Kara's Kottages
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About
5.0
#1 of 1 guest house in KalamazooLocation
4.8
Cleanliness
4.9
Service
4.6
Value
4.7
Kara's Kottages are in 6 separate locations situated near the Downtown District. All are furnished with many comforts of home, including a well stocked kitchen, cozy living room, separate bedrooms and a spacious bathroom. Plus, all the warm touches you'd expect from a beloved B&B, like fireplaces, beds you melt into, European-style breakfast treats and even mini-bars. Please read individual room descriptions for additional location details. Available for overnight, weekly or monthly stays, Kara's Kottages are an excellent choice for business or pleasure.
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Property amenities
Free parking
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Wifi
Free breakfast
Breakfast available
Pets Allowed ( Dog / Pet Friendly )
Non-smoking hotel
Self-serve laundry
Room features
Air conditioning
Kitchenette
Microwave
Minibar
Refrigerator
Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Suites
Family rooms
Good to know
HOTEL STYLE
Hidden Gem
Romantic
Location
837 W Main St, Kalamazoo, MI 49006-3217
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
Grade: 54 out of 100
54
Battle Creek Intl Airport
4.4 mi•
See all flights
Gerald R. Ford International
41.1 mi•
See all flights
Rental Cars
55 Restaurants
within 0.75 miles
66Reviews3Q+A13Room tips
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Detailed Reviews
I was truly impressed by the quality of everything I got staying at the Acorn kottage. Such a reasonable price to pay for exclusive comfort of homey environment. Kara was so helpful whenever I had a question, she even personally stopped by to fix some minor issue right away (the speaker cord was disconnected, and I could not figure out why TV had no sound). I felt very comfortable making my own breakfast without a need to dress and go to a hotel's lobby for it. There is plentiful supply of everything from bathroom to kitchen items, and beyond. The place was very quiet, I did not wake up even once during the night, which is unusual for me. Slept like a baby in cozy bed. Thank you Kara!
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Traveled on business
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
What a wonderful alternative to a hotel room. We were in town for a college orientation and these were recommended. We stayed in the Driftwood suite and it was cozy and comfortable. It was nice to have a full kitchen and room to spread out. Plus the back patio was delightful!
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Date of stay: June 2022Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip: It’s important to book your reservation through Airbnb. I used the link from Google and it turned...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I've traveled extensively all over the country and stayed in quite a few "B&Bs." It takes a lot to make me stop and say, "wow!" Kara's Kottages very much impressed me. The use of the space and the interior design is outstanding. Very comfortable, very cozy... if you need it, it's in the room. Now this isn't a bed & breakfast in the traditional sense, Kara provides all the ingredients and hardware to cook your own breakfast in the room. There's also not a staff onsite, even all the check-in info is done via email (which I found easy and convenient). The location is right off a main road near the college campuses, but there was little-to-no road noise. Being able to park in an actual garage was a nice touch. Kara's Kottages are easily a place you could escape to for a weekend... or a week!
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Date of stay: July 2014Trip type: Traveled on business
Value
Rooms
Service
Room Tip:Â I stayed in the Pine Cone Kottage... perfect for 1-2 people.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We can’t say enough about how great this place is! Kara has thought of everything, down to the smallest amenity and detail. The kitchen and bathroom were fully stocked, it was like being at home. An interesting twist on breakfast, as the refrigerator was stocked with all the breakfast items, including eggs, sausage, bagels, waffles and more! This way you can fix things at your leisure and eat when you want. The front porch was adorable and we enjoyed sitting outside in the evening. Such a nice place, we will definitely return!
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Date of stay: July 2019Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Beautiful B&B located close to downtown Kalamazoo. Well stocked kitchen and a variety of food such as eggs, sausage, yogurt, granola and cereal. No fruit as pictured in the photos. Our first night was spectacular, but the second night the guests downstairs came in noisily at 12:30 am and were smoking and loud until 4 am, a blatant disregard for the Kottage rules. I left a message on Kara's voicemail about the disturbance. Kara notified me that she charged the guests for our room ($176.49) in addition to the $200 smoking fee. When she notified the other guests about those charges, they asked her if she would talk to us about removing our charge. That put the burden on us and we felt uncomfortable being the ones responsible in charging the disruptive guests for our inconvenience, especially because there was no policy stating this would happen. We ended up paying for a restless night. Kara indicated to me that she is revising the quiet policy to include monetary damages for violators. I realize that this is unlikely to happen again, but it did happen to us and led to an uncomfortable experience.
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Date of stay: December 2014Trip type: Traveled with family
Value
Room Tip:Â Families of five can stay in the Birch Bark or Drift Wood Kottages with plenty of space.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kara's Kottages is the perfect place to stay when visiting Kalamazoo either with a family or just as a couple. The Birch Kottage was decorated with great style and seemed very spacious. The amenities that are provided make the place really feel like a home away from home. All of the little touches don't go unnoticed. Although we live nearby in Kalamazoo, we found this to be the perfect location for a getaway or to have guests stay when space is limited at our place. To top it all off, Kara is wonderful to work with and her customer service is unmatched!!! Highly recommend!
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Date of stay: January 2014Trip type: Traveled with family
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Found Kara's Kottages through Trip Advisor, so was fairly certain that I would not be disappointed. And I was not. I was in town for a meeting, and the Pine Cone suite was the perfect environment in which to decompress at the end of the day. Kara's attention to detail is everything the other reviewers have mentioned. The suite is absolutely spotless, warm, and welcoming. I appreciated the independence of the self-check-in, and having off-street parking. The only down side was that I couldn't share this experience with a loved one, so will have to come back, maybe in the middle of winter, and enjoy the fireplace and share an omlette and scones for breakfast
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Date of stay: May 2013Trip type: Traveled on business
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Â The Pine Cone Suite is perfect for one or a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Beware! We attempted to stay here for our anniversary weekend last month. We received an email from Kara a few weeks before our stay letting us know that there would be constructions, which was fine. A week before our stay, we received another email letting us know that she had ants. Yuck.
After that email, we called to request a cancellation in which Kara hung up on us. Hm. We contacted the third-party that we booked our reservation to help us cancel, but were informed that only Kara could cancel and she was refusing to do so. After contacting her again and trying to cancel, she hung up on us again and told us were were silly to be worrying about ants. We couldn't believe that we still had to stay here, but didn't want to forfeit our $450 for the weekend and felt obliged to stay there.
When we showed up to check in, the door was locked. Strange, but OK since it's a small place. After knocking for a few minutes, we called Kara several times to no answer. We then texted her, and nothing (screen shot attached). After waiting for almost an hour in the rain, we decided to call our credit card company to dispute the charge, then booked at another hotel in the same area. Thankfully, our credit card company refunded the charge but warning to other travelers- find somewhere else!
After that email, we called to request a cancellation in which Kara hung up on us. Hm. We contacted the third-party that we booked our reservation to help us cancel, but were informed that only Kara could cancel and she was refusing to do so. After contacting her again and trying to cancel, she hung up on us again and told us were were silly to be worrying about ants. We couldn't believe that we still had to stay here, but didn't want to forfeit our $450 for the weekend and felt obliged to stay there.
When we showed up to check in, the door was locked. Strange, but OK since it's a small place. After knocking for a few minutes, we called Kara several times to no answer. We then texted her, and nothing (screen shot attached). After waiting for almost an hour in the rain, we decided to call our credit card company to dispute the charge, then booked at another hotel in the same area. Thankfully, our credit card company refunded the charge but warning to other travelers- find somewhere else!
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Date of stay: May 2019Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Value
Rooms
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Kara K, Owner at Kara's Kottages
Responded Jun 20, 2019
This reviewer has never attempted a reservation with us, nor have they ever contacted us outside of this review. I do not recognize this person in any way. She is NOT a guest of ours. Due to the content, it is clear that this review stems from a recent guest who was upset because he attempted to cancel his reservation on the day of his check-in, which due to my cancellation policy, was not eligible for a refund. This is standard procedure in the industry and clearly stated on repeat during the booking process and within the guests itinerary. Since then, he has gone to great lengths to punish me for this and has even reported me to the BBB of Michigan, and now, getting friends to post bogus reviews, online. The guest was coming into town for business and his plans simply changed according to our initial phone conversation. After I informed him that a refund was not possible, he instead, attempted a refund through my travel partner, Expedia where he booked his stay, who also refused his request. In addition, he composed a laundry list of fabricated reasons that his request was eligible for a full refund even though he had never stepped foot in my hotel. The anniversary, the ants, the construction, the phone calls that were hung up on.. All untrue.. For any reader looking to verify this story, please contact Expedia at 866-430-4981. They have a case with detailed notes of this matter as it unfolded. The BBB of Michigan also has detailed notes on files as well, case number 37084560. This case was seen in my favor and does not reflect negatively on my behalf based on their findings. Due to the fact that this is clearly an impersonation of another individual, falsely stated facts and a misrepresentation of affiliation with another person, a formal dispute will be filed with Expedia, promptly.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We found the Kottage to be exactly as described and photographed. The beds were extremely comfortable and the rooms were spotless. It was a nice touch to have breakfast items available, my son LOVED the granola. There were also plenty of extra towels, blankets or pillows should you need them. Additional toiletries were available as well. It was like staying at your friends apartment for a weekend. The location is convenient for visiting the town and colleges. Of note, we stayed in the 2 bedroom Driftwood unit and there is a fairly steep set of stairs to navigate so it may not be suitable for someone with stair issues. Otherwise, can't recommend highly enough. Thanks to our hosts for thinking of everything! Joanne
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Date of stay: January 2018Trip type: Traveled with family
Rooms
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kara does a fabulous job of setting the stage for a restful beautiful stay. Every detail is thought of from Breakfast fixings to available beverages. It is such a treat staying at her Kottages. I have stayed there twice in the past month. Every unit is spotless, unique and beautifully decorated. I felt like I was welcomed and at home. Loved it! The combined best aspects of a 5 star boutique hotel and a great well appointed vacation home. I look forward to staying there again.
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Date of stay: May 2017Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Â Each place is unique some have more bedrooms
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The two bedroom probably has enough space for six to hang out; it might be a little tight for eight. They have multiple units that you could rent so everyone would have a bed. Otherwise you would have to share beds.
"It’s important to book your reservation through Airbnb. I used the link from Google and it turned out to be a bit of a hassle. Had to rebook"Read full review
"Tell owner what size your party is and why you are reserving when you send request."Read full review
LOCATION
United StatesMichiganKalamazoo CountyKalamazoo
NUMBER OF ROOMS
9
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Kara's Kottages
Which popular attractions are close to Kara's Kottages?
Nearby attractions include Kalamazoo Valley Museum (0.7 miles), Kalamazoo Institute of Arts (0.5 miles), and Kalamazoo State Theatre (0.7 miles).
What are some of the property amenities at Kara's Kottages?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free wifi, free breakfast, and free parking.
Which room amenities are available at Kara's Kottages?
Top room amenities include a kitchenette, a minibar, and air conditioning.
What food & drink options are available at Kara's Kottages?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast during their stay.
What are some restaurants close to Kara's Kottages?
Conveniently located restaurants include Crow's Nest, The Studio Grill, and Rustica.
Is Kara's Kottages located near the city center?
Yes, it is 0.4 miles away from the center of Kalamazoo.
Are pets allowed at Kara's Kottages?
Yes, pets are typically allowed, but it's always best to call ahead to confirm.