Entire home

Dog-friendly cottage with fenced yard, firepit, W/D, & WiFi - walkable location

your current months are December, 2024 and January, 2025.
December 2024
January 2025

Photo gallery for Dog-friendly cottage with fenced yard, firepit, W/D, & WiFi - walkable location

Property grounds
TV, books
Fridge, microwave, oven, stovetop
Exterior
Interior

Reviews

9.4 out of 10

Exceptional

Entire home

2 bedrooms1 bathroomSleeps 488 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Parking available
  • Pet-friendly
  • Kitchen
  • Dryer
  • Barbecue grill
  • Washer

Explore the area

Map
Empire, MI
  • Philip A. Hart Visitor Center
    8 min walk
  • Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
    16 min walk
  • Empire Bluff Trail
    18 min walk
  • Traverse City, MI (TVC-Cherry Capital)
    43 min drive

Room options

Similar properties

About the area

Empire

With a stay at this vacation home in Empire, you'll be within a 5-minute drive of Lake Michigan and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. .This vacation home is 0.5 mi (0.7 km) from Philip A. Hart Visitor Center and 0.9 mi (1.5 km) from Empire Bluff Trail.

What's nearby

  • Philip A. Hart Visitor Center - 8 min walk
  • Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore - 16 min walk
  • Empire Bluff Trail - 18 min walk
  • Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive - 6 min drive
  • Little Glen Lake - 8 min drive

Getting around

  • Cherry Capital Airport (TVC) - 43 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Shipwreck Cafe - ‬6 min walk
  • ‪Empire Village Pizza & Spirits - ‬7 min walk
  • ‪Food For Thought - ‬8 min drive
  • ‪Friendly Tavern - ‬3 min walk
  • ‪Tiffany's Ice Cream - ‬4 min walk

About this property

Entire place

You'll have the entire home to yourself and will only share it with other guests in your party.

Dog-friendly cottage with fenced yard, firepit, W/D, & WiFi - walkable location

Carol's Cottage

Our calendar is updated in real-time & our nightly rates are accurately displayed. Simply enter your desired dates and click 'Book Now!'

With charm to spare and a great location within walking distance of Empire Beach, hiking and biking trails, quaint local restaurants and shops, and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, you’ve chosen wisely with this adorable cottage. The kids and family dog will love the fenced back yard, and you’ll love the cozy firepit, perfect for roasting marshmallows at the end of the day.

Inside, you’ll find a colorful, open space, ideal for reconnecting with family and friends. Use the full kitchen to prepare snacks for the beach, or sit down for a meal together at the sunny dining room table. After a day of exploration, grab a board game for some more together time, stream the latest release on either TV, or use the free WiFi to post pics of the day’s dune climb to your social media. End the day with a family cookout, and drift off to sleep dreaming of the next day’s adventures.

THINGS TO KNOW
There is no dishwasher in the kitchen.
This property is managed by Vacasa Michigan LLC

If you are bringing a dog on your trip, the pet fee is already included in your quote when selecting ‘Yes’ to pets. If you would like to add more dogs, please contact us. The pet fee is per stay and ranges between $150 and $200, depending on the bedroom count, and will apply for each additional dog.

Parking notes: There is free parking available for 2 vehicles.



Damage waiver: The total cost of your reservation for this Property includes a nightly damage waiver fee, plus tax if applicable (the “Damage Waiver”). (A discount may be applied for stays of 28 nights or longer, if permitted.) The Damage Waiver covers you for up to $3,000 of accidental damage to the Property or its contents (such as furniture, fixtures, and appliances) as long as you report the incident to the host prior to checking out. The Damage Waiver fee eliminates the need for a traditional security deposit.
More information can be downloaded from the "Rental Agreement" on the checkout page.

Due to local laws or HOA requirements, guests must be at least 21 years of age to book. Guests under 21 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian for the duration of the reservation.
Make yourself comfortable in this vacation home, featuring a kitchen with a refrigerator and an oven. There's a private patio. Conveniences include a microwave and a coffee/tea maker.
Take in the views from a garden and make use of amenities such as barbecue grills.
Guests will find features like internet access and onsite parking.

Property manager

Vacasa of Michigan

Languages

English, French, German, Italian, Spanish

Property amenities

Internet

  • Internet access

Parking and transport

  • On-site parking
  • Car required

Kitchen

  • Fridge
  • Stovetop
  • Microwave
  • Oven
  • Cookware/dishes/utensils
  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Toaster

Bedrooms

  • 2 bedrooms
  • Bed sheets provided

Bathrooms

  • 1 bathroom
  • Towels provided

Living spaces

  • Living room

Entertainment

  • TV with cable/satellite service
  • Books
  • Games

Outdoor areas

  • Patio
  • Barbecue
  • Garden
  • Firepit

Laundry

  • Washing machine and dryer

Comfort

  • Heating

Pets

  • Pet friendly

Suitability/Accessibility

  • Smoke-free property
  • Note from host: Smoking is not permitted anywhere on the premises.

Location highlights

  • In a village

Things to do

  • Water tubing nearby
  • Jet skiing nearby
  • Kayaking nearby
  • Power boating nearby
  • Wildlife and game walks nearby
  • Winery tours nearby
  • Sailing nearby
  • Waterskiing nearby
  • Hiking/biking trails nearby

Safety features

  • Carbon monoxide detector installed (host has indicated that there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property)
  • Smoke detector installed (host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property)
  • Fire extinguisher
  • First aid kit

General

  • Unit size: 950 sq ft (88 sq m)

Policies

Check-in

Check-in time starts at 4:00 PM
Contactless check-in available
Minimum check-in age: 21

Check-out

Check-out before 10:00 AM

Special check-in instructions

You will receive an email from the host with check-in and check-out instructions

Pets

Pets allowed
Service animals are welcome, and are exempt from fees
Note from host: Dogs only. Max of 2.

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
Onsite parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has indicated there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher and a first aid kit
This property is managed through our partner, Vrbo. You will receive an email from Vrbo with a link to a Vrbo account, where you can change or cancel your reservation

We should mention

A car is required for transportation to and from this property

Property is also known as

92079

Dog-friendly cottage with fenced yard, firepit, W/D, & WiFi - walkable location Reviews

Reviews

9.4

Exceptional

Rating 10 - Excellent. 19 out of 26 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 5 out of 26 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 2 out of 26 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 26 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 26 reviews" "

9.6/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Property conditions & facilities

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Gary E.

Liked: Cleanliness
Our stay
A cozy cottage with all the essential amenities. It felt very “Empire” in ambiance. Conveniently located close to all the best of the Natl. Lakeshore
Stayed 5 nights in Nov 2024

10/10 Excellent

Amy S.

Liked: Cleanliness
Love this cottage!!!
So cozy!!! Will stay here again!!!
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2024

10/10 Excellent

LeAnn F.

Liked: Cleanliness
Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Jean K.

Liked: Cleanliness
Empire
It’s such a nice little town!
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2024

10/10 Excellent

Mary R.

Liked: Cleanliness
Great location. Dog friendly.
The property worked well for us. We enjoyed being able to have our dog in the fenced yatd to chase balls. The location was great. Close to the beach, trails and a restaurant. Just a note - there is no air conditioning which was probably stated. There are fans.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2024

10/10 Excellent

Cindy W.

Liked: Cleanliness
Comfy cottage great location in Empire MI
For a visit to Empire this is a great cottage Well equipped with everything needed. Towels plentiful and thirsty. Quiet neighborhood. Regular basket style coffee maker, toaster and microwave. Best of all fire pitans back patio to relax
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2024

10/10 Excellent

Becca M.

Liked: Cleanliness
Great Spot for a Michigan Getaway
We loved our stay in Empire. The house is very close (walking distance) to one good restaurant (Joe’s) and an ice cream shop. Driving distance to two more good restaurants (shipwreck cafe and pizza place). The house has adequate space to relax, good beds, a nice laundry room, and a great backyard with a fire pit. We were very comfortable and would stay here again. The beach is incredible, it’s 4 blocks away and the water and sand are beautiful. We enjoyed our daily trips to the beach very much. Make time to spend a day exploring Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Stop in the visitor center first and learn more about it all. Love our National Park Service so much. The ONLY complaint we have is there were a LOT of spiders in the house. We are fairly thick skinned people who are mostly pacifists when it comes to bugs in our house. This, however, tested our ability for tolerance. I’m not exaggerating when I say we “eliminated” at least 100 spiders in our week there. A few were very large and we found them within inches of where our heads were on our pillow just moments before. It was… a lot. They were under the beds, in every corner of every room, under the bathroom counter. I did let the management know via text when they checked in on how we were doing but I didn’t want any fumigation while we (and our dog) were there. That was our choice. I don’t know what they normally do to combat this issue but hopefully they will see this review and address it. A partial refund? :)
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Rachael Z.

Liked: Cleanliness
Great Little Getaway
We loved staying at this cozy little cottage in Empire. It had everything we needed.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2023

6/10 Okay

Katherine M.

Great location, needs some work
We are return guests and love this spot, although the house could use some maintenance since our visit last year. As someone noted in Aug 2023 the front door is very hard to open from inside when it’s locked. We are landlords ourselves and this is a major fire hazard. The loose cabinet door for the cupboard under the sink, which was noted in a review last fall, has simply been removed, leaving household chemicals open to small kids. The house inside was clean but the outside porch and deck were filthy and covered with leaves, dirt and spiders, which may explain the thriving indoor earwig population (not present last year). Aside from that, the house is cozy, the beds are comfortable and the location is perfect. Vacasa is based in Oregon and texts to mgmt are answered with sincerity and no action, as are these reviews.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Chris K.

Liked: Cleanliness
Nice place to stay
Great location quiet neighborhood. Loved the fenced in backyard. I did a 4 out of 5 stars for cleanliness because i think the outside of the house should be cleaned a little better get the webs and bugs off the house especially since theres no AC and you have to rely on windows being opened for air flow. The inside of the house was clean no problems there. All in all great place to stay especially if you have a dog with you.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2024

8/10 Good

Eric C.

Liked: Cleanliness
Great location
My wife and I had an enjoyable trip. A few comments on our stay and the reason for not giving a 5 star rating. This is admittedly some of my fault. This is a pet friendly place, not being a pet owner, I should have considered that there would be remnants of pet hair. I had to vaccum the living room furniture prior to sitting on it. Also cleaned up the the throw rug. House could use some updates. Either way, not a horrible experience. I can say its in a perfect location for taking part in the area attractions and close enough to Traverse city if you want plenty of options for dinner
Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2024

8/10 Good

Dolores A.

Liked: Cleanliness
Cute Comfy Cottage
Spacious rooms, walking distance to Front Street. Quiet residential area. Close to beachfront at Lake Michigan. Dog friendly.
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

Nancy W.

Liked: Cleanliness
Lovely cottage with all we needed!
Nicely furnished with high quality. Comfty beds. Good location for visiting Frankfort to the peninsulas.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

Kathy K.

Liked: Cleanliness
Traveling with 2 dogs
This was the perfect place to stay as we traveled with 2 adult golden retrievers. So grateful that property owners allow pets. The dogs and humans had a wonderful stay and we will book again next year.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Kremena

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Katherine M., Ann Arbor

Liked: Cleanliness
Lovely getaway
Close to everything, very homey. Waze and google sent us down a dead end so be aware there is a gap in this street. Everything else was wonderful.
Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Shawn B.

Liked: Cleanliness
Nice little house
The place was exactly what we expected, super clean, and had everything we needed. A great home base for exploring the northwest lower peninsula!
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2023