General Information Children & Pets: Children ages 24 months and younger stay free! We are pet friendly for friendly pets (with prior approval only). We require you tell us about your pets before a reservation is confirmed. We also require that the pet(s) you bring to Hermitage Hills Estate be counted as part of the total guest count as you book your reservation. Lastly, pets CANNOT be left alone inside the house, especially locked inside a room. We have had several beautiful six-panel stained oak doors get scratched by dogs who were locked inside a room by themselves. Please bring a cage for your pet or chain him outside. We have a few extra dog crates here as well available upon request. The House: The Hermitage Hills Estate is a red brick, 26-year-old estate with four spacious bedrooms, five bathrooms, four fireplaces, jetted tub and double shower in the master suite, acres of wooded trails and sandy paths, bonfire pit, and four ponds. There is radiant in-floor heat throughout the house on all three levels and central air-conditioning. It looks like President Andrew Jackson's Hermitage in Nashville, but with modern amenities like indoor plumbing and an in-house kitchen. Outdoors: This 5,600 square foot home is a paradise for adults and children alike. Front and back porches grace the first floor and front and back balconies span the second floor. This is a beautiful play space for kiddos and a relaxing spot to take in the outdoors from the treetop level. Hermitage Hills Estate has 10+ acres of water with four large fishing, swimming, and kayaking ponds. No Michigan fishing license is needed since we own the ponds. There is also a large outdoor playset for children of all ages. Swim, fish, and kayak our ponds, enjoy a large reading selection, and cozy up by the bonfire pit to roast marshmallows while enjoying stargazing in the backyard. Bring your own firewood. A charcoal grill is available for your use. Our guests are welcome to use four adult-sized kayaks, canoe, and our old, leaky rowboat. Two plastic tubs have 10 adult-sized life jackets, five youth life jackets (50-90 lbs.) and three infant life jackets (0-30 lbs.). Enjoy a stroll through rolling glacial till known as "hills and dales" in Hillsdale County, Michigan, including our black walnut grove of nearly 300 mature trees. Amenities: Hermitage Hills Estate has fresh bed linens, pillows, and towels for our guests. A washer and dryer is available for your use. We provide laundry soap. If you bring your own soap, make sure it's HE--high efficiency. Entertainment: Campus high-speed WiFi is always available. There is one 43" LG LED flat-screen TV with Charter Cablevision and integrated Bluetooth surround sound system in the family room and another 43" smart TV in the finished basement. Kitchen, Breakfast Nook, and Dining Room: The kitchen is fully equipped with Le Creuset cookware and bakeware, blender, Kitchenaid stand mixer, electric griddle, and much more. There are matching table settings for 30+ people, cooking utensils, a drip coffee pot, (we provide filters and coffee), a Keurig (with some K-cups), toaster, microwave, and a double oven. A fridge in the garage (just off the kitchen) provides extra space for big groups. The formal dining room seats 14 and the breakfast nook has seating for eight. If you need anything we don't have, we'll do our very best to accommodate. We provide many basic pantry staples so guests don't have to over-buy for short stays (creamer, sugar, coffee, spices, condiments, cooking oil, bug repellent, etc.). Bedrooms: Bedroom 1: main floor--king bed en-suite Bedroom 2: upstairs--queen bed en-suite Bedroom 3: upstairs--two queen beds Bedroom 4: upstairs--two queen beds Bedrooms 3 and 4 share the upstairs full bath and dressing room. Finished Basement Sleepover Space: Seven queen beds in our finished basement sleepover space are here for large groups. Two are in a private room. There are 20 twin airbeds here that are available upon request. (These are not set up. We provide sheets, pillows, and blankets for these twin airbeds.) Two pack and plays are also available upon request. The finished basement also includes a large sectional sofa, billiard table, and a 43" smart TV. Renewable Energy: Although we are not off-grid, our solar panels produce as much as or more than the energy used at Hermitage Hills Estate. Our outdoor wood boiler is maintained by us and provides radiant heat and hot water. It complements the solar panels in our efforts to use renewable resources. Interaction With Guests: The owners live nearby, so quick and easy access is always available and only a text message away. Please text us immediately if a problem arises. Security camera/recording device — Wireless camera that records video, audio, and still images. The camera is mounted to a tree by the driveway. This tells us when guests arrive and to count guests as needed. Be a Hermit if You Choose: Located on 64 acres with four ponds, Hermitage Hills Estate is rural and serene. Come with your groceries and supplies, fishing poles, firewood, cross country skis, and/ or kayaks to our destination and just stay, enjoy and explore the outdoors, and rest. Wedding and Reception Venue Information: The Pavilion can accommodate up to 300 wedding/ reception guests. On average, however, our bridal couples have a wedding and reception size of around 100 wedding and reception guests with families and friends from across the country and around the globe. The overnight lodging indoors plus camping and RV options outdoors at Hermitage Hills Estate is a definite draw and make it a true destination wedding experience. We require the bride and groom to sign our event contract. For your convenience, we have a suggested vendor list of local providers whom we know and love. There is a $1,000 refundable security deposit. We require brides and grooms to purchase $1 million dollar event liability insurance (this is about $175 through wedsafe). The Pavilion is 40'x100' with 400 white folding chairs, 120 wooden chairs, 40 8' tables, two Little Pole Barn bathrooms with flush toilets, sinks, and shower stalls, and a kitchenette. The kitchenette has a microwave, mini-fridge, Keurig, sink, a commercial ice maker, and a deep freezer filled with 20 lb. bags of ice. There are over 25 acres of grass mown weekly, and several thousand feet of pond frontage that can accommodate many camping tents and travel trailers. Enjoy our campus-wide, high-speed cable internet. Several groups have had over 50 devices connected simultaneously to our WiFi network. We have an Ion Gameday 50 watt Bluetooth speaker with microphone that can be used at the ceremony site and the Pavilion. Message us to schedule a guided venue tour. We do not offer discounts for fewer wedding/ reception guests. However, if you're interested in having a small, indoor wedding or elopement during the off-season only (November through April) AND also have 30 guests or fewer, please reference the regular nightly rate and count your overnight guests. We will send you a special offer for more than 16 guests. Vrbo will also include their fees. Venue Investment: up to 300 wedding/ reception guests One day only: $3,000 Friday / $4,000 Saturday / $3,000 Sunday Please note, one day only does not include house access or overnight stay. Pavilion only. Check-in time is noon. Music off by 11:00 p.m. All people and items vacated by midnight. Two nights: $5,800 Three nights: $7,300 Check-in is 4:00 p.m. and check-out is 11:00 a.m. The package includes two or three nights with up to 30 overnight guests (inside and/ or camping outside). Additional nights and additional overnight guests in campers or RVs are available at an additional cost. Please see the event contract for more information.
