Start your Journey to Relaxation
Join us on 65 secluded acres in Allegan, MI
Castle in the Country
Our journey leading us to our Allegan bed and breakfast began in November 1990, when we moved from Holland, MI and purchased the Victorian mansion nicknamed “The Castle.” The property had been built as a summer home by John H. and Caroline Wurtz in 1906, and designed by a well-known architect from the area. Even with serious neglect, the beauty of natural hardwoods, original tiled fireplaces and quartersawn oak trim shone through the decades of dust and clutter. We were thrilled to be the sixth owners of this diamond in the rough and determined from the beginning to open it as a B&B within our home.
We named the business Castle in the Country and in July 1992 opened with four rooms, offering comfortable Victorian bed and breakfast accommodations. Herb continued his career in the corporate world and supported all four of us, as well as the home which we affectionately called the “money pit.” Ruth dissolved her consulting business to market and run the bed and breakfast. After about 5 years, with an expansion to the back section of the building, our Allegan inn became a five-room bed and breakfast with three jetted tub/fireplace suites and two classic guest rooms with private baths, all on 5 acres of lawns and gardens.
Ruth & Herb Boven, Owners & Innkeepers
In July 2002, Herb left his corporate position and joined Ruth as a full-time innkeeper. Entirely self-taught, Herb’s focus and passion is cooking and baking for our guests. He loves the science behind good food, and with his background in inventory control and materials management, he enjoys the challenge of producing great meals for our guests daily. He chooses only the best ingredients gathered from local farmers’ markets, bakes his own homemade sourdough bread and grows fresh herbs in order to make breakfast an amazing experience every morning for our guests.
Castle Keep
In November 2004, we expanded our business yet again through the acquisition of the adjacent property, which was called “The Inn at Froggy’s Pond.” This property was the original acreage that John and Caroline Wurtz had owned and used as their summer home estate.
Our Michigan inn and spa is now comprised of two magnificent buildings: the original Victorian Castle and the Castle Keep, a modern farmhouse. These buildings house 10 guest rooms and suites as well as a commercial kitchen, dining room, sitting areas, a spa area, book nook and gift shop. All of our accommodations have private baths, and most have jetted tubs and fireplaces. Both buildings are surrounded by 65 beautiful acres of manicured lawns and gardens and natural woodland settings. A gazebo in the woods borders a five-acre waterlily pond, and a screened porch and dock provide access to a private 80-acre lake.