The sunset room
A two-story wall of west-facing glass over the water. At 8:40 in July the whole room turns gold and nobody looks at their phone.
Saugatuck, Michigan · Sleeps 12
Ninety feet above Lake Michigan, and a hundred steps down to the sand.
A five-bedroom dune-bluff retreat in Saugatuck with 180 feet of private frontage, a west-facing great room built for sunsets, and a private stair to the beach. Booked directly with the people who own it.
12
Guests
5
Bedrooms
8
Beds
4.5
Baths
Why you’ll love it
Four things people mention every single time.
Not the finishes. These.
Your own stretch of beach
Ninety-six cedar steps drop from the bluff to 180 feet of private frontage. No parking pass, no crowds, no walking back up with a cooler.
A kitchen worth cooking in
Twelve-foot island, six-burner range, two dishwashers, and enough counter to let three people work without anyone apologising.
Evenings at the firepit
The stone terrace catches the last of the light. Adirondacks, split oak stacked and included, and the lake going quiet below you.
The house
A large house that makes a group feel closer.
Grand Heights sits at the top of a wooded dune road where the pavement narrows and the maples close overhead. The house appears at the end of it — concrete, cedar and glass, low and long, turned toward the water.
You come in on the middle level, and the lake arrives all at once. The great room runs the full width of the house with a wall of west-facing glass, a stone hearth, and a ceiling that opens two stories overhead. In the late afternoon the light comes in low and turns the whole room gold.
The kitchen shares that light. A twelve-foot marble island, a six-burner range, two dishwashers, and a coffee station stocked before you arrive. The dining table seats fourteen, and the doors behind it fold open onto the deck.
- Square feet
- 4,200 across three levels
- Beach access
- Private stair, 96 steps
- Frontage
- 180 ft of private dune
- Check-in
- 4:00 PM, keyless
- Check-out
- 10:00 AM
- Minimum stay
- 2 nights (3 on holidays)
Inside
A look around.
Availability
See what’s open before you ask.
Live from our calendar — the same one we book from. Struck-through dates are taken.
Still open this summer
August 15 – 22
The last full peak week on the calendar. Seven nights, 10% weekly discount already applied.
From $745 a night off-season · 2-night minimum
July 2026 — August 2026
AvailableBooked
Guests
What people say afterwards.
“We have rented a lot of big houses for this trip over the years and this is the first one where everybody stayed put. Nobody wanted to drive anywhere. The kitchen and that beach stair did it.”
“Margaret texted us the morning we arrived with a list of which beaches would be out of the wind that week. That is not a thing a booking platform does for you.”
“Booked it in February on a whim. Empty beach, hot tub, snow on the dune grass, and the great room fireplace going all weekend. Off-season here might be better than summer.”
“Photos undersell the great room. It is genuinely a room you sit in rather than pass through. We ate every single meal at the house.”
The area
Close to the lake. Away from the crowd.
Saugatuck is a two-and-a-half hour drive from Chicago and about as far from a resort strip as you can get. Here is where we actually send people.
Beaches
Your own beach is at the bottom of the stairs, but these are worth the drive.
- Oval Beach
- Saugatuck Dunes State Park
- Douglas Beach
Eating & drinking
Book ahead from late June through Labor Day — the good tables go a week out.
- Grow
- Everyday People Café
- Borrowed Time
Wineries & orchards
The Lake Michigan Shore appellation starts about twenty minutes south.
- Fenn Valley Vineyards
- Virtue Cider
- Modales Wines
Your hosts
Margaret & Tom Alderman
We bought the house in 2016 from the family who built it in 1978, spent two years restoring it, and have hosted here ever since. We live in Douglas, twelve minutes down the Blue Star Highway. We clean it ourselves between most stays, which is why we are slightly insufferable about it.
Before you ask
The usual questions.
Is the beach really private?
Yes. The property owns 180 feet of frontage and the only access from the bluff is our stair, so in practice you will have it to yourself. Michigan law allows the public to walk the wet sand below the ordinary high-water mark, so you will occasionally see someone pass by along the water line.
How steep is the stair to the beach?
Ninety-six cedar steps in four switchbacked flights, with landings and handrails throughout. Most guests find it easy going down and a genuine effort coming up. It is not suitable for anyone with mobility limitations, and we would not recommend the house for a group where that matters.
What is the minimum stay?
Two nights most of the year, three nights on holiday weekends, and seven nights Saturday-to-Saturday from late June through Labor Day. Outside peak season we are often flexible on shorter or split stays — just ask.
How do I check in?
Keyless. You will get a door code and a short arrival note three days before your stay, with parking, wifi, and where the good coffee is. There is no key handover and no meeting anyone unless you want to.
Are dogs allowed?
Two dogs of any size, for a flat $150 per stay. There is an outdoor rinse shower for sandy paws and a gated section of yard. We ask that they stay off beds and sofas, and that they are not left alone in the house.
The calendar opens twelve months out, and July never lasts.
Send us your dates. We answer personally, usually within a couple of hours.