Pigeon Creek Inn — Hotel in Port Sheldon Township

I booked this because it was secluded, and my husband and I really needed a secluded getaway. I read the negative reviews, but chalked them up to difficult guests and proceeded to book a room even though my gut instinct told me to back out as soon as I saw the no refund agreement. I figured the no refund agreement was a result of the pandemic and a necessity of a small business trying to stay in business, but now I understand that it is how this inn keeper stays in business because his bed and breakfast is anything but luxury. When you pull in the first thing you notice is the heavy metal gate that can be closed to seal off the driveway. We wondered when that closed at night. The inn sits about a half mile off the road. There are no signs that welcome you in, and I won’t lie it all feels less like relaxing seclusion and more like horror film. we walked into the inn we stepped onto a beautiful stone floor, and were immediately asked to remove our shoes even though the inn keeper was wearing his shoes. We complied and proceeded to carry our shoes to our room where the inn keeper proceeded to give us a tour of the room. There really are no curtains or blinds on the giant french doors which are about six feet from the bed which sits angled toward the doors. Yes, you are on the second floor. Yes, your windows are looking out into the woods. It doesn’t matter, the feeling of vulnerability and lack of privacy you feel in knowing that in the evening when the lights are on anyone could see into your room if they really wanted to is real and it makes for a very unrelaxing environment. There is zero ambience in the room. Aside from a painting on the wall, the room is very sterile. The bed sheets and comforter were a faded red. and while the bed was made the sheets and comforters were very wrinkled. There were four very thin pillows on the bed. The walls were so thin that while we were in the upstairs anniversary room, we could clearly hear the inn keepers music downstairs and even if he coughed. There was no storage except a luggage stand in the closet and a locked cedar chest in the bedroom to which you do not have the key. There are no amenities in the bedroom. No coffee maker, no fridge, no microwave, no glasses for water. Everything is in the downstairs kitchen. When I have a getaway…I rarely want to leave my room. It is my time to relax and get away from people not be forced into a common room when I was a drink of water. The body wash and shampoo are in the dispenser in the shower which made you feel like you were staying in a gym locker room. There is a small tv which, at the distance it sits from the bed, makes you feel like you would be better off just streaming something from your iPad. It appears clean, but on closer inspection, there is a thick layer of dust on the ceiling fan blades, dust and hair in the crevice of the bed frame, and there are pubic hairs in the jacuzzi tub. We stayed less than an hour before we booked an amazing room at Prairieside Suites 30 minutes away in Grandville and just left our $800 for our three night stay on the table because Jack has a strict no refund policy that we foolishly agreed to and he could really care less if we enjoyed our stay because he had our money in full. This is how he stays in business because he definitely is not in the business of guest service and satisfaction. As if all of this isn’t enough, he lied to us and told us that in 19 years no guests have ever complained of a lack of privacy or that there were no curtains. I told him that was a lie because all he had to do was read the negative reviews on this website to see that complaints have been made. He did offer us to move to the garden suite, but I had already read the negative reviews about that room and there was no way in hell I was staying in that place one second longer as I was starting to wonder if there were any hidden cameras anywhere and why he always wanted to move people into the garden room…and why were people always wanting to move rooms anyway? His demeanor was very off putting and unsettling. Both he and his inn were very unwelcoming and uncomfortable to be in and around. I felt like I was staying in a strangers home who didn’t have my comfort or well being at heart, and I was only a paycheck that allowed him to pay the bills. His no refund policy allows him to ignore all of this because frankly, once he has your money what does he care? If you are contemplating booking here….just flush your money down the toilet instead. At least you will save...

I rarely review, but I felt the most recent reviews on here do not accurately share the experience of the Pigeon Creek Inn. Overall, this B&B is exactly what it claims to be: a quiet, couples-focused small inn with great amenities and breakfast provided. However, it does have some quirks which guests may want to be aware of when booking:||Pros: Amazing amenities. The pictures very accurately represent the rooms and common areas of the inn. We stayed in the Garden Suite, and the bedroom and bathroom were huge and comfortable. The king-size bed may be the most comfortable I've ever slept on. The jacuzzi tub with waterfall shower was incredible and huge (4 ft by 6ft). The bathroom was well-stocked with plenty of shampoo, body wash, towels, washcloths, etc. The common area included storage space in the refrigerator and freezer, access to any kitchenware we wanted, and a lovely porch overlooking the woods. ||Quirks (not cons necessarily and did not affect the rating, but things that guests may want to be aware of to see if this is their cup of tea): ||1. The inn is, in fact, in the middle of the woods. It is about 10 min drive north out of Holland and 15 min drive south out of Grand Haven, so you are not in a town or within walking distance of any attractions. The inn is located nearly a quarter mile off the road, so the road is not visible from the inn. If staying far away from other civilization bothers you, look elsewhere. If you want a secluded woodsy getaway, this is your place.||2. The family who runs the inn lives there too. This isn't uncommon with B&Bs, and again, not necessarily a con. It does mean that the owner will interact with you more than a hotel desk clerk would. The owner called us a few times to confirm when we would arrive and was present around the inn as we came and went. His dog was also around. We were asked (but not forced) to take off our shoes at the front door. If having someone around where you are staying and having to talk to the family bothers you, or if you object to dogs, find a regular hotel. If you like talking to people, this isn't a problem at all. Related to this, the quiet hours start at 11pm, and the rules state that the room TVs and jacuzzis shouldn't be used with sound after that time. That wasn't enforced during our visit, and we definitely used the TV and jacuzzi after 11, but it might be something for night-owl guests to keep in mind.||3. With our Verizon carrier, we had no signal, and there is no guest wifi. If being out of touch bothers you, this isn't your place. If you want to disconnect, this is a great place to do it.||Cons: At least in the Garden Suite, which is located in the basement, we found several bugs in the room (spiders, ants, weevils, etc). Bugs hang out in basements and the house is in the woods, so this is understandable, but for a high-end inn it would be expected that a more thorough effort would be made to remove any bugs that found their way inside. Otherwise the inn was very clean, and I would not expect the rooms on the upper floors to have a similar issue. Secondly, there is a lack of signage that made it a little unclear what items in the inn were for guests and which for the family. Labeling the guest refrigerator, cupboards, etc would be helpful. It would also help to have printed materials in the rooms stating check-in, check-out times, wifi access, and anything else a guest may need to know (particularly important since internet access is so limited).||Overall, a very nice place with room amenities that can't be beaten for the price. I just think the inn's style isn't for everyone, so know what you're doing...

Everything was GREAT! I was initially worried after I had read some of the bad reviews, and no refund policy, but it’s easy to see that major changes have been made since those reviews. To start my husband and I stayed in the Honeymoon room which was right off the kitchen, and living area. One review stated that there was no blinds on the windows providing no privacy, what I found was that every window had blinds that could slide up or down providing a view if wanted and privacy when needed. Another review stated that the place smelled of wet dog, and that dogs were biting or jumping on them. We stayed there for my birthday weekend Jan 1 2024, to give an indication of the weather. It was a little rainy and wet outside and no smell of wet dog. There was a small dog inside that was well behaved. It stayed on a rug by the stairs and never entered the room that we were staying in. We don't own dogs but I'm not opposed to them. The house is off the road and secluded in the woods, with no cable, however they did have WiFi, and a dvd library for movies. We have Verizon cell service and didn’t have a problem. The room was beautiful and clean. There is a shampoo and body wash dispenser in the shower, which I didn’t mind because I usually bring my own toiletries. Jack and his wife were very accommodating, offering champagne for new years, bottles of water, and when I commented that dinner smelled amazing Jacks wife offered for us to try it. We didn't get breakfast so I can’t comment on the food. They never made us feel uncomfortable, there was a decorative rock by the door asking to remove your shoes, but they never asked us to. They did ask that the jets to the tub were not on after 11pm, so you could still us the tub just not the jets in order to keep the noise down. The room had a beautiful thermostat controlled fire place so you can set the room temp to what you are most comfortable. I would definitely recommend and we will be returning in the summer to experience the walking...