It is hard to put into words how wonderful our stay at La Chiara was. We arrived at the house which had a fridge stocked with food and drinks, a pebble ice maker full of ice, and even a scavenger hunt set up for our 5 year old. The basement was also stocked with toys and activities for her to play with. The location was very conveniently located. About 20 minutes from Notre Dame and about the same from beaches and parks on Lake Michigan. Buchanan is full of character as well. Throughout our visit, Frank was readily available to answer any questions we had or offer advice and suggestions, even calling ahead to a restaurant he suggested to let us know what to expect for a wait to be served. It is clearly evident he loves being a host. The property itself has a wonderful screened in patio just off one of the bedrooms which gives a great view of the backyard which is filled with art, including the airplane lounge which is an experience you can’t get anywhere else, and something I will make a point to enjoy more the next time I visit.

We had a great time here! It's the first rental we've stayed in where my kids' socks weren't black on the bottom by the end of the day. So nice how clean everything was including the floors. The play room was a huge bonus that my kids loved, along with the treasure hunt and decorations around the property. We'll definitely stay here again!

My husband & I stayed here and we loved it.

My adult children, a couple of their friends and I stayed here for a whirlwind weekend! The beds were very comfortable! The artistic vibe inside and out was so fun! The stocked fridge with all the goodies was such a hit for all of us! Such generous and thoughtful hosts! We wish we had another day to stay at the house more to enjoy the space! Thank you so very much La Chiara!

I am very impressed with this location. Me and my children love to go on short trips to new places. This is located in a clean nice little town, but also close to New Buffalo and other Lake Michigan beach areas. Me and my adult children loved the rental. It was very clean and we loved the back patio area and the screened in porch. The artwork and airplane were a great touch. It had a great vibe to the place. Frank was an amazing host and would do anything to make our stay great. I loved that there were 3 stocked refrigerators with drinks and food. I can't say enough on how great of a place this was and how great of a host Frank was! 5 stars all the way around!!!

My small dog and I stayed for 2 nights to get out of the city and relax. I was looking for a place I’d have my own space, but would be near others as I was traveling alone. We had a fantastic stay! The place was immaculately clean, and the hosts provided some food, snacks, and drinks. Little perks like this are always very exciting :) The neighborhood was quiet and the beds were comfy- we slept very deeply. The master bedroom with the balcony was bright and cheerful- my dog loved looking out of the window. There were phone chargers and outlets all around, which was very handy! The TV was very large and nice, in our down time we watched movies. The spacious entryway had a large bamboo cabinet and chairs that was perfect for setting all my winter things & purse on when coming in. The plane and art installations were a neat feature of the property. My dog and I enjoyed peaceful walks around the neighborhood. The hosts were incredibly communicative and the logistics were very easy! Buchanan is a charming small town- my dog had an AMAZING time at the Field of Dreams dog park and we walked the McCoy Creek Trail a couple times. There are many other trails nearby. I hope to come back and check out River St Joe brewery. We drove to Jean Klock Park in Benton Harbor (~30 min), and had a great long walk around the beach and golf course (it’s February- off season- so dogs seemed to be okay). This was for sure the best vacation rental experience I’ve had!

Best Vacation rental we've ever stayed at. It is everything you see in the pictures. Great! for a family to just relax. This property is only about 1 hour from home but they made you feel like you were on an adventure. The family were great hosts as well! Always checking in and making sure we had more than we needed! So fun! And we will definitely be back.

We stayed here for a few days with a toddler and it was great. The host was extremely easy to communicate with and responsive. They had essentials for cooking and a few goodies like drinks and the best Danish I've ever eaten. There was a great playroom in the basement for kiddos with lots of toys. There was even a scavenger hunt we did one night. Dog friendly with a little runner outside and within walking distance (0.3 miles) of several dispensaries. Definitely recommend to anyone looking for a relaxing stay in Michigan!

There aren't enough words to describe how great La Chiara is ! I've been communicating with Frank from before we booked until checkout and he was been so so friendly and helpful. Every message or any questions I sent to him he answered so promptly. I can't express how welcome he made us feel before we even got there. It's in a very quite neighborhood, right by a small elementary school. It also has a really cute downtown with a lot of small shops. We booked it for a weekend to go to a notre dame football game. It was very easy to get to campus ,only takes about 20-25 minutes. The rental is very easy to get to from route 80 too. It was just the perfect size for the 5 of us, 4 adults and one 12 year old. Everything was absolutely spotless! The attention to detail they put into every single this is so impressive. From anything you could need in the kitchen to the lamps on the nightstands with plugs on them so you could charge your phone or whatever you need to plug in. The beds are so comfortable and the sheets are so soft! They provide more than enough towels and they are soft and big. The kitchen has plates, bowls, cups, pots, pans, some spices, coffee maker, etc. There wasn't anything they overlooked. They were so generous with the goodies they left us! It was such a wonderful surprise. There is something so interesting and so unique around the house and property. Check out the Mars room! Make sure you look for the cute drawing their daughter Chiara's ( who the place is named for) cute drawing she did of a picture of their engagement in Italy. Definitely have to check out the plane outside! Really cool! My neice loved that the most. There's a small fridge and a couple of seats for you to sit and enjoy a drink. I wish we were able to be there longer so we could enjoy everything they had to offer . We will definitely be staying here again. We all can't wait until we do. You will never regret booking here!!

Loved the location and the house!

This place is close to everything but far enough to be easy to navigate and not too busy. The photos and descriptions are really accurate and capture the vibe, so I won’t add much to that. We loved having drinks and coffee in the sun porch. My only regret is not staying another night and doing cocktails in the airplane. We arrived to some tasty assorted snacks and beverages. Clear communication from start to finish. Frank did such a nice job of recommending places to visit both in Buchanan and nearby and nothing disappointed. If you’re on the fence, just go ahead and book already. You won’t regret it.

La Chiara was spacious enough for 3 couples to hang out without feeling cramped. We made great use of the large living room area for games, turned the indoor tiki bar into a coffee bar, and spent lots of time enjoying beverages and listening to music in the airplane. From the courtyard, the grounds for sculpture to explore, hanging out inside the fuselage of an actual airplane! - and our personal favorite - a collection of old photo slides that looks like stained glass on the dining room window, everywhere you look there’s something that engages your senses. There’s very real art here and in some cases it's often sweet, like the drawings and creations by Chiara herself. The innkeeper family is ready to help but honestly the place was extremely clean and communication with the owners was easy and natural. They care deeply about building La Chiara into a larger inn and they’re using the current model to guide their first-grade-age daughter through everything that comes with entrepreneurship which frankly I applaud. We loved the Spraypaint Experience and got to go home with a work of art we made ourselves. Oh and nugget ice machines make every drink better. Also, the beds are fantastic. Buchanan is lovely with much to offer being near so many recreational waterways like Lake Michigan, and the St. Joe river for kayaking (which we enjoyed). The pizzas from Bamber’s in South Bend were imported from Rome and were delicious. The cinnamon buns from Gustavson cafe were unforgettable with breakfast. Our stay at La Chiara, reminded us of the guest houses we stayed at while traveling Europe but with a whole lot more heart. We’ll always remember having drinks in the plane under the romantic lighting and we’re already planning to return later this fall for a longer artists retreat weekend with a different group of friends.