New event venue opens in Scandinavian-style vacation spot near Traverse City

ACME TOWNSHIP, MI - A development dotted with vacation rental homes in the woods - all designed with Scandinavian-style touches - now has a new event venue that’s sure to keep interest piqued in this pretty spot just north of Traverse City.

The 14 KOTI cabins opened last year, offering spaces for solo travelers, couples, families or friend groups to vacation together in light, airy spaces. This year, its Gather venue opened on site. It’s being marketed as a space for wedding receptions, family reunions, corporate and team events, and more.

The new space, renovated from the former Stained Glass Cabinet Company, can hold up to 99 people. It has a direct pipeline to a well-known local catering service, a full bar and bartending staff available. The two-room space also boasts high-speed internet and AV capabilities.

“We’re excited to open our new event space for large group gatherings and weddings,” said Sam Kelly, manager of the property. “Traverse City is such an amazing place to get married, host a group event, or gather your corporate team, and we think that our venue’s amenities provide convenience, style, and uniqueness that can’t be beat.”

It can be used for stand-alone events, Kelly said. Or for the ultimate convenience, guests can rent the new Gather venue along with some or all of the KOTI vacation homes.

Kelly recently booked a wedding party for this fall. While the wedding and reception are being held elsewhere, the family and friends are all staying in the vacation rentals, then using the new Gather space for the after-party and the next day’s catered breakfast.

“If people are going for convenience, this package deal has got everything you need.”

The event venue - with its original wood beams and huge interior space - is the latest facet in the Kelly family’s commitment to developing the KOTI vacation spot into a multi-functional property.

“It just an open canvas. There’s lots of room in there,” Kelly said of the renovated building, which kept its log exterior look.

There are plans for more buildings on site in the future. But this year, Kelly said his team is focused on creating more trails through the property, adding benches down by the creek and installing grilling and bonfire areas.

E-bike rentals will also be available to guests this summer. The area’s popular TART trail crosses into the development.

Kelly said KOTI enjoyed a strong first season last year. Guests were excited by having a middle-ground option between the Traverse City area’s standard hotels and motels and its high-end resorts.

“The feedback has been really good,” said Kelly, who came on board to manage the property after his father, Dan Kelly, created the development. “I think people are going to enjoy it this summer even more than last year.”

“If you don’t own your own cabin up in Northern Michigan, you can still rent one for a week.”

An Expanding Family Business

The Kelly family is well-known in the area for their hospitality business, Catering by Kelly’s, which has about 80 employees. Sam’s older brother, Josh Kelly, runs that operation.

Sam Kelly came home to Northern Michigan to rejoin the family business after 10 years of active duty in the Marines. After being stationed in South Carolina, Japan and Hawaii, Kelly and his wife, Paige, decided to bring their two daughters home to an area where grandparents are just a short drive away and they can grow up enjoying all that Northern Michigan has to offer.

“We’re excited for another summer season,” said Kelly, who remains in the reserves for the Marine Corps.

For more information on what you’ll find at KOTI, prices and other details, check the website here.

For more photos of what the Gather site looks like inside and with a panoramic view of the property, check the KOTI website here.