Ellsworth, Michigan · 4 bedrooms · 2 baths · Sleeps 9
A classic A-frame in the woods, a five-minute walk from a Lake Michigan beach. Guests loved it, but it was earning about $63,000 a year. In 2026 it has $121,901 on the books.
No full renovation and no rebrand. A handful of upgrades guests actually book for, pricing that moves ahead of demand, and a listing that finally showed what the property is. The result is nearly $59,000 more a year from the same A-frame.
Total gross revenue including cleaning fees, after guest discounts. Growth shown against 2023. 2026 is revenue on the books as of October 19, 2026.
Up from $440 in 2025, +25%
About 59% occupancy across 59 guest stays
One more guest per stay, with no addition to the house
Every change had to earn its place by making the stay better and the nightly rate easier to defend.
A hot tub under a covered gazebo moved the chalet into a higher booking tier. A second fire pit and a geodome turned two acres of woods into usable space in every season, rain or snow.
Reworking the sleeping layout took capacity from 8 to 9 and refreshed the design along the way. Small change, but it opens the listing to bigger families and lifts the rate on every stay.
Rates are set months out based on season, day of week and where Northern Michigan demand is heading, then actively managed from there. Pricing stopped being set-and-forget.
New photo order and copy that lead with the beach, the hot tub and the outdoor space, plus a direct booking site alongside Airbnb and Vrbo so repeat guests can book with us directly.
★★★★★“Each night we took the 5 minute walk to the private beach for petoskey stone hunting and to see the gorgeous sunset. Afterwards, the kids chilled in the hot tub while my husband and I relaxed at the fire pit. The cabin itself was hard to leave.”
Angela, guest review, July 2025
Book a 30-minute call. We will look at your listing and your numbers and tell you honestly where the upside is.
2023 revenue as reported by the prior manager. 2025 and 2026 figures are from reservation records and include nightly rent and cleaning fees after guest discounts and adjustments, before channel fees, taxes and expenses. Owner stays are excluded. 2026 reflects reservations on the books as of October 19, 2026. Average nightly rate is rent after discounts divided by nights booked.