Saugatuck Michigan Bed and Breakfast Reviews

BEST OF PERSONAL LUXURY
BEST BED AND BREAKFAST
Lake Magazine 2005-2006

SHERWOOD FOREST BED AND BREAKFAST
Douglas, Michigan

COZY RETREAT

Sprawling cedar verandas envelop this Victorian-style home; a classic oak staircase anchors the antique-showcase foyer of what was once a private home. On the first floor there is a dining room that seats 10. On one side is a sitting room with music, books and local memorabilia. To the rear there’s a kitchen and personal quarters of the owners, Keith and Sue Charak. Before they were innkeepers, the Charaks lived in the Chicago area. When they bought the 40-year-old building 14 years ago, the couple gutted it completely and rebuilt. Each of the rooms has an individual spin: the Tree Tops, for example, is a spacious corner bedroom with fireplace and private bath, that has a view provided by the tree-filled mural hand-painted across the walls and ceiling by Kalamazoo artist Conrad Kaufman. In contrast, the Black and White room offers a muted monochromatic palette with accent colors. A perfect way to begin the day after emerging from the queen-size bed is a quick walk to the window for an expansive view of the woods. With private bath and Jacuzzi, this room is popular with romantics. Outside, Sherwood Forest also has an inground pool surrounded by a patio. The heated pool’s main allure, though, is another hand- painted Kaufman mural of an ocean.



The inn is almost equally distant from the Lake Michigan beach or downtown. Those who have stayed here recommend rising early for the French toast, fruit and gourmet coffee served on fine china each morning. Maps and agendas can be requested, and conversation with the proprietors is always available. “We’re pretty unique. With time, thought and effort, and amenities,” Keith says. “That’s why people return.” Sherwood Forest has about a 50 percent repeat-business clientele. Open year-round, Sherwood Forest has five bedrooms in the main house, and a two-bedroom cottage next door.

GO BACK