For 40 years my family has escaped to Southwest Michigan for 1 week of vacation. 40 years without missing one. At first the “family” was my wife and baby son. Now the family is an enterprise with sons- and daughters-in-law, several grandchildren. And a dog. Our space needs have grown and, given the vagaries of Michigan weather and babies, we need a pool. And a good kitchen because I ain’t dragging this crowd out to restaurants for meals every day.
Pricey!
So, yeah, the budget has grown. But, then, the 1-week vacation repeated annually for decades has become a cornerstone of our family. In fact, we talk about it all year. In spite of our many lifestyle differences, one thing we can agree on is getting together for a good time in Michigan. Even during the pandemic. It’s a great experience that you can’t put a price on. But, alas, we have to and we choose to.
Expectations Disappointed
Regrettably, we had issues with our rental at “Little Piece of Haven”, managed by Beachwalk Properties and we think our unfortunate experience may help others. It is not my purpose to merely whine but rather to help future renters understand the risks of this or other properties owned by one party and managed by a third party.
Having rented through Beachwalk Properties the previous year we had found them to be responsive to our issues. And there are always issues. And the property we found, Little Piece of Haven, could be and should have been marvelous. Unfortunately our reasonable expectations were not met.
The issue is that Beachwalk Properties is only the management company. A middleman, as it were. They are entirely dependent on the property owner to make repairs, give financial consideration for non-performance and even, in our case, to remove the pool cover. Yeah, the pool cover.
Little Piece of Haven is a beautiful and high quality property and priced accordingly. For serious money one has reasonable expectations that the property will perform, that things that are wrong will be made right and in the event of genuine non performance, a financial adjustment will be made as a last resort. Regrettably, none of this was true.
The All-Important Swimming Pool
We were unable to access the pool for 20 hours after taking possession because the pool cover mechanism failed. Only after consultation with the property owner on our second day did the management company learn how to manually winch open the cover. Once open, it could not be closed all week, presenting an unanticipated safety hazard, filling with debris and unable to maintain its heated temperature. In sum, a huge and disappointing failure. The pool was the main reason for renting this property.
Great Expectations
Consequently, finding a great place is paramount. We commit to a location and date six to nine months ahead. Everyone arranges vacation time around this date. We arrive with great expectations and anticipation. We ask only one thing of the lodging we select and that is that it fulfills its promise. And it always has. Until last year when things didn’t go so good.
Inoperable stove hood fan. Set off smoke alarm
The stove hood fan was inoperable. Discovered in the middle of meal preparation, the unanticipated smoke set off the smoke alarms. Although reported, there was no repair or acknowledgement of the failure.
Garbage and Recyclables – Filled cans
Apparently we arrived on the “off” week for trash & recycling pickup. So we got to enjoy full containers, bag our trash and store in the garage. An extra container was provided mid way through our stay.
Creepy Video Surveillance
The video camera at the rear door was pointed directly at the hot tub. Security is one thing but this just creeped us out. Who’s watching?
Loose Dogs
Neighbor dogs ran around off-leash. Because, you know, freedom. Unfortunately, dog poop littered the front property.
Cleanliness and Maintenance – Not
Bring a screwdriver and hammer. Minor annoyances like torn shower curtains (pictured), drawers, bathroom door locks needed attention. It was like being home, except more expensive. And the carpets, ugh, needed attention. The carpeted steps were actually black. I mean the place had possibly been cleaned deeply perhaps at the beginning of the season. But by July it needed more serious attention than the 4 or 5 hour turnover between tenants permitted. And it showed it.
Temperature Control – Brrrrrr
This is a multi-level property. Regrettably there is poor zone control. Those in the top rooms can be comfortable while those at the lower levels have temperatures 8 to 10 degrees lower.
In sum, do better Beachwalk Properties. You’re known by the company you keep. Little Piece of Haven is doing you a disservice. And your inflexibility to demonstrate any consideration for this failure was unbusinesslike and very much caveat emptor.
Real Unreal Surreal 