Overview

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Introducing:

HILLTOP HAVEN + ARBOR ISLAND on Sylvan Lake!

Hot Tub ☆ Pool Table ☆ Chef’s Kitchen ☆ Big Deck ☆ Kayaks ☆ SUPs ☆ Pedal Boat ☆ Bikes ☆ Fire Pit ☆ Big Pier ☆ Pontoon Available

☆ 5BR/4BA – SLEEPS 18 ☆

A GREAT PLACE for your:

– Family Reunion or Getaway – 

 – Birthday Celebration – 

 – MicroWedding or Shower – 

– Business Retreats & Team Planning – 

30+ five-star reviews in our first year!

Smaller Group? Available also as 2BR/3BA—please inquire.

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"This spot is paradise! Hilltop Haven is a perfect name and it was better than described! The house is absolutely gorgeous with a ton of space! The views are breathtaking, especially with the island thrown in the mix! David is a wonderful host who is super responsive should you need him for anything. This was my favorite airbnb yet and I hope to return in the future! Some amazing memories were made here!"  ~Holly (Fall 2024)

Read More Reviews!

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Welcome to “Hilltop Haven on Sylvan Lake” ~ a spacious & upscale waterfront home with its own private island!

🌅 THE SETTING

Sitting above & on beautiful Sylvan Lake, the property gives you fantastic views and direct access to all the lake has to offer! Plus, the historic Gene Stratton-Porter Garden & Museum with its 12-mile Fishing Line Trail is a short walk or bike ride away, and Sylvan Cellars Event Center is only a 6-min drive!

🏠 THE HOME

Airy and light, this 4,000-square-foot lake home boasts a wall of windows with fantastic views from its open kitchen, dining room, and vaulted great room. Featuring a game room with a pool table and kitchenette, a TV room with surround sound, and a custom indoor cedar hot tub, this home is great for both entertaining and relaxing. With 5 bedrooms and 4 full bathrooms, a large live-edge dining table, a kitchen island, and a second dining table, this home accommodates families and friends both big and small!

Noise note: Outdoors quiet at 10pm; Hot Tub Room & Game Room quiet at midnight (closest to our neighbors). Please keep doors closed and voices low during quiet hours.

(We also offer the house to smaller groups as a 2-bedroom/3-bathroom listing that sleeps 8. This smaller version has bedrooms 3 & 4 locked and is offered for limited summer dates, and during much of the fall, winter, and spring. Please message us for availability.)

🌊 THE DECK, BRIDGE, & ISLAND

Walk out the patio doors to a huge wraparound deck, with lounge chairs, a picnic table, and a large Weber grill. From the deck, follow a staircase down to 100+ feet of lake frontage, as well as a 72-foot footbridge to your private island!

The ¼-acre island has an open grassy area with a picnic table and outdoor games (lawn darts, cornhole, bocce), plus a shaded rock fire pit nestled among the trees.

Leading off the far side of the island is an 84’ L-shaped pier, large enough for 2–3 boats and benches for sunset watching. Off the pier is a large shallow area with a gravel bottom for swimming and water fun. Pedal boat included. We include 1 SUP + 1 single kayak (with life vests); extra kayaks, extra SUPs, and the pontoon are available for rent (see details below).

⭐ INSIDE HIGHLIGHTS ⭐

– Brand-new renovation 2024

– 5 Bedrooms | 11 Beds | 4 Bathrooms | ~4,000 ft²

– BR5 flex room: office/nursery/sitting (great for calls/private work)

– Office setup: door + external monitor (HDMI/USB-C); laptop-friendly

– Vaulted great room with views + 65” HDTV (HDMI/AirPlay; bring laptop)

– New kitchen appliances with double oven

– Artisan live-edge dining table – seats 8–9

– Large kitchen island – seats 6

– Game room w/ HDTV, kitchenette, & table – seats 4–6

– 8’ pool table

– 8-person indoor cedar hot tub – year-round

– 6 HDTVs throughout the home w/ Roku

– Super-fast fiber-optic internet (coverage throughout the home)

– Central AC with 2 zones

– On-demand water heater

– Whole-house water softener/filter

– 1-car garage bay for your use

⭐ OUTSIDE HIGHLIGHTS ⭐

– Large deck with grill, picnic table, & lounge chairs

– Fire pit on island with 10 Adirondack chairs

– Complimentary firewood; extra available for purchase

– 2nd picnic table on island

– 84’ L-shaped pier with built-in benches; docking for 2–3 boats

– 1 paddleboard included; extras available for rent

– 1 single kayak included; extras available for rent

– Pedal boat included

– On-site pontoon available for rent

– 2 adult bikes included; extras available for rent

– Parking for 6–8 vehicles

– Basketball hoop in parking area

🛌 SLEEPING SETUP

– BR1 (primary, ensuite): King = 2

– BR2 (ensuite): Queen = 2

– BR3: Queen = 2 + Daybed = 1

– BR4 (bunk room): Full/Twin bunk = 3 + extra Twin = 1 → 4

– BR5/Office: Loveseat pull-out (twin) = 1

– Great room: Queen sofa bed = 2

– Loft: Two chair pull-outs = 2

Beds/sofabeds shown: 16 → Max occupancy: 18 (1 pack-and-play available)

Great-room couch & TV-room couches not counted for sleeping.

📍 THE AREA

– Sylvan Lake: 5 large basins, 16 miles of shoreline, and many islands—plenty of space to ski, tube, paddle, and explore. Public boat ramp nearby; our pier welcomes your rental or your own boat (with approval).

– Boy Scout Island (Big Island): Short paddle from our island. 100+ acres to explore, outdoor chapel, 1-mile loop, public dock & pavilion.

– GSP Historic Site: Gene Stratton-Porter’s lakeside cabin, museum, and gardens. Reach it via the Fishing Line Trail, which passes near our road.

– Fishing Line Trail: Smooth 12+ mile paved path between Kendallville and Rome City—perfect for walking/running/biking (coffee & ice-cream stops en route).

– Sylvan Cellars Event Center & Tasting Room: Minutes away; premier venue + great night out (fine whiskeys, wines, craft beer, cocktails). Bus transport available; check their live concert calendar.

👥 BUSINESS RETREATS & TEAM PLANNING

Bring the team to the lake for clear thinking and easy collaboration. Hilltop Haven has multiple breakout zones, fast fiber Wi-Fi, and plenty of room to work by day and unwind by night.

• Work zones: Live-edge dining table (seats 8–9), kitchen island (6), game-room table (4–6), and BR5 office with a door for privacy.

• Screens & hookups: Great-room 65” display (HDMI/AirPlay—bring your laptop). Office external monitor (HDMI/USB-C).

• Wi-Fi: Fiber-optic with strong coverage (speed proof on request).

• Gear (by request): Whiteboard/markers, flip chart, HDMI cables, power strip.

• Decompress: Indoor cedar hot tub, island fire pit, cornhole/bocce, pedal boat; bikes & kayaks/SUPs available.

• Pontoon: Popular for sunset team cruises (by prior approval).

• Vendors welcome: Facilitators, yoga/massage, private chefs—written approval + COI required.

🚲 BIKES — FISHING LINE TRAIL + LAKESIDE ROADS

We include 2 adult bikes with helmets. The 12-mile Fishing Line Trail runs right past Hilltop Drive through quiet farm country; extend along tree-lined north-shore roads for lake views. Need more? A Bike Bundle (up to 8 total: adult/teen/kids) is available for an additional rental fee—please let us know before arrival or during your stay.

🛶 WATERCRAFT — EXPLORE SYLVAN LAKE

We include 1 SUP + 1 single kayak (life vests). Launch from our pier to quiet coves…or paddle to Boy Scout Island to explore the 1-mile loop. Want more? Our Watercraft Bundle (adds another SUP, a single kayak, and a double kayak) is available for an additional rental fee—please let us know before arrival or during your stay. May–Oct.

🛥️ PONTOON RENTAL — ONSITE & READY

Enjoy Sylvan Lake via our pontoon, tied up at the pier and ready for easy handoff—popular for sunset cruises. Available for an additional rental fee—please let us know before arrival or during your stay if you’d like to add it. Signed waiver required. May–Oct, weather-dependent. Experienced operator 25+; follow lake rules/quiet hours.

…So come enjoy Hilltop Haven! Reconnect in its open kitchen & great room, play some pool in the game room, soothe yourself in the cedar hot tub, cook out on the wraparound deck, picnic on our private island, explore Big Island and GSP, bike or hike Fishing Line Trail, and of course play all day on Sylvan Lake!

Availability note: We typically open dates ~4 months ahead on this platform. Planning further out? Message us your dates and group size.

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🔑 GUEST ACCESS

Your group has access to the entire property, except: two utility rooms, two closets, the attics of the house and garage, the 2-car garage bay (big door), and the area behind the basketball goal; these areas are private and off limits to guests. Smart-lock entry. Parking for 6–8 vehicles, plus a 1-car garage bay for parking or gear storage. Our online guidebook will be available after booking; arrival info will be sent within 24 hours prior to arrival.

🏠 House Rules (friendly but firm)

– Who can book: Lead guest 25+, staying the entire trip; no third-party bookings.

– Verification: ID/third-party screening, signing our rental agreement & waivers, and refundable damage deposit or non-refundable damage waiver are required.

– Guest roster: For safety/compliance, provide first names for all overnight guests and ages of minors (<18) at least 48 hours before arrival (updates welcome).

– Timing: Check-in 4pm / Check-out 10am.

– Quiet hours: Outdoors (deck, island, pier, yard) 10pm–8am. Indoors (Hot Tub Room & Game Room) midnight–8am—keep doors & windows closed, voices low; no speakers/amplified sound after midnight.

– Smoking/pets: No smoking or vaping anywhere on the property. No pets allowed.

– Parties/events: No parties or unauthorized events. Small daytime gatherings by prior approval only.

– Photographers/vendors: Written permission + Certificate of Insurance required.

– Food & drinks: Meals and beverages must be kept in main living spaces (kitchen, great room, TV room, game room, dining room). Water is fine anywhere, but no food/drink in bedrooms, bathrooms, or the hot tub room.

– Fire & fireplaces: No fireworks. No open flames within 50 ft of the house (gas grill OK while attended). Indoor fireplaces are decorative only—don’t use.

– Grill use: Grill must be cleaned and turned off after each use, and covered at the end of your stay. Guests who leave the grill dirty may be charged an additional cleaning fee.

– Water & hot tub safety: Life vests required on any watercraft; no watercraft after dusk; swim at your own risk; no diving/jumping from bridge, pier, or hot tub. Hot tub/watercraft/bike use requires signed waivers. Children must be supervised; home is not child-proof.

– Parking: Driveway/garage only (space for 6–8). Do not park across from neighbors’ houses.

– Boats: Docking your own boat requires written approval; guest assumes dock/shoreline liability.

– Cameras & sensors: Exterior cameras monitor driveway/entries/pier/bridge/island. Interior noise/smoking sensors only (no audio) help us enforce outdoor 10pm and midnight quiet hours.

– Trash & recycling: Use the outdoor toters by the garage: 3 black-lid (garbage) + 2 yellow-lid (recycling). Garbage pickup is weekly on Friday; recycling pickup is twice monthly (calendar provided in guidebook and on refrigerator). Place bins at the curb Thursday night with silver handle facing the road. No plastic bags in recycling—violations may result in extra cleaning or disposal fees.

– Outdoor amenities: Pier, watercraft, bikes, fire pit, grill, and outdoor furniture may be seasonal or weather-dependent.

– Agreement: By booking, you agree to follow the rental agreement, waivers, and guidebook, which supersede this summary.