We were in Grand Rapids, Michigan for an event at the Wealthy Theatre, and chose this guest house due to its very high score everywhere we looked online (5/5 on TripAdvisor, 9.8/10 on booking.com alone).
Located in the very fancy-sounding Heritage Hill area, this home is surrounded by similar mansions on a very quiet road, yet only a few minutes away from Wealthy Street and Easttown, and only a short drive from downtown Grand Rapids. We found it very easily, and driving to and from our event at the theatre was very quick.
Snow had descended on us during the drive up, and by the time we arrived, Michigan was blanketed in a good heaping. Still, the door was answered promptly by Ken, who swept us into a warm welcome and a smooth check in, before handing us over to Ruth for an informative tour of the home and an escort up to our room.
They kindly upgraded us from the Baron room to the Baroness, which was perfect. The room is at the top of the original service stairs, which took us straight down to the kitchen and dining areas.
I have a real love for these kinds of homes, as you may already know from my write-ups about the gorgeous Garth Mansion in Hannibal, Missouri.
The blend of old world historic charm and modern day comforts is an unbeatable mix if handled correctly.
Built in 1914 by the Harry C. Leonard family, the house even displays two of his original refrigeration cabinets, with which he made both his name and the money to build the house.
Our room was beautiful, cosy and spotlessly clean, with a large bed and dressing area. The house has no radiators, and is heated by steam vents in the flooring, which was absolutely one of my favourite touches.
This is a place that encourages you to feel at home, and to either socialise with your fellow guests or find a cosy corner all of your own. I imagine it is a great location for a few days of exploring Grand Rapids, and is probably a lovely choice for single travellers.
The entire house is also spotlessly clean, polished, and very well cared for. There wasn’t an inch of space that wasn’t thoughtfully utilised. The attention to detail and quality really is everywhere, even on our ‘back stairs’ room access.
As we had plans for our whole trip, we sadly had no time to enjoy the comfortable lounges, utilise the free drink and snack area, or have a tinkle on the piano (not that either of us can play, but Ruth encouraged us to try anyway!)
Our event actually finished late and we were very hungry having skipped dinner, so we drove around Grand Rapids until midnight looking for food – it never even occurred to us just to look in the snack area, where the next day we spotted, among other things, bread, microwaveable popcorn and Pop Tarts, plus tea, coffee and soft drinks.
We did, however, enjoy an incredible breakfast, so good that I could only look at half of the choices as my plate and tummy were quickly full. I had been woken early by food smells coming up through the grates, so goodness knows what time Ruth started whipping up these delights, but she seemed happy and proud to host the meal.
There was a cute little yoghurt table with cereal and fruit toppings, and plenty of coffee and juice. The hot buffet was of the highest standard. I’m vegetarian, and feasted on scrambled eggs, crushed new potatoes, French toast, Apple Cake and a Blueberry Scone! There were several meat dishes also, and even more veggie options that I didn’t have space for. We were pleased to be asked about any dietary requirements on check-in, but in no way expected so much choice!
Strangely, this amazing breakfast spread is not something they use as a selling point, except for on social media. They should be famous for it. Shine your light, Ruth!
Sitting at the head of the beautiful dining table, I certainly felt like the lady of the manor, and it was a nice touch to be seated with other travellers, all with stories of their own. It reinforced the feeling of being a guest in someone’s home. For a quiet winter weekend, the house seemed pretty full, so it’s nice to see they do good business year round.
As always with these places, one night is never enough. I think it would be good to visit again in the summer, as there is also a pretty garden at the back.
I would have loved to walk around the neighbourhood and enjoy the gorgeous architecture, snuggle up with a book on a cosy couch, and to have had more time to talk with our hosts.
If you are ever in Grand Rapids, this area is quiet, pretty, and is a great place to stay.
Cherry’s Sweet World 🍒🍒🍒 