Gushing new life into Leland’s Falling Waters Lodge

By Chris Loud

Sun contributor

The new owners of Falling Waters Lodge in Leland bring new life to an iconic hotel with one of the most unique locations in Leelanau County. Their passage to ownership, and the chance to realize their dream, flowed through family ties, and therefore, love and frustration. And just like with family, their relationship with the lodge has been complicated, but always fueled with a passion for the potential.

If you don’t know Falling Waters Lodge, it’s that place in Fishtown that sparks curiosity while you’re in the middle of a pretzel bun bite. If you’re the kind of person who likes to see a smoked fish sticking out of your Bloody Mary, you already know Falling Waters Lodge. But you may only know it from afar, separated by the canal between your sun-soaked table and the fairytale-like roofline, looming over the rushing water. If you do already know Falling Waters Lodge, as a guest or Leland local, you’ve probably had similar feelings as the new owners—love and frustration.

Cooper and Emily Heston were more than aware of the challenges when they took over in March 2017, having worked there for several years while Cooper’s grandfather owned the lodge. “We needed to give it a facelift,” said Emily, “and prove to the community and all of our guests, that the previous problems had been there, and they were valid, and people were correct, but that now it was worth visiting. Sort of changing people’s perspectives.”

It was the perspective of Leland residents and business owners, who often did not recommend the hotel to potential travelers, but mainly they had to change the perspective of their guests, because they witnessed too much anguish. Cooper talked about the mixed reactions of the guests before he and his wife took over ownership. “People used to be so unhappy, but part of that was because there was so much potential for them to be SO happy.”

Emily remembers a helpless feeling while working at the lodge. “It was demoralizing, the number of times we got yelled at by guests. People would cry because we ruined their anniversary. Just knowing that more often than not the people who stayed were going to be unhappy, it was too hard to not be able to do anything about it. Despite all of that it was still a profitable business every year that his grandfather owned it, because the location was so good, people would stay despite it, and just leave grumpy with us. We got so we would flinch when anyone would walk into the office. We knew there was a good chance we were going to get yelled at, and there was nothing we could do about that.”

Make no mistake, they knew they were getting a profitable business with guests that continue to come year after year, despite as Cooper’s puts it, “enduring the rooms”, because they’re in Leelanau County and in a beautiful location. While they worked at the lodge, Emily and Cooper already knew there needed to be changes, even just simple things like the 1970s curtains, or the stained carpets, but Cooper’s grandfather was resistant to change. However, he did run a fairly successful hotel for 19 years. Nobody is more aware of that dichotomy than Cooper.

Two decades ago, Cooper’s grandparents moved up to Leelanau County to retire. However, two or three weeks after they moved, they bought Falling Waters Lodge. Then, they eventually took over ownership of Leland Lodge as well. So for those keeping score at home, that’s two hotels, one with a restaurant. In Cooper’s opinion, his grandparents never actually retired.

Cooper’s grandmother helped manage the Leland Lodge. When she passed away, while Cooper was a senior in high school, his summer job became running the Lodge. “It was basically one of my first jobs ever, and easily the most difficult job I have ever had,” he remembered. So he was thrown into the fire pretty early on. Cooper went off to college, where he met his future wife, Emily. After his grandfather sold the Leland Lodge, their summers were spent working together at Falling Waters.

After Emily and Cooper graduated from college, they moved to North Carolina. They wanted to see if they could start a life there. They loved Leelanau County, but the frustrations with Falling Waters fueled a need for change. Three months later, Cooper’s grandfather was dealing with health issues, and needed help running the business. So, Emily and Cooper packed up their U-Haul, which was “the exact same size as the Honda Fit” they pulled it with, and in 24 hours drove up to Leelanau County to take care of Cooper’s grandfather, and help run Falling Waters.

Two years later at the end of 2016, his grandfather passed away, and his mother and uncle inherited the lodge. At the time, his mother and uncle were not interested in running the lodge, so the next logical person in the family was Cooper. A price was agreed on, and in March 2017, Emily and Cooper purchased the lodge. The purchasing experience had its own familial complications, but nevertheless, they hit the ground running. To their advantage, they had been dreaming about specific changes that needed to happen for several years before taking over, and they weren’t going to wait any longer.

A defining moment occurred just after they bought the place. “We had folks who stayed with us two years ago, before we took over, and had an awful visit,” Emily remembers. “They hated everything. They checked out and asked if they should bother coming back. We said, give us a chance next year, we can take it over and make some changes. They came back in the spring of last year right around the time we bought it. We literally installed flooring in their room the day they checked in. The housekeepers were mopping the new floors as they were carrying their suitcases up the stairs. And they had a ball.” Cooper chimed in excitedly, “We didn’t even have everything done in the room, it was barely rentable. And they had a great time.” Those same guests came back just recently in Spring 2018 and had an even better time. They’re already booked for four nights in 2019.

Emily and Cooper even had some longtime guests burst into tears when they saw the updates, a sight that had to have felt very full circle. Their goal is to make the inside of the lodge as beautiful as their location, and they’re right on track. In the rooms you’ll see tastefully updated decor, attention to detail and cleanliness, and long-needed changes to the floors. And yes, the old curtains are gone. Outside, many of the exterior decks and balconies have been replaced, adding to the “curb appeal” (canal appeal), but also just making the area safer.

Their color scheme follows the many shades of blues and greens of nearby Lake Michigan, an homage to part of the reason Falling Waters Lodge was able to stay alive for so many years. While adding some modern amenities and style, they still want to acknowledge the importance of their location, and the history. “We talk a lot about modern Fishtown,” said Cooper, “we really want to keep the historic feel when you come to Fishtown, but with some of the modern comforts that you’d expect from any other hotel.”

Their plan for the lodge had two stages. First, make it clear they’re moving in a new direction, aimed at making the guest happy with their experience. They believe they’ve accomplished a lot of that in their first year. Second, is community outreach and involvement. They’re using local artists, furniture makers, contractors and vendors. Also, they want to be able to have some of the local restaurants deliver food directly to the rooms, and work with local businesses on other potential collaborations.

“We both care a lot about the community of Leland, and northern Michigan”, said Emily. “Family and that sense of community are really important to both of us. And that extends out to our guests and staff. So we want people who spend time at the lodge, guests and staff, to feel like this is a home away from home.”

There’s also a vibe to Leelanau County that Emily and Cooper embrace, and they want Falling Waters to follow the lead of the locale. “Whether they live here or vacation here, this area seems to inspire some awe, and people need to come back,” said Emily. “Also, people work very, very hard and play really, really hard. We admire that and respect that, and can relate.”

To keep up to date with all the new things happening at Falling Waters, from featuring local artists in the rooms, to installing huge new decks by way of a large crane, follow them on social media at @fallingwaterslodge or check out their website at FallingWatersLodge.com.