Two Mackinac Island Hotels Are In Running To Be Named Best in U.S.

Midway through the summer travel season, 10best.com has released its next round of Reader’s Choice Award finalists. Michigan has had a pretty good year with nominees this year, in categories like Best Beer City, Best Lake, Best Sculpture Park (a win for Frederik Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids), and Best Small Town. Now they are on the search for the Best Hotels and Resorts in the United States, with voting broken down into several categories. Mackinac Island’s Grand Hotel is nominated in two categories, the nearby Island House Hotel is a finalist in one, and Saugatuck’s Wickwood Inn is a finalist in another. Below we take a look at the case for each one in its respective category(ies) and share the links for casting your vote. As usual you can vote in each category once per day. Polls will close at noon on August 7 and winners will be announced on August 18th. Here’s a look at the two Mackinac Island hotels:

The Grand Hotel is one of the most recognizable landmarks in Michigan and one of the most popular places to visit on Mackinac Island. A Michigan historical marker in front of the hotel reads: “Opened on July 10, 1887, the Grand Hotel was built by the Grand Rapids & Indiana and Michigan Central Railroads and the Detroit & Cleveland Navigation Company through the efforts of Sen. Francis B. Stockbridge. It is built of Michigan white pine. With its magnificent colonial porch, longest in the world, it is a classic example of gracious living seldom seen today.” Known for having the world’s longest front porch, the Grand Hotel has hosted many celebrities and diplomats over the years, and was the setting for the 1980 Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour film Somewhere in Time.

It is nominated as Best Destination Resort (vote here), drawing on its setting on an island in Lake Huron where motor vehicles are not permitted. The Grand Hotel is also nominated as Best Family Resort (vote here), with 10best praising its ” 220-foot-long swimming pool, biking, horseback riding, lawn games, and children’s rates.”

In the Best Historic Hotel category we normally expect to find the Grand Hotel in the running, but this year a different Mackinac Island landmark has found a place on the list. The Island House Hotel, which dates back to the 1950s, continues to be a popular spot to stay with 10best saying “the Island House Hotel has seen many updates and now welcomes guests with cozy rooms and modern amenities. However, the fact that it’s on Mackinac Island, which doesn’t allow cars, will help transport you back to a simpler time. ” You can vote here for the Island House Hotel, which is located within walking distance of the Mackinac Island ferry docks.

www.tripadvisor.com

Finally, the Wickwood Inn in Saugatuck has landed a spot in the race to be named Best Bed and Breakfast. 10best.com shares that “Wickwood Inn offers a serene waterside setting in Michigan – without having to make the jaunt to the Upper Peninsula. In addition to complimentary homemade breakfast, guests can also enjoy locally sourced charcuterie in the evening. Guest accommodations range from cozy rooms to luxurious estate suites.” You can vote here to help them out!