Originally, the Douglas Dunes was slated to open in Saugatuck, Michigan, in an old B & B that you would pass just as you entered the city. Around this time, a band of bikers burned the only gay bar in Saugatuck, so the city’s commissioners were against opening any new exclusively gay businesses in town. Douglas Dunes original owners Carl Jennings and Larry Gammons decided to purchase the Amity drive-in motel in Saugatuck’s neighboring town, Douglas.
Humble Beginnings
In its infancy, the Douglas Dunes was home to 22 hotel rooms, a restaurant, a lobby bar, and outside dancing during summer months only. Over the years, the Dunes has become one of the country’s largest LGBT resorts and a gay institution of Michigan and the Midwest. Drag, leather, bears, lesbians, couples, singles, queers, curious, straight.. anyone who falls in (or outside of!) the LGBTQ spectrum has found welcoming arms at The Dunes. One of the current owners, Mike Jones, recants, “everyone who comes here feels good and feels comfortable. You can be sitting at the bar with lesbians on one side, a cross-dresser on the other side and everyone is just having fun. This is a very welcoming place, regardless of what you like, what you don’t like, how much money you make, how much money you don’t make, what you’re wearing, etc.”
20 Acres, 80 Rooms, 4 Indoor Gay Bars
It was 1999 when Jones, along with Danny Esterline and Greg Trzybinski purchased the Douglas Dunes, and renamed it The Dunes Resort. The trio has carried on the tradition of providing a gay safe haven and inviting gays from around the country and the world to discover the beauty of Douglas and Saugatuck and their community. Over the years, The Dunes Resort has developed into a full-scale 20 acre gay resort while retaining its quaint surroundings. “When the previous owners started this in 1981, people came here and they fell in love. We wanted to enhance the Dunes experience, update it and continue its legacy,” says Jones. The Resort is now home to over 80 rooms, 4 indoor gay bars, an outdoor patio and pool bar, and some of the most sought-after entertainment in the industry. Gay friendly accommodations at The Dunes fit every budget and lifestyle, from dorm-style motel rooms to cottages and cabins for rent with shared hot tubs.
Top DJ’s, Live Cabarets, and a Pool Bar
The Dunes Resort is so much more than a gay friendly hotel. One of the most memorable experiences of guests is the entertainment. The Dunes’ on-site nightclub features Resident DJ Doug Roberts. The resort’s 2016 guest DJ line-up at The Club features some of the nation’s top DJ’s including : GRIND, Tony Moran, Phil B, Drew G, Seth Cooper, Tristan Jaxx, Eddie Martinez, Joe Gauthreaux, and Theresa & Hector Fonseca. But DJ’s are just the beginning of what will likely be an unforgettable gay friendly vacation. Live cabaret entertainment will impress even the most critical friends at the Show Bar. And the summer nights you will always remember (or barely remember!) are most likely to happen at The Deck and Splash, the outdoor patio bar and pool.
Gay, Straight, Young, Old – Everyone Welcome
Jones, Esterline, and Trzybinski have pulled out all the stops, with everything from signature frozen slushies with test tube shots to poolside cabanas you can rent for the true VIP experience. But at the heart of the largest gay and lesbian resorts and entertainment complexes in the Midwest and West Michigan’s premier gay friendly vacation destination is a basic principle; providing “A rare and special place where people of all walks can find themselves, lose themselves and most importantly, be themselves. You get to leave the real world for a little bit. You can hear fantastic music or come to the cabaret for a great show. Sing Karaoke or watch strippers. You can be gay, straight, old or young, and feel comfortable here. It doesn’t matter who you are, everybody is welcome,” says Jones.
The Resort has worked with various community organizations, including The Michigan Make a Wish Foundation, West Shore Aware, The Community AIDS Resource and Education Services of Kalamazoo, the Toys for Kids Program with Christian Neighbors, and a variety of other local, regional, and national organizations.
The Dunes Resort kicked off their celebration of this incredible milestone with a 35th Anniversary Party featuring celebrity impersonator Michael Walters as Dame Edna. The event was done in partnership with West Shore Aware, an organization that promotes the positive influence and public awareness of the contribution that gay men and women make to the West Michigan Lakeshore community. $500 was raised for the organization at the party. The Dunes will continue to celebrate their anniversary all summer long, with major events held year-round. We are happy to wish The Dunes Resort many congratulations on their 35 years of business, and look forward to celebrating many anniversaries to come.