Grand Hotel
Mackinac Island, Michigan
Since 1887, the Grand Hotel has welcomed countless guests who bask in the beauty of idyllic Mackinac Island. Today, this family-owned property remains one of the few wood-framed hotels in America. Views of the Straits of Mackinac mesmerize guests as they sit in rocking chairs on the front porch.
Both the hotel and the island hearken back to a gentler time. Mackinac became one of the nation’s favored summer resort destinations during the Victorian era. To accommodate overnight guests, boat and railroad companies financed the Grand Hotel’s construction. Cars aren’t permitted on the island, and groups arrive by boat or air. Visitors and residents travel by foot, bicycle or horse-drawn carriage. In summer, there are more than 500 horses on the island for transportation.
Through the years, many famous celebrities have visited the Grand Hotel. Esther Williams starred in the 1947 movie “This Time for Keeps,” which was filmed on-site. Today, it takes 500,000 gallons of water to fill the Grand Hotel’s swimming pool, which is named after Williams. A number of suites have been named after first ladies, from Jackie Kennedy to Laura Bush, who have visited and put their personal stamp on the room decor. Beginning this year, suites will be added to the fourth floor and attic space.
“The original hotel had dormers, which were removed during previous remodeling,” said Ken Hayward, executive vice president and managing director. “In the next several years, as we add seven new suites, we plan to reconstruct those dormers to bring the hotel back to its early 1900s facade.”
