The parents of current owner, John Afendoulis purchased Yiayia's Cottage back in the late 1960’s. John's father had a passion for carpentry and immediately started tearing out walls to remodel the house after purchasing it.
When John left the Grand Haven area to pursue a higher education, his father continued working on Yiayia's Cottage and eventually moved in with his wife in 1984.
Over the years, it became difficult for John's mother to manage the property on her own, which is why she moved out in 2007 and allowed her grandchildren to take care of it for her.
When John's mother moved out of the house, the emphasis shifted from a "home" to a "rental property," as it was originally intended to be. Today, Yiayia's Cottage is still an Afendoulis family home, however it has become so much more than that. Now, John and his family want others to use the cottage when they are not, so that everyone has a chance to enjoy beautiful Grand Haven, Coast Guard City USA.
The Greek theme in place at Yiayia's Cottage stems back to John's grandparents who were Christians from Asia Minor (modern day Turkey). Their family religion is Eastern Orthodox and their heritage can be traced all the way back to the time of Alexander the Great.
When Turkish president Atatürk kicked all of the Rum (Greeks) out of Turkey between 1922-24, most Greek villages in Asia Minor were moved to other parts of Greece, mainly in the North.
John lived in Greece for two years and enjoyed learning about his heritage while staying with his relatives. The Greek Islands are some of the most beautiful in the world and John wanted to change the appearance of his family cottage to represent a Greek theme. The word "yiayia" means "grandmother" in Greek.
Large rental property groups provide accomodations, but the process is usually an impersonal transaction. At Yiayia's Cottage, we strive to honor our Greek tradition of hospitality and make all of our guests feel at home. We encourage renters to get in touch with us at any time if there is anything they need.
A stay at Yiayia's Cottage is more than a rental agreement. Our family aims to build relationships with the guests who stay in our home. We want your stay to be memorable, and we would love for Yiayia's Cottage to become your go-to Lake Michigan vacation home.
