When the Grand Hotel opened its doors for the first time in 1887, it set the gold standard for summer vacationers. The Victorian hotel is a National Historic Landmark and continues to offer the best of modern amenities for visitors to Mackinac Island.
The hotel still observes a dress code for most of its thirteen on property restaurants. In fact, the day I visited in jeans, I qualified only to eat in the ice cream parlor. They offer high tea and dancing in the evenings. Here I am in my jeans on their fabulous front porch.
History talks, activities at the pool and stables, croquet and themed luncheons are among some activities I noticed on the daily schedule. Themed weekends and events make for a lot of fun throughout the season.
Plus, the world's longest porch is a terrific place to relax in a rocking chair and take in the view. The views are pretty spectacular too! A rolling lawn and manicured gardens overlook the lake. It really is gorgeous.
Of course, shoulder season rooms start at about $300 with no meals and go up to over $1,400 a night. Since this was not in the road trip budget, we were not there to spend the night but to simply be tourists and take a $10 self guided tour.
I was excited to see some pictures and artifacts from the hotel's lengthy history including mementoes from the 1980 cult classic Somewhere In Time. Tbat movie is what inspired me to visit the island so seeing some of the movie landmarks and items was a treat.
The hotel is decorated in Victorian style which, by today's standards, looks somewhere between opulent and tacky. Oddly enough, the over-the-top decor reminded me a little of Elvis Presley's Memphis home Graceland.
The place has a rich history. In fact, Mark Twain lectured here in 1895 and a radio salon was added in 1935 to allow hotel guests a place to enjoy their favorite radio programs. In the last few decades, they have added a hair salon, jeweler and a golf pro shop. The hotel celebrated its 120th anniversary in 2007 by adding air conditioning to guest rooms.
The timeline of how they have added new rooms and features makes one think this amazing landmark is constantly a work in progress.
I like that idea. While they are rooted in many traditions like proper dress codes and afternoon croquet, they are open to changes that improve the guest experience.
Want to learn more about the Grand Hotel? Click here to visit their website. Even if you don't spend the night, it's a must-see when you visit Mackinac Island!
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