We really enjoyed our stay. Location is perfect for exploring Empire and heading to the beach. Easy access to great trails as well. House was very cute and the private backyard was awesome. Grilling, fire and new deck has plenty of room. Would book again for sure.

We loved the location of this property, easy walking distance to beach, restaurants, shops and a fun park for the kids. House is older, but has character. Beds were comfortable and clean. Nice deck and back yard for visiting in.

We really enjoyed our stay. Location is perfect for exploring Empire and heading to the beach. Easy access to great trails as well. House was very cute and the private backyard was awesome. Grilling, fire and new deck has plenty of room. Would book again for sure.

We really enjoyed our stay. Location is perfect for exploring Empire and heading to the beach. Easy access to great trails as well. House was very cute and the private backyard was awesome. Grilling, fire and new deck has plenty of room. Would book again for sure.

We loved the location of this property, easy walking distance to beach, restaurants, shops and a fun park for the kids. House is older, but has character. Beds were comfortable and clean. Nice deck and back yard for visiting in.

We loved the location of this property, easy walking distance to beach, restaurants, shops and a fun park for the kids. House is older, but has character. Beds were comfortable and clean. Nice deck and back yard for visiting in.

Rating Details: The property manager was more than helpful. The vacation rental was clean. I was very happy with the location. I was satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: The Summer Place in Empire was in a perfect location. We walked to he beach every morning. We stayed in the Blue Jay ( the trailer in the side yard). It was clean but really needed some updating, especially the bathroom. Our other guests stayed in the main house which I thought was lovely. It could have used a little more thorough cleaning; the fans needed dusting and a dehumidifier would have helped.

One preliminary hassle was filling out extra paperwork from the property manager (Up North Vacations, I believe), which hasn't been required for any other VRBO property I've rented (and I've rented many). The house was very clean when we arrived, and spacious. The kitchen, living room, and deck were comfortable. The kitchen had most basic needs. On our first morning, I found that the toaster wouldn't keep toast down long enough to brown it; but without us asking, someone showed up with a new toaster on our second day there. The house doesn't have AC (even though someone renting the place for 3 nights would cover the cost of a few window units); but several fans were provided (stored in closets), which was nice. Some of the beds were saggy. Be aware that Empire doesn't have a grocery store; and the convenience store has milk and some dry goods, but no eggs or produce. It was an easy walk to a restaurant, an ice cream parlor, and the beach.

Rating Details: The property manager was adequately helpful. The vacation rental was very dirty. I was very happy with the location. I was very dissatisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I do not recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: 1. When we arrived, key box had already opened. Key was exposed before we arrive2. No mention about air conditioning was out of order. During our staying, outside was heat temperature. It was worst trouble 3. Dishes and pans were still dirty in the shelf.4. Used towels were left in the closet5. Disposable blue box was already fulled with messy trash 6. Have you smelled inside house? Mold and dust smell were full up room.7. Hot water limit is too low to use bathtubBut are is so quiet and charming . I wish if someone cleans up whole house, it will become good house....Anyway thank you for quick response when we were confused this situation

Rating Details: The property manager was adequately helpful. The vacation rental was very dirty. I was very happy with the location. I was very dissatisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I do not recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: 1. When we arrived, key box had already opened. Key was exposed before we arrive
2. No mention about air conditioning was out of order. During our staying, outside was heat temperature. It was worst trouble
3. Dishes and pans were still dirty in the shelf.
4. Used towels were left in the closet
5. Disposable blue box was already fulled with messy trash
6. Have you smelled inside house? Mold and dust smell were full up room.
7. Hot water limit is too low to use bathtub

But are is so quiet and charming . I wish if someone cleans up whole house, it will become good house....
Anyway thank you for quick response when we were confused this situation

One preliminary hassle was filling out extra paperwork from the property manager (Up North Vacations, I believe), which hasn't been required for any other VRBO property I've rented (and I've rented many). The house was very clean when we arrived, and spacious. The kitchen, living room, and deck were comfortable. The kitchen had most basic needs. On our first morning, I found that the toaster wouldn't keep toast down long enough to brown it; but without us asking, someone showed up with a new toaster on our second day there. The house doesn't have AC (even though someone renting the place for 3 nights would cover the cost of a few window units); but several fans were provided (stored in closets), which was nice. Some of the beds were saggy. Be aware that Empire doesn't have a grocery store; and the convenience store has milk and some dry goods, but no eggs or produce. It was an easy walk to a restaurant, an ice cream parlor, and the beach.

When booking at property, it was stated that a dog was allowed. However, only in the guest house which was disgusting. I cried as soon as I went into that house. The toilet didn't flush, so we had to take the tank cover off to hit the part that makes the water fill up. There were 1 light out of 3 that worked in the bathroom. The chairs were crusted. The guest room lamp shade had a hole in it. The bed was disgusting, the pillows and room was terrible. The door was off the hinge. The smells of body odor in the bedrooms and sofa was revolting.

When booking at property, it was stated that a dog was allowed. However, only in the guest house which was disgusting. I cried as soon as I went into that house. The toilet didn't flush, so we had to take the tank cover off to hit the part that makes the water fill up. There were 1 light out of 3 that worked in the bathroom. The chairs were crusted. The guest room lamp shade had a hole in it. The bed was disgusting, the pillows and room was terrible. The door was off the hinge. The smells of body odor in the bedrooms and sofa was revolting.

Rating Details: The property manager was adequately helpful. The vacation rental was very dirty. I was happy with the location. I was very dissatisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I do not recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: My experience with the houses are shared below. The lake/Beach is beautiful, neighborhood is friendly, and locals are very friendly.

Summer Place
Windows left unlocked
Stained carpet in living room (install got pushed back) wasn't aware of the construction until we were there.
Sofa replaced however not with new based off of appearance, probably could have a younger child sleep on if need be.
FULL Trash Bin in alley, trash overflowed do to construction
No trash bin in house (did find outside but had to hunt for it)
Wifi name/password not on bottom of router like instructions state
Games left to play are full of missing parts or mismatched parts and needs to be cleaned out
Unfinished floor maintenance (upstairs full bed bedroom) - not provide a rug to walk on, felt like walking on fresh cut wood (could be part of the carpet delay that wasn't communicated to my rental, hopefully it gets fixed)
Unfinished clean up from contractors/cleaners - found nails, screws, glass, staples, shards of wood all over the house and yard
Bedroom off of kitchen needs floor stickers for little dip in floor as it could be a tripping hazard.
Closets are very unorganized and dirty
Floors were filthy (from maintenance speckled paint all over tile)
Blinds were overly dusty
Curtains crumbled when unfolded
The musty smell in the house flared allergies
Baby gate left behind, couldn't use, it's partially broken (bent)
spring windows (don't let kids open the windows without supervision)

Blue Jay
Broken key lock box (duct tape) - wasn't closed, didn't stay closed, code not needed to open
Broken/exposed metal door frame to entry door
Closet full of empty cans/bottles
Paint can and paint brushes left out on decks
Deck table didn't have umbrella for table like shown in app pictures
Broken lampshade in small bedroom
Constant leak from faucet in bathroom
Bathroom door jammed/fell off

Rating Details: The property manager was adequately helpful. The vacation rental was very dirty. I was happy with the location. I was very dissatisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I do not recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: My experience with the houses are shared below. The lake/Beach is beautiful, neighborhood is friendly, and locals are very friendly. Summer PlaceWindows left unlockedStained carpet in living room (install got pushed back) wasn't aware of the construction until we were there.Sofa replaced however not with new based off of appearance, probably could have a younger child sleep on if need be.FULL Trash Bin in alley, trash overflowed do to construction No trash bin in house (did find outside but had to hunt for it)Wifi name/password not on bottom of router like instructions stateGames left to play are full of missing parts or mismatched parts and needs to be cleaned outUnfinished floor maintenance (upstairs full bed bedroom) - not provide a rug to walk on, felt like walking on fresh cut wood (could be part of the carpet delay that wasn't communicated to my rental, hopefully it gets fixed)Unfinished clean up from contractors/cleaners - found nails, screws, glass, staples, shards of wood all over the house and yardBedroom off of kitchen needs floor stickers for little dip in floor as it could be a tripping hazard.Closets are very unorganized and dirtyFloors were filthy (from maintenance speckled paint all over tile)Blinds were overly dustyCurtains crumbled when unfoldedThe musty smell in the house flared allergiesBaby gate left behind, couldn't use, it's partially broken (bent)spring windows (don't let kids open the windows without supervision) Blue JayBroken key lock box (duct tape) - wasn't closed, didn't stay closed, code not needed to openBroken/exposed metal door frame to entry doorCloset full of empty cans/bottlesPaint can and paint brushes left out on decksDeck table didn't have umbrella for table like shown in app picturesBroken lampshade in small bedroomConstant leak from faucet in bathroomBathroom door jammed/fell off

Rating Details:I was satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental.I was very happy with the location.The vacation rental was somewhat dirty.The property manager was more than helpful.Overall, I recommend this vacation rental.Reviewer Comments:The summer place was located in the perfect place. However, when we arrived at the home, the microwave oven was a mess, there was opened food left in the cabinet and the garbage can under the sink was overflowing with garbage. I called the office andthey apologized. When I am paying to stay somewhere I expect it to be clean. Unfortunately, I was scepticle with what welcomed us and I washed all the dished and glasses so I would be sure it was clean. That wasn't the greatest start to the vacation. Also, our son is 6' 3" tall the ceiling fans and ceiling where a little too low for him. They really need to get a new couch, the cushions are constantly falling off the base of the couch. Overall, The Summer Place served it's purpose, we had a wonderful time and great weather. The lower level bedroom was great for my mom. Overall, I don't think we would rent the summer place again. We need a little bit more room.

This property was very cute and was a easy walk to beach/downtown. Pictures should be updated online though and the lot next door made us feel a little uneasy but we did not have any issues. It would have been nice to have an open or bigger fire pit but I am not sure if it’s allowed or not. Overall, the property def could use some updates but we still enjoyed ourselves.

This property was very cute and was a easy walk to beach/downtown. Pictures should be updated online though and the lot next door made us feel a little uneasy but we did not have any issues. It would have been nice to have an open or bigger fire pit but I am not sure if it’s allowed or not. Overall, the property def could use some updates but we still enjoyed ourselves.

Really enjoyed our stay—it provided a wonderful setting for a vacation with another family during Covid. We spent most of our time in the backyard, which offered plenty of seating, shade, and sun. The kitchen was well-equipped and clean. Nearly everything in the house was in working order (expect one of the bedrooms had no lamp or overhead light). The beds could use an upgrade, though. Despite that, I would definitely stay again and recommend the place to friends.

Rating Details: The property manager was very helpful. The vacation rental was somewhat dirty. I was more than happy with the location. I was somewhat dissatisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I do not recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: This house looks much better in the pictures than in real life. The bedrooms and shared spaces were all a bit dingy. The outdoor space again was not as nice as pictured, plus there were wet and dirty outside rugs lumped on a table. I ended up cleaning them. We liked Empire, MI. The town is really cute. The beach was just okay--crowded but nice. The location, near Sleeping Bear Dunes, was great. We would not, however, recommend this property to a friend. It was definitely overprices for what we got.

We loved staying here. Summer Place was charming and comfortable. We got an information packet that told us exactly what to expect. The location is amazing — just a short walk or bike ride to Empire Beach. We enjoyed the quiet neighborhood and how centrally located it was to all the attractions of Sleeping Bear Dunes. Since there were just two of us, we stayed on the first floor of Summer Place and didn’t use Blue Jay. We had lots of space to stretch out.

This place had a good sized background and was an 8 min drive from great beaches at North Bar Lake. It was also a 4 min drive from dune hiking, which was beautiful. The property manager was very responsive.

Overall we had a great time. There wasnt much to do near empire (that we could find)so we had to travel a little to find more activities and grocery shopping options. We spent more time in Glen Arbor, Traverse City and Frankfort than we did in Empire. The house and trailer were nice for the price we paid. They were older and could use some upgrades, especially since there was a smell... probably coming from the age of the houses and humidity of the area. Showering was probably the biggest issue seeing as both showers felt as if they were made for shorter people. I would more than likely find a place closer to a larger city but again, it was a nice trip and we all had a great time.

Rating Details: The property manager was very helpful. The vacation rental was spotless. I was very happy with the location. I was more than satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: We traveled as a group of 10 (2 grandparents and 2 families of 4 with young children). This was the right amount of space for us in a great location. It had the essentials we needed.

Rating Details: The property manager was very unhelpful. The vacation rental was very dirty. I was very happy with the location. I was very dissatisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I do not recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: The location of the house was great. The house itself was small. The trailer was awful. The doors on the bedroom and bathroom were broken. There was a hole in the wall of the bathroom. We were told we could only have 3 rolls of toilet paper for 10 guests for 7 days.

House and trailer worked for our family gathering. Trailer was disappointing with broken bathroom and bedroom doors.

Rating Details: The property manager was adequately helpful. The vacation rental was very clean. I was very happy with the location. I was satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: The location of the house(s) were great, this made up for the "older" condition of the house. We arrived later than 8pm and told the property management team that this would be happening. They told us they would have a light on for us. Unfortunately, this did not happen, making it very difficult to find the house at 10:30 pm. The cottage will hold 4 people, but not exactly sure where the 4th person is suppose to sleep...we made it work. Thankfully everything else was pleasant and being so close to the beach and right in town made up for it.

Rating Details: The property manager was more than helpful. The vacation rental was clean. I was happy with the location. I was very dissatisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I do not recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: Stayed in the bonus guest house, terrible, shower made for a person 3 feet tall, ant heaven, hardly any hot water after a 10 minute shower, terrible mattress, décor from the goodwill store, in need of updating in the worse way! Consider using a bridge to sleep under rather than this place!

Home needs updating. Ants were a horrible problem in kitchen.only one bar of soap in house

Rating Details: The property manager was more than helpful. The vacation rental was clean. I was very happy with the location. I was somewhat dissatisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I do not recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: Our stay in Empire was Memorial Day weekend and the week following. We had both Summer House and the Blue Jay guest house. The location was about 5 blocks to the beach, easy walking distance, and for a holiday weekend/week, it was relatively calm. The downside was with the units themselves. We had 10 people, which was the max occupancy, and it was tight. The 10th person had to sleep on a rollaway. We must have been the first renters of the season, because the electrical wasn't on for the dryer or microwave (we figured it out) and the coffeemaker needed replacing. Both units were musty, but it cleared up with opening all windows. Fridge in trailer was dirty, and we had to call for towels, as there was not enough for all guests. Check in was Saturday, but due to holiday, the issues weren't addressed until Tuesday and Wednesday. The back deck was chipped with paint and needed repair. Eventually we had a good week, but I would not stay there again.

Rating Details: The property manager was very helpful. The vacation rental was clean. I was very happy with the location. I was somewhat dissatisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I do not recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: The location of the home was excellent. However, upon check-in, the property was musty, somewhat poorly maintained, and looked as if it had not been cleaned in some weeks. Overall, the location outweighed the negatives. However, I don't think we will stay here again.

Rating Details: The property manager was very helpful. The vacation rental was spotless. I was very happy with the location. I was very satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: My extended family stayed in both the Blue Jay and The Summer Place. We loved it. Very clean.