Country Inn and Suites, Baymont Inn; Henderson Castle Review

I totally get why you would have a wedding here visions of a perfect fairytale wedding. But, don t....

I ve only attended 1 wedding here, and it was a wonderful celebration, but only because of 2 lovely families who made the day spectacular....Henderson Castle did everything they could to make it a nightmare. They were understaffed, unprepared, incompetent, and I frankly question if they ve ever planned or successfully orchestrated a wedding for more than 50 people. The layout unnecessarily caused crazy long lines, and only 1 bartender and 2 servers, most of the night made the problem significantly worse. The bathroom available for guests was located in the bridal suite, which was super weird and awkward. The poor wedding coordinator had no visible experience as to how to plan and organize a party of this size and magnitude she looked like she was going to cry or puke the entire night I actually felt bad for her. Even with an hour delay due to weather, food wasn t ready on time, and they ran out. (On the plus side, the food they served was good.) On top of that, there s a lot of deferred maintenance on the property, and some of the stairways are dangerous to navigate-especially in heels or for older guests. Overall I d give in zero stars it could be awesome, but only if they acknowledge and fix their issues.

Tried for 2 weeks to get a tour of the grounds for our wedding next year, finally get called back, booked for 1pm on a Monday afternoon. My fiance and I arrived to find the building locked and no one answering the phone or door bell. Very unprofessional to book an appointment and not even show up.

It was my 50th birthday so my husband booked a night . we got the queens tower with balcony. very cozy and pretty. staff was very friendly and helpfull. food fantastic. cant wait to do it a gain and try a different room because they are all differnt thank you sue

This place is AMAZING! beautiful building and grounds, it's own wine cellar for wine made from their own grapes, each room has it's own theme, and the veiw from our tower balcony was picturesque. The food was delicious, and for a small fee delivered to our room. Then, to top of a great day, we took advantage of the rooftop hot tub, which was very relaxing, and just a blast to think, "hey, I'm in a hot tub, on the Roof, of a Castle!"

The castle is beautiful and I enjoyed chatting with the bartender about the history. However, I would never recommend staying in the cottage! It was miserable. It s February and it was so cold, only heated by a small heater. It didn t even reach the bathroom at all! It was so cold in the bathroom it was unusable. There is also no tub and the shower leaked continuously spraying cold water everywhere. There was no way I could take a shower in there, I could barely use the toilet it was so freezing cold. I opted to shower when I got home. I was charged a total of $228 for this room (weekend rates) and it s not something I would ve spent $20 on had I known it would be so cold and miserable. Very disappointing for someone that doesn t have many chances to go on a vacation and then to be charged this much money. I only gave it 2 stars because the castle is so beautiful. And on top of that I was told there was no room left in the dining room and I couldn t eat dinner there. A guest can t have dinner? Just an awful experience all the way around, so disappointed. I hope to hear from management. -
Annette and Jon Johnston

We enjoyed the wine tasting and hearings about the history of the home, property and wine selections.

Spent an evening here it's an amazing place food was great and everyone was very friendly we will definitely be back

This place is amazing!! My wife and I are definitely coming back again!! Very kind and very friendly staff!!!

Wait staff sucked lobster bisque had shrimp no lobster could not even get a glass of water without flagging down a different waiter will not come back not even worth it

Our room was gorgeous. The customer service was impeccable. I love the Muriel on the ceiling in the bar and in the Tibetan room.

Recently had my first stay at the castle, and had a great time. Staff was very helpful and the food was amazing! Mekseb provided us outstanding service during our dinner. Would recommend the castle to anyone who is looking for a fun/unique place to stay in Kalamazoo

Henderson Castle was a fun and different experience. The dinner was slow paced, the food was excellent, and castle itself historically beautiful! We had a wonderful server, Drakkar! We would definitely go again!

Our overnight stay included a couples afternoon in the castle and it was wonderful! We absolutely enjoyed the history that came with a tour, relished in the massage that included champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries, sipped our way through some amazing wine selections during the tasting, and savored a high end dinner.

The only downfall was that the grounds looked pretty unkempt. I assume they were doing some fall cleanup. And also the hot tub before our massage was not ready/hot enough. Luckily we stayed and enjoyed the hot tub after dinner.

Overall a lovely stay and felt amazing to wake up in a castle on my birthday.

Went to a murder mystery dinner and the staff did almost everything they could to ruin it. The theme was changed very last minute so all the work we put into outfits was out the window. Paid a good price for the tickets and all they served was water. Dinner was awful. I had a party of 3 and we each ordered a different one of the 3 options. All were very less than impressive. The cup of soup we got was delicious. That was it. The waitress got rude and argued with us over the steak dish (which I was not the only one to send back). It was not cooked. The middle was purple mush and they didn't even cut out the tendon that ran through one of the 3 bites he got served. I was served my food last every time way behind the rest of my table. The show felt thrown together last minute and they really put a couple people from our table on the spot to the point of them getting frustrated and uncomfortable because their character cards didn't tell them what they were supposed to say. One of our conversation cards we got had a typo in it which they publicly made fun of us for reading. Not everyone likes being put on the spot and there were several at our entire table who expressed how thankful they were it hadnt happened to them. The rest of us had no parts to play at all and were completely ignored.. It took me 2 tries just to get drinks from the bar which were expensive and so slow. Nonrefundable tickets and we did not get what we purchased. The whole thing was unforgivably subpar. Our one positive was the front desk guy who got to take all the heat from everyone but he rocked.

The castle itself is amazing and beautiful! However our stay was less than impressive. We booked a few weeks in advance looking for a quiet, romantic night someplace new and exciting. When we arrived it was very crowded and we had More

This place is nice, but is a little hit and miss on the rooms. We have stayed here twice. The first room we stayed in was pleasant. It was quiet and very quaint. The staff was helpful and it was a great way to spend a special occasion. The second visit left a bit to be desired as we stayed in a cottage off the main building. The photos were a bit misleading as far as the actual room we received and the massage studio next door had very loud 'soothing' music that we could hear through the walls and was left on overnight. Then, whenever someone would come out for a massage, there was a needlessly loud conversation right outside of our door. Kind of takes the spark out of a romantic getaway, if you understand what I'm trying to say here. Some people like audiences, and that's completely okay for them, but it just isn't our thing. When we tried to speak with the staff about it, the person in charge was unavailable. Is this a nice place to visit to get away? Yes, for the most part. Just be sure to call and ask the right questions before booking a room. I think we'll be seeking another getaway location from now on, though.

I love the Henderson castle! I stayed back in August, I got to my room early and was able to explore all other rooms since no one was there yet. It s BEAUTIFUL! Everyone who works here is super friendly and gave us a list of places to visit around the area. They even gave me directions on how to find the Henderson s grave stones. I look forward to staying here again!

We stayed here on a quit Sunday in the winter, couldn t have asked for a better place! The hot tub on the roof and Amazing service will bring us back again :) highly recommend

The staff were amazing and allowed us to freely roam and explore the castle and it s grounds. The over all experience was great!

This is our second time to stay here and things did not go as smooth as the first time. The bartender needs to be more aware of his guests. He attended to less important things for over 30 minutes before serving the 6 people at the bar. Apparently, this is the way he operates because he was like that on our first stay.
We couldn't get appetizers before dinner.

Everyone was very professional and attentive and it was gorgeous inside. I gave 3 stars because for the dinner it said a 7 course meal, but was 6 and we paid 150 for the meal. It was too pricey for us and with wine and gratuity we spent over 200. Not worth the money we spent

The castle was beautiful. The staff was very accommodating despite a very busy weekend. My husband and I went for our wedding anniversary and it wad perfect. We reserved a spa day and the staff went above and beyond to work is in. The high tea was adorable and the snacks provided were delicious. Our room was actually in the house across the street. The bed was very comfortable and there was a pretty cool balcony. The only negative thing about the entire experience is the room was not as clean as it should have been. I actually found a cheerio on the bathroom floor.

I didn't stay, but attended a wedding reception and it was absolutely lovely. The food was great, wait staff was amazingly nice and the atmosphere was lovely.

During check in the staff said the place was supposedly haunted. I guess that is a selling point for some people but definitely not for us.

The amenities in the room were old. It is a 'historic' setting so I guess that is just the way it is, but don't expect luxury. The mirror was stained, the sink rocked if you leaned on it, the bed was creaky, the tub was dirty... It just didn't inspire confidence. It wasn't any dirtier than using a tub at a friend's house, but I don't want that for this price.

The complimentary breakfast was plain eggs, a shot of yogurt, a bit of fruit and a crossant, valued at $24.99 according to their menu. What?? They did offer to upgrade your omelet to meat or veggies for $8.95 or something. So for the price of the upgrade alone you could get a much better breakfast anywhere else.

My wife went to use the public bathroom and there was a big spider in there. We informed the staff, and out of curiosity I went into the bathroom 45 minutes later (we had to pack our belongings and check out) and the thing was still there. The pictures below are from my visit, the spider is almost 3 fingers wide . I tried to kill it with a paper towel, but it escaped down the sink drain. It's probably still there, but I did get one spider leg if that counts.

The hotel itself was beautiful, and Franklin was very helpful. The dinner was fantastic, and they tried to be very accommodating when I told them I was diabetic at dinner. However, breakfast ends at 9:30, but do not show up towards the end at 9:20ish, they will not serve you. It was quite disappointing especially when we had specifically told them before that I was diabetic. So we left without breakfast, and with a sour taste in our mouths. Overall, it is a very beautiful hotel, but it is very disappointing not getting for all you pay for.

Service was great and very attentive. The food was also very tasteful. Pricey but very well done. That's what's expected though.

Nice setting and old world feel. If you like tight spaces, this is not for you. With only 120 guests, they will pack you in!

Did the haunted house tour. Was a lot of fun. Learn about the Henderson's estate and history. Might try the bed and breakfast sometime. Tour came with a meal that was worth the price. If you are interested in haunted houses this is a good time.

The ONLY thing good about this experience was the food. I would highly recommend eating here but NEVER stay here. Very poorly managed. Arrived to room that was sweltering hot. There was not thermostat in the room and no linens for the pull out couch. I called the front desk but there was no answer, I am assuming that it was because it was 10:00. We discovered that our key fit the door next to us which happened to be the spa area where the thermostat was located and we found extra linens. We were not told what time breakfast was served the next day so we took our time in the morning and arrived in the meal area at 9:45 to which we were greeted by a staff member with a major attitude that told us we were late for breakfast and that she would have to check with the cook to see if we could still eat. She was serving breakfast, working the front desk and gift shop and overseeing other staff members that appeared to be very frazzled which was confirmed when one of them stated that it was her very first day and she didn't even know where the coffee was. We sat at a dirty table and were shocked to at least be able to eat. The checkout process was horrible as it took forever to complete as the person tried to manage all of the staff and wait on me at the same time. We purchased some items from the gift shop and were made to feel that it was a hassle for them to have to wait on us to buy their products. They didn't even provide us with a bag for our purchases until I asked and was told that they didn't know where they were. She finally found a bag and sent me on my way. The room was a mixture of some newer items with some very outdated items. This is fine but the couch and bathroom fixtures are so old that they appear dirty. The bathroom was freezing in the morning as you tried to take a shower in what can only be called a "rustic" experience. I will never stay here again and it is a shame to say it but the experience was so bad that it will prevent me from ever eating here again to.

Three friends and I did a tour and wine tasting at Henderson Castle over the weekend. We had a fabulous time!! The tour was great. It was super fun to explore and hear stories about each room. After the tour, we enjoyed sitting in the bar for the wine tasting and charcuterie board. Our bartender, Snow, was awesome. We ended up staying longer for another glass of wine, and we mentioned that we might want to walk through the cemetery across the street. Snow showed us on a map where to find the Hendersons' graves. The DJ stopped in and told us more stories about the castle. Later we did tour the cemetery... it's really beautiful! Our only regret was that we were only visiting and not staying in the castle. Next time for sure! Thanks so much for a great afternoon!

Henderson Castle was very quaint. I was excited to be staying there. Part of the castle was very clean and elegant. That was the lobby and eating areas. They looked beautiful. The rooms were very nice looking however we had some problems. The first time we stayed we had the room that was supposed to be haunted. The shower did not work but looked like it would have been a nice experience! The bed was clean but the chairs were extremely dusty when you sat on them. The other room we stayed in was the same way. The fireplace didn't work and the sofa in the room was so dusty when I sat it it that my allergies started acting up! The shower leaked all over the floor when we used it. The bathroom was very tiny because they took large rooms and made smaller units out of them. It is very beautiful in some areas but run down in others. The vegetable garden was a joke and the pillars around the wedding area look like anything or anyone touched them, they would collapse. They look so unsafe I was surprised that it wasn't out of bounds. The food was good but I didn't feel like it was as good as they had led me to expect. I also expected more information about the Henderson's and their history. Instead it was all about Frank Henderson's secret societies. I was very disappointed in our visit.

Was here for a wedding the other week and got to stay in the "cottage " (Aka converted garage). The antique IKEA bed we had was super creaky. And the in room A/C unit barely kept the room cool. The bathroom in the room was poorly designed for having been recently remodeled especially the lack of towel racks and the fact the shower get the entire floor wet. Enough with the room and on to the food. The appetizers were lackluster the chicken with peanut butter that was supposed to be satay had no flavor. Though the baked Brie was very good but that is hard to mess up. The steak they served was very tough but the sauce under it was tasty but the garlic mashed potatoes were cold and flavorless. The brunch the next morning was very disappointing it included a shot glass of yogurt that you couldn't get your spoon in. The French toast was 1/2 a dinner roll (from the night before) soaked in either amaretto or almond extract to the point that was all that you could taste. Also on our way out we saw a dead twitching mouse by the gift shop as we were leaving. All in all an underwhelming experience form the antique IKEA furniture to the lackluster food to a mouse in the hallway I will never be back. Though that being said it does have many picturesque locations for photos just don't stay for the food or lodging experience.

We went there for my wife's birthday and the dinner was horrible! The manager should be fired and the restaurant closed! It was worst experience we have ever had!

Enjoyed a wonderful Father's Day dinner at the Henderson Castle yesterday. The food was delicious, the staff was very friendly and it was fun to get to take a tour of the place. The rooftop looked awesome and had an incredible view of the city. It had just been completely redone and has a brand new hot tub.

My husband surprised me with an overnight stay at the Henderson Castle in early June 2018! We stayed in the Victorian room, which has two double beds, a gorgeous ornate dresser, a lovely fireplace, and quite possibly the world s smallest shower. The mattress topper on the bed nearest the fireplace may be oversized, but I loved it! I haven t found a bed this soft anywhere but home, so they score some major points with us right there! Here s the constructive portion of my review...once you re seated and ready to laugh. Before showering, my suggestion is to put the toilet seat down, place a hand towel on it, and use it as the shelf for shampoo, conditioner, shaving cream, and body wash. This necessity is missing from the shower altogether. Hey, we improvised and it works. What you cannot possibly be prepared for is that nearly every inch of the bathroom floor will be wet at the end of a five minute shower. The shower curtain needs to be 3 longer (lower) to help contain the water to the tiny triangular area it s intended to be used in. This explains why the lower 10 of the wooden bathroom door looks the way it does. There were drops of water on that too. Aside from the bathroom, this is a lovely place to visit, stay, and play! The staff is Mostly great. My breakfast consisted of a coffee and a croissant (with butter.)

We stayed in the Tibetan room which which was very unique. We had a comfortable stay. The bed could have been a little newer but the room was enjoyable one to be in. The bathroom was fun with a lot of natural light. The hot tub on the roof was also a fun touch. We explored the grounds some which were very pretty. I would like to be back when the winery is open. The outside of the building did need a little work at the time but that may have been completed by now as we stayed in early spring 2016. Overall a fun place to stay with character.

Awesome stay and such a unique place to stay. The furniture and the rooms were amazing.

Absolutely gorgeous place with very courteous and helpful staff can't wait to attend one of the princess parties. :-)

We didnt stay. Came for a massage and dinner. Food was good. But it wasnt busy. AT ALL. We waited over 1.5 hours for our steak dinner. Not sure if we will ever return !!!

My husband and I really enjoyed our stay in the Tibetan Room. So romantic. So memorable. Great getaway...no kids. The food was delicious and the rooftop hot tub was spectacular. We'll definitely be back.

It is an impressive house, certainly even more so in its time. Upkeep is surely costly, hence they created a foundation to raise more funds for that purpose (a portion of all reservations goes towards this). All Kalamazoo residents and tourists should tour through at some point. As far as its marketing as a luxury bed & breakfast, I'll say the food was overpriced in my opinion, staff was not well-trained on the reservation software and our bed was smaller than expected with a memory foam topper for added comfort, though it was rather squeaky. Jet tub was nice, though it was strange to enter our oddly-shaped room through the bathroom (could be inconvenient at times!--all rooms are different, though, so a variety of experiences available). Subcontracted couple's massage in carriage house was lovely. I guess I just expected more given the local hype. It's checked off the list--I don't feel the need to return.

Beautiful setting. Rooms were nice. Staff very friendly. Service is slow paced, food was good. Don't stay here if you expect staff to jump... I've been a career-waiter so I am over critical, but I think most people would find this place just fine. We enjoyed our stay. I would only suggest the staff receive some real service training and they could be great!

My friend came into town all the way from the other side of the country and we thought a fun event would be to visit the castle and get a tour. We both love architecture and old buildings. She made the reservation online, a week prior and we got a call about an hour before the tour telling us that they didn't do tours at 3pm. I live an hour away, so we were already on our way. They had a week to inform us that we wouldn't be able to tour and a week to rectify the situation so that we could go on a tour at the proper time. The woman who left a voicemail asked us to call back and we did several times and no one answered the phone.

We decided to go anyway as the building is so beautiful we wanted to see it. When we went, we told them we wanted a refund. Since no one was answering the phone, we weren't even sure if we would be able to get a refund, they gave us the run around and told us we could join the wine tasting. We never expressed interest in the wine tasting, so I don't understand why they would offer that. I wasn't sure if it was an offering in that we would get it for free or have to pay for it. It was very weird.

They finally let us look around which was definitely worth it, as it's such a beautiful old mansion, which is why I can't give this review one star. Then we went back downstairs and told them we did want a refund due to us never going on the tour. The girl at the desk had to call over the manager who apparently gave us the refund but didn't bother to tell us until we asked about it. Overall it was a weird experience that made me wonder how they are able to continue this business with so many bad reviews. I would recommend going and seeing it for yourself, but I wouldn't trust them to do right by you.

This place is amazing!!! The hotel is absolutely beautiful and my room was so fun!! Ammenties are awesome. So glad I picked this hotel to stay at. I also went on the tour of the castle and it was really good. Will definitely recommend and hope to come again soon!

Website is extremely deceiving, rooms are small, hot, and basically dirty.booked romantic room and left twenty minutes later with no refund...nothing romantic about it!!

We are excited to have our wedding there this spring.

We visited for a girls night out...food was amazing, atmosphere was perfect, and the service was beyond fabulous. Will return again - but will take husband with me the next time!

The scenery is amazing and the grounds are kept nicely. All staff were pleasant and made my wife and I feel welcome.

A beautiful place with excellent service. The staff is phenomenal. Thank you Devon & Harley for helping us check-in, thank you Drakkar for getting us half &half and wonderful dinner service, thank you Francois for a scrumptious pan seared Walleye and lobster bisque, thank you Matt for making us gorgeous drinks (Pink lady & Golden Cadillac) and thank you Anthony for wonderful breakfast service. It was a delight staying here and we loved the decor and flavors of the castle.

My now wife and I found Henderson Castle while looking for venues to get married. The only issue was that we lived 10 hours away. Francois and his staff worked with us and we ended up renting the entire castle for our wedding party and close family for the entire weekend. It was a fun and awesome experience. The view is pretty, the castle is impressively decorated, the staff was attentive and performed wonderfully, and the food was incredible. I really mean that about the food- excellent French cuisine. The rooms are also themed and memorable. Each room has a "thing" about it to make it unique. The sauna and rooftop hot tub are pleasant surprises, as well.

Henderson Castle is worth it. Stay a night there and you will carry the experience with you always.

The room was clean and all of the staff we encountered were very nice and helpful. We stayed in the French Room. It s absolutely beautiful! My bf opted for a romantic upgrade for me for a surprise! :) They put rose petals on the bed and leading to the claw foot tub. They also put out for us champagne and chocolate covered strawberries. It was very lovely. You could walk around the castle as well and check out the rooms (as long as no one was booked in them) We just stood at the edge of the doorways and peered in. The rooms are stunning! The castle also has a roof top bar and jacuzzi! They provide a complimentary breakfast, which I am enjoying right now. The eggs are delicious! We cannot wait to come back to the castle!

Henderson Castle is a highly unique, charming and quirky experience for an overnight stay. Great helpful staff make u feel at home, super comfortable beds, lots of amenities, great food, spectacular views! I will definitely come back for another stay... Sandy Z, Naples, FL

My husband and I had our wedding at Henderson Castle in August 2013. The night turned out amazing. I cannot express how thankful I am to Francois, Jennifer and the staff at the castle. I have had many compliments on the location of our wedding and many people stated it was the best wedding I ve ever been to.

The food was AMAZING, from the appetizers to the main course to dessert to breakfast the next morning. We opted for the bacon wrapped pork and chicken penne pasta dishes. I don t think there was a single person who left food on their plates! They were also able to cater to both vegetarian and gluten free. As for dessert, we opted for a blueberry cheesecake which was to die for! We also had individual pastries for our guests. The French toast breakfast with rolls and fresh fruit in the morning were phenomenal also. Very filling and wonderful tasting.

The rooms at the castle were very clean and neat. It is definitely not a hotel. Each room has a specific theme and history. The walking tour in the castle allows to get the historical perspective of each room.

The view from the roof is breathtaking, as we took many of our wedding pictures up there. There is also a large stained glass in one of the stairways, which was beautiful in the pictures. I do wish the gardens were a little more in bloom, but I m definitely not complaining here!

In terms of planning the wedding, I would expect that all venues have hiccups along the way. Francois and Jennifer worked with us every step of the way to get us what we wanted. The day of the wedding, we had an outdoor wedding and were able to get in a set up earlier than the usual check-in time, for which I was so grateful for. The dinner service could have used more staffing. I think if dinner was indoors, it would have been enough, but it took a while outdoors to get all of the plates served.

At the end of the night, I was a happy bride and would not have changed my venue for anything.

Gross , Disgusting, and ruined our wedding night.
It was a historical venue so I would expect them to keep the bugs out in order to maintain its condition. Instead there were bugs everywhere.
Also our room description promised a luxurious bathtub and we got there and there was no bathtub only a slanted floor and a rusty shower head.
The floors, walls, and curtains were covered in mold which again I believed would be taken care of in order to maintain this once beautiful building.
The owners obviously care more about the fact that's it's historic than maintaining it so it can continue to stand and be functional.
Zero respect for history.
Pro tip: hire a better cleaning crew.

Beautiful place, really enjoyed it. The massages are very worth it!

Not impressed with this place at all! The rooms are tiny and the place is in serious need of basic maintenance and upkeep. Food prices are unnecessarily high. Breakfast was a big let down - they wanted to charge us extra money for an upgraded breakfast which was basically an omelette.

This place is beautiful and the service was excellent. We stayed in the Dutch room. The view out my window this morning was a beautiful sunrise. The breakfast which was included in the room was amazing. I highly recommend this place.

I had a very full and wonderful experience at the castle. I was able to do a wine tasting upon my arrival and the bartender was amazing and kept us laughing. After we got checked in to our spotless room and relaxed we enjoyed a candle lit dinner by the window over looking the vineyard. Our waiter was very attentive and the food was to die for. I love the aged steak that I ordered. I even for the chance to meet the owner/chef in the morning. He was so nice and sat and talked with me and my husband for a while. And don t get me started on the 60 minute massage that we had before check out. I ve traveled to so many places and have never experienced such a great bed in breakfast with great hospitality. I have been raving about it for the last few days

We came here for our honeymoon for 4 days. The castle is just so gorgeous love the old world fashion. It is a very old castle so its not your "brand new Hilton" type of place. Everyone treated us very kind and respectful, except for the gentlemen checking us out. Very rude inconsiderate and just not friendly at all. Definitely does not fit into the castles persona. The whole reason we came back was of how wonderful we treated on our first visit. Kind respectful customer service is everything. One bad seed will ruin the whole garden.

I really loved this place. Everything from the landscaping to the rooms. It is very old. Nothing really modern about it. If you like old historic places, you'll love it. It is very relaxing. The staff was very great as well.

Spent a wonderful night here after our wedding. The food and cocktails are always on point.

Could've been more modern, but a cute lil place. Nice staff, mekseb in dining room very nice .

Booked a dinner reservation and was going to be late, called this place 10 times and left a voice message saying I ll be late. They didn t get back to me and when I reached the place 30 mins before closing, refused to serve me and asked me to leave. The service staff is horrible and alway s looking for ways to turn down customers and not do any work.

The Henderson Castle is a beautiful location just off of downtown Kalamazoo, MI. It is situated on a hill with wonderful views of their vineyard and garden. My wife and I stayed here for our honeymoon and we stayed in a different themed room each night. The Vineyard View room, the French room and the Tibetan room. Each room had it's own theme with unique furniture. The dining room and wine tasting room were exquisite. We had a delicious dinner in their famous restaurant where we were the only two eating that evening. Dinner was amazing, I've never learned more about steak in my entire life but it was cool to learn the differences in aging the meat.

Of course the staff was super friendly and extremely accommodating to all of our needs. We sampled the wines at the tasting room and were delighted at the variety and flavor. They have the only wine cave in Michigan to keep the bottles at the correct constant temperature for proper maturation and formation.

The lobby of the castle is amazing with an open staircase. Stained glass windows all around with access to a rooftop observation deck and hot tub.

All in all it was a short stay but we would definitely go back to try out the other rooms, taste some more wine and eat some delicious cuisine in the dining room.

It is a beautiful setting with wonderful service; however the meat was over seasoned.

Never leave a good review for a place that offers discounts if you do.

I would like to warn anyone who is thinking of going to the princess tea party. After paying for my four granddaughters and myself, $31 each, I expected a tea party! We were given one small teapot of punch to share. There was no petit fours or saviors or tea! The kids were given a piece of hotdog one inch long in a puddle of ketchup, 3 gummy bears on a toothpick, dried up Mac and cheese in a cupcake paper, cheese pizza the size of a saltine cracker, yogurt in a small shot glass they couldn't eat because they were given tablespoons to eat with, and a cookie. The hostess left the dining room and forgot to serve me. I had to ask someone else. Everyone was done eating by the time my bowl of salami and a 3 inch wrap came. We asked the hostess for water. Didn't get any. My granddaughter asked for more punch, hostess laughed at her and said " it must have been good", but didn't give us anything to drink. The princesses came in and sat at the tables. Bell came in holding her cell phone. She sat at our table, didn't talk to anyone, started checking her phone. Got up and sat at another table. There was only four princesses, even though they advertised more. Cinderella left after 20 minutes. Bell left and showed up at the end. The craft is coloring a crown that is geared for a two year old. Half of the guest were done after five minutes and running around. I called Jennifer the manager, and was talking to deaf ears. Franklin was understanding but had to play the messanger. I wanted my money returned for a lousy princess tea party. It was poorly planned and service was even worse. They advertised petit fours and saviors and tea! They advertised many more princesses! The tea party was a joke! Jennifer said they were throwing away too much food so they changed the menu to kids friendly. That is not what is advertised. If you really want to go, ask what exactly is served. But don't believe it!

I went to their website to book a lovely Valentine's Day/Night reservation. It was easy to navigate through, and made the reservation. The room was beyond what i would have thought it would be. The package I selected was pricey, but worth every penny. The Shower in the room was having issues, so they installed a Jacuzzi tub to accommodate. The staff was pleasant, and the stay was memorable. Thanks for the experience!

Henderson Castle is worth the look. We visited in 2015 and enjoyed looking around the castle. The food wasn't as extraordinary as we had anticipated, but it wasn't bad. The wine tour was great, but it's only as good as the guide. It would be worth asking who the guide will be and how long they've been on staff before booking one. Friendly staff (as of 2015). It's a fun stop if you're in the area or looking for a quick getaway.

The worst experience ever!!! The food was not good and a limited menu for lunch. No bread basket or appetizers on menu. Food thumps DOWN. My $10 a glass of wine tasted like a house wine at Applebees. Drinks thumps DOWN. After a long wait we first got our Entree, then later our soup and then last our house salad? Apparently our server had no training at all.. Wait service thumps DOWN. I used the restroom, which is located in the basement. And I will add the steps were dirty and the one stall/unisex bathroom was outdated and dirty. Another thumps DOWN. Then the check came. I can't not even get into all the details it was awful. We had two certificates. apparently only one party was allowed to use this???? But if the other couple with us would of sat at the table behind us then it would of been accepted. I then asked to talk to the Manager. The manager was rude and actually raised her voice and yelled. We had a party of 5 and all concurred she was unprofessional and confrontational . Thumps DOWN management and the owner. I do feel very sorry for the untrained waiter we had, and I suggested he should find another job somewhere else. I eat out a lot as most of us do and I travel with my husband nationally and may I add I am 50, so I feel my experience has been vast. I have never experienced anything like this nightmare before. Especially the way management acted. I recommend NO one going to Henderson Castle for any reason at all.

Hi real wedding guest and person here,

This is just getting pathetic now on the part of the owner of Henderson Castle. Please just own up to the fact that this establishment was grossly understaffed and unprepared for an event of this scale. All the guests witnessed the incompetence of your staff at some point in the night. Based on previous reviews from guests that stayed at your facility our party was not the first to think parts of your establishment are falling into disrepair.

Most of the reviews from this past weekends wedding have not even touched on the difficulties the bride & groom experienced while planning the event. I know for a fact that they were very close to walking away from this venue at multiple times during planning. This was due to incompetence, unmet promises, and new fees appearing left and right. The only reason they did not was because they did not want to loose the money that had already been put down in good faith. This couple gave your establishment a chance to prove them wrong and prove that you are a respectable business to work with.

Sadly, the owner is not taking this opportunity to fix the problems with staff and the physical venue but to throw a fit online under fake names because he is upset that we are trying to warn future clients what they may be dealing with.

In conclusion, the wedding guests and party made the best out of a terrible situation created by Henderson Castle. The issue was not the weather, anyone can have bad weather. The issue was lack of caring or concern on the part of the venue and owner. Be warned Henderson Castle does not care about its clients or their experience as long as they can bribe you for a good review with a waffle. Now Henderson castle is offering a one night stay at the terrible establishment in exchange for a review. Overall 0/5.

This was the absolute worst place I have ever stayed at. I stayed in the Cottage Suite A. The room had clearly not been cleaned since the last guests. There were MULTIPLE piles of food crumbs in the center of the floor. The bathroom had hair on the floor. After taking a shower we discovered the shower does not drain properly and simply pools into large puddles. The shower is also 'wet floor' shower. As in the shower is completely uncontained, it soaks the entire bathroom and didn't even fully dry by morning. The shower curtain liner had a large patch of mold on it. The heat was on so incredibly high and could not be adjusted. It was at least high 80's if not 90 degrees in the room all night. It turns out our bathroom lights/fan were tied into the same breaker as the lights in the neighboring suite, cottage suite B and that when they had all their lights on and we tired to turn our bathroom light on it blew the breaker.

It's fine, unless you need something. Very odd atmosphere. We had dinner reservations at 6pm, finally got to order at 8:45 pm and ate after 9pm. Everything seemed either broken, dirty, or out of order. No response what so ever from management, and nobody answers the telephone. Terrible experience all around.

The Henderson Castle was a beautiful place to visit. Even though it was raining during the event (trunk or treat), the boys still had fun and my husband and I enjoyed walking through and seeing all that it has to offer. The service was friendly, helpful, and informative. If you are unable to stay, I would highly recommend at the very least a tour of the castle.

Perfect place for a getaway somewhere unique and different in downtown Kalamazoo.

We reserved high tea for 3 people. This was our first visit to see the castle. For as much money as it cost to dine there, I was expecting something a bit more grand. The service was slow, there was loud commotion outside from landscapers' chain-saws, no privacy and no music at all to accompany our experience. We tipped generously anyway, but I don't think I'd visit again.

Don't bother. They mess everything up and you will not be refunded. Everything offered isn't worth the money at all.

An experience of a life time

It was a beautiful summer day in June, 2013, as we drove up the winding driveway and up the steep hill to the Henderson Castle in Kalamazoo, MI; we were in awe of this great establishment built in 1895. The Henderson Castle has so many things to offer such as a very interesting historical background, many updates and amenities, a breathtaking view of the city from a roof top Jacuzzi, and five star dining .

We entered the castle and were immediately greeted by the staff, shown to our room which was Mr. Henderson s personal suite. We were given a brief history of the room by a courteous and friendly staff member and she even gave us hot tea and biscuits, which were delicious. There are so many unique rooms to choose from at The Henderson Castle, and each room has its own uniqueness, theme, and history. The rooms are affordable, clean, and have all the amenities that you need in order to be comfortable during your stay and The Henderson Castle staff is friendly, courteous, and professional.

After dinner, we sat at a small cafe table on the porch, just the two of us, enjoying our cocktail prepared in the Henderson Castle s own bar that s tucked away in a little room. We reflected on a perfectly prepared 5 Course dinner by Chef Francois Moyet, Owner, and how our waiter played violin for us beautifully during dinner.
We couldn t help but wonder what it must have been like to purchase this castle like Francois did, with a goal in mind for a Bed & Breakfast. Suddenly, it all became so clear to us. Francois was allowing his guests to be part of his dream. At that moment, we decided not to leave the castle for sight-seeing in the city and we immediately booked a tour of the castle for the next day after we ate a delicious breakfast prepared by Francois. As the day went on, Francois gave a group of people a tour of the castle and we got to see the beautiful garden where fresh vegetables are grown that are used on The Henderson Castle menu.

When you choose to stay at The Henderson Castle, you re not getting a predictable experience you re getting a once on a life time experience. We hope to come back again soon, spend time together as a couple and learn even more about this national historical landmark, that s right here in Michigan!

Thank you to Francois, and his dedicated staff, for making our 2 day getaway seem like we travelled the world, to explore a hidden gem that was just 4 hours from our front door.

Respectfully yours,
Ange Smiley

I stayed in the new bed and breakfast, it was what we expected based on the reviews we read. There were little maintenance issues everywhere, like, wallpaper peeling, paint chipped, door trim chipped, etc. It felt like we were staying in a home though which was nice. We called the front desk several times with no answer and so we went to the desk and no one was there. There was a lot of confusion as to what was available/complementary to guests. It seemed like there was a lot of new staff that wasn't sure how to answer questions. It has a lot of potential if they just made it a little more like a hotel. Also they should call it Henderson Mansion Inn, it hardly feels like a castle on the inside, and its a stretch to say it looks like a castle from the outside.

Okay on to the positive- the staff was all very friendly and nice, and they tried their best to be helpful. The sauna on the third floor and the hot tub on the roof are a must! Simply amazing to be up there as the sun goes down. The soaps, conditioners, and lotions they have smell amazing. The breakfast was a great price for three small courses and the way they presented it was extra special, and had impeccable timing. Breakfast is also available on the porch. The grapes on the hill and winery are a very nice touch, we were sad to leave but I am not sure I would take anyone there that I was trying to impress.

The tour and spa treatment were amazing and well worth it! I would caution you about dinner at the castle though. The food is good but the price is ridiculous. I would have been happier just doing the tour and eating somewhere else.

Truly a grand experience
Impeccable accommodations
Fantastic service
A true taste of European hospitality
Would highly recommend this to anyone

My wife and I visited the castle for our second wedding anniversary. As we arrived the parking lot was full due to a wedding party. The manager told us we would need to park in the street of the adjacent neighborhood and said there should be open parking spots after 10pm. There was no offer of helping us get our luggage up to the building or even to our room. Due to the wedding going on we could not have dinner until after 8pm as the wedding party were using the dining room nor could we wander the castle until the wedding was over after 10 pm. Once in our room we found it beyond dusty. There were stained bathrobes left for us in the bathroom and the plumbing was in bad repair. The bed literally had holes with visible metal sticking out on the sides. Upholstered chairs in the room had large holes, they looked like they should be at the curb on trash day. What was advertised as a romantic place to stay was anything but. I actually photographed the things I ve written about here So I can prove Im not exaggerating when I tell my friends and family.

Had 15 minutes left to enjoy the hot tub and go up top and see the city at night, clerk showed us how to get up there, changed and had enough time for. Quick dip but they already locked it and by the time we went down to the desk they kept saying it closed at ten but it was already locked when we were trying to get up there for 10 minutes. But of course later the clerk and others were heard from the grounds on the roof loudly laughing partying and others up there. Would have been nice to have at least seen the view of not had out at least 14 minutes in the jaccuzi instead of it being locked early. Can't have any alcohol from outside or food, but nothing for sale after checking in the lobby and noone available in the lobby, would not recommend staying, room was warm, despite ac, nothing to do here after 10 pm unless you go out. Hotel bar was not open until 10 as advertised, best to stay in GR at the Amway then here for a older luxury hotel stay. Also found in the am that the in room whirlpool tub had long hairs in it and dead skin cells floating in it. Was not impressed with the Maple room cleanliness. Will not book or recommend again.

Very unpleasant experience!! Arrived at 3:30 and told by desk staff that we couldn t check in until 4 p.m. because the owner was on site unless we paid an additional fee. She told us we could explore the 1st floor and outside and come back at 4 p.m. which is what we did. Upon check in we were asked for our credit card and photo ID - we provided credit card and drivers license. She then took a photo copy on the same page of both then asked for it to be signed and dated. We were uncomfortable with this as we have never been asked to do this anywhere in our extensive travels in the US or other countries we ve been to. My husband did sign and date the copy. She then took us over to what was described as a Cottage A she left us in the vestibule between our room and Cottage B and said the door was open. This building was nothing more than an old garage converted into 2 rooms. We looked around the room..my husband turned on a wall sconce which fell off the wall and was hanging by its wiring. We flushed the toilet but it did not work properly. The bathroom had a toilet and shower curtain between the 2 - no separate shower enclosure all open as one room. We attempted to open a crank window upon which time the entire window sash fell out of the window frame onto the ground outside. There was mold growth on the frame and windowsill. Upon discussing this we determined this was not a place we could spend 2 nights. We went back to the front desk rang the bell because no one was there. The same desk clerk came shortly and we said the room was unacceptable due to the issues we have just mentioned. We requested a credit for what we were charged and asked for our PERSONAL information (photo copy of DL and CC) back. At which point she wrote the email address for the manager and said we would need to email our request. She then went to a back area for a couple of minutes, supposedly to retrieve our information. When she didn t come back my husband went back there and she refused to give us our photo copy until she contacted the general manager. The copy was on the counter along with all the other guests personal information at which point my husband grabbed our information and left. In general, the place is in disrepair and unclean. They were totally unprofessional on how they handled this unpleasant situation.