Thanks to Mlive for this:
DOUGLAS, MI – It’s a house. It’s a boat. It’s actually both. There’s lakefront living, and then there’s staying on the actual lake. This floating house is an Airbnb in Michigan and opens for the season this week in one of the more popular vacation areas of the state.
Known as “Floathaus of Saugatuck,” this home on the water is part pontoon, part home, of sorts. It’s located at Tower Marine on Kalamazoo Lake, a short walk from the charming towns of Douglas and Saugatuck, Michigan.
Inspired by floating homes of the Pacific Northwest, this one was built locally a couple of years ago. West Michigan natives, Dave and Jillian Draayer, purchased it from its previous owner and are ready to welcome visitors.
“This is our first and only Airbnb opportunity and we wanted a fun way to invest,” Dave Draayer told MLive. “Our family is very orientated to experiences and we wanted to offer something unique where people may not have to travel far for. We spent a couple years overseas as missionaries and we now have young kids. We thought this would be a cool way to offer an experience, like what we enjoy, to other people.
The “Floathaus” comfortably sleeps up to four people with room for six with one bedroom and a loft featuring two queen beds and a couch that pulls out.
It has a total of 500 square feet of finished space with a kitchen, fridge, microwave and a table which folds down. There’s a shower and a bathroom. Outside there are two decks to enjoy.
Booking requires a two night minimum stay with weekends and summer months typically more expensive. The price is around $350 per night on the low-end to around $460 per night at peak times.
The “Floathaus” is not motorized and doesn’t leave the marina, but guests can expect movement and swaying and the Draayers do put in a disclaimer in the Airbnb listing that people could experience motion sickness.
With that said, the “Floathaus” also comes with two adult kayaks for guests to use. There’s also access to the waterfront pool at the marina, along with a park which has a playground and grills. The Draayers say visitors will not only enjoy the uniqueness of their accommodations, but everything the area has to offer.
“Saugatuck and Douglas have a little bit of everything,” added Dave Draayer. “You can go one way and hit downtown with restaurants and a lot of local businesses or you can go a mile in the other direction and find water, beaches and hiking. Everything is kind of right there and you get the best of a lot of worlds right in the vicinity.”
Book on Airbnb here:
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/42081463?source_impression_id=p3_1651745637_t5x4Dv8plQjcRMIH
https://www.facebook.com/floathausofsaugatuck/
