Falling Waters Lodge — Hotel in Leland Township

Very nice hotel!||Pros:| Location location location! You are right on the dam. There is a virtually unmarked walkway from the front of the Cove restaurant that takes you right over the dam, landing you in front of the main level of the hotel. You are also footsteps away from Van’s Beach, which is one of the most amazing beaches in the state, if you ask me.|The staff- were kind & accommodating. There was a barking dog within the hotel that started up around 6am one morning, and continued intermittently all day. We knew they were pet friendly- which is fine & dandy, but the walls are relatively thin and sone things the sound of the falling dam can’t mask- especially when trying to sleep. A few of the guests in the neighboring rooms of said dog all spoke about it & spoke to the office about it. They sent out an email to everyone in the hotel about respecting everyone else’s vacations & and voila! no more barking! |Complimentary booklets & information about local eateries, shopping & sights worth seeing. |Semi updated furnishings. The rooms we were in (203 & 204) did not match any of the pictures found in uploads on TripAdvisor from previous travelers… like, the look was completely changed. The floors are all laminate (no carpeting) - which I would consider a con in most cases- but the amount of sand you’ll track into the room is excessive. You’ll be happy to have the laminate (and broom each room comes with) to sweep the sand out frequently.|Fishing off the balconies. Very cool. The water is clear & you can see all of the fish swimming below (and some otters across the docks!)||Cons: |Parking. There is no way around not mentioning this quandary. There are probably 20ish rooms in the lodge, and 10 parking spots available up against the hotel. There are some spots parallel to driveway to the lodge- but the chance of a sideswipe is very real. We were lucky enough to get a good spot when we got there- do we never moved the car in the 2 days we were there. Most of the time we looked at the parking situation a spot was open, but judging from all of the other reviews about it, that isn’t the case most of the time. I suppose finding parking elsewhere until you can move in front of the lodge is an option. The parking lot level is on the level of the rooms in the 200 range- meaning if you have room 305, for instance, you are walking up stairs. No elevators. Same goes if you are on the 100 level. The office is located on this main (200’s) level, as well as the crosswalk to the other side by the Cove. Also worth noting- no designated handicap parking. Didn’t matter to any of us, but if you think this will save you regarding finding a spot, it won’t. |Handicap accessibility. Quite honestly, I do t think it’s ADA approved, but it didn’t effect anyone in my party, so it wasn’t an issue. My mother did comment there weren’t any arm rails in the shower to hold on to ( she has a bad hip) but it wasn’t a deal breaker by any stretch. Just be advised if you are in a wheelchair or have trouble walking- this probably isn’t the hotel for you. |Noise. Not an issue for any of us (with the exception of the barking dog mentioned previously). The dam is loud- and never stops or slows down. We all found it relaxing, so it was a plus for us, but if you are someone seeking silence and solitude- this isn’t your place. |Sand. Prepare yourself for the feeling of sand under your feet all. the. time. No matter how frequently I swept, there was still sand. Bring flip flops for your room. |Cell/WI-FI service. It’s very spotty. I didn’t receive emails most of the time, and my texts were delayed by a day to the intended recipients- even when I tried texting the room next door. Service in Leland around the hotel is spotty in general- but you’re on vacation, so go with the flow.||We will definitely be back. None of the cons were enough to keep us from returning and recommending it to everyone we know. It’s fun and has an “old timey” feeling that you just don’t see with corporate...

--I thoroughly perused the website and read the story of the young couple who purchased and have been renovating Falling Waters Lodge. We were excited to support a small business and genuinely wanted this to become our new place to stay a couple of times a year. The friendly receptionist upon arrival turned out to be our favorite part of the stay, aside from the location itself. ||--Beware that parking behind the lodge is limited at best as you will be competing with Van's Beach folk who are not prohibited from parking at FWL Yes, the location is terrific. There is a cut-through to The Cove and the main shopping area for FWL guests, but we overheard some ladies applauding themselves for taking hotel parking and avoiding the crowds on the Leland streets. So apparently it's well-known that the FWL lot isn't monitored.||--Some areas of the lodge have obviously been upgraded, like the clear glass panels around the small deck overlooking the dam and the iron stair railing. But the choices for the room where we stayed bordered on dreadful. Unless one is over six feet tall, the mattress on the platform makes it uncomfortable (at best) to sit on the bed. This is an issue because there are no table and chairs in the room (even small ones). And with a bit of adjustment, there would be room. There was a strange and virtually useless shelf/tower that easily could be eliminated. My husband discovered it was a lamp, but since the electrical outlet nearest it didn't work, the lamp was even more a waste of space. Since one family was monopolizing the small deck, we found ourselves miserably trying to eat our Cheese Shanty sandwiches with our feet dangling over the bedsides and our backs aching. The small (uncomfortable) chairs outside our room had a tiny table, but not enough to accommodate a takeout meal, even if we didn't mind people walking past us wheeling luggage. ||--What was supposed to pass for a blanket was stiff and scratchy and the "bedspread/comforter" was even worse. I can stand ugly, but I do want to be comfortable. I highly recommend you bring your own blanket, at least.||--The vent in the bathroom needed to be replaced. It was old, rusty, and lumpy with old paint. It looked dirty and when seated in the bathroom, it's what you saw right in front of you. Yuck. ||--More hooks for hanging wet beach towels and swimsuits are needed!||--COVID protocols are in place, so you will fetch your own clean towels and supplies. It was not a problem for us.||--Breakfast options without getting in the car are extremely limited, as are later night snacks. Come prepared. ||--The approach to Van's Beach is not easily accessible since there is a small hill and the sand is deep. But it's a great place once you're there.||--We were disappointed not to see the "Best Dam Dogs" featured on the website.||--We encountered the husband while he was working on the area off the parking lot. He was friendly and seemed to be enjoying his work. We only saw the wife once, the morning of our departure, when she was cleaning the deck glass. I thought to myself that I hoped she found aspects of joy in owning the business. With no personal interaction, it was...

I did not stay, but canceled upon arrival after trying to talk with the arrogant owner. This is a FANTASTIC location with great views but it is also AN ABSOLUTE A DISASTER FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE, especially if you are even mildly handicapped. For transparency purposes, the following is from my wife and my perspectives as two over 70 yr old experienced world travelers. While we are both handicapped by recovery from multiple severe and life threatening injuries suffered in an auto accident two years ago, we can now walk short distances with canes and traverse short stairways. After internet exploration, we decided we could navigate their premises and booked a two night stay for a weekend getaway. Their website and reservation confirmation information is, at best, misleading and disingenuous, It says to "alert them if you are going to arrive after 8:00 PM." After our four hour drive from home, we arrived at the hotel at 7:30 pm to find the office / front desk unattended, locked and closed. An email arrived shortly thereafter telling me to stop by tomorrow for "formal check in and a spare key". At issue was that I could not find any "first" key. The website says that there is "limited parking". A more accurate description would be "inadequate" as there are at least 21 rooms while they have only 10 parking spaces on site. Incidentally, not a single parking space is designated for handicapped parking. Upon arrival I could not find any parking spaces within a quarter mile of the hotel. Thereafter, the owner, Cooper, returned my voice mail call. During the call he was rude, condescending, and constantly over talking me as I tried to explain my issues. He said the entire facility is non-compliant with ADA because they were "grandfathered". The website does NOT mention this non-compliance anywhere, nor did he explain in the call how he could remodel without meeting code ADA compliance requirements. In the call, Cooper said we could "park along the tree line or streets off site". Of course, "out there" we would have to compete with Lake Michigan beach goers, shoppers at the Fish Town tourist mecca, and the patrons of the large and popular Cove Restaurant. He even suggested dropping my wife off, unloading and then going off to park when neither of us can walk great distances. I canceled both nights' stay, turned around and drove back home. I now have my credit card company working on refunding the disputed deposit charges. As I said, this place has beautiful views and a great location. If you are not handicapped, enjoy walking long distances to your room, and do not mind an over bearing staff, this might be a decent place for...