American Oak Resort

Resort

The cottage we stayed at was usable, but not very clean and had many issues. Wouldn't recommend to anyone who is looking to spend a lot of time in the cottage. Air conditioning didn't work due to previous Tennant's who trashed the place. Other than that, the optimal location, shallow sandy water and available boat rentals was a bonus. This place is more for the group of guys going on a fishing trip or any group who is looking to leave and go explore the great town and lake surrounding the cottages.

Absolutely horrible service, places are trash and everything is broken. Air conditioning broke the first day we were there and they said they would fix it. That never was done as for the people running it they have absolutely no clue what they are doing and could care less about anyone staying there. Save yourself a horrible vacation and don’t stay here.

Joann was wonderful to work with and the place was great for a family get away. During our stay my father went into ICU in Graying and Joann allowed us to have a very late check out so we could deal with the family emergency.

Jo went above and beyond when I rented an ATV here. I injured myself near the end of my rental (completely my own fault) and she did everything she could to help me take care of everything.

DO NOT STAY HERE! Main reason BEDBUGS! That is only one of the dark secrets that you will discover in this shady dwelling they call a resort. I knew within five minutes of talking to these (I won't call them people) Crooks that they are scam artist. The book sized contract and all of its gory details didn't grant them any favor. Although they are pet friendly for a $75 fee per night, which they conveniently forget to mention until you arrive. Have no fear though for these shifty eyed criminals have secured themselves with your credit card info before arrival. Sure to be charged whether you stay or go, you collect your belongings and head to your (I won't say chalet) Den of Despair, which is graciously located nowhere near the lake (Note-none of these rentals are lakefront). There's no time now to experience all that this house of horrors has to offer, the day is young and you are surely aching for adventure. A trip to the water is set and you head off, beginning your stroll through the tranquil New York City streets (hint-not a peaceful setting). After a grueling journey you arrive only to realize that there are three people on the beach making it way to crowded. A reservation is sure to be had on your next trip. You don't ponder long for they claim this is a resort with many journeys to be had. "A light bulb flickers in your head", Horseshoe pit and play area for the kids, so you set off.

Wonderful place to stay. Owner is wonderful. Cabin was great.

We have made this a guys ice fishing weekend for several years and have always found both the cabins and chalets to be clean and comfortable. Joanne is always pleasant and friendly to deal with, which is a factor in our coming back every year. Dennis Carroll, one of the Rumsey clan.

Family atmosphere. They have boats, pontoon boats, Wave Runners and ATV's available for rent. Cabins and chalets have full kitchens, with Wi-Fi and cable tv. Great place to stay for all your vacation activities. Even better in the winter time for snowmobiling.

Simply fantastic. I travel to Houghton lake quite frequently. American Oaks resort is now my home away from home. The cabins are clean and comfortable. They have a full kitchen the one I stayed in had 2 bedroons a full bath free Wi-Fi and prices that rival the hotels in the area. The full kitchen really offsets the expense of eating out. Truly the more economical choice. Staying here over local hotels proved to be a fantastic decision both in comfort and the money I saved by cooking my own food. The owner Joanne was a pleasure to deal with. She is hands on or hands off as u need her. And she will go out if her way to ensure your stay is as pleasant as possible. I am going to be a return customer.

Stayed here with my dad and aunt for a couple days and I have to say I really liked it. Inside the cabin was very pretty and it was all very clean. I had no problems at all with bugs or truly anything. The owner was very kind and helped us with any questions we had. I felt very comfortable and safe there and I feel this place should get more credit. I do highly recommend this place to anyone looking to get away no matter what time of year.

Great place to stay when you're in the Houghton Lake area. Great cabins, a super friendly staff that treats you like family and they offer plenty to do in one convenient location. Can't wait to go back!

BED BUGS! Do not stay here! After spending 1 night here we woke up with bites. We showed even showed pictures to the employees. They dont care to do anything about it. We've never dealt with BED BUGS before, and this was just disgusting! Not only was that an issue but the price is ridiculously high for the run down, out of date cabin. We wanted to bring our dog, and they said its pet friendly, but didnt bother to tell us about the $75/night pet fee until we showed up with our dog. If 0 stars was an option that's what I'd give them. If I end up with bed bugs in my home after staying here, we're taking further action, the owner is a crook that's not about to do anything unless forced to.

The Cabins are disgusting. There are stains on the kitchen chairs and couches. It smells awful. The view is well awful. I feel like I am in the projects. This is by far the worst place Ive stayed in. If you plan on staying BRING YOUR OWN LINENS! AND LOTS OF CLEANING PRODUCTS! Better yet do yourself a favor and find a different place.

I'd give it zero stars if I could. My family and I stayed in two chalets and a cabin for a week. Beds were horrible, my mom and I shared a "queen" and we hardly slept. My boyfriend and I stayed only for four nights, while my mom stayed for five. After we left, she video taped some of the bugs crawling around on the bed. Unsure of what they were, she asked the manager what they were. She told my mom that they were beetles brought in to help with the cherry trees in Traverse City and that they get in through the air conditioning. Not wanting to freak me out, she never told me about this. Three nights after returning from the chalets, I woke up with at least 70 bites on my feet, legs, and arms. They were very itchy. I was somewhat unconcerned, and thought maybe a mosquito got in through my window screen. It just so happened that the day I woke up with the bites, I was moving into my college apartment. I brought my throw pillows and other things with me to move in. Once I got home, I started doing my research. These bites looked like flea or bedbug bites. Very freaked out, I refused to sleep in my bed. After four nights on the couch, I woke up with five more bites. Absolutely panicking now as move in day was only a couple days away, I washed every single article of clothing I planned on taking (imagine a 20 yr old girl with a shopping problem) and dried at the hottest temperature and put into plastic bags.

Just Don't! You would think that a company with this many bad reviews would attempt to make some changes to redeem themselves, yet they just keep making excuse after excuse for their unprofessionalism. We rented a pontoon several weeks ago. We paid for entire day even though we waited for an hour for them to change the boat propeller. After day of light cruising we were charged for prop damage? The only damage was a couple flakes of paint missing which is completely normal wear and tear. They claimed the prop need to be repaired. This seems to be a common situation with other reviews. If this is so common, why not charge an extra $10-20 more per rental and save yourself the bad reviews.

Boats are beat up and cost way more than Brians right down the street. We went to pick up our boats we rented and the weather was bad so we didn't even take the boats out. They still charged us for not using the boats.

We rented 2 ATVs and had a great time! JoAnne was very pleasant to work with and very thorough. She explained the working of the machines well, gave great directions to the trails, and taught us some important rules of the road. Both machines appeared to be clean and in good shape and they performed well on the trails. Great memories were made… Thank you, JoAnne!

Haven't stayed here but our group is in process of finding a location for next year and was almost fully set on this location but now I am worried about being over charged for things we haven't done or ending up with bed bugs or a horrible boat. I am just wondering is there any updates on these issues? And is this location known for throwing out guest because we are co. IG up again for bud bash with that being said we may be a little loud so will we be warned or just thrown out? We stayed in local hotel that was amazing but we just wanted something little closer we had five hotel rooms so as I said we are a pretty big group. As far as cleaning aspect most of us are mothers so we clean before and after *giggling* just used to that I guess so I definitely dont see us having issue there unless its a stain that has already been there but are we allowed to walk with manager before we get settled in? So if we have concerns or see things we can speak up before we have even unloaded car so we can save the issues others on here have had. I just was a fun filled drama free week (thinking we want to stay a week next time.

Can't comment on the cabins but we rented a boat from this location at the last minute after a marina across town canceled suddenly on us. Staff was very helpful, the price was right and the boat was in good condition.

First time me and family have ever done anything like this and I have to say we loved it… it was so quite… the people who work there are friendly and I would recommend it to people… it's worth it… can't wait to do it again!

Cabins are very nice with clean floors. The manager miss Joann was very nice and helpful. The best part is it's a pet friendly place. Picnic tables and grills and an outdoor theatre and fire pit! My kids had a lot of fun! Nice property on the beach! I will definitely bring my family here again this summer!

This place is a JOKE! I would not rent from them again. They are money hungry people who change for everything. We rented a boat from them and the steering wheel was broken. The "Really nice radio" Didn't work. They started our time when we left the "office" not when they actually got the boat into the water. We had to wait 40 minutes for them at the dock to show up to pull the boat out of the water when our time was up then another 30 minutes for them to meet us back at the office to pay the gas fee which was a total rip off. (the boat was full when we left and Returned between 3/4 and 1/2 a tank. They said we used a little under half a tank) The boat holds 22 gallons. And they charged us $4 a gallon for 15 gallons. (Still scratching my head trying to figure out how just under half as they say we used of 22 gallons equals 15). Stay away from this place. Renter beware!

We chose our lodging at American Oak Resort, for our ice fishing trip on Houghton Lake. We froze in our cabin! The furnace was maxed out and inadequate. I asked for an electric heater for the bedrooms-more than once and couldnt even get extra blankets. We had to wear our ice fishing suits in the cabin! We paid for 3 nights and chose to leave after the 2night (because of the conditions) Management would not even refund us the third night! A TERRIBLE business dealing!

It was great! Got a couple quads and a Cabin and had a really good time! We had a limited amount of time and they really worked with us on the Hrs! Thanks Jo and the owners for keeping stuff like this around! See y'all next time!

Ugh! Wish I would have read the reviews before staying at this DUMP! Pictures of the place are very DECEIVING! We were charged a $250 cleaning fee for what I am assuming is the same stain on the carpet the previous reviewer paid $400 for! How can they get away with this? The place is in need of repair and maintenance BIG TIME! Oh, and the BROKEN BED, yep, still there! That's right, there IS A BROKEN BED! This place is pathetic and the management is worse! I would not recommend anyone to stay at this place! Overall VERY DISAPPOINTED in our stay and experience with this place.

Renter beware, these people miss represent the location and quality of the cabins. It was me and 3 other people for three days, upon checkout they claimed we damaged the already stained and wore out carpet… Want to charge us four hundred dollars + for old carpet. Cabins were not clean and many things did not work, including the ceiling fan, broken coffee table, and broken fame on the bed… yes, broken bed. I highly reccomend to NOT stay here. They falsely accuse and charge people.

The photos are deceiving. Cottages are in rough condition. Don't waste your money. I had to demand a refund and walk away before letting the family out of of the car.

Went to the resort during the weekend of the 4th had a great time. I been going there for 5 years in a row. And honestly for the money it is a great value. I like to jet ski there and the owner likes to jet ski to. He even took time out of his schedule to help me with one of my jet skis. I like the accommodations he is a pet friendly resort. And there is a lot to do in that area of houghton lake.

We have stayed here every year for 12 years. We have a group that takes 2 units and we have a handful of boats. Over the years places come and go, but this place consistently makes improvements. When we started coming here there was maybe 150 feet of dock. Now there are slips for us to drive into. We paid 850 each for units in 2006, and we pay the same now. We have large flatscreen TV's, Wi-Fi and televisions in the bedrooms. Their webcam shows in real time the condition of the place and its a watchful eye for our boats. They do not misrepresent the place, in fact the website pictures often depict older ammenities. We are arriving this month and the pictures in our units do not show large flatscreens that they currently have. We would reccomend this place to everyone. Before you judge this place or the people that run it take a look for yourself.

I stayed for a week in August 2013 and I rented a pontoon and 2 waverunners. I requested cabin 5 because of a recliner I saw in the pictures. They told me the pictures were not updated, and when we arrived we found them nicer than the pictures showed. New furniture and 40" flatscreen tv's. They were very clean and told us if we had any problems to please bring it to their attention and they would promptly address it. The pontoon had a 90 hp motor and we were able to pull the kids tubing with a boat full of people. The boat was extremely clean and had been recently updated. The waverunners were Yamaha 3 seaters and they were in excellent condition. Today we returned from our first snowmobile vacation and I rented 2 Polaris 2-ups and 2 singles. The sleds looked like new and the service was excellent. Chris checked our sleds each day and topped us up with oil. They took us to the trailhead and gave us maps and destinations. The checkout and checkin went very smoothly. This was my second stay here this year and I will be back. My family had the best time despite the single digit temperatures.

My experience with American Oak Resorts was horrible. I would not stay or rent a boat from them ever again. The place I rented from them was no where even close to the lake, and it was completely spider infested. It was honestly terrifying to even sleep here. Then they did not get my boat rental right, they gave me a boat that was not suppose to be docked and had no way to tilt the boat propeller in the shallow water. I had to swim to the boat every time I wanted to go out. Never rent or stay at this place it seriously is horrible and you will regret it.

Great place to stay. Cabins are clean. The kitchen has it all, even a toaster. We rented an ATV, had a problem on the trail, got a call within minutes and were back riding immediately. Access to trails forests from cabins. No hauling. Those who cannot walk to the waterfront. Shame on you. No one ever said the cabins were on the water. You can see it from your cabin. This place is set up to promote community, with a large fire pit for all to enjoy in the evening. Great idea. i recommend.