Gathering Place

This home had everything we needed for the perfect stay. We had five adults and six kids ages 13 to 10 months. The layout was perfect for each family to have their own space but large enough for us to be together as a family. It’s located perfectly to all of the attractions and close to downtown. It had everything from kayaks to conditioner. The garage is not pictured, but is spotless and has ping-pong and basketball. A good place for the kids to hang out. The yard is large and is fenced in with play structure & fire pit. We loved the large window in the living room and often saw deer. Quiet neighborhood .We will certainly be back.

Had a fantastic stay at the Gathering Place! Everything was perfect and we loved the location, amenities and backyard! Would 100% visit again!

Very nice and spacious. Lots of living space and 3 bathrooms. Washer and dryer was good for teens. Loved the fire pit. Walking distance to the beach and Lake Michigan and restaurants. Near the Sleeping Bear Dunes and other fun places to go. We highly recommend.

The house layout (bedrooms, beds, etc.) is as pictured, and the mattresses were comfortable, providing a good night's sleep for everyone. I've been visiting Frankfort every summer for my entire life, and it's one of my favorite places. I was pleased to find a house that could accommodate a large group five minutes from Frankfort's famous beaches. Benzie County is a truly special place, and this house's location is excellent for exploring. However, like many short-term rentals, the design has some quirks. There is no lighting in the living room, making evenings quite dark. The light over the dining table provided some illumination, but it wasn't ideal. The indoor dining area features a small round table against a breakfast nook bench, which is awkwardly sized for a house that sleeps 12. Fortunately, there is a long outdoor table with ten chairs for dining in good weather. The house includes some beach gear, such as camping chairs, beach toys, two kayaks, and life vests. Unfortunately, several of the chairs were unusable, and the beach wagon was broken. Be aware that the house does not provide beach towels, so you'll need to bring your own or purchase them locally. We left a few towels behind for future guests. Parking was ample, with room for four cars in the driveway. The garage, filled with beach gear and games (including a ping pong table and pop-a-shot basketball), could possibly be used for parking if these items are folded up. Although the listing mentions "central air conditioning," note that there's only one vent on the second floor, located in the hall bathroom, which doesn't cool the three upstairs bedrooms. Northern Michigan typically cools at night, and while there are no fans, opening the windows helped circulate air for sleeping. This was my first experience renting from Vacasa, and I was surprised by the limited supply of essentials like toilet paper and laundry detergent. Fortunately, Frankfort has accessible amenities for restocking. Our stay was interrupted twice by landscapers doing significant work on the property, including refurbishing a pond and installing new garden beds. The work, which lasted over five hours each day, was noisy and disruptive (blocked the driveway, required us to move vehicles, etc.). Despite reaching out to Vacasa's customer service via phone and text, we received no response from the "24/7 local team." After finally reaching out to Vacasa on Twitter, I was eventually offered a 25% credit for the two affected days, (I was told this is the maximum refund Vacasa provides). Despite the disruptions, the lawn was neat and mowed, (and improvements were made during our stay. While the house has potential, attention to detail and better communication from the management company would improve the experience.

The house layout and facilities were as described, number of beds and bedrooms as specified. I thought the linens provided were rough and low cost. The outside of the house look abandoned, waist high weeds and uncut lawn. The house seems to have been spruced up after someone else owned it, maybe? Unmentioned amenities like a fire pit and a long untended goldfish pond and stacks of firewood were an indication. Makes a bad impression and must irritate the neighbors with lack of visible care. I have pictures to illustrate but your system would not allow me to paste them here