Stephan's R&R Resort

The beach views are beautiful, and that may be more comfortable than staying in this place. We booked a cottage online well ahead of the weekend of 08-10 August 2025, at $199.00 a night, plus a $30.00 cleaning fee. It was filthy: crumbs on the kitchen floor, dirty floors throughout, dust and dead bugs in the corners, and dusty blinds. The beds weren't made, just sheets tossed on top with one blanket each, and there were no towels until we learned we had to ask. The bathroom had a toilet tank lid that didn't fit and a shower liner with mold nearly halfway up. I asked the office man for the cleaning fee back, and he said he could refund it, but we're still waiting. I sent him photos and got no reply. He also said he didn't own the place and that the owner lived out of state. This is nothing like the listing, and there's nothing luxurious about this resort. I'd tell people not to stay here.

There's a lovely beach here, and it's on a beautiful piece of property, especially since many people in Tawas have lost their beach. The place has tremendous potential. The cottages, though, are dirty and poorly maintained. My family spent half the first day cleaning, then called relatives who were coming the next day to bring blankets to cover the run-down furniture and rugs because we weren't sure they were clean. We wish the owners well, but we won't return unless new owners buy it, tear down the cottages and build new ones, or do a complete overhaul.

The beach is nice, and people we met there said they'd had the same experience we did. Our cabin was so dirty and musty that after one night we couldn't wait to leave. No towels, stained pillows, and a dirty bathroom. We had to make the bed ourselves, which worked out since the linens were stained and we used blankets from the car instead. We booked through VRBO and called to confirm, but the man was rude, said we hadn't paid, and questioned why we needed a cabin for two people. He even tried to change a reservation I'd paid for in April. VRBO hosts we've used before always contacted us, but this one hadn't. Next time we'll book somewhere down the road. I'd sleep in my car before booking here again.

The view is the only thing this resort has going for it. After driving 18 hours from Missouri and trusting the reviews, we arrived to find no towels, sandy floors, unmade beds, and no mattress protectors. The place smelled of mildew, and there wasn't even hand soap in the bathroom. We had to buy basic supplies after already paying $900 for three nights. It was a waste of money for my family. Had we known how bad it was, we'd have stayed in town and driven to the beach each day. I don't want anyone else to be misled by the dishonest reviews here.