Cottages at Bay Harbor

We stayed at Crooked Tree for our granddaughter's wedding, Friday Feb 14-16th. It was a nice home, except they expected us to shovel the snow, which I didn't think we should have to do.

Fall colors made the area beautiful, and everything we wanted to visit was about 5-10 minutes away. We had great weather and even got to swim in the pool. It was a fun family trip, and we'd return to the resort and this part of Michigan. The property is beautifully kept, with gorgeous flowers and landscaping, and our unit was very clean. Staff and housekeeping were excellent and happy to handle requests. The three-bedroom cottage slept and showered eight comfortably, but the living area felt cramped for relaxing or eating together. The table seats four, with four more stools at the counter, so a family meal altogether around the table wasn't possible. The small living room had just one couch and one chair, both needing replacement. Lighting was poor in most rooms, and there were no lights on the deck porch. The inside decor in our unit felt badly outdated and worn, even though the resort grounds and lakeside cottages were lovely.

A couple of days after I posted, the hotel contacted me, and their follow-up and effort to make things right impressed me. I hope Marriott puts money into maintaining and freshening up this well-located property, because it's a shame to see it go downhill. The location is beautiful, though there was trash blowing around on the beach by the Bay Harbor town center. We were so excited to stay in the Cottages after reading the good reviews, but our experience didn't match them. On arrival, the place seemed untouched by cleaning: bathrooms were gross, the fridge was smeared, the dusty coffee maker was plainly dirty, and the table still had coffee splashes. The carpet was horribly stained, and the pullout sofa bed was hard as a rock. The furniture looked dingy and the cottage needed fresh paint. I called the front desk to report the poor cleaning and ask to move, but they offered only $200 off a $3000 bill. Better than nothing, but not by much. I hope this saves someone from spending a lot for three days in a dirty place. Marriott should read this and raise its standards here, with managers who know how to clean. I still feel gross thinking about that bathroom.

We've been doing girls' trips for 14 years and have stayed in lots of places. This was one of our favorites by far. The room was clean and comfortable, and the staff were incredible whenever we interacted with them. A must stay!