Experience old school Americana at Michigan’s Grand Hotel, an iconic lake escape on Mackinac Island
Boasting traditional American hospitality, horse-drawn carriage rides around immaculate gardens and the world’s longest porch, the Grand Hotel certainly lives up to its name
What is it? For generations of Midwestern Americans, summer has meant a stay at the Grand Hotel, an iconic lake retreat on Mackinac Island, Michigan’s oldest state park and the United States’ second national park, after Yellowstone. The 393-room resort, which operates from May to October and opened on July 10, 1887, is on the Straits of Mackinac, which separate Michigan’s upper and lower peninsulas and connect great lakes Huron and Michigan. Since 1933, the Grand has been family owned, and it has now been operated by three generations of the Musser family.
Since no cars are allowed on Mackinac, how do you get around?You’ve been doing your homework, haven’t you! Since 1930, bicycles and horse-drawn carriages have been the only vehicles allowed on the island, home to roughly 600 year-round residents. Guests cross the straits on Shepler’s Ferry boats departing Mackinaw City, sharing deck space with the islanders’ mail, flowers, food and everything else the Grand requires to keep its 150,000 overnight guests each season happy. There may be no cars on Mackinac, but the island does have an airport, so some guests fly in on charter planes and Great Lakes Air flights.
What is there to do at the resort?For all of its 131-year history, the Grand’s most popular guest activity has been lounging on the 660-foot front porch, the longest in the world. American flags and 147 planting boxes loaded with 1,375 red geraniums adorn the columned porch, where guests stroll arm-in-arm and relax in 100 white rocking chairs, playing cards, sipping cocktails and putting the world to rights while taking in expansive waterfront views.
The restless play lawn games such as crochet and bocce or take resident hotel historian-led tours and master gardener-guided walks through the resort’s 13 gardens. The irrepressible play tennis, footgolf (a sport that is played exactly as you may imagine) or pickleball (like tennis, but with paddles), or rent bicycles.