The Grand Hotel Mackinac Island

Simply a Grand Vacation Experience

The Grand Hotel Mackinac Island is a must if you love travel, history, architecture and new experiences. If you can afford more than one night at this Five-Star Hotel you will truly enjoy another era of living that was elegant, relaxing and just plain grand.

Please remember that you are not staying at a brand new resort hotel. The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island is a 122 year old historic wood structure with some sagging floors, older plumbing in some rooms and 19th Century décor that is extremely spectacular!

Every piece of soap, furniture, 2 x 4 lumber, towels, food, wine, etc. are brought over on a ferry each morning and then placed on a horse-drawn wagon to be brought to the back doors of the hotel before most guests are awake.

• 83,000 pounds of prime rib, 23,500 pounds of ham, 83,500 pounds of potatoes, 23,000 pounds of carrots, 14,000 pounds of strawberries and 6,500 pounds of pecans are delivered by wagon to the Grand Hotel during a season
• One ton of bulbs are planted in the fall, including 25,000 tulips and 15,000 daffodils
• More than 125,000 flowers are planted in its many gardens

The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island is a fascinating and fairy-tale like place to stay if you can appreciate the wonder in how it all takes place on an island where time has slowed down. In 1989 the hotel became a National Historic Landmark designated by the U.S. Department of Interior. There are daily tours conducted and if you love history, definitely make it a point to take the tour as it's entertaining and great a chance to see the behind-the-scenes of an old historic building.

By the way, the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island is only open six months out of the year beginning the first of May. At the end of October it closes down and the staff prepares it to survive another tough, wind-blown, sub-zero winter that howls from the Northern Canadian border through the Straits of Mackinac.

Each Spring the Grand Hotel Mackinac Island
Comes Alive Again

To Welcome More than 130,000 Guests
Each Season

How amazing to think that this Grand Lady has stood on a high bluff overlooking the Straits of Mackinac welcoming vacationers, just like you, for over 120 years. So, journey to the Grand Hotel Mackinac Island, sit on the incredible front porch, and have a first class experience. By the way, this porch is said to be the largest in the world at 660 feet!

Some of our favorite events that take place at the Grand Hotel Mackinac Island are:

• Great specials during the Lilac Festival on Mackinac Island
• Daily Afternoon High Tea in the Main Lobby (For over fourteen years, Kathy’s daughter and she have made it a point to get all dressed up and enjoy pretending to be “high society” at least once every summer. Her daughter, who is now 18 and loves blue jeans and sneakers, makes sure they don’t miss doing this fun mom and daughter tradition!)
• Memorial Day weekend events
• July 4th weekend with all the Americana fanfare
• The scrumptious daily lunch buffet that even non-guests can enjoy
• Murder Mystery Weekend in October with guests in period dress
• Jazz Weekend over Labor Day weekend is a must do if you love jazz and enjoy outdoor concerts in a beautiful historic setting!

Insider Tip: To start your Grand Hotel Mackinac Island vacation off correctly reserve a space for the Grand Hotel Carriage to pick you up at your Ferry Dock. You will feel special in one of the two beautiful old carriages owned by the hotel. The short 20 minute drive will take you slowly out of the hustle and bustle of Main Street, up a hill; and, your fast-paced life on the Mainland will be left behind.

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