Is Riverbend Retreat with Hot Tub pet-friendly?

Yes, pets are allowed at this property.

Where is Riverbend Retreat with Hot Tub located?

Situated on the waterfront, this vacation home is within 6 mi (10 km) of Forest Lakes, Arbutus Lake, and Spider Lake. Grand Traverse Natural Education Reserve and Turtle Creek Stadium are also within 9 mi (15 km).

Riverbend Retreat with Hot Tub Reviews, Deals & Photos 2025

10/10 Excellent

Anthony R.

Aug 20, 2023

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Nice Place on River

Uniquely scenic and quite comfortable.

Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Jennifer H.

Jul 14, 2020

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Nature Escape

We had a great week at this property. The river was beautiful and soothing, and we enjoyed the fire pit. Good sleeping too.

Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2020

10/10 Excellent

john w.

Oct 22, 2020

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

As awesome as advertised

The property was beautiful, the river was always enjoyable and peaceful to hangout by, and the home was comfortable and full of amenities. Richard built a beautiful home and provided a great description of everything when we arrived. I would definitely come back!

Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2020

10/10 Excellent

Sarah A.

Jan 4, 2020

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Winter stay

Great place in the woods to feel secluded, yet easy access to city. Open concept of main living area is great for accommodating everyone in your group. We were playing board games, working puzzles, cooking, and enjoying a fire in the wood stove all together. Richard was quick to respond to any questions we had prior to arrival. Great home, great location!

Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2019

10/10 Excellent

Kristal P.

Apr 2, 2018

Amazing...peaceful...hidden gem

My fiancé and i rented this cabin for our birthdays and the first day meeting Richard, her was very welcoming warm and courtesy. This cabin is amazing from the hot tub, ping pong table steam shower the fire pit to the fire place the amazing views and walkable area/trails. Just breathtaking. The entire cabin was very clean and came with great accessories. We highly recommend to couples and families. We will definitely be returning in the summer to enjoy more of the activities the cabin has to offer such as kayaking.

Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2018

10/10 Excellent

BRITTANY H.

Apr 28, 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful river front property

My husband and I rented this house for our 7th wedding anniversary and absolutely loved it. It was stocked with a large selection of cookware in good shape that made it easy for making meals. The beds were a little soft for our liking, but still comfortable enough. We loved having coffee/wine on the deck and having a fire down by the river. We also enjoyed the clean spacious hot tub! Don't plan on watching any TV as it was frozen the entire time we were there, but if anything that was a good thing because we didn't need it anyway.

Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2021

This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Jessica P.

Sep 27, 2016

Perfect Northern Michigan Retreat

Richard has created the perfect vacation home. This is not a standard up-north rental full of used furniture and random rickrack. This is a house designed to feel like a home in paradise. It's the details that make the difference: good appliances and kitchenware for cooking. Quality deck chairs. The STEAM SHOWER and a clean, well-kept hot tub. I've been renting homes 'up north' for years and this is by far THE best. We spent hours hiking in the woods, sitting at the fire and greeting the river traffic, relaxing on the deck, hanging in the house...highly recommend this be your choice.

6/10 Okay

Sandy S.

Jun 27, 2018

The house was nice, comfortable, and clean. But we got charged for a paddle we did not break.

The house is comfortable for a big group. I would have rated it higher, but the kayak paddles were taped when he brought them, and we got charged around $100 because he said they were broken. They were in the same condition we received them in.

Stayed 3 nights in May 2018

6/10 Okay

Brian Z.

Dec 17, 2020

Liked: Cleanliness, location

Disliked: Check-in, communication

Great place, terrible owner

My stay itself was good. The property was nice and secluded. I was to check in at 4 PM that Friday to meet Richard, the owner at the property, as we had discussed. He was nowhere to be found at that time. I finally messaged him on VRBO and called him and texted him. He finally responded. He was too busy cutting trees to actually meet his renters and go through the house to make sure everything was good. He finally gave me the code so I could go in and get settled. He said he would meet me there later that night. He never showed up all weekend. I never heard from him either. Until a couple hours after I checked out he sent me a message saying he’s going to bill me for $82 for having to drain and clean the hot tub, which he blamed my group for. I explain to him that the water was murky from the first time we used it and all of my group made comment on it. Also one of the corner jets did not work and neither did the lights of the hot tub. I explain that to him and he denied it. I also let him know that they were burned out lights in the house and one of the two big burners on the stove did not work. On top of all of that over the weekend by the time I left we had received over 8 inches of snow. Thank goodness I had a four-wheel-drive truck or we would not have gotten out since he never sent anybody to plow out the long driveway. I told him I was not going to pay for something I did not damage. And that he was just trying to fleece me for extra money even though he has not taken care of his rental property for his renters. A couple days later he I got an email saying he canceled that bill he was trying to make me pay. Then a few days after that there was a charge for the $82 on my credit card. I got a hold of him and he still blamed me and denied the other things that were wrong in the house. I then contacted VRBO and let them know the scenario. In the end renter beware. It is a nice property but he does not take care of it as he should or take care of the renters that are making him money. Instead he lacks communication and ownership for what he is doing. I would definitely recommend staying away from anything he rents.

Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2020

6/10 Okay

Kim M.

Sep 11, 2020

Liked: Cleanliness

Disliked: Check-in

Perhaps a fall trip at this house would be better.....

The house is very nice and was clean. The check in process was awkward with meeting in person with the owner Richard. We have never experienced this before with other rentals. He would also come and get into the garage unannounced as needed-which was strange. We would hear the garage door open and then a short time later see Richard drive away. I did not care for this. The kitchen could use some new pots and pans and there are minimal supplies (spices, foil, plastic wraps, etc.). Plan to pack all of your own supplies/products that you will need for cooking. The lower level bedroom and bathroom is pretty separated from the rest of the house and much cooler. We had to use the portable heater in the middle of the summer. Would have an adult stay downstairs if younger kids were staying downstairs due to portable heater use and as this area is right next to the front door and the bathroom opens into the garage. The kayaks are not on the property and have to be rented and this has to be coordinated with Richard as he drives them to the drop off area. The river moves right along so it is tricky with younger ones. I would probably suggest a slower river/area for those with younger children. There were too many bugs to use the fire pit-we made a several attempts. We even cut back the weeds along the trail to the river and fumigated with bug spray but this made no difference. The firewood is located down the road a bit so you have to load and carry the wood to the fire pit location. The trail to the fire pit is very dark and there are many tree roots sticking up so you have to use flashlights to come and go from the river/fire area. Richard I think it would be beautiful if you hang some decorative all weather outdoor string of lights along the trail to make this area safer for walking at night. It could even be set on a timer. We did not see or catch any fish-our oldest son got Poison Oak so be careful with the brush along the river and bring lots of sting and bait as there is lots to get caught on. The road back to the home is very private however it is not flat. The pavement in the center of the road is higher than the tire areas so you have to drive strategically with non-SUV vehicles or your car would scrape on the bottom. The hot tub was nice. Lots to do in the area. We found that due to the bugs (day and night) and the inability to sit by the fire, we did not spend much time at the house.

Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2020

10/10 Excellent

Pam C.

Sep 6, 2024

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

TC Wedding Trip

Great property. Lots of space to spread out. Dining room, deck, riverside campfire, ping pong room, hot tub. We could all be together or not.

Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Tiffany B.

Feb 19, 2023

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Birthday Weekend

My husband and I enjoyed a weekend relaxing, listening to the river and enjoying the hot tub! The weather was perfect and the location was great! The house is beautiful and perfect for families! Thank you, and we look forward to our next visit!

Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2023

10/10 Excellent

Joshua N.

Jun 2, 2022

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wonderful

The property was as beautiful as the pictures! The owner was there when we had questions.

Stayed 3 nights in May 2022

6/10 Okay

Cindy B.

Jan 3, 2022

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, location, listing accuracy

Positive review with hesitancy

The area is beautiful and very peaceful for walks. The layout of the upstairs especially is very comfortable. The host communicated with me quickly in the booking process. My reservations include the following: 1) 2 text attempts over 2 day to contact the host over TV audio connection were not responded to so my 3rd attempt in a phone call received the assistance of "Well wifi is unreliable out here." That may not have been the issue but that's the response given. 2) We wanted to keep the place cooler and after continuing to lower the temp through the thermostat with little luck, the solution shared by the host was to open the windows-which we did for 5 days. 3) The stove burners were frustratingly inconsistent in heating, the oven cooked a salmon 1 night but would not heat the roast through (after 45 mins. at 450 deg) the following night; the coffee pot also did not work consistently in heating water. The host did okay our bringing a well trained do and we definitely had a cleaning fee to cover that exception. Overall, a lovely location and a little disappointed in the end.

Stayed 5 nights in Dec 2021

10/10 Excellent

Ken S.

Dec 12, 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great experience will definitely be back!

Accurate description, great views, plenty of space and great location to the city made for ideal space. Richard was great and very prompt when communicating with! Already looking forward to next trip there!

Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2021

10/10 Excellent

Allan D.

Dec 5, 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfect Getaway

It was our son & daughter-in-laws 10th anniversary & they wanted us to celebrate it with them & friends in Traverse City with a wine tour & some awesome restaurants. This house was the perfect spot for the 6 of us to stay. Not much more than hotel rooms would have cost but a much more comfortable experience! Hope to come again!

Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2021

10/10 Excellent

Devia B.

Dec 4, 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Thanksgiving getaway

Richard was great the house was cozy lovely and just the right space will be returning

Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2021

4/10 Poor

Rachel W., Muskegon, MI

Nov 16, 2021

Liked: Location

Disliked: Check-in

Beautiful Home... but Creepy Owner out for Money.

My 40 yr old women friends and I , booked this house in March, for a relaxing fall getaway. Our plan was to be up in TC by 6:30PM, but we were running late, which happens, I was to call Richard, the home owner, one hour before we got there, he was rude, your going to be late, so I am not going to meet you, fine no worries from us, we have to sign a contract & send him pics. of it, weird but again ok. We get to the house, it is in the middle of NO where, which we wanted, but there are NO lights. We get in the house, I send him the pictures of the contract after it was signed. I changed the number from 5 to 6 guests, but the cottage slept 8, so I was not worried. He called me up and told me I had to pay him more cash or we had to leave, I could pay venmo but then I had to pay a fee. Whatever, we come up with the cash. He then tells me he will come by tom. to get the cash and the contract, I told him we were leaving at 11, he said to leave it and he would pick it up, we did not feel safe with him coming in the house when we were gone, but if he didn't we could not stay. This was all on speaker phone for my guests hear, made us all nervous. He then proceeded to tell me how much items in house/hot tub costs, and if we break anything we will pay for it, again we are 40 year old women. There is a note on the door asking people to shower prior to getting in to the hot tub, we all showered and had time hot tub. The next day we got up and left by 11. When we got back the contract and money was gone and the house door was open. Whatever, we went about out night. The rest of our time was good, the door to the bathroom down stairs does not shut, the pans were dirty, the dishwasher did not work properly, the cooking utensils were dirty, and steam shower did not work, only 1 bundle of wood for burning stove (not plenty) but we had a great time! Around 10:30AM on Sunday he pulled up in the woods and watched us, sat in his car for 30 min and watched us, very creepy! To top off the weekend... we are on our way home, we get a text saying we owe him 150 for cleaning the hot tub because we did not shower prior, he sent pics of bubbles an dirt in the tub (its outside and the lid does not fit) He then said the tub is cleaned for every guest, we did not look, it was 11PM. If it cleaned for each person, why are you charging us, not paying! Ran out of typing room, just be weary, very creepy! We locked our doors at night, in case he decided to let himself in again.

Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2021

10/10 Excellent

Jerry B., Macomb

Nov 5, 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful house, great property manager!

House was exactly as portrayed in the listing! A beautiful home! Only wish that we stayed in the house more to enjoy it. Richard was great! Could not have been more accommodating or more down to earth! Highly recommend this listing!

Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2021

8/10 Good

Susan c.

Oct 29, 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, location, listing accuracy

Disliked: Communication

beautiful home

The property was beautiful. There are quite a few steps to get into the main part of the house. The washer is broken and I could not get an answer from the owner. He was supposed to show up on day 2 and I never heard from him except to say Safe Travels when we left.

Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2021

8/10 Good

Deanna D.

Oct 28, 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great secluded area and beautiful home.

This was beautiful a beautiful home and location. Only thing we weren’t too happy about was while we were trying to relax before our trip into the city for dinner, was that they decided to have someone come out to do yard work, lawn mowing and leaf blowing. Very loud for about 4 hours during that time. Not very relaxing hearing all the noise from the machines and 2 of the 3 garage doors being opened/closed while a few of us were napping. Otherwise, the property was beautiful and quiet.

Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2021

10/10 Excellent

Kaycee O.

Oct 17, 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful home

We rented this house for a girls weekend and we were very impressed with the home and property. Very well kept and clean. Wish our trip was a little longer so we could have enjoyed more of the property and homes amenities! Would definitely recommend!

Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2021

10/10 Excellent

BeeBee F.

Oct 9, 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great stay

Stayed this house in the woods for an annual adult getaway, 6 adults. The house was just as expected, nestled in a very picturesque forest with the river out front. It was a little tough to find in the dark, but Richard was very helpful to make sure that we found it and to make sure we could use the hot tub and TV. Would definitely recommend this lovely rental!

Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2021

10/10 Excellent

Alec C.

Oct 4, 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great Place to Stay with friends

Stayed here for 3 days with a group of 8 guys for a bachelor party. There was plenty of room for all of us and a bunch to do if you wanted to stay on the property. This place has all the necessary amenities including a great bonfire area right on a river that is readily accessible and a large kitchen. Highly Recommend.

Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2021

10/10 Excellent

Lee H.

Sep 29, 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfect location and great accommodations.

What made this rental ideal, in our opinion, is that it is located on a private road in a secluded, wooded lot on the Boardman River yet is only a short drive on mostly uncongested roads to Traverse City. The cabin (perhaps that term is too basic) is modern, fully equipped, spacious, and comfortable. It is built in the side of a hill which affords an expansive balcony view of the Boardman River on one side and a deck with a hot tub on the other. The main room is on the second floor and has an open layout which is well suited for family gatherings. There are three large bedrooms (one is on the first floor) and two bathrooms. The well-equipped kitchen has a large island with counter seating. There is also a large dining table. All of the furnishings and fixtures are modern. A short trail in front leads down to the banks of the Boardman River where there is a fire pit. There are hammocks in the front yard. The hot water never ran out. Our stay was 4 days and we all wished it could have been longer. In summary, the location is great and the cabin was modern and comfortable. It is also worth mentioning that the proprietor was extremely helpful. IMHO you can't go wrong staying at this property. We plan to return. Thanks, Rick, for a great stay. Five Stars ! ! ! !

Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2021

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