I just had a cancellation for the Kiwi House and the Mirandy Cottage for July 19-26, 2008!  This is a great opportunity for a last minute group to pick up our two nicest units for the summer of 2008.    We’ve just repainted and refurnished the Mirandy Cottage, please email me for updated pictures!!!

Rates:

Kiwi House (3 bedrooms, waterfront):  $3200 per week
Mirandy Cottage (sleeps 5-6):  $1450 per week

Because of this cancellation, I’ve decided to revise my deposit refund policy going forward:

All summer 2009 reservations will require a 90 day cancellation notice.  This applies to all reservations in June, July or August of 2009.  All other cancellations will require a 60 day notice.

Saugatuck is just 12 miles to the south of Rosewood Pointe.  This is one of the top 5 film festivals in the world!

Check it out!

We’ve been very very busy at Rosewood Pointe over the past few months readying the resort for an incredible summer!  The summer of 2008 is almost completely booked, we still have one week, July 19-26 for the Mirandy Cottage remaining, but that’s about it for the prime weeks.  Early June and late August still have some availability and Labor Day weekend has a few openings remaining.

I just learned that Holland Water Sports now has pontoon boat rentals, in addition to jet ski and powerboat rentals.  I’m sure it’s not cheap, but on a calm day, renting a pontoon boat can be a lot of fun!

On the beach at Rosewood please note that we have seveal pedal boats, kayaks and a rowboat that are free of charge to all Rosewood Pointe guests.  They are available on a first come, first serve basis and life jackets MUST be worn.   We supply some life jackets for all ages in the large wooden box next to the west dock.  Please make sure to secure all watercraft on the beach after use, and please make an effort to return the life jackets to the wooden box for storage.

I hope everyone enjoys the many improvements to the grounds and units this year.    My staff (and family!) have worked very hard to make all the necessary repairs and improvements that will help make your stay one to remember.

More updates coming soon!

Join us each spring for a unique festival of beauty with the display of millions of tulips and celebration of Dutch heritage and culture through dance, art, theatre, and so much more! Our goal is to continue to host one of the best small town festivals in the country with events like; 3 exciting parades, Klompen Dancing, big name entertainment, free concerts, music and variety shows, Dutch market, trolley tours, children’s events, fireworks and so much more!

For more information go to http://www.tuliptime.org/.

We are gearing up for another great summer. Reservations have picked up quite a bit within the past six months and we are already mostly booked for the summer. If you are hoping to vacation with us, please do check our calendar and book quickly. We still have some availability for early spring (June) and the later part of August. For those of you who have already reserved your unit, we look forward to seeing you this summer!

Macatawa Legends is a new course that was previously private. Well the golf course is incredible, but the development that was planned around it sort of fizzled due to the local economy. Most locals think it is still a private course, so it receives very light play. My father is one of the individuals marketing the development and the golf course, so he is offering all Rosewood Pointe guests the ability to play Macatawa Legends for just $50 which includes a cart and range balls! You must call him, Larry Kleinheksel, at 616-355-6309 to take advantage of this deal. I think the normal rate is $90 or more.

It’s an open course, but very challenging and the best part is, it’s only 5 minutes from Rosewood Pointe. Just take a left on Division and go about five miles, it will be on the right side of the road. But the clubhouse is not on Division (144th Ave), it’s ooff of New Holland, so take a right on New Holland, off of 144th (which is also Division).

…just a heads up to all repeat guests or groups who are sitting on the fence.  I’d say we are 60% booked right now for the summer of 2008.  The retreat house is completely booked.   It’s been crazy.  Hopefully that is a testament to the grounds, the units and staff and the immense amount of resources we continue to pour into Rosewood Pointe to make it the best place possible to vacation with family and friends!

Well it took me the better part of a year, but the new website has finally launched! The site has been tested on IE 6 and IE 7, as well as Firefox. It will require a broadband connection and your computer must have flash installed. Other than that however, no problems should be encountered. My fingers are crossed.

New, professional pictures and videos are forthcoming as well as professional online floor plans. Additional functionality includes a guest book, user reviews and also the ability of our guests to upload pictures of their stay at Rosewood Pointe to share with other guests and prospective guests.

If you own a vacation rental, and would like to have similar site with similar functionality, I can make this happen. Just drop me an email to brent@kleinheksel.com.

Note: I still have two units available for June 7-10, our 8 bedroom retreat house at $700 per night and our 2 bedroom lakeview cottage at $200 per night. Don’t miss one of the premier film festivals in the nation!

From their website at http://www.waterfrontfilm.org/

In what has quickly become a tradition, the idyllic resort village of Saugatuck, Michigan comes alive each June with filmgoers, actors, producers and directors sharing the excitement as outstanding independent films from all over the United States are screened in casual, intimate settings. Entertainment professionals from Los Angeles, New York and Michigan created the Waterfront Film Festival in 1999 to provide a “middle coast” venue for independent filmmakers eager to show their work to sophisticated audiences. The festival has succeeded with growing support and recognition each year, and enthusiastic reviews from attendees. We invite you to participate!

Our festival is a fully volunteer run non-profit organization. All donations and proceeds from ticket and merchandise sales go directly to the operational budget of the festival. All donations are fully tax deductible and allow us to continue the tradition of the festival and to bring quality films and filmmakers to Michigan. We thank all sponsors and attendees for their support!

Friday, March 30, 2007
By Greg Chandler
The Grand Rapids Press

HOLLAND — Frank Scimeca was traveling in Europe last summer when he noticed diners at restaurants could pay for their meals at their table without having to hand their credit card to the server.

The restaurants brought a wireless card-processing terminal to the tables, and the diners would swipe their cards there.

Scimeca, the general manager of Holland’s Alpen Rose restaurant, thought it was a good idea and wondered why restaurants in the U.S. were not using it.

“Far too often, you dine, you give the card to the server, and then they get distracted with other customers, and it takes a couple of minutes to get your card back,” Scimeca said.

Starting Sunday, Alpen Rose will be the first restaurant in West Michigan at which diners will be able to pay at the table.

The downtown eatery has purchased six wireless, handheld terminals, at a cost of about $500 each.

Scimeca said the new devices will speed the processing of customers’ bills and reduce the risk of identity theft, since the card will not leave their hands.

“You’ve got safety, security, speed, efficiency and flexibility,” Scimeca said.

Fifth Third Bank will handle the processing of the cards, but the devices will accept any credit or debit cards.

“It allows us to provide another avenue of convenience in technology to our merchants,” Fifth Third regional market manager Larry Koops said.

The self-service technology is relatively new to the restaurant industry — estimates vary on the number of restaurants nationally that have adopted the wireless processors, from as low as 30 to several hundred. Furthermore, Alpen Rose may be the first in the country to have the new terminals accept debit cards by cardholders punching in their personal code, Scimeca said.

“It’s not only a win for the restaurant industry, but it’s a bigger win for the consumer,” said Craig Bickley, a board member of the Michigan Restaurant Association and chief operating officer at Computer Decisions Inc., a Farmington Hills-based company that sells wireless-card processors.

Wireless credit card devices have been in use for the past five or six years at various venues, such as the Palace of Auburn Hills, but still involve the customer handing over a card to the server to run through.