My family and I have stayed at the Fire Fly Resort for two years and each time we were left wanting more. The cabins are a bit small and do not have central AC. Both cabins we've stayed in offer wall units and one also had a ceiling fan. I think adding ceiling fans to all units would be very beneficial, as well as considering installing central AC. They do offer outdoor seating areas and grills. As well as beach chairs. We definitely love the private beach access and the close proximity to the Whistle Shop and other local shops. Unfortunately due to the climbing age of some of the family and the lack of AC, we will be looking elsewhere next year. read more

See all

A truly charming cottage in the trees and by the lake! My partner and I stayed in unit 5. We were a little hesitant because of past reviews on this site (specifically the unit having a smell) but after reviewing the site and talking to the Firefly, we learned the unit was recently purchased by new owners and completely renovated, so we decided to go for it. We we SO happy we did, our summer getaway could not have been better. The unit was pristine, you can tell the couch and bed were new and they were actually comfortable (which is a big deal for me, I am typically really critical of rental unit furniture and I hate having to use it when I am away from home). But I felt really good about using these and I slept very well. The bathroom was lovely, it also felt very clean and newly finished. The kitchen was a little tight but it was ideal for making food to avoid having to go out. I think my absolute favorite part of this cottage was the screened-in porch. Waking up early and getting to listen to the woods and the waves in a protected cove surrounded by tall ferns was magical. I even was lucky enough to see a few fawns! Oh, and there was no smell. I will be coming back! read more

Overall, the grounds are very well kept, and they have a wonderful play area in the back for kids, picnics, and campfires. I loved the screened front porch. The only problem was with cleanliness. I stayed in #5. It smelled bad. Windows looked as though they hadn't been cleaned in years; the dirt was thick with spider webs and dust, and couldn't be opened. The kitchen floor was filthy around the edges. Stove handles were caked with grease. It was very difficult to open the front door, as the handle always stuck (fire hazard in my opinion). Aside from this, the furniture and the bed were comfortable, clean bedding had been provided and the kitchen (although very small) was well equiped. I would recommend proving baking sheets for the oven. Friends stayed in #10. It was newly and beautifully rennovated. But the bedding hadn't been changed from the previous residents (hair etc. on the sheets), and there was a mess in the kitchen. Seemed like the cleaning staff had been interrupted and left before finishing. This resort has a lot going for it, and overall I enjoyed my time there, but both the routine and deep cleaning seem to be hit or miss. I recommend to the owners to do a deep cleaning in #5 ASAP. read more

Year Round escape!!! 1 hour 20 minutes from Chicago. Harbor Country. Private Lake Michigan Beach. Great for families. Walk to Red Arrow Road House and Timothy's and breathe the fresh air off the Lake. Lake Michigan literally across the street. Many units pet friendly. Huge backyard with fire pit for evening bonfires. A great spot to stay for Notre Dame Football and events. 40 minute drive to Stadium Parking Lots. Very laid back. So close to Chicago, but a whole other universe. So much to do in Harbor Country. Wineries. Antiques. The Stray Dog. Four Winds Casino. Just a fun getaway. read more

See all

This place is crap. STAY AWAY!!! Let me preface this by saying we paid $100 for a 4 night's stay, or $250 a night. 1) We booked our room, paid all our money and it took weeks to get a lousy confirmation. 2) Next, we walked into old furniture that should have been tossed decades ago. 3) We walked into a dishwasher full of dirty dishes. 4) The TV was broken and the remote was broken. 5) Management offered to get us a new TV and never did. 6) Management offered to give us a refund and never did. 7) We wrote an email to them demanding a refund and never heard from them. read more

We had a fantastic time staying at the Firefly! We have been coming to Union Pier for over 20 years and have stayed in 8 different places. The Firefly has a great location, cute cottages and very friendly staff on the premises. Great for family reunions or a couples getaway! read more

In the 7 years since my extended family started going to Firefly Resort it has been going downhill- i.e. the cleanliness, availability of staff and maintenance of cabins. While still a fun place to be, the management is very disorganized and unresponsive when it comes to reservations and processing them. If you can get past not knowing if you have a cabin, often times mailing in payments to be told they didn't arrive (they seem to have a problem with US mail), being 'on your own' if you have questions or needs- then I say give it a try. I'm not returning this year but if they get their act together- I may be back! read more

Long review short. Great place to stay if you can get an end unit or have quite neighbors and know that management will be difficult to reach so just be flexible. Now for the detailed review. There is nothing quite like planning a last minute Union Pier trip during the summer. For any of you familiar with the location, you know to book really far in advance for the best picks. And I was really surprised that Firefly had a few available units. The reason for the trip was to surprise my main squeeze with a weekend getaway and we ended up having a great time. I really did enjoy our time at the firefly, So read on for the middle of the road review I'll start with the positives. The resort grounds are well maintained with a community feel and it's great for families (which for us is not that huge of a deal, we'd actual prefer not being around so many kids but what can you do at the last minute). The first day we were there we headed to Barney's grocery in New Buffalo which is a short 10 minute drive down Red Arrowhead and stocked up on lots of delicious food for grilling and delicious michigan craft beers (which you can by single bottles, but you'll have to read my Barney's review to find out more). The communal grills are nice, sturdy and easy to use. Just remember to clean them out when you are done and the charcoal has cooled! Each unit is individually owned and then there is a management company that takes care of the reservations and the cleaning. So the condition of the cottage depends on its owners. We stayed in cottage 7 which is well maintained and stocked with everything that you could need and has a full kitchen with dishwasher (no paper towels, charcoal or matches though). Our cottage was nearly spotlessly cleaned. The bed was a little uncomfortable, the mattress may need a replacement since the middle is much higher than the sides. One of the nicest things about the Firefly is that it is close to a public and private beach. And on private beaches you can drink booze and have fires, heck ya. It's also within walking distance to Union Pier Center Arrowhead Restaurant and a specialty grocery store. We lucked out with the other Firefly guest that were there that weekend, everyone was really nice and super respectful of the quiet hours. I could see that being a problem if there were loud guests because during the day if someone spoke loudly or slammed a door it sounded like it was in our unit. Now for the reason this is a 3 star and not a 4 star review. The management company, although nice when you are able to interact with them, could improve a ton. Before you arrive you ideally would have a chance to see the contract and pay a 50% deposit. However, I never received a contract prior to arrival. The nice thing though is they still held the reservation since I kept contacting them about it, they may just be really laid back. I asked them to email me a copy and they said their scanner was broken and couldn't (isn't there anyplace they can go to do this) but did offer to fax it, which I don't have a fax #. So they did try to accommodate getting the contract to me before hand. When we arrived I signed my contract and paid in full and they were able to email a receipt. Thankfully we didn't need them during our stay, one of the other guests mentioned that they are pretty hard to get a hold of if you do need them. But on check out day no one was in the office. We straightened out the cottage according to the directions on the fridge other than putting our linens in the (missing) laundry bag. I called their office twice that day once to ask where the laundry bag coud be located and the woman told me she had no idea but to check with the people in the office and the second time because I couldn't get the key lock open to leave the key and no one was in the office to leave it with. So it's just hard to get a hold of management. read more

See all

Lots of charm with beach access. These cute, little, one-bedroom cottages are joined into 2 or more buildings forming an angular C that faces a narrow road which many bikers, walkers and runners travel. On the other side of the road stand houses among giant oaks and other elder trees which border the beach and of course Lake Michigan. A stay here gives you access to a private beach which is an 8 minute or so walk away. There you will find heaps of soft natural sand where you can build a fire and watch the sunset with your favorite vintage or craft brew, in my case. On the grounds in back, guests can use any of the 3 community charcoal grills, a volleyball net, a playhouse, swings and a fire pit. None were too fancy but rather had a campground feel. For those those unfortunate ones that need to check in at the office or just can't resist to check their email instead of reading that book, I believe they have WIFI as well. My assumption is that each of the 18 units is privately owned because each was decorated differently and some had screened in back porches while others didn't (all had screened in front porches). We stayed in unit number 7 which was quite comfortable with a cute beach cottage theme. It had all the modest amenities we needed such as tons of clean towels, dishwasher, oven, range, microwave oven, pots, pans, silverware, utensils, knives, and some other things we didn't need but others may appreciate including cable TV, a toaster, a coffee maker, and a small sleeper sofa. Because the units are joined the noise can be bothersome at times but none the less we enjoyed our stay. read more

The building is charming, our unit was not: The bathroom couldn't have been tinier, the sink didn't drain and we had to have a plumber come, who couldn't fix it; the cable box was old, so the picture was soft and the aspect ratio was off; the base of the TV was broken and off-kilter; the window AC was underpowered, the fridge froze the watermelon we bought; the microwave clock was broken, the bunk beds were too big for the room; the decor was random and slapdash. The unit could have been so charming if the owner only cared and had some taste and wasn't just doing it for the money. I wouldn't recommend. read more

My husband is stationed to work here from Louisiana and we lucked up and found these quaint cozy cabins. The management is super nice friendly and helpful in all areas. Cabin is 3 bedroom and perfect for individual or a small family. We have been renting 2 months now and have no complaints. Very warm during cold nights and feel very safe. Nice neighborhood. No loud noises or heavy traffic. Have enjoyed this area even though he has to drive 40 min to work and back its worth the drive to be staying here. read more

See all

Love this place. While I enjoy New Buffalo this place is so "Serene". I forget I'm only 2 hrs away from Chicago. This dog friendly place is close to the beach and walking distance to the Whistle Shop. You really don't need anything more. The office is very helpful and accommodating. My son and I have been coming here for the past 3 years...will continue to spend our summers here. read more

Watch out for hidden costs. Such as $60.00 cleaning fee and $20.00 fee for using my credit card. Our unit (#7) was FILTHY! The floors were so sandy and dirty we never took our shoes off, the shower had mold in it and there was a half used bottles of KY JELLY under our bed! GROSS!!! Management didn't seem to care. Pictures can be very deceiving. Best part is the location. Its a easy walk to a beautiful beach. read more

We got into this place last minute. We got the last one bedroom cottage available. The office staff was totally nice and accommodating. My only problem comes with our neighbors and the thickness of the walls, or lack of.... Our neighbor had parties every night and although they were done by 10:45 on the dot we could hear every single thing that was happening in the evening up until then. It was very hard to put my daughter to sleep during their evening festivities. I'm not sure we would stay here again only because of that. I wish I could attach the video of them partying right now as I write this.... Other than that our room was clean, the beach is about 100 foot walk down the street. I just wish it were a little quieter.... i'm all about having a good time but JEEZE... read more

Pros: Walking distance to beach, nice for family reunions, front landscaping is maintained, family-friendly, some cottages take pets. Cons: Most, not all, cabins are extremely dirty and not maintained. You pay at least 20 a day for housekeeping, but housekeeping only comes the day you arrive and the day you leave. Towels are horrible - old and falling apart. Not stocked well - we had to beg for more toilet paper and couldn't find a knife to save our lives (even though they claim the cabins are stocked with every day living essentials). Basically, I'd continue to stay here for a 100 less per night (we paid 738.40 for 3 nights) because it was so dirty, musty and kind of gross. Running coffee pot and microwave blew a fuse. I'm fine with camping, but not when I've paid nearly 750 to rent a comfortable cottage. read more

We stayed here with 8 other families this past weekend. It's a perfect setup for a group because everyone has their own space with their family, yet you get to hangout with your friends. The beach is a quick walk across the street and was very clean and not crowded at all. The swing set and playhouse in the back kept the kids busy. We had so much fun that we booked the entire resort for next July! read more

WOW.....5 ***** What a great place and a much needed vacation. I have to say beautiful beaches and super clean. We arrived at resort the staff was so welcoming and super friendly they gave us a short tour of the resort and even walked us down to there private beach. We love the quiet nights.. hearing bugs chirping at night you don't get this in the big city's. We will be back with our entire family next year to introduce them to our secret getaway. Thank You, Firefly you guys ROCK!!! read more

We have stayed at the Firefly three times, but our most recent visit was very disappointing. It was during the off-season, which may have impacted service. We had a three-night reservation and arrived at the resort at the specified check-in time, but there was no one at the facility. We placed several calls to the office in Three Oaks, but the calls went into voicemail. After about an hour, we left. My credit card account had already been charged for a hefty deposit. On our way out of Union Pier, we received a call from an employee who said she would be there shortly to let us into our unit. The cabin was charming, but not very clean. There was black mold in the shower. Additionally, I cleaned the stove and refrigerator because I didn't want to prepare food in a dirty kitchen. And there was only a partial roll of bathroom tissue. We left the apartment cleaner than we found it, but they charged a cleaning fee. We will not stay there again and would not recommend the Firefly, unless you want to clean and be frustrated by the service. read more

D U M P At least #6 is. FILTHY at 200+ ave per nite, with savation army furniture, and a 25 yr old tv. Could barely get seated on toilet due to it's non-code placement and size, and i'm 5'9 165. read more

I was at a wedding here over the weekend. While the bride did the best she could with what she had, it was basically a party in a parking lot. And, there is a sewer smell that wafts through (lovely at dinner time). As a bride planning a wedding, I will stay away from this venue. read more

Highly doubtful we return. For our family of 3 the cottage did the job but quality and size were not well advertised on their website. Unfortunately we were surrounded by one large group of college buddies hanging out with their families and another large family. They had no manners. It was loud and they left trash out so every morning when we wanted to sit at the picnic tables for breakfast....we couldn't unless we wanted to pick up after them. They don't state that all appliances are miniature size and ours never had a coffee maker even though we asked. Twice. We were told "oh ya, I forgot" and after a 4 night stay we never saw a coffee maker. The speed oven doesn't work for crap. We were told we were being upgraded to a two bedroom but really we were upgraded to two full size beds. Not so much room to sleep and annoying. I guess if you were going with a large group this might work but just for our small family it was a major disappointment. read more

Love, love, love this place. Friendly staff, clean adorable cottages, near the beach. Great for family getaways.

My family has been going to Firefly for many years for a family reunion. Every single year there is an issue; sometimes one of our credit cards will be charged twice for the deposit; its next to impossible to get in touch with anyone there. Every year we try to book for the next year and every time there's some issue; we couldn't pick the weeks we wanted even though it was a year in advance, and we've been coming every year AND we almost rent the entire place. When we are there, it's a rare moment you can actually catch any of the workers, so bring extra toilet paper because you'll probably run out. The bathrooms are so tiny, you are most likely sitting sideways on the toilet. Most of the beds we have had have been lousy and uncomfortable. This year some people found mouse traps hidden in their cabins; and there was an ant infestation too. Planning for next year and we are already getting all sorts of grief and now they say we can only come if we rent the whole place or pay for the extra cabins we don't use. Are you kidding me?! Really hoping to find a new place to rent with courteous people who work there, and who put their customers first. This place is the total opposite. The beach is nice, but Firefly doesn't own it I'll advise you to find another spot to stay read more