Luxury Hotels of the World: Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island

I have written about Grand Hotel, and Mackinac Island on which it has stood for 133 years, more than perhaps anywhere else in the world, because my husband and I spend so much time there each year. What keeps us coming back year after year to “America’s Summer Place” as its known, is its flair for the extravagant, attention to detail, and innovation. Meals are made from ingredients brought in fresh daily and prepared in one of the nearly dozen eateries the hotel owns on the island with inventive expertise. The hotel requires formal dress each evening, and live music plays during dinners in the Main Dining Room each night, and continues after demitasse in the hotel’s ballroom where guests can dance the night away. With endless things to do at the hotel, such as hiking, swimming, biking, lawn games, garden & historical tours, art gallery exhibitions, live entertainment, tennis courts, spa treatments, and so much more, we are still discovering new ways to have a wonderful time at our favorite hotel in the Midwest.

Grand Hotel

Location: Mackinac Island, Michigan, USA
Address: 286 Grand Avenue Mackinac Island, MI 49757
Staff Helpfulness & Friendliness: 5/5
Cleanliness: 5/5
Room size: 5/5
Room Amenities: 5/5
Room and Bed Comfort: 5/5
View from Room: 5/5
Pool: Yes
Spa: Yes
Proximity to Other Points of Interest: 5/5

Grand Hotel is one of the most magnificent hotels in the entire United States. With 397 uniquely decorated guest rooms, all done by Dorothy Draper Design Company, an evening dress code, live music and dancing every night, the world’s longest porch, and some of the most breathtaking views in the world, the hotel has captured the hearts millions of guests over the years. The hotel is only open from May through October each year, and is situated on an island that doesn’t allow any motorized vehicles (the only exceptions being the island’s emergency responder vehicles), meaning that there aren’t many more unique properties anywhere in the world. See more of the hotel’s unique rooms & suites, by clicking here.

Grand Hotel is the largest employer on Mackinac Island, and also owns many of the island’s restaurants like Jockey Club, Woods, Sushi Grand, the Fort Tearoom, Sadie’s Ice-cream, and more. One of our favorite things to do at the hotel is dine in the main dining room, where guests can enjoy a 5 course meal as part of their stay, with plenty of vegan, gluten free, and alternative diet meals, as well as hearty dishes for those who meat as well. There are also options to enjoy a picnic out on the lawn or in the gardens, and Afternoon Tea at Grand Hotel is one of the best high teas in the state. Grand Hotel’s food is one of our favorite aspects of the hotel!

The hotel has more than a dozen different ways to make each guests stay extra special, whether it’s the option to have a bottle of the hotel’s specialty wine and a charcuterie board waiting in the room when a guest arrives, the option to have flowers, famous Mackinac Island fudge, or other gifts ordered up to the room, or the staff’s attentiveness and friendliness, the Grand Hotel always exceeds our expectations. In fact, there are staff who recognize us and greet us every time we visit, as though we are old friends.  It’s such a wonderful feeling, and having e experienced such hospitality, it makes sense why people refer Grand Hotel as “America’s Summer Place”.

Overall, Grand Hotel has one of the best guest experiences we have ever had the pleasure of enjoying, out of anywhere we’ve stayed in the world. The staff are wonderful, the food is fantastic, the hotel, rooms, and grounds are always immaculate, and the views are unmatched. Plus, the location of the hotel means everything on Mackinac Island is easily accessible. I absolutely adore Grand Hotel, and if you’re looking to visit somewhere new, celebrate an anniversary, or get away on a romantic couples escape sometime this summer or the next, let it be Grand Hotel for an unforgettable stay.