Glen Arbor Bed & Breakfast and Cottages

Close up view of large brown bear carved in wood with trees in the background

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Frequently Asked Questions

Staying at Our Glen Arbor Accommodations

Where Are You Located?

How far away are you from the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore?

Glen Arbor is in the middle of and surrounded by the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The park’s restored Glen Haven village/cannery, with a wide sugar-sand public beach, is 2.5 miles from the inn. The trailhead for the Heritage Trail to Glen Haven, the Dune Climb and Empire is two (2) blocks from the inn.

How far are you from the water and do you have a view?

It is one block to the beach at the end of our side street, but no direct view of Lake Michigan.

Where are you located in Glen Arbor?

The inn is at the main corner in our beach town, with immediate access to restaurants, shops and galleries, Cherry Republic, Cottage Book Store, and Crystal River Outfitters. The cottages are in the garden behind the inn.

Reservations, Cancellation Policy, Gift Cards/Certificates

What deposit is required when making a reservation?

  • For single-night stays in the inn, when available: Full payment is required at the time of booking.
  • For reservations of three nights or less in the inn or cottages, we charge a 50% deposit at the time of booking and the balance of your account 7 days prior to arrival. If you are reserving 4 or more rooms, we create a unique contract for you with a slightly different cancellation policy; the innkeeper is pleased to confer with you at 231.334.6789 if you need such an arrangement.
  • For cottage reservations of five nights or more, we charge a 50% deposit at the time of booking and the balance the first of May, or at the time of booking after May 1st.
  • Full house reservations: Wedding parties, family reunions, friends’ excursion weekends, and other full house reservations are considered special events and require a contract agreement through the innkeeper.

Do you offer discounts such as AARP or AAA?

No, discounts are not available.

Do you accept gift certificates or gift cards?

We accept only our own gift certificates and gift certificates from the Michigan Lake to Lake B&B Association. We cannot accept any other gift certificates for payment, including any other association, website or business.

What is the Community Support Fund (CSF) assessment that is added to my tariff?

We thank you, our guests, for participating in the GABB Community Support Fund (CSF). The mission: support visionary non-profits to preserve the region’s natural environment, enhance historic and creative initiatives, and sustain public recreational lands. You told us how much you value these assets, as we do, by sharing in so many while you are here.

These include: Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes; The Heritage Trail; Glen Lake Community Library, Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear, National Writers Series/Traverse City; Grow Benzie; Grand Traverse Lighthouse; Glen Arbor Arts Center; Traverse City Film Festival; Glen Arbor’s community festivals; and, to help sustain them through the winter, the Empire Food Bank and Leelanau Neighbors.

This Fund appears on your invoice as CSF (3%). If you feel that you cannot contribute to these initiatives, along with us, we will refund that amount to you.

What are your check in and check out times? And how do you handle the arrivals?

Check-in any time after 3:00 p.m. Prior to your arrival you will receive an email or text message providing you your four-digit access code for contactless check-in. This code will provide you entrance to your room and front door at the Inn, or your cottage door. The Innkeeper will have more information about your stay and the area when you arrive.

What is your cancellation policy?

Should you need to cancel an inn or cottage reservation of five days or less, more than 14 days prior to your arrival date, then we will process a refund of your deposit, less a $35 processing fee, as soon as we are able. If you cancel 14 days or less prior to your scheduled arrival, we regret that no refund will be given.

Should you need to cancel a Weekly Rate cottage reservation of six days or longer prior to May 1st, we will provide a credit or refund of your deposit, less a $35 processing fee, as soon as we are able. If you cancel after May 1st, no refund will be given.

Cancellations may be made either by direct call (231.334.6789) or by email to innkeeper@glenarborbnb.com. Voicemail cancellations are not accepted.

Do you offer single-night stays at the cottages?

No. Single-night reservations are not accepted for the cottages at any time. Further, until May 1st, all cottage nights for the entire season are held to be booked for summer rentals of six nights or more. On May 1st, all cottage nights that have not been booked for summer rentals of six nights or more are released for nightly reservations of two nights or more.

Do you have a policy on minimum stay?

A two-night minimum is required for the inn, except for a three-night minimum stay Labor Day Weekend, and a four-night minimum including the 4th of July. Minimum stays in the cottages vary with the season, but are never available for a single night.

COVID-19 Safeguards and Protocols

Do you require guests to wear masks in public spaces?

No, we do not. Some guests make a personal choice to mask up and we have a complimentary supply of masks at the front door. There are also hand-sanitizer stations at the front door and in the dining room.

Do you require guests to be vaccinated?

Yes, at this point we still see this as a responsible and cautious way to move forward with our business. Thank you.

What other policies and protocols have you adopted to assure the safety of your guests?

Adapting rigorously to the safeguards and protocols recommended during the COVID-19 pandemic means much is different at the B&B. We’ve eliminated much of the living room seating and collapsed the dining room table to half-size, in preference to small tables for distanced breakfast seating. We’ve also put small tables in each room and suite should guests wish to savor breakfast in their room. To assure a contactless breakfast, we also plate our full breakfast service on individual trays, to be placed wherever the guest chooses. We miss the guest exchanges, but safety is our priority today.

Further, no staff members enter rooms during a guest’s stay to eliminate potential spreading.

For the cottages, of course, safe distancing is a much easier matter, while we follow the same rigorous cleaning and contactless protocols.

What policies and protocols have you adopted to assure the safety of your staff?

The innkeeper and housekeepers all wear face-coverings whenever they are on the property, use gloves for all meal preparation and cleaning work, hand-sanitize routinely, and follow a five-step process for cleaning and disinfecting all accommodations between guests. We, of course, expect masking and hand-sanitizing for vendors or contractors who enter any of our buildings, as well.

What additional safety measures have you instituted to assure the safety of your guests and staff?

Multiple additional measures have been instituted:

  • Guests are alerted to our safety protocols and expectations on this website, on our reservation system, and repeatedly in other contacts prior to their arrival. Thus, if a guest books with us, you are agreeing to support our safeguards;
  • A contactless check in/check out system is carefully followed, along with hand-sanitizer stations at the entrances and the heavily trafficked point between the living room and dining room spaces;
  • Designated preferred outside entrance/exits are assigned to specific rooms to minimize contact;

Guest Policies

Do you have a weapons policy?

Yes, we ask that no guest or other person at the inn carry a weapon. We are a NO WEAPONS property.

Do you allow smoking on the historic inn property?

We are a non-smoking property and do not allow smoking of tobacco or cannabis, vaping, candles or incense or anything else requiring the lighting of a flame or smoking. This includes the inn, the cottages or anywhere on the porch or within 15 feet of the inn or cottages.

What is the marijuana policy?

We are a non-smoking property and do not allow smoking of tobacco or cannabis, vaping, candles or incense or anything else requiring the lighting of a flame or smoking. This includes the inn, the cottages or anywhere on the porch or within 15 feet of the Inn or cottages.

Are pets allowed?

No. Due to health considerations, no pets are allowed at the inn, but we are happy to suggest local kennels. Exceptions will be made for service dogs that have been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability. Should this accommodation be necessary, please advise us at the time the reservation is made, and also identify the task or work for which the dog is specifically trained. Guests are 100% responsible for the care, control and feeding of trained service dogs. Service dogs may not be left unaccompanied in a guest’s room or in any other part of the inn. Guests may be responsible for damage, other than normal wear and tear, caused to the room by the service dog.

May we put a third person in a regular room?

No. Our regular rooms accommodate only two persons and suites up to four persons, children included. Cribs, sleeping bags or folding beds cannot be added.

What accommodations or restrictions do you have regarding children at the bed & breakfast?

Children are welcome at the inn. However, in consideration of other guests, children under 12 may only stay in the Count’s Room, Twin’s Room or Good Harbor Suite on the first floor or families may stay in the cottages. All children staying in the inn must be accompanied by an adult at breakfast.

Breakfasts

What if I have dietary restrictions?

We are able to accommodate your special dietary restrictions in most cases if you tell the innkeeper prior to your arrival. We have limited ability, however, to accommodate dietary restrictions if you do not tell us prior to your arrival.

What time is breakfast served?

To keep our guests and staff safe, while guests savor our wonderful breakfasts at separate tables or in their rooms, service is contactless. The meal is plated on individual trays and offered by pre-arrangement beginning at 8:30. Cottage guests have full kitchens for preparing their own breakfasts; cottage guests are not served at the inn.

Guest Services and Amenities

Is a refrigerator available for guests in the inn or in the cottages?

There are full refrigerators for guests in the cottages. Too, there are 2 small, shared refrigerators in the dining room for little items that need to be cooled overnight, like “doggie bags” and drinks. However, neither the kitchen refrigerator nor any other area in the kitchen at the inn may be accessed by guests due to strict food, health and safety regulations. Ice cubes, cooler packs, chilled drinks, and similar items, as well as a full deli and general items are available across the street at Anderson’s GA grocery store.

What is your policy regarding “left” items?

“Left” items, with the exception of intimate apparel, are bagged, dated and held for two weeks. Out of respect for your privacy, we do not notify you of “left” items. It is your responsibility to contact the innkeeper to request the return of your item(s), if you wish, within those two weeks. Our fee to send items to you is $15.00 to cover basic postage and handling. Expedited shipping will be charged the carrier’s rate plus $10.00. Intimate apparel is discarded immediately. All other items are discarded in two weeks, with the exception of jewelry and electronics which are donated to a charity.

May we use your laundry room?

We are sorry, but due to our housekeeping needs, we cannot share the laundry room with guests.

Do you have hairdryers in the bathrooms?

Yes, hairdryers are in each bathroom.

How may we store our bikes?

There is a bike rack under the stairs between our buildings for the use of our guests, or bikes may be locked in the backyard or storage shed. Bikes may not be stored in the rooms or on our guest porch.

Do you have parking? May we park a trailer or boat?

We have a single, normal-sized, parking space for guests in each room or cottage. We are unable to accommodate large campers, trailers or boats. Street parking, however, is customarily available nearby.

Do you have Wi-Fi at the inn?

Yes, we do. And we have new bedside reading lamps with charger outlets for your convenience.

Data Privacy Statements

Regarding Information Privacy

At the Glen Arbor Bed & Breakfast and Cottages, we are dedicated to protecting your privacy and safeguarding your personally identifiable information.

Our main purpose in collecting your personal information is to provide you with a streamlined experience in making reservations. Personally identifiable information is only obtained when making a reservation, or preparing for your stay. This includes:

  • Name, address, phone number, email address and the names of other parties accompanying you;
  • Credit card details
  • Information provided by you that is pertinent to your stay (e.g. dietary preferences, other accommodations, special occasions, other arrangements/requests, arrival times, etc.)

Your payment and personal information is stored securely by our reservation system provider, ThinkReservations Inc. Our Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) software is the industry standard and encrypts all your personal information, including credit card number, name, and address, so that it cannot be read over the Internet.

This information is stored solely for the purposes of simplifying the booking process, transactional messages related to your stay, processing credit card transactions, or, with your prior permission, to send email newsletters and social media messages. When we send you any email newsletters or social media messages, for which we have your prior permission, you will always have an immediate opportunity to decline further communications.

The only information that may temporarily be held on the property as backup paper copies is information pertinent to your stay (e.g. dietary preferences, other accommodations, special occasions, other arrangements/requests, arrival times, etc.) and is immediately shredded upon your departure.

Your IP or “Internet Protocol” address and other site usage data is used to gather broad demographic information. We use IP addresses to administer our site, analyze trends, track users’ movements, gather broad demographic information for aggregate use in order for us to improve the site, and deliver a better product.

On occasion, we may feature a story about a guest on our Facebook/Instagram pages. This may involve a photograph and/or naming the guest. We do not publish this information without the express prior permission of the guest.

We do not share any of this information with 3rd parties.

Policy modifications

The Glen Arbor Bed & Breakfast and Cottages may amend this Privacy Statement from time to time in order to meet changes in the regulatory environment, strategic marketing partners, and service providers.

Limits to your privacy

Our site contains links to other websites. Please be aware that when you click on links and/or ad banners that take you to third-party websites, you will be subject to the third parties’ privacy policies, not ours. While we support the protection of privacy on the Internet, we are not responsible for the actions and privacy policies of third parties and other websites. This privacy policy applies solely to information collected on this site.

Further, the Glen Arbor Bed & Breakfast and Cottages may disclose your personally identifiable information if required to do so by law or in the good-faith belief that such action is necessary or desirable to conform to the requirements of the law or comply with government orders, court orders, or legal process served on this business.

Regarding General Data Protection Regulation (GDRP) affecting European Union Residents?

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), effective May 25, 2018, updates existing European laws to strengthen the protection of personal data (any information relating to an identified or identifiable person, or so called “data subjects”). The Glen Arbor Bed & Breakfast has made reasonable effort to ensure that our data collection and retention practices are compliant with the new law. If you are a resident of the European Union (EEA), we acknowledge that that GDPR entitles you to the right, to request that we stop using your personal data; to request that we update, amend, or delete your personal data; and to withdraw any previously given consent with regard to your personal data. You may make such requests by contacting innkeeper@glenarborbnb.com or larry@glenarborbnb.com.

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Thank You!We thank you, our guests, for participating in the Community Support Fund.Learn More
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