Thanks to Mlive for this:
SAUGATUCK, MI — Saugatuck’s near-century-old Wickwood Inn earned some pretty noteworthy recognition earlier this month.
The inn, opened in 1937, cracked USA Today’s 10 Best List for best bed and breakfasts across the U.S. The recently-renovated Wickwood, checking in at No. 5, was the only Michigan venue on the list.
Located at 510 Butler St., the Wickwood Inn is less than a block from the eastern bank of the Kalamazoo River and less than 3 miles from the Lake Michigan shore.
Saugatuck is south of Holland and north of South Haven.
The Wickwood was said by the USA Today to offer “a serene waterside setting in Michigan – without having to make the jaunt to the Upper Peninsula.”
The list adds: “In addition to complimentary homemade breakfast, guests can also enjoy locally-sourced charcuterie in the evening. Guest accommodations range from cozy rooms to luxurious estate suites.”
Guests of the 11-room inn enjoy luxurious accommodations, one-of-a-kind furnishings and art, a tranquil and meticulously-landscaped garden, an outdoor gazebo and a gently-lit arbor sanctuary, a news release from the inn states. Visitors also get a farm-to-table breakfast experience, afternoon sweets, a daily social hour with local bites and beverages and more.
“The Wickwood Inn team is so proud to be recognized on the prestigious USA Today 10 Best list, just a year following our reopening and completed renovation,” said Jeff West, the inn’s general manager. “We look forward to continuing to provide our guests with an inspiring, design-forward environment, genuine hospitality, intimate accommodations and luxurious amenities.”
The inn attracts a mix of leisure and business travelers “seeking a luxurious yet intimate destination within idyllic coastal surroundings,” West said.
Reservations are typically booked one to two months in advance, but further out for holidays and long weekends, he said.
Once the home of Saugatuck Mayor Frank Wicks (1950-51), the Colonial revival house was bought and renovated by Sue and Stub Lois in 1981. The couple patterned their renovations after Brown’s Hotel in London, giving the city of Saugatuck its first bed and breakfast, according to the inn’s website.
The Wickwood’s current executive chef is Rose Duong — a veteran of Chicago’s restaurant scene. The former owner of Kingsbury Street Café, Duong also catered the green room for the Oprah Winfrey Show for years.
“Opposed to the typical buffet-style experience most guests expect of bed and breakfasts and inns, Chef Rose has intentionally crafted a restaurant-inspired culinary experience for Wickwood Inn guests,” West said. “With a focus on fresh, farm to table ingredients, she crafts seasonal menus ever-changing based on local offerings and seasonal varieties.”
Duong is known for her social hour charcuterie and other dishes like her avocado toast.
She is also working for newer owners in a freshly-renovated house. Rosso and Miller recently sold the Wickwood Inn in 2021 to Shea Soucie and Martin Horner. Soucie and Horner are founding partners of Chicago-based luxury design firm Soucie Horner Ltd.
“The duo had always dreamed of owning a distinctive, design-forward inn, and this opportunity felt like a natural extension of their brand and foray into hospitality,” West said of Soucie and Horner.
West called the new owners’ renovations “a showcase of stellar design.”
Rooms generally range from $350 to $700, according to the website, depending on day of the week and time of year.
The Wickwood Inn
510 Butler St
Saugatuck, MI 49453
Homepage
https://www.facebook.com/Thewickwoodinn
