Travel Tips for The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, Michigan

The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, Michigan is a rarity among hotels -- it's a destination in itself.  Rather than merely providing upscale accommodations for visitors to Mackinac Island, the Grand Hotel itself is the focal point of many Mackinac visitors.  The hotel has become so well known (and almost revered) that the magnificent island where it is located would not be the same without it.  We have even included the hotel as a separate destination in our travel directory.  Please see our separate pages on Mackinac Island for travel tips to the island.

This, of course, is the famous Grand Hotel from the movie "Somewhere in Time" starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour.  The hotel is also the grand old lady of the late 1800's who has weathered turbulent times and significant changes in our society, to emerge as a refined and elegant example of what great hotels once were, and still could be.  Her name is appropriate.  In recent years, the Grand Hotel has been named as one of the 500 greatest hotels in the world by Travel and Leisure magazine, and is on the Gold List for Conde Nast Traveler as one of the world's best places to stay.   A complete list of the hotel's awards are on its website.

If you are a fan of "Somewhere in Time," you can immerse yourself in the surroundings from the movie, from the hotel to the island.  In addition, in October, 2010, the hotel will host a special "Somewhere in Time" weekend, celebrating the 30th anniversary of the film.

We spent three nights at the Grand Hotel in July, 2010.  We had booked a Category III room (see the hotel's website for a description of the categories) and were assigned a lake view room with a balcony.  We were very impressed by the Grand Hotel, and highly recommend it. Our travel tips follow.

Reserving a Room at the Grand Hotel

Getting to The Grand Hotel

Activities

Meals

Families

Photos of the Grand Hotel