The Homestead

Reviews

Reviews are sorted by relevance, with the most helpful and insightful feedback listed first for easy reference.

  Shannon Shaul
a week ago
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  Linda Stouffer
5 months ago
Not the experience we were hoping for. Was looking forward to a relaxing weekend before the stress of the holidays since I am a shop owner. I booked a suite in the Inn with a nice view of the lake and a fireplace. Was told that they had to move us out of the Inn because the Inn had no power. Ok. I would expect a comparable room or even better. Ended up in Stoneybrook on the first floor so no lake view - in a room whose fireplace didn t work. Multiple calls to the desk, someone finally came to fix it and it worked for less than 20 minutes. Then, nothing. I would have been better off renting a private condo or home.Also, it is almost impossible to navigate at night since the lighting is so bad.The fact that management does not seem to respond to the reviews makes me think that they really don t care.

  Robert Jameson
3 months ago
It is almost impossible to find current information about skiing, snow conditions - they do not update their website or social media.Rooms are okay, furniture is dated, towels are horrible, tvs are outdated, HVAC systems are spotty at best!Service is stretched to its absolute limits, more than likely due to staff shortages, but for the prices they charge - unacceptable. Restaurants change hours or close without warning. Hard to get a straight answer from anyone when you ask.The location is amazing! When it first opened the Homestead was the place to be...not so much anymore.

  Sarah Oberlin
7 months ago
I want to be nice and fair. First, the grounds are fantastic. Beautiful landscape. Nicely taken care of. We enjoy the restaurants. It s really very beautiful.Now on to the rest. Unfortunately, the rooms need help. We were originally booked for an updated room at Fiddlers Pond. I have to address the paper blinds they chose to put up. Extremely unfortunate choice. I have never seen paper blinds. It takes 20 minutes to hand fold them up like an accordion. No light blocking. Literally you clip them up with clips. They really have to go. We came in the room, attempted to put up these blinds and that, coupled with a running toilet, asked to be moved to the classic rooms. For what you pay, the rooms aren t the best.We ve been coming here several years, and were overwhelmingly frustrated with the new room updates.All that to say, it s still so beautiful here!! They ve outdid themselves with regards to the hotel grounds and landscaping. I debated between a two star and three star. I think things have to be improved, but with that means they will charge even more.

  B Carp
6 months ago
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  Katie Marsh
6 months ago
We came to the homestead for our anniversary, driving up the place is gorgeous! Then we got to the parking and it was cute, but little confusing to find your way. We stayed in little Belle, and can say it was not worth the price point. Musty smell, chipped paint, poorly executed light holes, fruit flies everywhere, nothing luxury about the place but the cost is for a luxury stay. The little store has extremely overpriced items, but the worker was very sweet. Michigan is known for their cherries, ordered a cherry old fashion at the bar, the bartender poored just some maraschino cherries in an old fashion, it cracked me up. Walking around the property you are met with little signs about being kind and please do not yell at staff, which leads me to believe others are also less than impressed with the experience you are paying for. The location is incredible but seems like they need to close down, update the place, and start over. Oh and the upstairs neighbors who were partying with loud music until 1 30 am, were really the cherry on top. They had a wedding that weekend and the tables they used the night before were still full of bottles cups trash all over the place as we were leaving the next morning. Leaving, the staff member didn't even ask how our stay was, which made me feel like she is used to being scolded about the crummy experiences and didn't even want to ask.Noteworthy details: This place could be awesome, but needs lots of love.

  Allie Barron
7 months ago
The perfect dog-friendly stay along the beautiful Lake Michigan.My husband and I had a wonderful weekend getaway at the Homestead over the weekend with our two golden retrievers. We were thankful to learn there were specific dog friendly rooms/areas available as we love to travel with our pups. The grounds of the Homestead have something for everyone. Whether you are looking to relax and curl up with a book by the water or tranquil pond, or adventure with paddleboarding or tennis, you will never be bored. We loved Whiskers in the evening for food and drinks by the fire which also had a live music playing on Saturday evening. Watching the sunset on the beach was also a favorite. The beach is not dog friendly, which is okay, seeing the Homestead does a great job in making sure this property is well loved for everyone whether you're a dog person or not. Location is right in the heart of Glen Arbor which means only a short drive down the road to Downtown Glen Arbor, Sleeping Bear Dunes, and wineries along the peninsula. We hope to visit again in the winter and come back again for a special trip every year after that. Thank you Homestead!

  Debra Vermillion
5 months ago
First with some positives, location is beautiful in the fall! But you can go to other inns in the area for that. Room was alright, nothing special in the Little Belle we stayed in.None of the restaurants are open during the week for anyone looking to stay at that time.Service is their worst part... I've stayed at motels with better customer service. First night we had a lot of noise above us for 20mins thought nothing major of it. Next night same thing for 30mins. 3rd night we had someone banging on our headrest wall for over 40mins.... Husband called the front office... Nothing was done for over 20mins, noise continuing this after 6pm at night. Husband went down to their front office, they told him they were "Sorry we forgot we had a contractor in that little Belle. We can issue you 50$ credit each night or move you rooms..."Husband said he take the $ credit, when coming back to room he just talked to the contractors himself if they could quiet it down... They did.. something homestead management couldn't do.Upon leaving from Homestead, we noticed they only credit us 2 nights instead of 4... When questioned, they said they offered a fair price.. when they said each night of stay... Great customer appreciation. Writing this it's been 6 business days yet to even get the 100$ we were promised.All in all, go somewhere else to see this beautiful side of the country.

  Lindsay Ku
8 months ago
The Homestead is located in an absolutely gorgeous part of Michigan. The views from the beach or Hawks nest area can not be beat! However, the resort is lacking in excitement. It has so much potential to be a world class resort, but many improvements need to be made. Both pools could use improvements. The waterslide at the Village Pool looks worn, as does the bottom of the pool. I wish there were more waterslides on the property. The Beach Club pool has amazing views.of the lake, but the hot tub is small, the fountain areas look very basic and the seating area over the waterfall has been closed for years. This building houses pool equipment, but also blocks the wonderful view. The Village area always seems so quiet and desolate- the store is never open and everything seems closed. I wish there was a playground area for kids and also more golf cart transportation options- not just to the transportation center, but to the Village. The price you pay for lodging is extreme at certain properties (The Inn, for one) and the comfort of the beds is awful, windowsills were rotting (# 9) and carpet wet from sprinklers aimed at the patio (#1).Rooms: I wish the rooms at the Inn were updated with new, comfortable beds and more modern beach vacation furniture. The rooms are spacious and have a lovely view, but adding more towel hooks to det.off beach towels and bathing suits would be great.Walkability: The resort has so many places to walk. We love to walk from the Beach area up to the Village and reception center, but sometimes would be nice to have a shuttle when our kids get tired.Food & drinks: I wish the resort had more options and more reasonable prices at Cafe Manitou. A basic steak was $65 at Cafe Manitou.

  Christian Celentino
7 months ago
Just very poorly ran establishment. Management has gotten worse over the years and I would hardly call this a resort. Spa reservations are unreliable. The hotel is out dated and the restaurant scene doesn t exist. They claim you will have a resort like stay do not fall for this! It is just not true. Unfortunately they are the biggest hotel in the area and they can get away with terrible management.

  Jaclyn Thomason
7 months ago
If you have an upcoming reservation to stay here, I would recommend cancelling. While the lake views are nice from the beach club, the overall experience is not worth your time or money! The first room we received (little belle) had what looked like drywall in the jacuzzi, a broken shelf & a lived in look (overall not clean). They offered us a new room in the same area which was cleaner, but later that night we discovered we didn t have hot water. We called, they said they would provide an update & then they weren t responsive so we drove up to the welcome center to get the matter resolved. They moved us to stony bridge & the room was very lived in. Furniture had tons of knicks, walls looked like they had patching or a poor paint job & overall the cabin feel needed some upgrading. So far, the staff has been nice, but very little is open. They should have broadcasted that off season began immediately after Labor Day & they certainly shouldn t be charging $400/night given the conditions of the rooms & the lack of open amenities. We plan to connect with management prior to our departure to discuss how this nightmare of an anniversary trip can be discounted or refunded to some degree. Pictures are from our third room.

  Melissa Wilson
8 months ago
Love this resort, but I would opt for a different room next time. The room we were in had a ton of odd stairs and the bed was very uncomfortable and I tossed and turned all night. The amenities were absolutely fabulous. We spent two days at the spa. The beach was wonderful and the pools were clean and well maintained. Down side is that everything shuts down at 10pm every night, can't even get a pizza delivered from town.

  Ashley Ascione
6 months ago
When you pull into the Homestead, the entrance and grounds are exactly as expected. Beautiful greens, well maintained landscape and untouchable views. The main issue is the lack of upkeep once you get inside. The village is cute but when you walk around, you see poorly maintain buildings and rooftops covered in moss and layers of pine needles. Overgrown weeds are everywhere and the accommodations are just old and outdated. Lounge chairs are covered in layers of dirt where you can t sit on them. I posted photo of pool lounge chairs at Stoney brook missing straps! This small but prime example is a common theme throughout the entire property and it s not something that happens overnight either, this is years of neglect. Rustic should not equate to dirty and poorly maintained.The rooms are awkward. We stayed at Stoney Brook because it was a last minute booking and the rest of the hotel options were full so maybe this is a lower level stay and the rest is better? Not sure, but what I m seeing is just not impressive. Dated furniture, horrible bed (it had to be the cheapest cardboard option and from 1970), bedroom feels like a dark closet and overall just a bizarre layout in the room. Knick on all the walls, horribly dated linens. Dirty cups for coffee. Miniature plastic chairs on deck are old and worn out while covered in spider webs and debris. Pool chairs are falling apart. It s just a total letdown. We booked 2 nights and ended up only staying 1. It wasn t worth another horrible night sleep in a stale room so we left.The property views and service are solid. Had a few cocktails and snacks at Whiskers, which is an outdoor bar on property. Service was great and food was as expected. I think if we come come back out, next time we will have to plan earlier and try to get a room closer to the beach club and Lake Michigan; stoney brook is a place we have zero desire to revisit.The homestead has a great reputation and I see the appeal. I know plenty of people who come regularly and I certainly plan to visit again, but I m hopeful the other accommodations/rooms are better moving forward. I just can t get get over Stony Brook and the horribly maintained and dated room. It was bad.At the end of the day, Glen Arbor is adorable. The homestead remains a local landmark. I just wish I had a review to reference prior to booking this awful location on their property. Fingers crossed for a better room experience on a different property moving forward.

  TM E
a year ago
We had an amazing day skiing here as a family on the last weekend of ski season. Very kind and pleasant staff with hills that pleased from black diamond to the bunny hill. A very good magic carpet ride to the top made learning much easier for all beginners, including adults on skis and snowboards. It was really perfect for teaching a toddler and up. The buffet lunch offered was very decent for the price as it was all you can eat and the omelets were great and fresh and made by the accommodating chef. Very good and friendly service for an easy lunch on the slopes. We will definitely return for the amazing views of Lake Michigan from the top!Nearby activities: Beautiful ski area

  Doug Forsythe
10 months ago
I should have read the reviews by others more carefully before we booked our stay. We stayed June 12-14. We weren't told that the resort didn't actually open until June 14. Even then, most of the resort was closed. They warned us several times that they were renovating rooms. Our room was finished except for the artwork. Not a big deal. Except when I walked barefoot in the room, I discovered the tacking strips for the carpet were done improperly and got stabbed in the foot every time I stepped on a transition point. We also woke up one morning with no hot water. I called and they said they would call me back within the hour to let me know it would be fixed or I would be given another room. It was fixed, but I never received a call telling me. Finally, for it being in such a beautiful area, I had to walk over 30 minutes to get to the water. You couldn't park anywhere near the water because it was all reserved for the people staying right on the water. Then finding an area you were allowed to go if you weren't staying on the water was nearly impossible. All in all, I would choose another location if you want to enjoy your vacation.

  Jacquelyn Jancius
8 months ago
Love this place. Would be an amazing place for a wedding. We have come for the past 2 summers for a family vacation. Works well for a family with young kids.Offers great variety of options for accommodations. We stayed in Fiddler's Pond rooms. Nice room for basic accomodations. Resort includes 2 pools, one by the welcome center in the resort village has a small water slide. The resort includes beach club access to private beach and pool (this is the second pool). Rental options available at beach for some water activities. Resort has some restaurants/ bars. Recommend the pizza and pool side food. Resort includes gym.Staff is friendly and work hard.Noteworthy details: Hike to top of ski slope for an amazing view at sunset.

  Thomas DePotter
5 months ago
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  Michelle
11 months ago
We stayed in one of the Fiddler's Pond rooms. The room was cute and cozy, the property was nice. What we did not like was that every time we shut our door we would have to slam it otherwise it would not close. We also had a sports team of kids staying above us and they were very loud until about midnight. We noticed that most of the other ground floor rooms had chairs to sit outside by the pond but we did not have anywhere to sit outside.

  Neal Feldman
9 months ago
This place is far from a resort. Maybe 10 years ago. $425 a night plus a $20 resort fee? Nothing was open. One bar where we had to stand in line to get a drink. We ordered food and left after a hour and 20 minute wait. The place is tired and needs some work. The first room was unmade and the second room was subpar at best. It would have been better to sleep in our car. The place is understaffed and needs an update.Rooms: Poor

  Amber Rosinski
2 months ago
I've seen rooms that need upgrades, and I've seen perfect rooms. The views and wildlife in the area never dissapoint!Nearby activities: Pending on the season. Summer has many cute shops and eatery options a short distance into town. Winter many of the amenities are budled up like the rest of Northern MI!Walkability: Town isn't to far away but bike or car would be a preferred method of travel. LOTS of trails to walk and explore throughout the property.Food & drinks: Seasonal. Some restaurants and eatery options on site along with a small store.Noteworthy details: The views and wildlife are fantastic! You often see deer, fox, squirrels, bald eagles and many more northern Michigan critters.

  Doris Prater
10 months ago
We had a great time. Property is absolutely beautiful. A little pricey but over all it was very nice. Wish the pond was filled by Fiddlers Pond room's, little disappointed about that part. Room was clean and comfy. We will be back for a visit that's for sure.Rooms: Rooms were nice and clean. We had a fire place that was a romantic atmosphere. Liked that the TV swiveled. Coulda used a microwave.Walkability: Restaurant and store right behind our room. We walked around what we could of the property. Very beautiful Food & drinks: Good food and drinks at Whiskers. Pretty pricey and could use a bigger menu.

  Michael Emmott
9 months ago
Location- Spectacular!Customer service, ease of booking and checking in- ATROCIOUS!We have stayed at high end resorts and very low end resorts all over the country, and the customer service at The Homestead was by far the worst.We Lost our entire 500.00 deposit just by moving our stay back by one week.We were also harassed for 10mins by non uniformed staff in an unmarked car for parking our boat in the designated boat parking area and threatened by horror stories of what happened to boats of previous guests who parked where we parked.Our condo was advertised by the Homestead as having a wood burning fireplace in the unit. There was not a wood or gas fireplace in the unit.We ate dinner, for 8 of us, at Cafe Manitou and were told we were required to order at least two apps in order for us to dine there, which we did not want to order. Up charges for everything, tennis, tubes, kayaks, smores, etc. The list goes on and on.All free/included at all resorts we have stayed at.My wife and children were also harassed by a guest because our kids were running around and laughing joyfully in the designated kid play area.When checking out, I was asked how our stay was by the Veteran/Experienced front desk lady, I told her some parts were good and some parts were really bad. She said nothing, presented check out paperwork to sign and told me to have a nice day...why even ask.Bob at the pool was great and so was the staff at Cavanauh's Grocerant.Under new management and staff, The Homestead would be a place to stay.Nearby activities: Proximity to Sand Dunes, Lakes, Shopping and Dining is great!Food & drinks: The food and drinks on property were average, but the pizza was delicious.

  The Dude
8 months ago
Standing outside Cafe Manitou at The Homestead immediately sets the tone for an unforgettable dining experience. Their chicken fingers and fries basket is a revelation in taste and texture. The tenders, perfectly crispy on the outside and succulent on the inside, become even more irresistible when dipped into the rich, flavorful ranch sauce that bursts with layers of taste. This combination truly showcases the cafe's dedication to perfecting every detail of their dishes. I'm already planning my next visit, with the crab cakes high on my must-try list. Cafe Manitou is a standout at The Homestead, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to all!

  Taylor Norris
a year ago
We spent 3 nights in Fiddler s Pond and absolutely loved it. I was worried, given some recent bad reviews, but it did not disappoint! The resort grounds are gorgeous. The hotel room was absolutely charming. Resort staff may be understaffed but it is nothing a little patience can t handle. We truly enjoyed our stay; grateful for this experience.

  Anthony Anthony
8 months ago
Terrible, accommodation, musty, dirty, and overhyped. Extremely crowded. Check in is not until 5pm, because why not force families to enjoy a $1,200 a night stay on their first night. They don t seem to care either.Their prized location is the beach pool, which has an outdoor beach bar that somehow closes at 3pm, because ya know everything else here is half operational so why not that too. In years previous it was open most of the day. Now you can only enjoy it you re an early drinker. Honestly, this place has just become a depressing place to visit. It s like watching a loved one get old and wither away.A place that once rode into glory based on a Good Morning America rating, will likely suffer in years to come, not from a suffering economy, but just because it s not what it once was.

  Drew D. Lenhart
2 years ago
First off my wife and I stayed during the off season, so nothing on the resort was open except the little grocery store. They sell decent breakfast items and make a pretty decent pizza. The staff however looked like they were pretty miserable making it for us and not friendly. The grounds are absolutely spectacular and walking paths are quite nice. Our room however wasn't that great. The bed sinks in the middle, the whirlpool tub didn't work, the shower drain was plugged. We were told their Bar was open,, but found it really wasn't. I'm not sure I would come back here given how much we paid and literally struggled finding a decent place to eat in the area.

  Dean Mohr
2 years ago
Was here for a wedding near the end of the wedding season in 2021. Extended family owns a large condo in the resort, as well.The good: truly a beautiful property. Everything seemed very clean and well maintained - crews were out first thing in the morning on Thursday with what I can only assume were Soviet-era jet engines with afterburners clearing all 12 leaves from the road that had fallen overnight. The main gathering areas and all the shops were clean and beautifully landscaped. We had stunning weather and an absolutely breathtaking view for the wedding ceremony.The bad: Of the four days that I was there, the resort (or at least most of it) was without power for the first day (about 8 am - 7 pm) and again on our checkout day (6 am - ?) While this wasn't specifically the fault of the resort (it was a power company issue), we were left with no answers from the staff and even less help. When asked for help from the resort to find a place for everyone to shower, we were told essentially that the resort couldn't help us & we were on our own. $500/night and we couldn't cook in our kitchen and showers were ice cold. Once the power was back on, we had a large outdoor gathering space reserved for the evening, but the resort chose not to staff the bar OR TURN ON THE LIGHTS! 8 calls to maintenance resulted in repeated "yup, it'll be 20 more minutes". At sunset, we gave up and light all the fires ourselves.On the other nights we were there, we were a little surprised to find that in with a nearly full resort, everything closes at 10 pm - no bars, no food, no nothing.In the weeks following our visit, I made no fewer than 3 calls requesting to speak with a manager in hopes of getting at least one of our nights covered as we literally could not use our condo for nearly 1/3 of our stay. All 3 times, supposedly a message was left for a manager.... and I never received a phone call back. Clearly customer service is not a strong suit.Long story short, it was a stunning resort that was marred by uncontrollable events made worse by non-existent customer service.

  Rosemary Farquhar
a year ago
Save your money and stay in TC. We booked our Trip for the second week of May in early April. Excited to find a resort setting in MI close to the Dunes and not too far way from TC. But that is where the excitement ended. Four days prior to our stay we received an email informing us that the resort is in "Off Season Hours" meaning nothing on the resort was open. I scoured their site to find these hours but there is nothing informing the customer of these off season hours. Cleary if we were informed that the resort stores, bar etc were going to be closed we would have stayed in town where dinner etc could be purchased. Stuck with our bad decision we made the best of it.... until we got into our hotel room (Little Belle) King Bed w/Jacuzzi Tub. The room needed some TLC to say the least we filled the tub only to realize that there was a bunch of floaties in the water (bummer) drained the tub and washed it out to fill again but the room is not equipped with enough hot water to do two tub fills. Second issue the bathroom is beyond small, I can deal... but the shower drain was plugged and with two shower heads in a micro shower the shower filled past the foot well with scummy water. Last issue being the king size bed, I do not thing this bed has been replaced in the last 20 years, there was at least a 5" dip in the middle of the bed. By our third day my husband and I woke up as early as possible to check out because they could not pay us to stay one more day in that back breaking bed. I did bring these issues up upon our check out and was given the managers number to contact for the most comfortable accommodations next time. We assured him there would be no next time.

  Christine Rader
2 years ago
This was our first time in Glen Arbor. The resort looked so promising online. The views and landscape are beautiful. However, many places are not open within the resort. Shops and restaurants are limited. The parking to go to the main pool is a long walk because the shuttle isn t running. We brought our granddaughter with us so that wasn t convenient.Our son opened the sleeper couch up only to find two spiders. All of the beds in the unit are hard and uncomfortable. For the price of the room we did expect much different .

  Tanya LaMont
2 years ago
Took my two teenagers skiing here. They had a great time skiing. They are more at a beginner level. I waited for them. Sat around the outdoor bonfire or stood in the sun, but a lodge for spectators would have been nice. No lodge for those not skiing or to warm in. I knew ahead of time this year, but others may freeze if you don't know.