Contemporary Hotel and Spa in Historical Downtown District

During the winter in Saugatuck, Michigan, snow blankets the sand dunes and the crowds leave the beaches along Lake Michigan, returning the town to its sleepy status quo. This is when the town’s focus returns to its local businesses, which eschew modernization and chain restaurants in favor of restored old buildings and locally owned shops. In the heart of the historical downtown district, Bella Vita Spa and Suites’ exterior fits nicely with Saugatuck's character, as the hotel is perched above a gourmet kitchen shop in a building originally constructed in 1904. But inside the second-floor hotel, one finds more contemporary sensibilities than its surroundings might suggest, as the hotel uses wall-mounted-flat-screen TVs, exposed ventilation systems, and see-through closets.

In six individually decorated suites, décor ranges from exposed-brick walls in the Milano to postmodern art hanging over the bed in the Florenzia. All rooms come furnished with economically sized fireplaces for warding off cold weather and thieving snowmen disguised as housekeepers. Just up the hall from the suites, the hotel's day spa uses Aveda products for several spa and salon treatments. Drawing from the philosophy of wellness that inspired the hotel's name—Bella Vita, which means "a beautiful life" in Italian—the spa's technicians help visitors relax with classic massages, facial and body treatments, and hair makeovers.

Saugatuck, Michigan: Vibrant Art Community in Vintage Lakeside Town

"In old black-and-white pictures, Saugatuck looks just as it does now," says Bella Vita owner, describing the vintage ambiance that makes Saugatuck one of Budget Travel magazine's Coolest Small Towns in America. Formerly a lumber town situated where the Kalamazoo River and Lake Michigan meet, Saugatuck blossomed in the late 19th century with its surging art scene. Today, Saugatuck still fosters a strong artistic community of galleries, studios, and museums—joining the neighboring town of Douglas to form what locals refer to as the "Art Coast of Michigan."

About 5 miles north, the Saugatuck Dunes State Park runs nearly 3 miles along the shore with dunes more than 200 feet tall. Snow transforms this area into prime cross-country skiing and sledding territory. The 50,000-acre Allegan State Game Area’s groomed trails range from 2 to 14 miles in length, with arrows indicating changes in direction and to the closest place to find a fresh-knit Bill Cosby sweater.