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August 2025 by Michael Griffin
Very nice old house and very friendly inn keeper. Good location; a short walk, maybe a 2 city block distance or 8-10 minutes, to the riverfront and town.
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August 2025 by Kenzie Cohen
Before diving into the cosmetic issues, I need to address the check-in experience, which was far from ideal. When we booked our stay, we received an initial email confirming a check-in time of 3 PM—totally understandable. However, five months later, on the day of our arrival, our second email neglected to mention this detail. After a long day of travel, including an overnight flight, we arrived around 11:00 AM feeling disoriented.
I called the number posted at the front door and was told, “Check-in isn’t until 3:00 PM, but we’ll try to get you in sooner if available.” I appreciated this response, considering our exhaustion. Unfortunately, the situation quickly turned disappointing. After four hours of wandering and waiting, we were eager to finally relax, only for the innkeeper to come outside and demand we move our car as soon as we arrived. Fair enough; we did that. What was frustrating was that they mentioned having checked in other guests who hadn’t even requested an early check-in—a clear oversight, especially for guests who had been awake for over 24 hours. This set a negative tone for our stay.
To make matters worse, we ultimately had to cut our visit short by a day and seek alternative accommodations because the air conditioner in our separate unit was broken. We tried to overlook the carpet in the bathroom, the filthy dishes left unwashed, the worn-out couch hidden under blankets, and the toilet paper holder that wasn’t even attached to the wall. There’s absolutely no excuse for renting out a space in such poor condition.
While the property itself is beautiful, the experience was lacking, and I cannot recommend this place to anyone. It’s time for more honest reviews to help others avoid wasting their money and time.
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July 2025 by emily santino
We had the best time staying here over the 4th of July! Shelly made our experience amazing, with yummy breakfast, great conversation, and a very welcoming and warm atmosphere. We were surprised to see how modern and beautifully updated our room was (the pictures really don’t do it justice!). It was walking distance to everything in town, and we really couldn’t have had a better experience! Thank you Shelly!
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July 2025 by Jordan Bergeson
We LOVED our stay over the 4th of July week! Excellent location, extremely walkable. Shelly is an incredible hostess- she’s fun and easygoing, honestly the perfect balance of helpful/available, but not too in your business. Great breakfasts too!
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June 2025 by July B
The Boyden House is a charming and well-preserved historic inn that offers a truly unique and cozy stay. Perfect for history lovers, the property embraces its vintage character—from the classic architecture to the charming squeaks in the floorboards. While the spaces may be smaller than modern hotels, the atmosphere more than makes up for it.
Shelly, the host, was exceptionally welcoming and accommodating. She served a delicious breakfast and even treated guests to freshly baked cookies, adding a warm, personal touch to the experience. If you appreciate historic charm and genuine hospitality, The Boyden House is a wonderful place to stay. Highly recommended.
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June 2025 by Katherine Smith
I booked a two-night stay just to do a reset and relax. Everything was fantastic! The room was clean, quiet, and gorgeous. Shelly, the innkeeper, was pleasant, friendly and available. The breakfasts were not only healthy, and balanced, they were delicious! I would give a hundred stars if I could, and I can't wait to book my next stay.
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May 2025 by Marian Cook
A million thanks to Shelly for making my stay there even more lovely and enjoyable. What a beautiful house and lovely host. I can’t wait for my next visit!
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September 2024 by Stephen Middlekauff
The house has so much character and charm. The rooms were very spacious, comfortable, and private. Locations is so convenient to downtown and plenty of parking at the house. Breakfasts were awesome! Shelly is definitely living her passion of being a hostess and she does it so well. I highly recommend this place!
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June 2024 by Kathy Halloran
Room 4, The Sun room was recently given a beautiful remodel. Gorgeous tiled bathroom, including the shower. Comfy new mattress and very nice hardwood floors. I would give our room a 5 if the two sitting chairs were replaced and the inn keeper advised that it would be happening. I'd also suggest adding a suitcase rack to the room.
There was easy parking on the property. We enjoyed the outdoor porches for an excellent breakfast in the morning and for relaxing at night. The gardens are very well kept, and we saw urban deer, ducks, and many birds.
It was a nice walking distance to downtown, and we enjoyed the waterfront.
Innkeeper Shelly was friendly, served a wonderful breakfast, and provided us information on Grand Haven. The Grand Haven musical fountain is a must-see, and there were many nice restaurants and stores in town. Great beaches and lots of sand!
We would recommend staying at the Boyden House!
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June 2024 by Samantha Milican
My husband and I visited for our honeymoon two years ago and we loved it! My first time at a B&B and it was so cute: the rooms were beautiful, the property and house were gorgeous, and the service was great!
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May 2024 by Alec Davisson
My wife and I stayed over memorial weekend, absolutely loved it. Shelly the innkeeper was awesome, super friendly. The breakfast was great everyday, and sitting on the porch while eating highly recommended. Thank you so much for a much needed stay, we hope to be able to come back!
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May 2024 by Aurora Yanaka
Absolutely adored this Bed and Breakfast. Shelly, the inn keeper, was so incredibly kind & knowledgeable of the area. She made us feel so welcome & at home! The house itself is beautiful and full of character. Our stay in the executive suite was wonderful! Extremely clean! Breakfast was delicious! Location was unbeatable and walkable!
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October 2023 by Joseph Mackeller
My wife and I stayed here for an anniversary weekend getaway and had such a great visit! The house was clean and beautiful and so full of late 1800s charm! The woodwork was simply amazing! The Boyden House was located within walking distance of the Miniatures Museum (a must see!) And a very short drive from the pier walk and the Grand Haven nightlife. Shelly was our hostess and she made us feel so welcome and at home and even offered local dining suggestions. She checked in with us frequently to make sure we had everything we needed and made the best breakfasts too! We'll definitely be returning for another visit!
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September 2023 by S
Boyden House looks nice from the outside, great front porch. BUT it’s falling apart. The chair in our room had four extremely wobbly legs and I feared it would break if I sat in it. The sofa in the common room sunk to the floor when sat in. Some people call old charming but here it’s uncomfortable and unsafe. Blinds in our room were broken.Breakfast is one option served from 9:00-9:30 with no flexibility. Not very accommodating.
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August 2023 by Gary Kissel
You must be able to do stairs!
A great, restored 1872 home.
