name tag, so I don't know who she is but she was abrasive and made it seem like our mere presence was an inconvenience to her. The menu was confusing and they did not have a single wine available, and when my mother said she would stop into Nona's for one later she promptly told us they were fully booked, though a quick look upstairs you could see it was the complete Opposite. My father tried to get the Pulled Pork but they were already out despite, as the waitress loudly stated to her friends at the bar, "been dead all day, but today is our last day until ski season". I guess she thought since they were going to close she didn't have to do her job. It was odd being our own waiter, even having to go get our own food! It was ridiculous and I am definitely not coming back during ski season. The Homestead continues to ignore and put down the locals. Good luck getting business after tourist season.

This place is amazing. Our service has been incredible every time we stay! Been coming to the area for 10++ years. Own a home in the area for last 5 years but still have reasons to stay or dine here. It's awesome every time! Other people say they expected more but I have never seen any of these complaints and every time I stay here or have family stay they all say same thing- it was awesome.

I was pleasantly surprised to receive a phone call from a customer service manager from the Homestead. She explained the situation with the elevator and said procedure was not followed regarding no notification to us that it was out of service. Good to know! We will have to give this property another chance.

What a disappoint this place was! I visited with my fiancée for a romantic weekend to be welcomed in our room by cobwebs and spiders. We cleaned those up and then went to sit on our porch which was 10x worse! There were cobwebs and spiders crawling all over the place. We then went to the beach club of which we had to park about a 1/4 of a mile from. The table was dirty with bird poop on it and the waitress didn't offer to clean it. We quickly ate and left. We then took a walk on the beach....disgusting. Was not kept up and needs to be cleaned. It is infested with geese, birds, and poop everywhere. If you are going to charge around $250 a night. Please make sure you clean this place up. I have never been so disappointed in a stay in my life.

Fiddler's Pond at the Homestead is an overpriced 2-star hotel. Rooms were meek - and the "amenities" of the "resort" were barely worth it. In addition, we received rude treatment from the registration desk when trying to receive clarification on some housekeeping issues we suffered from. PROS: 1. Housekeeping staff were EXTREMELY polite, and in the several instances we walked in on them (see below), they rushed to complete our room, and always asked if there was more they could do for us. 2. The pools were beautiful, and nice. We visited two of them. CONS: 1. Beach Access - depending on where you are located on the Homestead, you are either close or quite far from the beach. From Fiddler's Pond, was two car rides from the beach! One car ride to the "parking lot" and then another ride via an irregularly run "shuttle" to the actual beachfront. Not easy with kids and a bunch of beach stuff. frankly, we drove right up to local beaches, and parked 15' away! 2. Housekeeping Schedule - We have kids, so I asked when we arrived for the approximate time of housekeeping - we were told 11:00 am. That lasted for two days. The next time, we returned from the beach just after 5 pm- we were rushing to make a restaurant reservation, and housekeeping was in the middle of cleaning our room. The fourth day, we returned at 2:30, and we interrupted the cleaning staff again. Hard to commit to a schedule of eating and naps. Not the housekeeping staffs fault (they were super nice- see #1 above), this is a management issue. 3. Front desk staff on the afternoon of 7/23. Two condescending young women would not discuss the housekeeping issue; I just wanted an accurate time range for our last day. I was refused the opportunity to speak to a manager, and I was told - "that's just the way it is." I left. My wife returned, demanded a manager, who happily came out of a back office, and had a mature discussion with her to rectify the situation, but not before making a mountain out of a molehill by reacting immaturely and unprofessionally and really pissing my wife off! 4. Construction / Amenities Closed! - Two weeks before our visit, we received an e-newsletter discussing the construction; which was occurring right outside of our unit. Two weeks notice! No time to change our vacation time from work, and not within the the 60 cancellation policy. It was noisy, messy (insulation install left our car / lot / area plats covered!). 5. The rooms. I call it a two star hotel - mismatched towels & washcloths, poor quality beds and linens, funky smell, no microwave, little room in the restroom, and the deck WHICH WE PAID EXTRA FOR - had dirty furniture we wouldn't sit on, and garbage from the previous visitors! And by the way, the deck - WHICH WE PAID EXTRA FOR - overlooked the construction. Swell! A resort? Hardly. No wireless Internet access, but instructions in your room on how to connect and use the phone for your dial up carrier. Remember dial up? Yep, that was the last time they updated their towels and sheets. They had the opportunity to up sell us, but our experience with the two snarky chicks at the front desk on the afternoon of 7/23 left us no choice - we will return to the Sleeping Bear Dunes area, but for the price, we won't stay there again. There is potential at the Homestead, but employees have to care about the patrons in order to make this a reality.

Stayed at the homestead for a few days and it was nothing but a great stay. There were a few things missing in the room but that's okay, nothing a call to the front desk couldn't fix. Service is phenomenal. The stay was wonderful and their pool and slide made swimming so fun! We also went to the beach club, i think that's what it's called, that was so fun and beautiful! It overlooks Lake Michigan! Everything was absolutely wonderful!

This resort is set in a beautiful part of Michigan. The staff was all very friendly and I was overall very satisfied with my stay. I wish it could have been longer. But I only give it three stars because it is way overpriced. This is probably because it is the only real hotel in the area and there are major taxes/fees on top of the rate. But the fact is that it just isn't worth it. There are much nicer resorts in other parts of the country that don't have a monopoly on the location. One thing to realize is that the resort is really big. Chances are you won't be very close to the beach. Your options for enjoying the beach are to drive to a lot, then walk another 5-10 minutes to the beach. The other option is a shuttle van. Both are fine options, but for the price in midseason (which is the only time you want to use the beach a lot), you would hope you could be a short walk from your room to the beach, and this is just not the case. With two small kids and all the junk you have to bring with you to enjoy the beach it is easier just to go to a nearby public beach where you can park right there and walk 20 seconds and be on the sand.

Well, I wrote a horrible review years ago and still chose to come back because I love the area so much. If you are a nature purist and want nothing else, go to the homestead. The sunsets, the scenic drives, the lake, the walking trails, downtown Glen Arbor....all good. The resort itself? Flat out horrible. ....unless you want to spend $500+\ night to make your own beds, clean your own room, and make your own food. They flat out said to us, "our restaurants aren't staffed because of the government restrictions are not allowing workers to come into the country." Really? You can't pay college kids? The answer is no. We overheard the manager of Cavanaugh complaining that he couldn't get kids to work there because they wouldn't pay enough. There was no pool side bar, Whiskers had one short order cook running her tail off and we had a messy room all week. This is just not how you run a resort, which is such a shame because this property is stunning. Let's hope this property quickly figures out how to do operational management or I foresee bankruptcy here.

I recently visited for a wedding and was pleasantly surprised. It is a resort, meaning everything you need is on one property (for good and bad), but I can't say I felt the whole "soul-sucking corporate" vibe Jenny Z. so intensely portrays. The rooms are decent and clean, although the bathroom in our Fiddler's Pond room was a little on the small side; counter space is nice to have, and a pedestal sink doesn't provide that. There were also a few carpenter ants in the room, but I honestly have never had a stay anywhere in northern Michigan and NOT seen carpenter ants inside (well, anywhere near ground level). The grounds are pretty, the staff is very friendly. I can't exactly speak for the restaurants in terms of ordering from the menu, but they did handle catering for the rehearsal dinner and the reception and the food and service there was good. The wedding went off smoothly and was well-coordinated by the staff.

I have to agree with the guy that said, "Too many issues to list". Some of the worst service I have received anywhere. Lying, deceitful, misleading and the list goes on. The buildings are cheap and falling apart. If you get seduced by the landscape, don't expect more. I will not return or recommend this place.