We had an amazing time. The cottage was perfect for us. The front yard was beautiful and allowed our kids to have plenty of room to play. The neighborhood was quiet and peaceful. Loved it!
Easy walk to downtown which is what we wanted! We brought our baby and toddler and were out of the house most of our stay but after the kids went to bed, the living room was a great space to relax and play games and far enough from the rooms so the kids couldnât hear us. We drove to the beach which was still very close.
We had a relaxing stay at Happy Thoughts cottage- itâs the perfect size for 2-3 people, true to listing but even better in person. We loved the sunroom area, it was where we hung out the most, the kitchen was well stocked, even though we didnât cook! There are several restaurants within walking distance. Thanks for a relaxing stay!
We absolutely loved staying here! Just steps to the downtown and an easy walk to the beach.
We had our 4 y/o with us and just carted her around in the wagon. The house is wonderful. Clean. Newly updated. Weâd def stay here again!
Overall the stay was pretty good, however the home was not cleaned upon our arrival. We spent the first few hours on the phone trying to figure that mess out. Not a great way to start your vacation - trying to figure out if youâll have clean bedding to sleep in. Other than that, the place was pretty good. The location is really great. itâs a bit of a hike to the beach, but really close to the shops and restaurants. If you have little ones like us, I would not expect to walk to the beach. We rented a golf cart from a local place and it made the trip awesome. The home was in good shape outside of the cleaning fiasco. They provide basic kitchen utensils, the living area was enjoyable, bathroom and kitchens are fairly well finished and felt overall clean (after the cleaners left). The living room area has lots of nice daylight and was enjoyable. The streaming device was a bit clunky, super slow and really only had Netflix. If you plan to stream any tv I recommend bringing your own setup. WiFi was fast enough to stream otherwise. We enjoyed the outside area during the evening. Overall the cottage was really enjoyable, but the lack of cleaning upon arrival was a bit of a fiasco. Caused a lot of unnecessary stress. I like the house itself a lot, but Iâd really need to think hard about renting again due to the cleaning issue.
This beautiful, cozy cottage is situated on a quiet street within walking distance to downtown New Buffalo and Lake Michigan. I grew up in New Buffalo and was in town for my motherâs memorial service. Staying here brought back memories of walking to my high school, which, at the time was located right next door!
My family and I enjoyed our stay and highly recommend Happy Thoughts Cottage.
Beautiful home with great location, but not suitable for little kids
We loved the proximity to downtown New Buffalo (very short walk), and the inside and outside spaces were beautiful; however, the lack of storage (no bedroom closets) and small bedrooms detracted from our stay and we found the home to not be suitable for families with small children.
1) Small children require a lot of stuff from home. The lack of storage in the bedrooms meant all of our things were everywhere, but mostly in the dining room.
2) Our toddler still sleeps in a crib, or pack'nplay when travelling. The size of the bedrooms were almost too small to safely fit the pack'nplay.
This house was absolutely perfect for a weekend getaway with my husband! Itâs such a cute house, and the yard is so nice, and the house is so cozy!!!
The cottage is cute, cozy, and comfortable. The fire pit in the front yard was a highlight - fully stocked with some firewood to get started. The comfy couch was great for our rainy day chill-out. And while the weather was pleasant, we took advantage of the walkability: lots of food/drink in proximity, the beach and dock, shoppingâŠ. This rental worked perfectly for us for a weekend away.
Nice cottage for a getaway, not great for small kids.
My family and I had a nice time at the cottage. The location was great- a short bike ride to everything in New Buffalo.
I would caution that it is not an ideal rental for parents of small children. There isn't room in either bedroom for a pack-n-play, so my toddler (who usually sleeps in a crib) had to sleep in a twin bed with a border of towels and pillows on the side to keep him from falling out. Also, there are lots of breakable decorations hung very low on the wall, which were easy for him to reach. I found myself chasing him around a lot, making sure he didn't destroy anything. Finally, the shower glass enclosure makes bathing a child difficult.
Of course, if you have older children (or no children) these issues wouldn't be a problem. Just something worth noting.
All in all we had a nice time and would stay again.
House was cute in a walkable neighborhood. The home is MUCH SMALLER than the photos imply. The main bedroom is very small with no storage other than two drawers available. The bed is less than great- I believe it is a full size bed and is HARD.
House was clean- some cobwebs on decor but otherwise clean. Fireplace did not have directions, but eventually figured it out. Washer/dryer on site was nice.
New buffalo itself is very cute. Off season so many places were closed, but food was delicious, wineries close by were nice, and the beach is stunning. Would be fantastic in summer.
The process to rent this cottage was easy with no snags. Communication was excellent! Beautiful place with everything you need. Wonderful location within walking distance to restaurants, grocery and gift shops. Close to numerous beaches.
The house was exactly as advertised, easy to book, clean, walkable to downtown and the beach, and perfect for a family of 4. Tucked back off the road, it felt like a nice little hideaway while close to everything New Buffalo has to offer. Spacious/functional kitchen and cozy living room. The front yard was perfect for the kids to play and bonfires at night. The backyard was nice for eating meals and rinsing everyone off from the beach in the outdoor shower. Would absolutely rent this house again for our family!
We had a delightful long weekend close to everything the area has to offer. The house was super cosy, and we made ample use of the fire pit, kitchen, and outdoor dining spaces. Highly recommend!