Lake House @ Fox Lake MI Abenteuer / Pool .... 2020 suMMeR BooKiNG

Thank you so much for your stay. We are so glad that you enjoyed our beautiful location, home, pool, lovely lake and view. We truly want our guests to have the best possible vacation! Thanks you for taking such great care of our vacation home!!

I am genuinely sorry to learn that the rental experience was not what you hoped for. I apologize that there was confusion about switching from having a paddle boat available to having a canoe and kayak at the site. As soon as I was made aware of a concern with the canoe by a subsequent renter, I delivered another kayak to the site by the next morning. I really wish I had known of the challenges during your stay, so that we could have addressed them in a timely fashion. Unfortunately, even with the solar heaters provided, the weather during your stay was unseasonably cold and that can impact water temperatures. Again, I apologize if your expectations were not met. Thanks you for commenting on the cleanliness of the Lake House @ Fox Lake ...this alway a priority for us.

1 Thank you for the opportunity to respond to this review. It is always our goal to motivate every guest to leave a 5 star review, and we regret that did not happen in this case. Unfortunately, this guest did not understand the kind of vacation and amenities we offer. The review covered 3 topics: rental procedures, location, and house concerns. We will address those topics in turn. PROCEDURES: We have been renting vacation properties for 30 years. We provide as much information as possible on VRBO so that guests know what the house and area are like. This information is updated each year based on visitor input. The first email to potential guests provides basic details on what the house is like. The rental fee includes cleaning if the departing guests allow at least 2 hours for the cleaning crew. The final step of booking is a personal phone call to make sure the vacation choice meets the vacation goals. At this point, there is plenty of time for questions to be answered. Cleaning and laundry expectations are explained as well as the fact that the guests must be personally checked in upon arrival. Each guest then receives a hard copy by mail of a lease agreement which sets out the expectations for use of the house and check out procedures. Check in is typically at 4 PM. This can be adjusted at booking or if a situation arises later. In this case check in time was adjusted to 8 PM at the guests’ request but they did not arrive until 9 PM. Some communication was necessary that afternoon to ensure there would be a personalized check in. This helps guests learn the nature of the area and the house itself. The guests tour the house, at which time we point out amenities and provide information on fishing licenses. It is especially important to discuss how to maintain the pool, life jackets, and boats that are available. There are suggestions of how to keep cleaning time to 2 hours or less upon check out. (Unlike many vacation homes, we do not charge a cleaning fee, provided the guests depart by noon and the necessary cleaning can be done in less than 2 hours.) These guests agreed to this. LOCATION: The guests apparently did not recognize that this home is in rural Muskegon County. Fox Lake is known as an inland lake, as opposed to one of the Great Lakes. Water conditions will differ from that of Lake Michigan. For example, it was explained that there would not be a large sandy beach. The lake is suitable for swimming, boating and fishing and Lake Michigan is only 10 minutes away. The pool is an in-ground outside pool in a rural area. It may attract animal and plant life occasionally. There has been more pollen than usual in the area this year. When notified that there was pollen in the pool, (which chlorine would not have abated), we immediately dispatched a professional pool cleaner to address the problem. He is the same professional who cleans every week between guests The pollen also can cause problems in Fox Lake. This does not mean it was contaminated in the common sense of the word According to the State of Michigan, it refers to a naturally occurring substance, (like pollen), that may be an irritant. According to local officials, this was present only 2 days of these guests’ stay. HOUSE CONCERNS: When the monitored HVAC system alerted us that it was not as cold as set, we asked the guests if there was a problem. They reported only that the master bedroom was not very cold. At checkout, we discovered that the guests had moved a large hope chest over the cold air register. Nevertheless, we dispatched the HVAC technician to ensure that the system was working perfectly. Our landscapers did arrive 2 hours early because of the weather We apologize if their speaking was disturbing. It is unclear why their presence outside would have prevented the guests from preparing the home for checkout. What is clear is that they did not do so, leaving the home in such disarray that the cleaning crew had to call in 2 extra workers. In some cases, furniture had been pushed into the wall hard enough to cause damage and require repainting. Again we are sorry this vacation was not a good fit. Year after year we host at leaset 4 weeks that are filled with returning families to visit.

There are a number of great day trips near the Fox Lake vacation house. Just down the road is Michigan's Adventure Fun Park (owned by Cedar Point) with water slides and roller coasters. In white Lake there is a rental store called Water Dog for Bicycle rentals. Just south of Whitehall is Duck Lake State Park with its welcoming sandy Lake Michigan beach. It's less than an hour north to Silver Lake where there are numerous shops and the famous dune ride on Mac Wood's dune rides. You can also rent a vehicle there and see the dunes on your own. a few miles farther north is the quaint lakeside village of Pentwater where you can easily spend a day in the shops and restaurants. Head south into downtown Muskegon and you will be surprised to see how visitor-friendly it has become. shops, craft breweries, museums, and restaurants aplenty will give you more than enough to fill a day. Muskegon is also home to Pere Marquette Park on a beautitful Lake Michigan beach, on of the best on the lake....3 miles long. The Fox Lake vacation house is also close to several access points to over one hundred miles of paved bike trails. Much to see and do beside enjoy the time at the in land lake and in ground pool.

Thank you for pointing out that everything was accurate.....we work diligently to make sure we provide accurate info and a fabulous vacation where the house has any and all the things that might be needed on vacation or a flexaction (work get away) . It is a great spot in land lake, the pool and a house that lets a family spread out. We hope to host your family again soon.

Aya....the pool is big fun glad your group enjoyed it. Glad the fishing went well and that you could spent time on Fox Lake it generally is a very quiet lake so boating can be very restful and peaceful.

Thank you for your positive comments....we love providing this great family friendly vacation spot...many families are on there 4-5th visit....one comes from Europe each year to reconnect with family....the combination of the beautiful view right on the lake, the in ground pool, 4 bedroom and 2 bathrooms with an open floor plan....there is something for everyone....so glad you could come and enjoy.

Bob, Thanks for visiting. We strive to have a lovely spot for family and friends to enjoy time in the lovely home, beautiful pool area and grand view of the lake. Hope you can come again. The current record is 5 returning visits by a family. Again thanks and enjoy a flip flop summer.

Thank you we love hosting people at our Lake House @ Fox Lake. The water is beautiful all times of the year. We so appreciate your kind words as we strive to offer a lovely family friendly spot to make memories, enjoy the home and explore the many things to do in the area!

Thanks for noting there are so many things to do at the house and the surrounding area. At check-in someone personally meets families at the house, the questions can be answered and suggestions of activities that meet your groups interest and age levels can be discussed. A travel book is at the house to gather ideas and add brocheres from new adventures to share with furture visiting families.