The Aurora- Award Winning- Sauna available

Grand Marais, Minnesota
$406 avg/night
Bed 1

Bed

Bath 1

Bath

Home Private Vacation Home

Property Type

Sleep 4

Max Sleeps

The Aurora is a free standing home in the heart of Grand Marais near the harbor. Designed by celebrated Minnesota architect David Salmela and newly constructed in 2018/19. This collection of modern homes has been featured in Mn. Monthly, Midwest Home, Arch Daily, and other publications around the globe. We have even won awards for this architecture as far away as Sweden. The Aurora is the smaller sister to The Sky House and the Horizon, two sibling properties to Aurora in the exclusive enclave called tre søstra which means three sisters in Danish. Aurora is one bedroom, one bath, plus a very nice sleeper sofa for one adult or two children, and floor bed for one. There is a roomy main living space that seems to float above the area buildings and has wonderful view of the harbor, the town, and Lake Superior. Although designed ideally as an upscale oasis for two, 4 people can stay here in a pinch. The Aurora provides an inspiring modern space that allows for privacy among those sharing the lodging, and also provides a captivating view from the great room area on the top floor of the Grand Marais harbor, the neighborhood, and the town close by. She has a desk area in the bedroom, a walk out blue stone patio from the bedroom, a planning desk in the hall, an all tile bathroom with walk in shower, a large entry area, a full laundry, a beautiful flight of stairs to the upper level, a balcony, panoramic windows, fully modern kitchen with top of the line appliances, lighted drawers and butcher block countertops; dining for 4 with 6 possible, a custom sofa that sleeps one adult, or two children, a custom floor bed for one, and a gas fireplace. Everything is in walking distance from our little micro community in the heart of Grand Marais. Every restaurant, bar, coffee shop, gallery and Grand Marais' famous beach are all within a very short stroll from your private residence. The home is designed in modern Nordic fashion based on the original Stabur design- a work building commonly seen in Northern Europe. This design culminates a timeline of Scandinavian and Nordic design that the Miller's began on the property next door that also honored northern work buildings in the roots of their designs. There is off street parking under a car port. There is an electric car charging station in the carport as well. There is a fully modern and capable kitchen, an architect designed built in sofa and contemporary gas fireplace. Note the unique skylight with modern light treatments and the push button electronic pop up television that you can leave hidden if you wish. There is also a balcony. The entire home has slate floors and modern cabinets. There is a utility room with full size washer and dryer. Everything about The Aurora is designed with environmental sustainability in mind. These homes have an incredibly small footprint both structurally and environmentally. The foundations were designed to take up as little of the yard as possible- by being small at the start and increasing as you go up just like the old Stabur upon which this design is based. The energy efficiency is profound because these are composed of structurally insulated panels which are incredibly efficient. No cost has been spared to make the Aurora the highest quality, most significant architectural addition to Grand Marais' beautiful landscape. We hope you will find it warm, welcoming, and a once in a lifetime experience in one of the world's most magical places. We have written a detailed guide to what we consider the most special secret places in the area. You can pick and chose your own adventures with it for reference depending on your tastes and the weather. That guide is available to you inside the home and also sent out via links to videos. Sauna is available on a first come first served basis for an extra fee and is Thanks so much for staying with us! As a returning customer please consider booking direct next time for the lowest possible price and best possible communication tools. Hopefully you saved our direct website info, otherwise our phone number will help us direct you there. If not, just try to find us on the web. Cheers and thanks again! Todd and Susan and can be booked on our direct site- message owner to verify availability prior to completing your reservation.

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  • Feature Features
  • Map Map
  • School District Rates & Availability
  • Review Review

Feature Features

  • PETS

    Pet Friendly
  • BEACH

    Near The Beach
  • SAFETY

    Carbon Monoxide Detector Installed (host Has Indicated There Is A Carbon Monoxide Detector On The Property) Deadbolt Lock Fire Extinguisher Smoke Detector Installed (host Has Indicated There Is A Smoke Detector On The Property)
  • BEDROOM

    1 Bedroom Bed Sheets Provided Sofa Bed
  • GENERAL

    Unit Size: 865 Sq Ft (80 Sq M)
  • KITCHEN

    Coffee/tea Maker Cookware/dishes/utensils Dishwasher Microwave Oven Refrigerator Spices Stovetop Toaster
  • LAUNDRY

    Laundry Facilities Near Coin Laundry Washing Machine And Dryer
  • PARKING

    Car Recommended Onsite Parking Onsite Parking Options Include A Garage
  • INTERNET

    WiFi Available
  • OUTDOORS

    Balcony
  • POOL/SPA

    Massages
  • BATHROOMS

    1 Bathroom Hair Dryer Shower Towels Provided
  • LANGS SPOKEN

    English
  • THINGS TO DO

    Fishing Nearby
  • ENTERTAINMENT

    DVD Player Games Stereo TV
  • LIVING SPACES

    Fireplace Living Room
  • CLIMATE CONTROL

    Air Conditioning Heating
  • LOCATION HIGHLIGHTS

    In A Rural Location In The City Center On The Lake
  • SERVICES AND CONVENIENCES

    Iron/ironing Board
  • SUITABILITY/ACCESSIBILITY

    Note From Host: No Smoking On Property. Smoke-free Property

CheckIn Check-in : 04:00 PM CheckOut Check-out : 11:00 AM
No Wheelchair No smoking No pets Children allowed
Occupancy Max occupancy : 4

Map Map

School District Rates & Availability

Review Review

  • Barrett K.

    Submitted Feb 10, 2026

    Stayed Feb 6, 2026

    Great location and esp views of bay. I didn’t find the furniture comfortable though.

  • Ann G.

    Submitted Dec 4, 2025

    Stayed Nov 6, 2025

    Excellent property. Walking distance to the folk school. We enjoyed our stay.

  • Mikaela F.

    Submitted Sep 29, 2025

    Stayed Sep 25, 2025

    My family had a wonderful stay at the Aurora! So close to all the spots we wanted to walk to in Grand Marais: Voyageur Brewing, Crosby Bakery, and Superior Creamery. The owners were very communicative and even stopped to introduce themselves when they were on the property.

  • Elle N.

    Submitted Aug 31, 2025

    Stayed Aug 28, 2025

    We had an absolutely wonderful time. It was clean, cozy, and had all the supplies you could need. We hope to be staying again!

  • Jay S.

    Submitted Jul 20, 2025

    Stayed Jul 17, 2025

    Our stay at the “Aurora” was excellent! The property was exactly as described and the accommodations could not have been better. The location was a block from the main drag of Grand Marcias and convenient to all shopping and restaurants. The owners had thought of everything and all was of the highest quality. We would definitely return and we highly recommend a stay at the Aurora.

  • Melanie J.

    Submitted Jun 21, 2025

    Stayed Jun 15, 2025

    This was by far the best vacation rental we've ever stayed in. The house was lovely, clean, comfortable with every amenity imaginable, fabulous views of Lake Superior, and within walking distance of everything Grand Marais has to offer. The Scandinavian-inspired architecture of Aurora with it's multiple outdoor spaces gave us a peaceful setting for some much needed R and R. We hope to come back!

  • Alex C.

    Submitted Sep 15, 2022

    Stayed Sep 4, 2022

    This is a wonderful place to stay in Grand Marais! The house is lovely and the view every morning is gorgeous. Plus, the location is excellent and within walking distance of great places to explore and dine in Grand Marais.

  • Julia B.

    Submitted Jul 29, 2022

    Stayed Jul 5, 2022

    We loved our stay here, even with the dive bombing seagulls. Everything was extremely clean, working order, great location a d just can't beat the views. Only downside is the couch - although a beautiful design, extremely uncomfortable to sit on - and after a long day of hiking and a hot shower you'll want somewhere more comfortable to plop down!

  • Amanda C.

    Submitted Jul 1, 2022

    Stayed Jun 27, 2022

    Great!

  • Neil S.

    Submitted Jun 27, 2022

    Stayed Jun 20, 2022

    It was memorable to learn that the property was intentionally designed to be based on squares, no rounded corners or angles. As a result, the modern vibe and tastefully decorated interior made for a relaxing haven and the surrounding scenery of Grand Marias seemed to be a bonus. From the welcoming reception of the cherry blossoms to hiking the ‘secret’ trails, the entire experience was invigorating. A must “do again”.

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Total

Includes taxes and fees
$406+
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