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1.24.2017

Grand Hotel Goodness


Late yesterday afternoon I received a comment on my Instagram post suggesting I might like to check out the Grand Hotel in Mackinac Island, Michigan.  Since the work day was done and I was relaxing with the mail and managing some algebra homework I hit google and checked it out.

Where oh where have I been?


I read every single word of the website like it was homework and I needed to get an A+.  I couldn't get enough.  I love the old world hospitality feel of the island, simple yet perfect.  The ice cream shoppe in the hotel had me googling for an immediate vacation date. There is something very Dirty Dancing resort about the Grand Hotel.  Can we go for the summer?


Isn't it stunning?  Those yellow awnings, the flags, the porch that does not end.  I might pack my bags and say I am only coming for a stay but then pull an Eloise and stay forever! The hotel is so large I don't think they will notice, right?

Sitting on Lake Huron at the eastern end of the Straits of Mackinac, Mackinac Island is a resort area which draws more than 15,000 visitors per day during peak season.  Since motorized vehicles were prohibited on the island in 1898, visitors trade in their cars for horse drawn carriage and bicycles only adding to the charm of the area.  Arriving by ferry, private boat or small aircraft the island oozes old world charm with its darling shops and ice cream parlors. As I researched the island I was immediately struck by the fact that only 492 people permanently reside on the island making most who work there travel by ferry to arrive to work each day. How magical ...

Since 1887 the Grand Hotel Open from May to October, provides a full service vacation with charming details and incredible staff.  Owned and operated by the Musser family the facility prides itself on giving each guest "the grand experience".  Named the best hotel in Michigan by Travel & Leisure Magazine, the Grand Hotel is known as "America's summer place".  I could not agree more. From crochet on the lawn to afternoon tea, no detail is left to chance.  When I scrolled through the activities they offer I couldn't fall in love fast enough. How about a round of golf where they transport you via horse and carriage between holes ... or a game of pickleball (had to google that one) or a visit to Astor's salon and spa?  I mean, yes please to every single one of those please!





So many people commented on the incredible dining room and I agree completely.  How stunning is that view?  And those curtains and the striped chairs?  Something about a stripe that gets me every single time.  It just oozes sophistication and tradition.



And then I looked at the guest rooms.  As I scrolled through the Guest Room Gallery I kept thinking to myself the rooms were very Dorothy Draper, how amazing!  And then I spotted the magical words right below the gallery. "All 393 guest rooms are individually decorated by Interior Designer Carlton Varney of Dorothy Draper, Co."

Umm #duh! Like I said before, where have I been? 


The hotel and the grounds are stunning but that is only the beginning of the magic.  I will let the incredible photos they include on their website of just some of the rooms tell the story.  Every single one of the 393 rooms is different.  I don't know how you would ever choose ...


Somewhere In Time Suite


Huron Suite


Esther Williams Suite


Governors Suite


Grand Suite


Jacqueline Kennedy Suite


Lady Bird Johnson Suite


Nancy Reagan Suite


Josephine Suite




Musser Suite


Rosalynn Carter Suite


Tiffany Suite

Dear Lord, how would you ever decide?  Each room is more magical than the last.  I mean I could get lost in the florals and chintz for days. You must check out the hotel and take the virtual tours.  I promise you it will not disappoint and you too will be trying to find a time you can sneak away for the perfect family vacation.  Thank you Lori for the heads up about the hotel and its magic!

All images via the Grand Hotel.

Have the best day ... 

11 comments:

  1. Paige, Have you ever seen the movie Somewhere in Time? You must! The Grand Hotel has been on my bucket list for over 30 years....someday.....sigh. Also, you should check out the Colony Hotel in Kennebunkport, Maine. I have stayed there several times and think you would love it!

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  2. As someone from Michigan who has been to the Island MANY times. You would love it! Any place you stay on the island is great, but the Grand is well....Grand! Bike around everywhere and just enjoy the beauty that is Northern Michigan!

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  3. Ha, now why didn't I think of that. It is so you. And trust me when I say, pictures as gorgeous as they are do not do it justice!!

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  4. Having grown up in the midwest, Mackinac Island has always been on my bucket list. This just moves it up the list even more! Thanks for sharing.

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  5. Going in July - can't wait!!!!

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  6. It is one of my dad's favorite places and on his first trip there for business (and without my mom) he asked to buy a piece of the blue and white hotel china for my mom because she would love the hotel, the island and the blue and white. They told him they did not sell it but on his last night ~ you will LOOOOVE this~ they gave him a small wrapped package containing a butter plate :) And small world, one of our former neighbors is a chef there and has been for ages. His son, my daughter's HS friend, is now a chef there as well. They live there in the Summers and spend most of the winter here or in the dads hometown in Austria. The stories about the hotel and the island intrigue me as well. Gorgeous!

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  7. We visited Mackinac Island this summer & it is truly a magical place. Aside from the hotel, which is beautiful, we loved biking the perimeter of the island...such a joy! Hope you get to visit soon!

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  8. Mackinac is an annual tradition in my family. Every year over the 4th of July we head there. It is Grand. You would adore the island. We always go to the Grand, bike the perimeter of the island (7.5 miles) and go to the Pink Pony Restaurant for Smoked Whitefish Dip.

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    1. The bike ride around the island is 8.2 miles, actually! :0

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  9. Finally! Welcome to the hospitality that is Grand Hotel. And do watch the movie "Somewhere in Time" before you go! It's simply magical.

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  10. I have been lucky enough to visit 3 times. First time in 2006, right after the 4th of July for 2 nights. 2nd time in June of 2007 for 2 nights for the Lilac Festival. Mackinac Island has some of the most beautiful Lilac bushes I've ever seen. Then last fall we went to see the color. Unfortunately we could only go for 1 night, which is NOT long enough to fully comprehend nor enjoy the full Grand Hotel experience. I would advise you to stay at LEAST two night, and preferably more. ENJOY! It's fabulous.

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