Restoration is a cute little dog-friendly cottage near downtown Frankfort that is just 7 blocks from Lake Michigan and Frankfort Beach. It features a newly expanded outdoor deck with YEAR-ROUND PRIVATE HOT TUB, outdoor gas grill, outdoor dining, bonfire ring, and fully-fenced in backyard. Also features new furnace and new central air! The location and layout makes for a great romantic getaway destination for couples or a cozy home away from home for individuals or small families.
INTERACTION:
Our local property manager lives nearby and is available to address any questions, concerns, or issues that may occur.
NEIGHBORHOOD:
The cottage is located in the downtown residential portion of Frankfort. It is basically right in the heart of town! It's just one block from Main Street and downtown Frankfort, which has a vibrant and growing array of restaurants, cafes, shops, banks, a couple gas stations, a post office, a grocery store, a microbrewery (Stormcloud), and a historic theater (the Garden Theater). It is also just 7 blocks (about 0.6 miles) from Lake Michigan, beautiful Frankfort Beach, and Frankfort's famous historic pier and lighthouse.
The cottage is also only about a 15-minute drive from the start of the incredible Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore! It's also just a 22-minute drive from Crystal Mountain Ski Resort. Downtown Traverse City is also only just over a 1-hour drive from the cottage.
ACCESS:
The second floor is locked off for further renovation work and is not included with the rental. Similarly, there is a 4-season breakfast room / sunroom off the kitchen that has not been renovated and is currently just used as storage space. The basement is locked off and is not for use by guests.
THE SPACE:
The home has been party renovated since we purchased it in November, 2013. Inside, the kitchen and bathroom been recently updated, the hardwood floors have been refinished throughout, and the interior has been recently painted. The interior has a fun, colorful, and beachy theme throughout the house. The home features a lot of artwork that was painted by the owner of the property.
Outside, the deck has been expanded and painted, a new hot tub / spa was added, the entire backyard was landscaped and fully fenced-in, and the outdoor bonfire ring was added. New windows, doors, and siding were also installed in 2025. Note that all of the outdoor amenities (including the hot tub) are available for use all year-round!
TRANSIT:
Public transportation is available via The Benzie Bus, but it is suggested that guests have their own means of transportation.
PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING:
1) PROXIMITY TO ROAD: The property is quite close to the road (7th Street, which is part of M22 as it goes through Frankfort). There is a fair amount of traffic and road noise, particularly due to fairly high traffic in the summer and snowplows in the winter. If you are sensitive to road noise, this might not be a good fit.
2) ABANDONED HOME NEARBY: There is an abandoned home to the west of the property. There are no safety concerns associated with this, but it does look quite ugly. This shouldn't be a big issue, but we do want to have people aware of this.
3) HOT TUB: The hot tub is available for use year-round and is great in the winter!
4) NEW CENTRAL AIR CONDITIONING: In October, 2025 a new furnace and new central air conditioning were both installed at the property.
5) PET POLICY: Up to 3 dogs are permitted at the property. If bringing 1 to 3 dogs, please make certain that they are included on the reservation and that the pet fee is appropriately paid. More than 3 dogs is strictly prohibited and any pets other than dogs are also strictly prohibited.
6) NUMBER OF GUESTS: Please note that our pricing is based upon the number of guests, with pricing being higher with each additional guest that is included on the reservation. Please make certain that the correct number of guests is specified on the reservation so that the pricing is correct.
7) EARLY CHECK-IN: Our policy is to allow early check-in on the day of arrival if the property is available for check-in. We will not know until the day before arrival whether or not the property will be available for early check-in or not. You can check with our local property manager the day before arrival or on your arrival day to see if the property will be available for early check-in or not.
8) LATE CHECK-OUT: We maintain a very strict and structured cleaning schedule. As such, late check-outs are strictly prohibited.
9) SECOND FLOOR: The second floor of the home has not yet been renovated and it is locked off and not available for guest usage. The rental of the home also includes the first floor of the home, but it does include the entire first floor.
10) BASEMENT: The basement of the home is also locked off and is not available for guest usage.
11) PHOTOS: All photos that are shown were taken in September and October of 2025.
12) STR REGISTRATION: Note that the property is an officially registered and sanctioned short-term rental property with the city of Frankfort.
13) PERSONAL HISTORY: This property means a great deal to our family. The name "Restoration Cottage" not only refers to the physical restoration of the property that we have pursued, but it also refers to the restoration of our family that took place when we came back together as a family of four in October, 2017, after having been separated for 4 years and 8 months. It was a great healing environment for our family! We then moved to a larger home in August, 2019, but this home will always have great memories for us and we hope and pray that it helps to bless and restore other relationships as well! :-)
