Windjammer On The Lake Resort - Cabins, Log Home, and Boat Rentals on Beautiful Spider Lake - Traverse City, Michigan

Meghan Simmons

Recently stayed in Cabin 9 for a family vacation. The setting is absolutely gorgeous and even though all other cabins on the property were rented by a very large and active group, cabin 9 was very peaceful, however that quiet comes at the expense of a very limited view of the lake. The property is extremely well maintained and has a good amount of amenities. The beach area is well kept and the swimming area at the property has a predominantly soft sandy bottom. The newer pontoon boats are very well maintained and extremely comfortable for a day out on the lake, in addition I really loved that renting a tube is an option and the on site kyacks that are open for resort guest use. The owners truly thought of anything and everything.

The reason for four stars instead of five is for cabin #9 itself. I'm sure this isn't an issue for most but but I haven't seen my concerns brought up in any other reviews and thought this feedback could be useful for any families considering staying in Cabin #9. The upstairs bedrooms seemed to be a later addition to this unit, it seems to be an attic conversion. There is no HVAC in either of the upstairs bedrooms which made these rooms very stuffy and warm during our stay. The owner or manager was on the spot with providing fans but it didn't do much to reduce how warm these rooms are. Also, for anyone staying with small kids or unsteady older adults, there is no bathroom on the upper floor and to reach the bathroom you have to walk down a rattly spiral staircase, which in the middle of the night can be dangerous or could wake up other guests in the home. We also cooked most nights and found all the knives to be dull (but this a constant with most vacation rentals in my experience). We also had to give the grill a very thorough scrub before use but again, this isn't something I'd count against the resort, but rather, something to just keep on your radar.

Overall this is a beautiful place that's been immaculately maintained, family friendly and pride in the ownership of this resort really reflects. I would definitely stay here again given the opportunity.... But maybe not upstairs in cabin #9.

Rebecca K

Went here for a week for a 50th birthday celebration. Absolutely beautiful. We stayed in cabin 9 and it was amazing. The cabin was so beautiful. Rent a pontoon if you go, even if only for a day. The lake is beautiful and peaceful. Very close to town but far enough away you do not even know town is there. Watch out for deer at dusk, they were everywhere. Lots of close breweries, shops and the Traverse city commons had a great mexican food place, Spanglish. That food was delicious!
There were only 2 issues we had. The plumbing was not the best. The toilet kept plugging up and would not work in the downstairs bathroom. Also, the garage was marked off as do not enter, off limits. No issues but that also meant you could not park in the little driveway in front of that area effectively cutting out spots for 2 cars. Also at least 4 times while we were there the owners showed up and entered the garage to remove or replace stuff. Not a huge deal but made us kind of uncomfortable since there is an entrance to the cabin from the garage and they could enter the actual cabin whenever they wanted, they did not enter it at all.
Overall, HIGHLY recommend but just be aware they can come and go as they please. Again, not a huge issue, just know ahead of time. We did not and freaked out when we heard the garage door opening. Definitely 5 star worthy!

Brandon Williams

We rented cabin #9 in mid august 2022. We had 11 people that stayed with us. Even with that many people, it did not feel crowded. There's space for everyone, whether its in one of the 4 bedrooms, in the huge living/dining area or on the spacious deck. The lake is amazing for kids. Very clean, very clear. Nice sandy bottom. Water is less than 4 feet deep about 100 feet from shore. It does gradually drop off after that, but there was plenty of swim room for our kids. I would recommend Windjammer Resorts to anyone looking to have a nice vacation in the Traverse City area.(Update) We re-rented Cabin #9 in August of 2023. We brought the same group up to stay for 5 days. The owners have bought new pontoon boats that were a major upgrade over the old ones. Nothing is wrong with the older boats, but the new ones are WAY faster for tubing. Once again, a great time was had by all. The management goes above and beyond to accommodate guest requests.

Lesa Carpenter

This beautifully maintained property is situated on peaceful Spider Lake. The managers are very responsive to any needs that arise. We really enjoyed the boat rentals that made it very easy to simply walk down to the dock and not worry about having to go somewhere to pick up the pontoon. We definitely recommend a stay here.

Cristina Romero

We stayed in cabin 8 recently and when we arrived the cabin was not properly clean. There were left overs of food in the terrace tables and paper garbage under the sofas and in the living room. The sofa beds were full of sand and used tissues. One sofa was broken so we couldn't use it as a bed and had to sleep one person instead of two. When we complained to the owner she was very rude. The lake is beautiful and the resort very nice. Unfortunately the experience with cabin 8 was not worth the price. UPDATED: Seeing the owners response, judge for yourself the way she treats clients. I have to point out that she never asked us to leave and that we never talked to cleaning service as she claims.
It would have been enough to properly clean the property and apologize...

Jason Manning

This is an excellent place to enjoy Fall in Michigan. It’s remote and gives you that nice relaxed lake life atmosphere. It’s still within 20 minutes of a extremely nice Meijer. Plenty of places to sit and enjoy nature. There’s a nice firepit as well! It’s dog friendly too!

Jacob Turzynski

The cabin was great- I’d say quite a few steps up from rustic. The property has been updated and remodeled pretty recently and the grounds and sea wall are in much better shape than some of the older photos. We had a great time during our stay in August 2021. Our kids enjoyed the beach, raft, kayaks and the fire pit. Great place to stay if you’re visiting the Traverse City area.

Morgan Mitchell

Beautiful Place!! Nine friends and I stayed in cabin 9 for the weekend and all of our expectations were blown out the water! The beautifully decorated and clean cabin was fully stocked for all of our needs! The beds were comfy and the bathrooms were very nice. The deck was beautiful with a full view of the other cabins and Spider Lake. Michelle at Windjammer was very helpful and worked to make sure the stay was wonderful. Thank you Michelle and Windjammer on the Lake!