Gold Coast Inn - At the Bay in Traverse City

The place has a cute feel in the welcome and common areas, and the bed was comfortable, but communication, privacy, and noise made my stay much more stressful than it should’ve been. There aren’t front desk employees on-site. Everything goes through messaging or phone calls, and customer support seemed to be overseas. I first booked one night, then immediately changed it to two after confirming availability. The change wasn’t properly processed. On check-in night, I was messaging them about a low-battery warning on the keypad lock when I learned I was still booked for just one night. I had to scramble to find somewhere else for the rest of my short trip. They said someone else had booked the room before my change request went through, which didn’t make sense given how quickly I updated it. Even if that was true, they should have told me right away instead of leaving it unresolved until I asked why checkout showed the next day. It felt as if my request had been overlooked and only noticed when I brought it up. The rooms have very thin walls, and the large gaps under the doors let light and noise through easily. They provide earplugs, which says a lot. Also, one bedroom has a shared bathroom arrangement where guests from another room have to walk through your room at night to use it. That needs to be made much clearer before booking.

Kasa was a great, no-frills getaway. My room was modern and had what I needed, including plenty of outlets, towels, and soap. I got a lakeside room even though I hadn’t paid for the upgrade, which was a nice surprise. When I had car trouble on checkout day, they were accommodating.

The view over the water was lovely, and despite being close to the main road, it was a quiet stay. Our room was neat and clean when we arrived, and the host was very attentive. The door codes arrived on time. I was surprised the toiletries were normal-sized, with everything we needed, and the snacks were a nice touch. I only wish there were more coffee makers, either in the common area or one in each room.

There’s no real customer service when something goes wrong, just robots and computers to deal with. And they aren’t actually on the beach. Look farther up the coast for nicer rooms and friendlier service. They made an already difficult trip for my dad’s funeral even worse.