Southwest Michigan Bed & Breakfasts

Posted by Bill on Thursday, July 12, 2007   |   No Comments

I recently wrote a little about B&Bs as alternatives to chain motels. They’re not for everyone, but if you like what they offer, staying in one can be a welcome change of pace. Now we’ll take a look at some local B&B choices and give you an idea of where to find others close to home in case you’re itching for a little summer getaway or expecting out-of-town guests.

Henderson Castle. As is the case of many landmarks, Kalamazoo’s 25-room 1895 Henderson Castle has a storied past. Unfortunately its builder, Frank Henderson, died only four years after moving into the residence. His wife Mary moved out in 1908. During the years since, the Castle has lived a number of lives. It was a hoped-for but never realized home for the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, student/faculty apartments and a private residence for former antique dealers and a well-known attorney. The residence changed hands nine times in all since 1908. Present owners Peter and Laura Livingstone-McNelis bought the property in 2005 and have reopened the Castle as an event center and B&B. Contact them at 269/344-1827 or visit the website.

The Victorian Villa. Any listing of Michigan B&Bs would be sorely remiss if it did not include Union City’s Victorian Villa. Victoria Magazine has featured the Villa four times in full-length articles. Its on-premise gourmet restaurant Victoria’s is renowned for its multi-course champagne dinners and its extraordinary 9-course Charles Dickens Christmas extravaganzas. The inn’s inventory of Imported Single Malt Scotch Whisky has caught the attention of The Malt Advocate Magazine, and Wine Spectator Magazine recognized the Villa’s wine cellar with its “The Best of Award of Excellence.” When owner Ron Gibson bought the then-dilapidated mansion in the late 1970s, he undertook a complete, historically accurate restoration. When it opened in January of 1982, it was only the third B&B in all of Michigan and only the sixth in the entire Midwest. In the years since its opening, The Victorian Villa has won rave reviews and has been routinely listed among lists of the best inns in America. Visit the site or call 1-800-348-4552.

Southern Michigan Inns. Visit this website, and you can get a good sampling of B&Bs in southern Michigan. Brochures are also available at several local antique shops. Because B&Bs tend to be off the radar a bit, you may not know you can find them in communities the likes of Albion, Allegan, Brooklyn, Concord, Fennville, Jonesville, Kalamazoo, Mendon, Niles, Somerset, Sturgis, Three Rivers and Union.

One of the newest is Carol and Larry Higgins’ Arrowhead Cove BB (or 1-866-882-2683) on Portage Lake south of Vicksburg. They’ve been in business less than two years, and if the name seems to ring a bell with you, it’s because Carol also writes for the South County Commercial Express.

I would urge you to try a B&B. My wife and I enjoyed one in Stratford, Ontario, Canada, a few weeks ago. And we’re booked into another for an upcoming weekend in Mackinaw City. Although we’ve sampled B&Bs before, it’s been a while. We’re sort of rediscovering them . . . and we like what we’re finding.

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