As soon as we walked in, I was transported back in time to the cottage my parents used to rent when I was a kid. There's a wonderful, homey feel to this place. The location was ideal, in a quiet, laid-back neighborhood of upscale homes and cottages, and a three-minute drive to downtown Douglas. Having the bikes available was a real plus. The huge front porch was ideal for relaxing and listening to the waves. Lots of books and games and even a piano for rainy days. Very prompt communication with the owner and the caretaker. Douglas Beach is about a half-minute walk down Lakeshore Drive, and the sunsets are phenomenal. About 95 steps to get down to the beach.

We had a wonderful stay this past weekend! The house had everything we needed and then some and was very comfortable. The kids had a blast choosing their bedrooms. We had quite a bit of rain so we stayed in a lot and played board games which was so much fun. 😁. The location is right across from Lake Michigan and sunsets were gorgeous. One extra cool thing was when we were driving up Lake Shore on Thursday evening to check in, there were deer all over the place! Just hanging out in yards, sleeping and eating the grass.

We have rented the Allen cottage before and have always had a wonderful experience. Our pets are welcome which is so important to us and the beach right across the street is so perfect. The cottage is so well stocked and plenty of room. Lots of nice restaurant choices nearby or relaxing at the cottage on the beautiful front porch cooking out or enjoying the quiet fenced in back yard. You can always expect visits each year from the local deer and the hummingbirds. We hope to come back year after year. We absolutely love it there!

The house is older and is decorated with antiques. The location is great. It is close to Douglas beach. We enjoyed having our dog with us. We did have a problem with the grill. It never got above 250 degrees.

Wonderful, quaint, clean and incredibly well-appointed cottage right across from Lake Michigan. The owner was incredibly responsive and communicative, which is very important to us. The kitchen had everything we needed with lots of thoughtful extras not typically found in most rentals including extra paper towels, toilet paper, laundry detergent and condiments. Can’t thank the owner enough. We spent much of our time in the fabulous big front porch, listening to the waves. We used the bikes every day (although two of them need new tubes). We biked, ran, hiked and swam to our heart’s content as the cottage is situated near terrific biking and running areas. We will be back

Everything was just so lovely and amazing. My husband and I have *not* been able to work from home during all of this (he has his own business and I am a housecall veterinarian). So combined with 3 kids e-learning, we had reached a breaking point (realizing that we are still so much luckier than a lot of people). But this trip was just the thing. It was so beautiful, peaceful, and restful. It was great to be able to sit still for a moment and focus on the kids. We enjoyed fall walks into town and along Lakeshore drive. There were plenty of options for take out an we made some great meals in the house! The kids favorite part was the deer that would come to the yard every day! They also loved using the bikes. My favorite part was sitting by the fireplace and sleeping : ) Back to reality now, but refreshed! Thanks again for everything: ) The Trupia Family

Everything was just so lovely and amazing. My husband and I have *not* been able to work from home during all of this (he has his own business and I am a housecall veterinarian). So combined with 3 kids e-learning, we had reached a breaking point (realizing that we are still so much luckier than a lot of people). But this trip was just the thing. It was so beautiful, peaceful, and restful. It was great to be able to sit still for a moment and focus on the kids. We enjoyed fall walks into town and along Lakeshore drive. There were plenty of options for take out an we made some great meals in the house! The kids favorite part was the deer that would come to the yard every day! They also loved using the bikes. My favorite part was sitting by the fireplace and sleeping : ) Back to reality now, but refreshed! Thanks again for everything: ) The Trupia Family

Perfect for our family. We enjoyed this lovely, well cared for cottage.

This cottage was exactly what we were looking for!The semi private beech was a great option!The cottage was perfect the front porch aloud us to hear the waves and was perfect

This cottage was exactly what we were looking for! The semi private beech was a great option! The cottage was perfect the front porch aloud us to hear the waves and was perfect

My family was totally impressed and satisfied with this property. The owner has put a lot of effort into making guests feel welcome. We will definitely return!

We had a wonderful time in Douglas/Saugatuck. It's a great place to unwind and spend quality time together as a family. We enjoyed lots of golf and nearby restaurants. The cottage was perfect for us. The screened porch was wonderful in the morning to enjoy coffee and people watch. The enclosed backyard made it perfect for our golden retriever to join us on this vacation. We would return to this cottage in a heartbeat.

I grew up spending my summers on Lakeshore Drive and have many, many, wonderful memories! Our stay in the Allen Cottage took me back to those remarkable days and created new memories with our family. This Cottage is perfect in every way. It is a true cottage but has all of the updated amenities which makes vacation a true vacation. The Cottage has a wonderful kitchen which is stocked with new appliances, including an awesome gas stove, dishwasher and washer/dryer, amazing grill, AND the Cottage has A/C (although I never think of needing A/C in Michigan, but this summer we did). We lived on the front screened in porch which could hold a crowd! The living and dining areas are cozy and comfy as are the bedrooms and bathrooms. The bedroom/bath on the main was perfect for my Mom! No stairs. We also adored and appreciated use of the bikes, beach chairs and beach towels. Access to the beach was a breeze. Truly, everything we needed was waiting for us at the Allen Cottage. We'll be back!

A cottage just like I remember growing up and going to Douglas with my family. Had a great time, very comfortable. All the comforts of home, but with that cottage feel and view.

Very charming old cottage with modern conveniences to keep everyone comfortable. We loved he location that made it very easy to do a variety of activities from strolling on the beautiful Lake Michigan beaches, biking with beautiful views, walking with easily accessible paths, shopping in the local small towns, to dining in a variety of restaurants with options to accommodate many tastes and budgets. We also loved that it was a pet friendly property but didn’t see or smell any signs of previous pets:). The owner, Hack, was easily accessible for questions and very gracious and friendly. Thank you for opening your place for others to enjoy. We already said we would go back after only one day being home!

My wife and I rented this cottage for just the two of us and our dog. The house could accommodate several more people, but we just wanted to get away. The cottage was clean. The Wifi worked great. The private path to the beach was awesome. We spent most of the daylight hours walking the beach, swimming or reading our books. The cottage is air conditioned, but we found that just opening the windows was the best option. There was generally a good breeze naturally, but when that is not happening, the ceiling fans throughout kept the air moving. We cooked in some nights. The kitchen is not anything fancy, but between the grill outside and the tools in the kitchen you can do most anything. Of the restaurants we went to, Wild Dog in Douglas was probably our favorite, but Black Walnut by the Center by the Performing Arts was wonderful as well. We highly recommend seeing one of the shows at the Center for the Performing Arts. You will not be disappointed. My wife wanted me to add, there is nothing like Lake Shore Rd. Hearing the waves at night is wonderful to fall to sleep to.

our family has been vacationing in the Saugatuck-Douglas area for many years, and this cottage is now our favorite place to stay!! it has so many attributes that make it perfect for family time together: the amazing porch complete with a view of the lake and sunsets, a well equipped kitchen, the gas grill, so many lovely bedrooms, and a gas fireplace which made the cottage very cozy on a couple of chilly mornings! we loved the location-- it is close to beaches, and all the local sites are just a short drive away. we are so thankful the owner is willing to share such a special place!! we hope to return next year!

We have been staying at this family lake house since 2013 and look forward to traveling from California every year to return! The location is fantastic - away from the immediate and pressing throngs of tourists to Saugatuck, but (literally) right across the street from the lake shore (and wonderful beaches), minutes to Oval Beach and d.t. Saugatuck, and in walking distance to the Ox-Bow School of Art as well as the best restaurants in the area located in downtown Douglas. The house itself is a special place, that reminds you of a memory you can't quite place. It's truly one of the few remaining vintage lake houses - complete with wood floors throughout, a clawfoot tub, screened-in porch, sweeping yard, and cozy fireplace for the colder times. The house itself is very large; big enough for one quite large family or even a few smaller families. The owner and property manager are wonderful people and accommodating hosts. I'm counting the days until I can go back and sit on the porch and take in one of those beautiful sunsets. Until next time.....

This cottage was ideal for our first stay, as a family of six, in Southwest MI. The location cannot be beat, with a view of the lake (excellent for sunsets), walking distance from both the public Douglas beach and a private beach, and a short drive to town and Oval beach. We had everything we needed for our stay and had more than enough room. We spent most of our time while at the cottage enjoying the comfortable and well-decorated front porch. The breezes near the lake, plus the multiple ceiling fans, kept us cool and we could take advantage of plenty of fresh air (although A/C is also provided). What a great place to spend a late summer vacation!