This place was so cool! The owners are very kind. They were a husband and wife duo that actually raised their kids in this huge home. They're very welcoming and accommodating. The breakfast was pretty good, and I loved having the windows opened with a breeze. We would've been sharing a bathroom with another room if the room had been booked, so that's something to consider. But we had the whole place to ourselves since we booked on a Sunday night. I loved the location! So close to whatever you may need, but it feels like it's in the middle of nowhere. They also have a cute pup. Loved it! Last comment that I'll add--I saw someone review that this place smells like cigarette smoke. It didn't at all. I'm actually highly sensitive to cigarette smoke, often having allergic reactions. I didn't react at all! read more

The Main House was set up very nicely! The breakfast was great! The bedrooms are set up stairs along with the lounge area. Bedrooms do not have their own bathroom. However, we stayed in the Cambridge Cottage during the cold month of January. There isn't a furnace, only a wall unit space heater. (And there was a window air conditioner.) The ceiling had leaks, the walls were dripping and the windows were rotting. Lots of TLC needed in there! We chose the Cottage for privacy, but definitely should have stayed in the main house. We contacted the phone number given to us about the heat issue, but our voice mail was never returned...still to this day. Thank goodness that there were extra blankets in the drawer, because we used 3 down blankets that evening to stay warm. Could not use the shower, since it was so cold in the Cottage. The bedroom was in the upstairs loft, there was a kitchenette with a microwave and small refrigerator. Regular bathtub with shower. No fireplace. The entryway blinds were broken, they would not slide shut. Stay in the Main House, if you don't mind sharing a bathroom! read more

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You're not gonna find a more comfortable place than Blue Jay Manor! Lenore makes me feel like I've never left Chicago except for its quiet and clean. And the breakfast...! Minus the Chicago accent I thought I was in a different world (which is a good thing when you want to get away from city life a second). I would definitely come back. read more

I've stayed here three times. I'd rate the first time five stars, the second time three stars, and my last time about 1.5 stars. The good: Food is (mostly) very good (except when hot items are served cold). Bacon, when made for breakfast, is almost as good as my mom's (that's saying a lot, as my mom made the best, ever). Rooms are large, clean and comfortable. There's a nice lounge. Property is quite large, and located almost exactly halfway between I-90 and I-94 south of Michigan City, IN. Convenient access to lots of places around the Michiana area. My first stay here was wonderful. The hostess (Lenore) was extremely kind our first and most of our second stay. We met her husband Paul the second time; he has always been very sweet and friendly. The bad: The house smells of smoke when the hostess (Lenore) is smoking inside. The dog is sometimes loud when it barks. If you're allergic to dogs, know that the dog is sometimes around, though I've never seen it upstairs. On our second stay for a Valentine's Day weekend, we reserved in advance by a week or two. Upon arrival, our reserved room had been given away to another couple who had reserved that same day and arrived before us. Instead of moving them out, WE were asked to go to a different room. Strike One. Trying to make the best of our Valentine's Day weekend. we asked if the fireplace could be fired up. Paul turned on the gas, but had trouble lighting it. He asked my girlfriend to hold the screen back so he could get it lit. At this point, I could smell the gas. Before I could say, "Wait, STOP!" he had already clicked the lighter again, and WOOOOF! a huge ball of flame shot out from the fireplace. It not only burned his skin and hair, but my girlfriend's hair and hand as well. Only after ASKING were we given ice for her hand, and a weak apology. Strike Two. And upon leaving, NO mention was made of either giving away our reserved room OR the fireplace incident with respect to "Gosh, sorry about that - let's make it right" until AGAIN, we asked - and even then it wasn't Lenore that offered, it was her daughter. Isabel. Isabel sounded horrified and graciously comped us another stay (more than I expected - I thought $20 to $40 off would be fine - but she offered a comped stay; I didn't ask for that). So recently we stayed there again. Lenore avoided us as much as possible (despite having welcomed us the previous two times) and refused to speak to us the entire stay, even when we kindly asked "Hi Lenore, how are you?" I even asked if I could pay for a dinner on our Friday evening stay, recognizing that our room had been comped, as a means to provide some money to the establishment. I was told it was "too busy" for Lenore on the Friday we were to check in. Yet on that day? Only one other couple was there. So I'm not sure how she was "too busy." More like "Didn't want to see us," as you'll soon see. The ugly: And upon leaving, we were told Lenore wanted to speak to us. Instead of asking us how our stay was, she lectured us that we better leave a nice generous tip for the housekeeper. (We did.) But strangely, she seemed to have no idea of WHY we had been comped the room (our had been given away previously, and my girlfriend had been burned). I suspect she and Isabel disagreed over us being comped. Strike three. It can be a nice place to stay, if you don't mind the smoke, and get there early enough to be sure you actually get the room you reserved. But if you have any problems, don't expect them to be fixed without asking, and don't expect them to try to go above and beyond to make things right for you. You'll be made to feel like YOU did something wrong. Oh, and don't ask for the fireplace to be lit. You might get burned... in more ways than one. read more

The house is fantastic. The host has the world-class taste. Lenore is a good cook and we had great time there. And we are lucky enough to meet Ginger! read more

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Just left Blue Jay Manor and we had a fantastic time! Lenore greeted us with yummy signature blue cocktails before showing us to our beautiful Charleston room. It was cozy with a very large Jack and Jill washroom. I loved the huge chaise chairs that were also in the bedroom. It was a great spot to read during some downtime. Down the hall was a guest lounge where books, games, and television was located. In the morning Lenore left coffee in the lounge early before breakfast. It was a wonderful way to start the morning. Breakfast was delicious both mornings. The food seemed never ending and there were so many options. I loved the zucchini pancakes and my boyfriend really enjoyed the rum raison French toast. Lenore was an amazing hostess! She gave us great restaurant recommends and told us about some great local shops. We can't wait to return again. Hopefully soon when the weather is a little warmer and we can enjoy the swimming pool! read more

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Large, clean Victorian home on secluded acreage. The hostess (Lenore) was very friendly and hospitable. Breakfast was great, as we ate family-style in their dining room (seating for 8, with overflow dining on the veranda. However, we were surprised when we were shown to our room (which was nice), that shared a bathroom (Jack and Jill) with another room. We have since looked on the website and this fact is not disclosed. read more

What an amazing gem! This B&B was our home base for exploring the Dunes. It's so comfortable and clean. The house is gorgeous too. However, what really set this place apart from other lodging options was the owners. They are friendly and make sure everyone is comfortable. The breakfast is out of this world delicious! read more

I reserved a room two months ago through a third party. When we got there, our room wasnt clean because they were not expecting us. Totally dropped the ball. After showing them my confirmation email, they wanted to compromise by giving us another room and refund us the diff. The room was pleasent except the fact that dirty towels were left in our shower and julie already left for the day. When we tried to find someone to take care of it, there was no one to be found since the owner was out of town. Good thing we also had a bathtub. I love B&Bs and been to plenty to know that My husband and I can definitely do better. read more

Hope to stay again! My first bed and breakfast experience. What an escape from the city. What a relaxful place to unwind. Thank you so much for the breakfast and complimentary beverages. read more

The positives: the breakfast was good, the bed was comfortable, the hosts were sweet and catering, there was a complimentary cocktail upon arrival and a lovely complimentary coffee set up in the morning, the room was decorated with beautiful antique furniture, the room itself was clean, the outside of the home is beautiful. The negatives: allergens! There is a dog in the house. Unfortunately, the owner smokes and it is extremely obvious. I smelled it on the porch before even going in. Safety. Our door did not latch and therefore did not lock. The bathroom was actually a jack and Jill (even though online it appears that the Charleston has its OWN bathroom). There is no way to lock the door to the bathroom - anyone staying in the other room could get to our room. There was a spider/web in the bathtub. The blinds in the room didn't work and the sun shone in very early in the morning. I do believe there were dog droppings on the carpet in the downstairs living area. Unfortunately, despite many very lovely and positive attributes the smell and the lack of locks on doors made our trip a bit uncomfortable. read more

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I loved my stay at the Blue Jay Manor! Lenore's beautiful Victorian home is tucked away on a quite private street off rt 421 that is easily accessible to multiple highways and main streets. Just down the road is a large outlet mall with craft shows and many things to do in the cute little downtown area! I can't wait to come back in the summer time just minutes way from the Indiana dunes! After checking in Lenore had fresh coffee and homemade brownies waiting for me, a perfect touch after traveling all day! A perk of the Manor is the upstairs lounge to relax watch tv and socialize! Between the gorgeous rooms Lenore makes every meal homemade and what an amazing cook she is! I was the only guest for the night and in the morning she made me my favorite breakfast biscuits and gravy with a twist made with ham and peas, it was amazing and I felt right at home! I will continue to recommend friends and family and well as return in the future! Lenore was a great host and welcomed me into her home as if I was family! I highly recommend the Blue Jay Manor to anyone! I have nothing bad to say about my stay here. read more

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they lost my reservation and charged me full price. They were super rude when I wanted a refund. Seemed happy at that fact

Blue Jay Manor was a great Bed and Breakfast! It's quiet and peaceful and only a few miles from Michigan City. There is a pool in the back (bring your swimsuit!) and the property and house are clean and well-kept. The breakfast is outstanding and they serve multiple courses...I advise you pace yourself when eating breakfast! Our room did share a bathroom with another room, however we had no problems accessing the bathroom when we needed to use it. I highly recommend Blue Jay Manor! read more

My boyfriend and I stayed two nights in the Cambridge Cottage here this week. It's a private guest house connected to the inn, so this review focuses largely on that separate area. Pros: Breakfast both days was very nice, served warm. Completely different food selections each day, which was appreciated. The Cambridge Cottage is spacious and could easily sleep six people if so desired. We found the layout charming with the lofted bedroom looking over the large, open living room area. At only a 10-15 minute drive from the best of Michigan City, the location is solid. Very significantly, as a gay couple staying here we never once felt uncomfortable. Cons: I made the reservation for our stay 3 weeks in advance and was charged for the cottage then. I called the day before we were scheduled to arrive to inquire about check-in time, only to find out that they didn't have my reservation. They booked it, billed me, and then lost it. Fortunately the cottage was still available, but it was a bad start to the trip. VERY glad I called to confirm. We had some real issues in the cottage during our stay. For one, there was no functioning wifi (there was a router but it got no signal). We asked about it both days we were there, but no one seemed able to fix it and they didn't seem to be going out of their way to try. Overall we didn't find the cottage to be particularly clean either. Sheets, towels, and blankets were of course clean, and the place had been wiped down, but there were spiderwebs everywhere, there was a fair amount of hair on the floor near the bathroom sink, and there was mold growing on some of the windowsills, obscured with curtains we probably weren't meant to look behind. While the cottage is somewhat secluded, it does have large glass sliding doors that face the main house. This is only problematic in that the shades on these doors are missing several pieces, so if you wanted to walk to the bathroom, for example, you're VERY exposed to anyone passing by. Also, there is no lock on the door to the cottage, which made me nervous about leaving valuables there. I wonder if the main house is in slightly better condition. The parts we saw were lovely, and the owners seemed to be very nice people, but I would not stay here again. read more

Lenore and husband Paul were very hospitable. We enjoyed our complimentary Blue Jay Signature Cocktail upon checking in. Our room (lower level) was cozy, quiet, and quaint. Breakfast was delicious, with a variety of options. Hope to come again. read more

Although I've never actually visited Blue Jay Manor I just HAD to write a review. Today my parents are celebrating their 17th wedding anniversary and are staying at the Manor. As a surprise I wanted to have a bottle of champagne waiting in their room at check-in. I called this morning (same day of their check-in) and Lenore went out to the store, bought them a bottle on my behalf, and had it set up in their room with a card and fresh cut flowers from the property. She bought a great bottle at a reasonable price, and didn't charge me anything but the cost of the bottle! She IS AMAZING! I can't thank Lenore enough for the excellent service and help in celebrating my parents. I'm about to book a weekend there for me and my husband now! :) read more

This was the perfect overnight stop for my return to Michigan from the Quad Cities area. Lenore and Paul were gracious and welcoming, bed was comfy, and the breakfast of lemon pancakes, quiche with broccoli bits, sliced ham, and homemade cherry and walnut breads along with fresh fruit, and juice were as good a B&B breakfast as I have ever had. House is beautiful, guest lounge area upstairs is cozy, and the surrounding countryside is peaceful, the evening atmosphere quiet. Lenore is fascinating, too! I enjoyed hearing about her very interesting life over an evening glass of wine. Would definitely stay again! For casino lovers, this is not far from the Blue Chip Casino, and is MUCH more reasonable than the hotel rates the casino charges, FYI. read more