Pros
- Historic, old-fashioned atmosphere
- Variety of rooms and suites, many with their own theme
- Breakfast, lunch buffet, and five-course dinner included in most packages
- Luggage is sent directly from ferry to guest rooms
- Two nine-hole golf courses with beautiful views
- Children’s programs throughout the summer
- Tipping not allowed
- Free Wi-Fi throughout
Cons
- High room rates
- Busy and loud, with many tourists coming to eat and shop
- Dated decor in rooms
Bottom Line
Mackinac Island’s best known property, Grand Hotel is a tourist destination unto itself. Built in 1887, this big white building with a vast porch has 390 guest rooms, and charges non-guests admission to experience its preserved 19th-century grandeur. There’s plenty to do besides shop and eat at the four pearl, resort-like property, which has a 220-foot-long swimming pool, two nine-hole golf courses, and a full schedule of children’s activities during the summer. One of the biggest draws is the five-course dinner in the hotel’s Main Dining Room, which maintains a strict formal dress code in the evening. The hotel puts on a number of themed weekends, complete with period costumes, including the popular Somewhere in Time weekend at end of October, which is based on the 1980 movie filmed at the hotel. The busy, cruise-ship like atmosphere might turn some guests off, but it’s certainly a landmark not to be missed during a visit to the island.
Hotel & Amenities Photos
https://stage.oyster.com/mackinac-island/hotels/grand-hotel/photos/rosalyn-carter-first-lady-suite/
Amenities
- Fitness Center
- Internet
- Jacuzzi
- Pool
- Spa
Oyster Awards
Scene
Impressive exterior filled with old-fashioned, casual elegance
Perched on a hillside, the stately white building has what the hotel claims is the longest porch in the world. It’s lined with American flags and white rocking chairs, and overlooks the lake. A red carpet covers the main stairway. Inside, the space has a more casual, Victorian elegance than gilded formality. The walls and carpeting are made up of bright grassy greens, crimsons, and pinks. Charming details abound, including black-and-white checkered floors, velvet-covered couches, and white wicker chairs. The expansive Main Dining Room seats 1000 people and has a sunny green and gold color scheme and white mirrored columns. Since the doubles as a tourist site, charging admission to non-guests, there’s plenty of activity -- it's not the place for a quiet weekend.
Location
On an expansive hillside property, a short walk to Main Street and ferry docks
The hotel sits on top of a hill on Mackinac Island, a 15- to 20-minute walk from the ferry docks and the restaurants and shops on Main Street. The hotel transports luggage directly from the ferries to guest rooms. Hotel guests get a discount on the Shepler’s Ferry. Cars are not allowed on the island, but horse-drawn taxi service is available.
Rooms
Rooms and suites filled with frilly florals and bright colors
Each of the hotel’s 390 rooms and suites are unique, and more than three dozen come with a theme. The Roslyn Carter First Lady Suite, for example, has a royal-blue carpet with a Presidential-esque seal. The suites were designed by New York decorator Carleton Varney, who was Jimmy Carter’s White House decorator. Decor in non-themed rooms tends to be heavy on florals, bright colors, and frilly upholstery, and the spaces can feel a little more 1950s than 1880s. Although some rooms have been refurbished, those with older furnishings have a slight mustiness and the walls in all rooms are on the thin side. All rooms have minibars, safes, flat-screen TVs, irons, hairdryers, and coffeemakers. Lake-facing rooms have large balconies with beautiful views of the water. Bathrooms come with the hotel’s trademark geranium-scented toiletries.
Features
Variety of rstaurants and shops, large swimming pool, and two golf courses
The Grand Hotel is filled with restaurants and shops. The Main Dining Room serves both a cooked and a continental breakfast, a buffet lunch, and a formal five-course dinner. Many packages include breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The Gate House, Cawthorne’s Village Inn, and the Jockey Club, by the golf course, are more casual alternatives. There’s an ice cream parlor and tea shop, along with several stores selling everything from clothing to artwork and a full-service salon and spa. The hotel’s enormous outdoor pool is named for actress and competitive swimmer Esther Williams, who starred in the 1947 movie This Time for Keeps, which was filmed at the hotel. Children have access to a large, colorful game room and a full menu of activities between Memorial and Labor Day. There are also two nine-hole golf courses: The Grand is located across from the hotel, with views of Lake Huron and Round Island, while The Woods is set in the interior of Mackinac Island. Golfers are transported between the two courses via horse-drawn carriage. There is plenty of meeting space, including the two-story Woodfill Conference Center. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel, and tipping isn't allowed.
Notice: Undefined offset: 4 in /nas/content/live/stagingstmllc/wp-content/plugins/smartertravel-shared/includes/ads/includes/api.php on line 92
Notice: Undefined offset: 5 in /nas/content/live/stagingstmllc/wp-content/plugins/smartertravel-shared/includes/ads/includes/api.php on line 92
Notice: Undefined offset: 6 in /nas/content/live/stagingstmllc/wp-content/plugins/smartertravel-shared/includes/ads/includes/api.php on line 92
Notice: Undefined offset: 4 in /nas/content/live/stagingstmllc/wp-content/plugins/smartertravel-shared/includes/ads/includes/api.php on line 98
Notice: Undefined index: pass_through_args in /nas/content/live/stagingstmllc/wp-content/plugins/smartertravel-shared/includes/ads/includes/api.php on line 158
Notice: Undefined offset: 4 in /nas/content/live/stagingstmllc/wp-content/plugins/smartertravel-shared/includes/ads/includes/api.php on line 92
Notice: Undefined offset: 5 in /nas/content/live/stagingstmllc/wp-content/plugins/smartertravel-shared/includes/ads/includes/api.php on line 92
Notice: Undefined offset: 6 in /nas/content/live/stagingstmllc/wp-content/plugins/smartertravel-shared/includes/ads/includes/api.php on line 92
Notice: Undefined offset: 4 in /nas/content/live/stagingstmllc/wp-content/plugins/smartertravel-shared/includes/ads/includes/api.php on line 98
Notice: Undefined index: pass_through_args in /nas/content/live/stagingstmllc/wp-content/plugins/smartertravel-shared/includes/ads/includes/api.php on line 158
This Hotel Also Featured In
8 Cutest Small Towns in the Midwest
The Midwest is a big, beautiful place with an unfair reputation for being, well, boring. And when this region does get some much-deserved attention, travel guides and Instagram feeds focus mainly on state capitals and big cities. We have nothing against Madison and Chicago, but small Midwestern towns (with a population under around 15,000) might…
7 Hotels That Go All Out for Halloween
Halloween is the perfect time to head somewhere that can provide all the thrills and chills that the holiday is known for. Though there are plenty of spooky destinations to see across the U.S., many hotels are providing extra Halloween perks to your getaway such as fun decor, costume parties, family-friendly Halloween activities, and even…
The World’s Best Destinations for Sailing
Whether for recreation or for sport, sailing is one of the great joys of traveling. If these two activities also happen to fall at the top of your favorite hobbies, it makes perfect sense to combine them. After all, there are important (and enticing) elements that sailing and traveling share, such as movement, exploration, gorgeous…
The Most Beautiful U.S. Islands
A beautiful island can make you feel like the entire world is one picture-perfect postcard. As you sit on the beach, pristine water laps your feet and lush green mountains tower in the distance. Beyond Hawaii, the United States may not be well known for gorgeous islands, but there are plenty of photogenic ones scattered…
The Oldest Hotels in America (That Are Actually Worth a Visit)
History enthusiast or not, there’s no denying the oldest hotels in the U.S. hold a certain romantic allure. After all, their rooms have been reserved by legends, they’ve witnessed the tales in history books first-hand, and their timelessness evokes an overall sense of nostalgia. So while much of the attention goes to the shiny and…
7 Beautiful Pedestrian-Friendly Destinations That Don't Allow Cars
There’s nothing like gearing up for an incredible vacation full of promise — of pampering, of relaxation, of blissful days free from stress — only to have your dreams crushed by rental car snafus, traffic jams, stir-crazy kids, and (let’s be honest) aggressive drivers in unfamiliar destinations. It’s a nightmare we’ve all lived. And that’s…
8 Awesome All-Inclusive Resorts in the U.S. for Your Next Vacation
It’s that time of year! No, not Christmas time (you may have already blocked it from your memory, but that has come and gone); now is the time of year for vacation planning. Whether you’re the type who travels for spring break or during the summer, with the tots in tow or one-on-one, the month…
10 U.S. Hotels Hosting Awesome Halloween Events
Photo Courtesy of hanna horwarth via Flickr. Trick-or-treating may be reserved for kids, but that doesn’t mean adults can’t have some fun on Halloween, too. Haunted houses, elaborate costume contests, and masquerade balls are all fun ways to celebrate the spooky holiday. Many hotels are also fans of the ghoulish day (or at least know…
The 8 Most Adorable Beach Towns in the U.S.
Once temperatures start rising and the sun shining, vacationers head toward the water. While the beaches of Mexico and the Caribbean are popular picks, we really love some of the adorable beach towns in the U.S. If you’re looking for more of a quiet escape than a party-filled getaway, we’ve rounded up eight quaint beach…
The 6 Best Cocktail Gardens Around the World
Spring is here! The return of the sunny season means vegetables are ripe for the picking, and herbs and flowers are blooming. One of the recent trends we’ve seen across the hotel industry is the use of on-site gardens to produce plants that can then be incorporated into the menus at the properties’ restaurants and…
Scene
Impressive exterior filled with old-fashioned, casual elegance
Perched on a hillside, the stately white building has what the hotel claims is the longest porch in the world. It’s lined with American flags and white rocking chairs, and overlooks the lake. A red carpet covers the main stairway. Inside, the space has a more casual, Victorian elegance than gilded formality. The walls and carpeting are made up of bright grassy greens, crimsons, and pinks. Charming details abound, including black-and-white checkered floors, velvet-covered couches, and white wicker chairs. The expansive Main Dining Room seats 1000 people and has a sunny green and gold color scheme and white mirrored columns. Since the doubles as a tourist site, charging admission to non-guests, there’s plenty of activity -- it's not the place for a quiet weekend.
Location
On an expansive hillside property, a short walk to Main Street and ferry docks
The hotel sits on top of a hill on Mackinac Island, a 15- to 20-minute walk from the ferry docks and the restaurants and shops on Main Street. The hotel transports luggage directly from the ferries to guest rooms. Hotel guests get a discount on the Shepler’s Ferry. Cars are not allowed on the island, but horse-drawn taxi service is available.
Rooms
Rooms and suites filled with frilly florals and bright colors
Each of the hotel’s 390 rooms and suites are unique, and more than three dozen come with a theme. The Roslyn Carter First Lady Suite, for example, has a royal-blue carpet with a Presidential-esque seal. The suites were designed by New York decorator Carleton Varney, who was Jimmy Carter’s White House decorator. Decor in non-themed rooms tends to be heavy on florals, bright colors, and frilly upholstery, and the spaces can feel a little more 1950s than 1880s. Although some rooms have been refurbished, those with older furnishings have a slight mustiness and the walls in all rooms are on the thin side. All rooms have minibars, safes, flat-screen TVs, irons, hairdryers, and coffeemakers. Lake-facing rooms have large balconies with beautiful views of the water. Bathrooms come with the hotel’s trademark geranium-scented toiletries.
Features
Variety of rstaurants and shops, large swimming pool, and two golf courses
The Grand Hotel is filled with restaurants and shops. The Main Dining Room serves both a cooked and a continental breakfast, a buffet lunch, and a formal five-course dinner. Many packages include breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The Gate House, Cawthorne’s Village Inn, and the Jockey Club, by the golf course, are more casual alternatives. There’s an ice cream parlor and tea shop, along with several stores selling everything from clothing to artwork and a full-service salon and spa. The hotel’s enormous outdoor pool is named for actress and competitive swimmer Esther Williams, who starred in the 1947 movie This Time for Keeps, which was filmed at the hotel. Children have access to a large, colorful game room and a full menu of activities between Memorial and Labor Day. There are also two nine-hole golf courses: The Grand is located across from the hotel, with views of Lake Huron and Round Island, while The Woods is set in the interior of Mackinac Island. Golfers are transported between the two courses via horse-drawn carriage. There is plenty of meeting space, including the two-story Woodfill Conference Center. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel, and tipping isn't allowed.
Hotel & Amenities Photos
https://stage.oyster.com/mackinac-island/hotels/grand-hotel/photos/rosalyn-carter-first-lady-suite/
Best Rates
Amenities
-
Air Conditioner
-
Airport Transportation
-
Babysitting Services
-
Balcony / Terrace / Patio
-
Business Center
-
Cable
-
Concierge
-
Dry Cleaning
-
Fitness Center
-
Free Breakfast
-
Golf Course
-
Internet
-
Jacuzzi
-
Kids Allowed
-
Meeting / Conference Rooms
-
Mini Bar (with liquor)
-
Pool
-
Poolside Drink Service
-
Rental Car Service Desk Onsite
-
Room Service
-
Separate Bedroom / Living Room Space
-
Spa
-
Supervised Kids Activities
-
Tennis Court
Disclaimer: This content was accurate at the time the hotel was reviewed. Please check our partner sites when booking to verify that details are still correct.