Friends and I still talk years later about how rude the owner was. We rented the whole inn and she was incredibly rude about letting me bring my infant daughter (because she might disrupt her own families sleep...not my guests). Meanwhile he dog woke us all up barking both mornings. Also, she locked us out one evening when we were quietly enjoying the back yard so we had to go around to the front of the house. If you're not a people person--don't have an inn. read more

We stayed in the dragonfly room for my fiancée's birthday weekend. It was our first experience at a bed and breakfast, so we weren't sure what to expect but we were very pleased with our stay. The room was beautiful, awesome private bathroom, and very clean and comfortable. We didn't get much time to walk around the property but it sits on 10 acres and looked lovely from the view. Breakfast was delicious and made fresh to eat in the sun room of the house. Owners were friendly and laid back. We enjoyed our stay and would definitely stay again. read more

The Painted Turtle Inn - "Mini celebration package" included a bottle of local wine, fresh berries, and a box of local chocolates. Nice little extra touch. - Bed & Breakfast Near Me - Saint Joseph, Michigan

This is as good as it gets regarding a B&B stay. The beautifully remodeled two story home is spotless clean & beautifully decorated. The food is magnificent. You can walk across the street to watch the sun set on beautiful Lake Michigan or hop in the car and be in downtown St. Joseph and/or Silver Beach in less than five minutes. Many renowned wineries and vineyards are a short drive away and ready for you to tour. The proprietors are true professionals who are warm and engaging and yet perfectly sensitive to your desire for privacy. They accommodated our every need. My wife and I enjoyed a weekend here with four other couples. We arrived in the early evening on a Friday and enjoyed a wonderful happy hour in the kitchen and living room. We decided to stay off the streets and enjoyed some great pizza from Silver Beach Pizza. The next evening we took advantage of the beautiful back porch by grilling steaks and sitting down to an engaging evening of great food and lots of laughing. The breakfasts were stunning - worthy of a spread in a food magazine. The service was exceptional. I could not have felt more at home and relaxed. This place is a gem. I highly recommend anyone give it a try. Perfect for a group of friends or for a nice romantic getaway with your sweetheart. I can't wait to go back! read more

Charming bed and breakfast in a beautiful location. Owners go above and beyond to ensure a relaxing, memorable experience. Afternoon reception consisting of snacks/wine, S'more set up by the fireplace and a tea /coffee bar with a wide assortment of flavors and types for everyone--are just some of the thoughtful touches that make this BB unique. The beautiful decor and cleanliness of this inn are on point. I highly recommend for anniversaries, birthdays or just a random getaway. read more

The inn is beautiful. Rooms and decor spectacular. The area is fun and has tons to do. Lake is across the street and accessible. The breakfast included was delicious and creative. The only negatives were there was a strict one hour window for breakfast. Additionally the owners were very off putting. I did not feel welcome. On arriving she didn't even introduce herself. There was no dialogue at all other than an obligatory hello and good bye. Warm and welcoming was not included in the price apparently. Not like other B& B's I have stayed at. read more

We spent a lovely weekend at the Painted Turtle Inn. The rooms were fabulous, the food was incredible, and the location was intimate and cosy. House: The B & B is a lovely house, set across the street from the lake less than 10 minutes from downtown St. Joseph. While it might be a stretch to say "Lakefront", there is a lookout park right across the street with lovely picnic tables, and the yard behind the house is a beautiful, green way to sit in the morning sunshine. The renovations and work they've put into the house are fantastic. There is a beautiful sunroom with live plants where breakfast is served, and a cosy den where you can play board games or read a book, as well as a patio in the back with chairs for reading or lounging. Rooms: My husband and I stayed in the Griffon Room, while my Mom and her boyfriend stayed in the Vitner's retreat. These rooms are both on the first floor, and are (respectively) the least and most expensive rooms in the house. While the Griffon room is smaller, it still has room for a large television, two chairs, and a fabulous bathroom. The Vitner's retreat has the added bonus of a couch and two large picture windows, but both rooms were nicely sized and well decorated. The bathrooms here are incredible: huge two person tubs (the Vitner's tub looks more like a hot tub that a bath tub), large showers and great soaps and shampoos, plus comfy bathrobes to curl up in before bed. The one downside to being on the first floor is that if anyone comes in the front door or up and down the stairs, it's not completely soundproof, but since all rooms come equipped with a clock that has an i-pod plug in (and free wi-fi), we kept some white noise on through the night and didn't have a problem. The guests and staff are all very quiet and we really didn't have any issues with noise, even when the place was booked solid. Food: The breakfasts put on here are a multi-course affair. Juice, coffee and tea are served, and once they found out our coffee preferences we were never without a refill for very long (they'll even do a french press!), plus bowls of fruit come out before the meal. Then, some kind of baked good. We had amazing coffee cake and muffins. The final course contains some breakfast meat and the mainstay of the meal. On our days we had feta frittatas with bacon and potatoes and baked french toast with sausage, respectively. In the afternoons there is a reception for guests, and the staff is there to help guide you toward local attractions and answer any questions. There were local wines available for tasting (such a treat!) and cheese and crackers. My mom said there was fresh guacamole on Friday afternoon, and I've been told all the menus change regularly. All in all I was so impressed with the facilities and the family atmosphere. While the owners can be a bit quiet and reserved, they take lots of pride in their establishment and it shows in the quality of everything from the room details to the food. While the area lends itself to a large price tag, this B&B really earns its stars and makes for a fabulous retreat. read more

We spent a 3 day weekend at the Painted Turtle Inn in the "Moonlight Serenade" room and were very happy with the stay. This is a phenomenal new B&B and they do a great job. I'd love to stay here even without the benefits of the beauty of Lake Michigan. The room: It was big, like a large master suite. The decor was brand new, very modern, and chic. Two sitting chairs, a comfortable king size bed, flat screen, clock radio with iPod/USB connections for charging, and a sweet bathroom. The bathroom: I've never showered in one of those fancy "shower heads that rain on you" showers; it was great! Again, ultra modern, I felt like I was in a "Modern Home" type of blog or magazine. The air bath looked cool as well even though I forgot to use it. The house: The remodeled house was beautiful. Excellent eating area (with indoor plants lining the room perimeter). Accommodations: Christine was great, had excellent customer service, and was very accommodating. She hooked us up at a local restaurant with great seats and was overall a lovely host. The service staff was also incredibly friendly. Fresh coffee in the morning (starts brewing at 7:30 am), Keurig all day long, hot tea, afternoon snacks with wine, soda in the fridge all day, brownies at night. Sweet! The breakfasts were very good and came in multiple stages. Breakfast started at 9 am and we went around 9:30 am both mornings. The tables in the eating area are separated from each other, so eating breakfast is comfortable and feels like a nice brunch place. The grounds are beautiful and the walking path and woods in the back were unexpected and a very nice treat. You could see a sliver of the lake from our room, but there's a busy road and trees blocking most of any lake view. However, the saving grace is that you can walk over to an overlook park on the bluff a few steps down the highway and have amazing views. It was awesome. We also watched the sunset from there and stopped by before leaving St. Joseph. Free and fast Wi-Fi, which is great with the horrid AT&T coverage in the area. Price: We received a discounted opening special rate, which made the stay per night only $25 more a night than the Holiday Inn Express down the street. Best $25 I've ever spent, hah. Still, it's not cheap to stay at a place like this, but man it's worth it. read more

This was our first time and it was terrific. Joel and Christine have put together a really inviting and cozy atmosphere and it ended up being one of my best B&B experiences thus far. Modern conveniences abound but they're surrounded by this warm, timeless atmosphere. It's a little pricey but this is one of those rare times where the extra money is well worth it. We will definitely be back! read more

My husband I spent three nights here in September 2015. We had an amazing and relaxing time. Neither of us had ever stayed at a B&B before. We loved how the owners made us feel right at home. The breakfasts were truly delicious--way better than I expected. There are tons of books, DVDs, and board games that you can borrow or play in the comfortable shared living area. We stayed in the Moonlight Sonata room, which was very comfortable and tastefully decorated. We truly appreciated the owners' hospitality and hope to return to the Painted Turtle one day. read more

This was mine and my boyfriend's first time staying at a B&B and it was everything (and more!) I had always imagined. Staying at a B&B has always been on my to do list and I'm so glad we got to experience it at the Painted Turtle. I'm not gonna lie - part of the reason I chose this place was because of the name (I used to love turtles and took it as a sign. Silly, I know). Good thing I did! We got into town before check-in time so we decided to just keep driving down the road and were pleased to find that the Inn was so close to downtown. We killed some time and checked in a little bit before Christine put out the evening snack. We were so excited to see the room (the Griffon) that we didn't end up coming out until we left for dinner. We could hear the other guests in the kitchen but were too busy lounging on a cloud of pillows and indulging in bad cable television that we couldn't bear to move! The room was amazing - the decor was sophisticated and modern. The bed was large and super comfy and there were two sitting chairs in the room as well. There was a carafe of water with glasses on the table as well as wine glasses, an ice bucket and a corkscrew. The television was positioned perfectly to view from the bed (very important. duh). And the bathroom! The mosaic tile around the bath tub and in the shower were absolutely beautiful. There were nice little notes around with tips/instructions on how to use things (we're not used to fancy things so it still took us a minute to figure out the tub!) My boyfriend was so excited about the tub that he ended up testing it out right away! When we eventually got up and out of the room we explored the common area a bit. The fridge is stocked with every kind of soda you can imagine - coffee, multiple flavors of tea, and hot cocoa are always out and available too. There were even cookies and cake! There's also an extra bathroom right outside the Griffon which I thought was nice just in case. Last but not least - the breakfast! The dining room has plenty of windows and a nice view of their land. There was also an in ground planter around the perimeter of the room that was lovely. The food was, of course, amazing. It comes out in courses, which was perfect (hot drink, cold drink, fruit, a muffin then the main course - a spinach, mushroom & feta frittata with bacon and tomatoes). It was very filling and delicious! Kudos to Christine and her cooking skills. So, if it's not obvious, I absolutely loved this place. We definitely didn't want to leave! I would recommend it to anyone looking for a relaxing and comfortable little getaway. The drive from Chicago wasn't bad at all (this coming from a girl who's terrified of driving on the expressway). I hope to come back in the summertime to take advantage of the beach and enjoy the beauty of the lake. Go now! Go! read more

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We loved our stay, and found the owners/hosts/inn keepers to be absolutely wonderful! We would highly recommend The Painted Turtle Inn to friends and family headed to the Lake Michigan coastline! read more

A nice B&B, just no warmth. The property and accommodations are outstanding. Location, great right off the lake and close to downtown. The interior was beautiful and on par with any high-end hotel. They also did a very nice job on the included breakfast. The food was delicious, well prepared and high attention to presentation was also a nice touch. Where my issue is, was with the stand-off attitudes the innkeepers had. At arrival we weren't warmly welcomed, no introduction was made. Normally an innkeeper will introduce themselves and let us know their name. Our's just went over the "rules" and just showed us our room. During our two day stay it seemed that our innkeepers had their way of doing things and any change threw them for a loop. Example, I wanted to pour my own coffee in the kitchen prior to breakfast from the carafe provided and was told I couldn't and to sit down. Weird. Lastly, when we left, no "good-bye" or "hope you come back!". We've stayed at many B&B's over the years and have just had a much warmer/friendly experience elsewhere. read more

By far the best experience we've ever had at a hotel/resort/B&B. The rooms are impeccably clean, beautifully decorated, and super comfortable. The owners are kind without being nosy and while still giving you your space. Food is amazing!!! We have already booked our next visit. read more

My husband and I spent 2 lovely nights at the Painted Turtle for our mini-moon in September. We were unexpectedly upgraded to the Dunegrass Room, which was a nice surprise. Overall, we had a great experience and highly recommend this B&B: our room had a very serene, spa-like atmosphere (each room has a different design); the multi-course breakfasts were absolutely delicious; and the owner was friendly and hospitable. The Inn is located on a nice, long plot of land with a walking trail in the back. And it's right across the street from the lake (we had a sliver of a view of the lake from our room), though in order to access the lakefront you have to head a couple miles up the road to downtown. Overall, we definitely recommend staying at the Painted Turtle if you're looking for a relaxing getaway to St. Joe's. read more

This place is great! The rooms are spacious, new, and clean. The location is only minutes from St. Joseph's and many wineries. Joel and Christine are wonderful owners that tend to the guests' needs. The breakfast is healthy with foods from local areas and it's amazing! We have been there four times and will return again. We love the Vinters Retreat. read more

The Vintners Room was lovely and great first experience at a bed and breakfast!! Delightful food!

We stayed in August 2013 and can't wait to go back. Pretty much the cutest little place ever. Our room upstairs was huge! Gorgeous bedroom and bath. We probably could've just stayed at the Inn the whole time we were there! We hiked around the back one morning and it was beautiful. The owners welcomed us with wine and appetizers the evening we got there, and the downstairs kitchen and living area were very welcoming. The dining room was always nice and sunny and every breakfast we had was absolutely delicious! I would recommend anyone to stay at the Painted Turtle! We will be back for sure! read more

My husband and I stayed at the Painted Turtle Inn this past weekend. The B&B is absolutely stunning! The owners have transformed this home into a very modern and gorgeous retreat. The Inn is on nine acres of property which is available to explore to see the resident wild turkeys and deer. The owner has a keen sense of style and incorporated the old with the new to perfection. The breakfast room is a great space that brings the outdoors in. It is a lovely room and perfect to share an intimate breakfast, which was beautifully presented. The owners were both very friendly and proud of the work they have done on the home. We especially loved hearing the stories of the house and the family who owned it. They shared with us why they kept certain things and what the house was like before renovation. Again, Christine had the keen eye to keep some of the character of the house while updating it for today's traveler. While we were not so enamored with the area in general, we were very happy with the accommodations. Would recommend the Painted Turtle Inn as a romantic getaway, for sure! read more

I highly recommend this B&B. Wife and I celebrated our 47th anniversary staying at the Painted Turtle Vintner Room, Tuesday through Thursday nights in late August, 2015. We have stayed in other B&Bs and this was the best of all for us so far. Our room had an excellent king-size bed, was exceptionally clean and comfortable. It was nicely decorated without being "antique-ky" and had many nice touches with good attention to detail. The grounds were very well maintained and the views from our ground floor picture windows were absolutely gorgeous. (There are also several scenic overlooks of Lake Michigan within a few blocks.) Our bathroom featured a two-person, face-to-face bubbling tub in addition to a spacious, clear glass shower enclosure. Be advised that if you are an early morning person, you may not wish to wait until the 9 am breakfast serving time. (Coffee/juice is available at 8 am.) Our room had a flat screen TV, DVD Player and cable box, each requiring their own remote control. If you use the DVD player it can be a challenge to figure out how to set it up. The cable box remote controller has the features for and should be set up to control all three devices as a convenience for the guests. Every morning we had an excellent home-cooked breakfast with a medley of fresh fruit. Our hosts were very gracious and accommodating. There were no other guests at the Painted Turtle during our stay, but it appears they are booked every weekend. The Vintner Room was the most expensive of the available rooms at the Painted Turtle and had a rate of about $275/night (including taxes). read more