Victoria Resort and Bed & Breakfast is located a few blocks away from the beaches of Lake Michigan in South Haven, Michigan, just south of the Black River. With three acres of land in total, the resort has a large amount of room in the backyard, including things like a swimming pool, tennis court, basketball court, a fire pit, and more. The establishment has been around for almost an entire century, and throughout all those years, the name has remained the same. Guests have the choice of choosing to stay either in one of the main building's rooms and getting breakfast included with their stay or renting a cottage and having more living space and privacy for the duration of their stay.
The property that makes up Victoria Resort and Bed & Breakfast has a total of 13 buildings within its limits. Nineteen lodging units are available to the public, and, in total, the resort is able to sleep up to 52 people at a time. Guests can choose to rent a cottage or a single room in the main building. The owner describes the cottages as being "like small houses." Amenities can differ between the cottages and rooms, so it is recommended that potential guests take a closer look at the rooms and decide which one is best for them. Regardless of which guest accommodation visitors rent out, be it a stand-alone cottage or a space in the main building, guests will still receive access to the property's outdoor features such as the swimming pool, basketball court, yard-sized chess, tennis court, a firepit, and more.
Most of the rooms come with a refrigerator, and a few of them come with a jacuzzi bath. Aside from the queen rooms, which are rooms 102 and 202, all of the available units in the main building come with a television, DVD player, a personal bathroom, a small table or coffee table, and a couple of chairs.
The cottages offer a larger space, multiple rooms, and their own kitchens. When visitors are picking a space, something that should be considered is if they would like breakfast to be included with their stay. As it stands now, only guests who are staying in the main building have breakfast included with their reservation. Those who stay in the cottage can still get breakfast, but it is not included with their stay.
Breakfast has two different seating times, as they can only seat ten guests at a time. The first available time for breakfast is at 8:30 a.m., and the second seating begins at 9:15 a.m. Breakfast usually consists of an entrée, a side, yogurt, bagels, fresh fruit, and options for cereal. Each meal is complete with an assortment of beverages such as freshly roasted and ground coffee, herbal tea, black tea, orange juice, apple juice, and tomato juice. Entrees change every day, but in the past, the main course has been sun-dried tomato quiche, apple or blueberry French toast, sausage and egg soufflé, and more. For guests that give enough time in advance, breakfast can also be prepared to fit specific dietary restrictions such as vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free.
There are several different activities nearby the Victoria Resort and Bed & Breakfast that guests can participate in. With Lake Michigan within walking distance, fishing, kayaking, and other water activities are popular ways to find entertainment. There are also a number of hiking and biking trails found nearby, like in Van Buren State Park or the Kal-Haven Trail. In the winter, guests can still find outdoor activities to do like skiing, skating, and snowshoeing. Guests can travel to Lake Arvesta Sports Complex to play pickleball or head to the aqua park, where they can kayak and go cable wakeboarding. Additionally, visitors can visit one of the art museums and theatres in the area as well.
The owner, whose name is Jim, has a number of restaurant recommendations on Victoria Resort and Bed & Breakfast's website. One restaurant he names on the website is Phoenix Street Café, a lunch café that serves sandwiches and chicken and waffles. Another recommended restaurant is Sophie's Steakhouse, a higher-end establishment that specializes in meat-based dishes. Finally, there is also Three Blondes Brewing, an eatery specializing in many different kinds of beer that also serves a variety of tacos, burritos, and pizzas.
Jim has owned the property for a little over five years and explains that he has learned a lot about the industry. He enjoys being able to help people have a good experience. While Jim enjoys interacting with the guests that stay at Victoria Resort and Bed & Breakfast, he tries to make sure that he is not in their way and allows them to do what they would like, so long as it abides by the rules. Jim wants his patrons to indulge in themselves and hopes that they have a good experience. How Jim describes his idea of thinking is, "Focus on the experience, not just the rooms."
Jim asks his guests to abide by several policies while they are staying at Victoria Resort and Bed & Breakfast. One of the more important ones is that there is no smoking inside the buildings, and guests must be at least 100 feet away from them before they can light a cigarette. Another important policy is that guests are not allowed to bring pets of any kind into the rooms or cottages. Check-in times begin after 4:00 p.m. when the room is ready, and check-out times are 11:00 a.m. for any of the main building's rooms and 10:00 a.m. for the cottages.
The Victoria Resort and Bed & Breakfast has received a number of reviews from previous visitors. One person who recently stayed at the resort writes, "My wife and I really enjoyed our recent trip to South Haven and our stay at the Victoria Resort. The owner, Jim, was very friendly from the first time I spoke on the phone with him to book our stay all the way through the end of our 2-night trip. The breakfast was delicious, and we felt the freedom to come and go as we pleased and enjoy the trip on our terms. The grounds are beautifully kept."
The current owner, Jim, acquired the property about six years ago, back in 2015. Even though he's only owned it for less than a decade, the main building itself is just under a century old. Victoria Resort and Bed & Breakfast was originally built about 96 years ago, with the completion of the construction being around sometime in 1926. Ever since its initial construction, the establishment has been called Victoria Resort and Bed & Breakfast. Offering quality rooms and serving a good breakfast each morning has always been the goal of the establishment.
Jim explains that he entered the industry because he "got bored of what he was doing." That's when he decided that he wanted to do something new and try his hand at the lodging industry. He admits that sometimes it can be challenging, but he is happy with what he does. He enjoys the lifestyle and being able to do his own thing.
Jim has done a lot over the last few years that he's owned Victoria Resort and Bed & Breakfast to improve the property and make it a more enjoyable experience for the guests that stay. In the recent past, he has added a bathroom for the staff in the staff's quarters and equipped the yard with a larger fire pit. Additionally, Jim has replaced some of the more worn-out furniture with new ones, upgraded several of the cottages, and done a lot of yard maintenance and landscaping. This yard work includes digging up several of the trees and replanting them in the property's backyard to make the grounds look better and have more shade. Since he took possession of the property, he has planted 15 new trees.
241 Oak Street
Michigan, United States 49090
Bed and Breakfast
Jim
