Our experience at the cottage was great! It was the first of many fall family getaways. The cottage was super cute and the host was very accommodating and easy to communicate with. Love how close we were to shops and the beach!

This cottage was a great stay for our weekend away. It had all the amenities we needed and the owner was very helpful and accommodating. She even left us a welcome basket with goodies when we arrived.

Great property and host made it very easy. Will stay again

What a great beach cottage! Lots of room and character for our family. Had everything we needed plus bikes and yard games. Enjoyed the fire pit and nearby shops. A lot to do nearby within a 10 mile radius. Want to come back again.

Everything was perfect. House has everything. Very quaint & cute . Beds etc very comfortable . Porch really lovely in the evenings . Back yard does need a spruce up .

Stayed at the cutest house ! Plenty of room for 8 adults and one 7 yr old-comfortable, great decor, and everything we could possibly need! Well stocked kitchen, lots of games for inside outside and lake, bikes, fire pit, quiet and charming!wonderful!!

We were so pleased with the Blue Cottage! It was exactly as described and just right for our family. It was so well equipped for children with gates, beds, etc. and we were warmly welcomed with some local treats and the makings for s’mores. We fell in love with the area for its peacefulness, small town feel and beautiful beaches while still being near great restaurants, coffee and wineries. Thanks for a delightful stay!

This house was as advertised! Our family really enjoyed relaxing here. It's a short drive to New Buffalo, Union Pier, and not too far from St. Joseph and South Havon. It's also a 5 minute walk to Lake Michigan. Would stay again!

Had the best time in Lakeside! Walking distance to the beach and a short drive to shops & restaurants. The house is gorgeous! The bonfire was the icing on the cake!

Very charming however, the upstairs had an unpleasant order to it and the bathroom on that level had a bath/shower that was not working correctly. The water pressure was so low that the shower did not turn on unless it was turned too much to cold water and the tub was useless bc the holes that house the jets in the tub were black and not cleaned out. So everyone, all ten of us had to use the downstairs shower. Also, one of the bedrooms on the main level is not usable in the cold weather. There was no heat in that bedroom.

We had a great stay at the cottage. The rooms were well laid out with everything you need. The firepit outside was the highlight of our trip and came with kindling and wood ready to light. We really enjoyed the space and the special touches from Rickie to make us feel at home.

All was good!

We loved the cottage. Absolutely adorable! Everything was there we needed, and then some! We had a great time. Location was amazing, close to everything and quiet neighborhood.

My family and I had a wonderful time in the Blue Cottage! The home was comfortable, clean and quiet. We were close to everything - the beach, shopping, wineries, blueberry picking and so much more! Thanks Rickie for such a lovely place! We hope to be back!

I thoroughly enjoyed our three-week stay in the Blue Cottage. It is beautifully (and thoughtfully) decorated, with quality furniture, antiques, fabrics, linens, art, and accessories. The beds were comfortable and cozy. The kitchen was well equipped with good quality cookware, and plenty of cutlery, glassware, and serving dishes. The bathrooms were well stocked with all that we needed, and plenty of towels - which is always appreciated. Also, it's important to note (since it was quite warm when we visited) that the cottage has excellent AC.

This was an amazing property with an even more awesome location 5 minutes from cherry beach a clean and low traffic beach. The house was so well stocked with anything and everything you might forget, above and beyond I have ever seen for a rental. The gift basket when you walk in was was truly over the top. Everything was beautiful, clean and accurately described. Rickie is amazing at responding and is so helpful. Highly recommend and will stay again if we head back to that area.

This place was awesome. Everything from check in to check out went great. It was very comfortable and provided everything we needed and more! Thank you Ricki!

This was our 19th summer of going on a girls’ trip, and we love this cottage! We were greeted with a very nice welcome basket, which included some delicious St. Julian wine! The cottage was bigger than what the pictures showed, and there were plenty of beds for each of us. The front porch was used during our mornings and evenings. We loved being close to shopping and the beach. The area surrounding the cottage was quiet and serene...and we took many walks. There were two wineries close by, and we enjoyed our time there. Don’t miss the velveeta cheeseburgers at Redamak’s! Rickie was quick at responding when we had questions for her. We will definitely be back! Thanks for a wonderful week for Trip#19!

We had a great stay. Perfect for a girls getaway

Had a wonderful trip in Lakeside. Lots of snow so we made good use of snowshoes with nearby trails. Host was very responsive and left Valentine’s Day welcome gifts for us including coffee, wine and chocolates/candies. The cottage is beautifully furnished and well cared for.

We spent 4 days in this cozy house. We were welcomed by sweet treats from our host. The house was very clean and was equipped with everything someone may need, for all ages. It has a firepit and a grill in the backyard and outdoor furniture to hang out It is close to the lake beach, if you take the car it may be 5 min. The location is great and our host was very helpful.

Rickie was a delight to work with! The beach was beautiful. Aside from a few minor issues (housekeeping and air) my only recommendation would be to put a queen size mattress in the 2nd bedroom upstairs. Sleeping was a bit uncomfortable for my 6'3"son in law. We would consider a return vacation on Lakeside road.

Our family of 7 adults and 5 children(inc.1 infant) had a wonderful stay at the cottage. Everyone loved all the rooms, which were surprisingly spacious. The kiddos loved the yard +swing, the short walk to beach was perfect for everyone. In addition to the charming decor, the cottage was well equipped with everything from beach towels to games and puzzles. We spent a lot of time around the large paved fire pit in the evenings, plenty of seating for our group. Mornings we loved the screened porch and/or adjoining sunroom. We had 8 bikes of our own, so having a private fenced yard, and a garage was nice. Being from the East Lansing area, our family always went north to Lake Michigan, and never explored this part of Michigan. The location of this cottage is ideal as it is close to The small Lake Michigan towns and villages, Warren Dunes, St. Joseph, wineries, kayaking and Chicago. If you've never visited this area, or even if you have, I would highly recommend this cottage.

This home was the perfect setting for a family Thanksgiving with folks coming from nearby and across the country. The home is delightfully furnished and well equipped for preparing a meal together, craft projects with children, and just hanging out. My family was very pleased with the number of bedrooms and their locations so the littlest people could be undisturbed for naps. My son and son-in-law enjoyed the large flat-screen television in the main living area and the older children watched video on the smaller tv in the sunroom while playing cards and games. Those are the basics. It's hard to convey just how well decorated and well appointed the house it. It's like Martha Stewart came by and put designer touches on it -- but in a very comfortable way. My children all commented on the plush towels., noting they felt like they were in a luxury hotel and not a vacation rental. This house actually looks even better in person than it does in the photos. We had a lot of time inside as the weather turned cold and we all felt like we had enough space. When we were leaving my daughter-in-law asked if we could come again. We will be back, This house is just too wonderful for only one visit.

For two weeks we stayed at the Blue House and we felt as thought we could have moved in with just our clothes and stayed forever. It is beautifully appointed, true to the era in which it was built and quite charming. We had a total of 14 people visiting over the two weeks, eight being the most at one time, and all were comfortable with plenty of sleeping rooms, space to be together or separate and much to do in the area. The beach is absolutely beautiful and we walked long distances in both directions. We enjoyed the shop next door, New Buffalo, Sawyer for wonderful food at Fitzgerald's, and of course several excursions to St. Joe's for shopping. Many little shopping and eating places in between. Everyone left with at least one purchase under their arm. This is a gem of a vacation spot, everything is provided, the owner responded quickly to any questions and we hope to return next year. Some of us want to just move there and stay but I suspect the owner would not be open to that idea!!

Our family found this lovely blue cottage charming in every way! From the moment you walk in, you know you will be pleased with your choice. The cottage decor is perfect and you will find all the comforts of home both in and outside the home. There was ample space with four rooms downstairs: front porch, front room, and main living and dining areas. We were able to spread out and have quiet places for conversations among the 8 adults and one baby. There is a bath both up and down, which was quite helpful. Rickie has thought of everything a renter might need and has made it readily available use. With proximity to the beach and bike riding, we found it the perfect get-a-way!

This cottage looks cozy and charming from the outside, and it certainly is. However, it is also very spacious and has been lovingly decorated with such great attention to detail. It is like staying at the home of a friend with great taste! I was constantly amazed to find everything I needed to cook meals for a crew of 8-9. My only extremely small complaint is that the can opener didn't work very well, that's it! The beach is one long block down Pier street, an easy walk. Lakeside is nice are relaxed and quiet. The cruiser bikes are very fun to ride as well. I would not think of staying anywhere else in the area.

Another boring Five Star Review. For those not interested in long winded, amateurish travel writing, suffice to say the place was terrific and I hope we go back for next year's family reunion. Recommended without reservation. Our extended family held a reunion at the Blue Cottage during the week of 7/28/12 - 8/4/12. Everything was exactly as advertised. No surprises; no disappointments. The cottage had been newly remodeled and showed it. The five Bedrooms / two Bathrooms easily accommodated 10 people. The kitchen was fully equipped. The Game Room and Living Room were both equipped with cable tv and flat screen televisions. Separate whole house air conditioners served the first and second floors. Two screened porches for electronics-free relaxation. Bikes, beach toys and games were supplied along with a backyard fire pit and grill. Lake Michigan beach was about a two block walk and was wide and nearly empty. Parking at the beach access was minimal, but, due to the lack of crowding, more than adequate. The owner was a pleasure to deal with; the rental fee very reasonable in light of the amenities and location. I would recommend this rental without reservation. It's the sort of place where it's hard to find anything to grouse about. For fine dining, try Tosi's in Stevensville; for a family pig-out, try the Big Boy breakfast buffet, also in Stevensville; for standing around in a parking lot for an hour or two, try Redamaks in New Buffalo. For actual interesting resort towns, St. Joe, South Haven and Saugatuck are within easy driving distance. To its credit, New Buffalo is not nearly as large and depressing as its namesake. To experience the hardships and deprivations of our pioneer forefathers, institute a 24 hour cell phone moratorium, as did my sister-in-law. Warning: Do not try this without first laying in an adequate supply of Margaritas. Whatever you deem adequate, double it! It did rain one night, but I have graciously decided not to blame the owner or Home Away.

We had a great stay at this cottage! It looks adorable from the outside and is really spacious inside. The place was spotless when we arrived. The kitchen was so well stocked that we were constantly surprised to find exactly what we needed. There were plenty of towels and linens (including nice beach towels) and everything was in exceptionally great shape. The beds were comfortable and the bedrooms were all of a nice size. The cottage is really nicely decorated - lots of nice touches that help made us feel at home. We really enjoyed the spacious back yard, where we were able to hosts friends with a couple of BBQs. It was great to be able to pull out the yard games stored in the garage to play with friends. It was too hot to take advantage of the fire pit, but we look forward to doing that next time. The cottage is in a good location in Lakeside, MI. We were able to easily go to New Buffalo and the Warren Dunes from the cottage. We even took a nice day trip to Saugatuck. There is a cute home shop right next door to the cottage which we enjoyed. We got to partake in Lakeside's Fourth of July celebration with the bike parade that took place right outside the cottage - a true old time, small town celebration. All in all, we really enjoyed our stay and wouldn't hesitate to recommend this property to friends and family. We look forward to coming back in the future.

I rented this cottage for my family of four and can say we will be coming back every year. The house is as beautiful inside as it is outside. Wonderful comfortable furniture and beds, The kitchen is brand new with every thing you need. The bathrooms are both spotless and well designed. There are 5 bedrooms, all roomy and comfortable. There is a large living room and a 2nd family room. Both have large flat screen televisions. When we arrived it was hot, but the owner had thoughtfully cooled the house down with the central air! The screened in porch, the private backyard, complete with a big old shade tree with a swing made the outside as inviting as the inside. The picture really don't do the place justice. At the rear was a small barn equipped with everything you need for your day at the beach, which is a short stroll away. A large wagon, beach chairs (with shoulder straps! ) beach umbrellas, beach towels ect. There are also bikes for both adults and small kids. The neighborhood is laid back and you are a 5 gets you to new buffaloe or warren dunes park. minute drive from a farmers market a major grocery store, a coffee shop and a custard stand. Last but not least, the owner, Ricki, is warm hearted and responsive. She has thought of every thing and is a pleasure to deal with. Thanks Ricki, Kim, Gretchen, Tucker and Dashiell!