Riding in a horse-drawn carriage as it slowly ambled upward to the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, MI, last month, I savored the cool fresh air and admired the vibrant, colorful tulip beds along the route upward. Suddenly, I felt myself taking a deep breath as the majestic profile of this “grand dame” property emerged.
Built in 1887 by a group of railroad companies, this storied hotel, now a National Historic Landmark, crowns a hill overlooking the island and Lake Huron. “I can’t believe I’m actually gazing at it myself,” I said, having listened incessantly to my mom and dad raving about it through the decades.
During many summer vacation road trips, they’d stroll the grounds, admire the hotel’s Victorian architecture and enjoy lunch at the hotel’s main dining room. They loved “soaking in” the scenic views of the Straits of Mackinac and Lake Huron while relaxing on the hotel’s front porch rocking chairs. That 660-foot-long porch is reportedly the world’s longest.
Grand Hotel: Victory Cruise Lines Excursion
Over the years, the hotel has welcomed such visitors as my folks, other enthusiastic travelers, five U.S. presidents, author Mark Twain and inventor Thomas Edison. Now, it was my turn. I was cruising the Great Lakes on Victory Cruise Lines’ newly relaunched Victory II. I’d booked the optional $109 “Lunch at the Grand Hotel” shore excursion.
Guests could also choose two other Victory Cruise Line excursions that included a stop at the hotel. One tour also took guests to other sites around the island. Another was a bicycle tour of top sites. Since no cars are permitted on the island, all tours that visit the hotel include a horse-drawn carriage ride up to and back from the hilltop property.
As my group’s team of draft horses pulled up to the Grand Hotel’s humongous front porch, I felt both a sense of timeless elegance and an eerie familiarity. Having viewed my parents’ photos over the years, I immediately recognized some of the architectural elements.
Plus, strolling the grounds and public corridors, I found myself recalling scenes—and recognizing hotel architecture—from the 1980 movie, “Somewhere in Time” starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour.
Coincidentally, another even earlier flick, “This Time for Keeps” was filmed on site at the hotel in the mid-1940s. It starred Jimmy Durante and famous swimmer/diver Esther Williams. Not surprisingly, the hotel’s pool is now named for her.
Main Dining Room
Entering the hotel’s main dining room, I expected a grand experience. And yes, in some ways, it was just that. Specifically, it was grand in how it made me feel. This public venue also looked fresh (see the table place settings and furniture below), having received a few renovations last winter with new carpeting, new upholstery and a new paint color.
Within the center of the restaurant, a series of white pillars separated two distinctly different seating areas. The buffet was also set up in the middle. On one side of the pillars/buffet were many individual tables close to the windows. Those seemed to be reserved for hotel guests and those with independent reservations. Let’s just say that closer-to-the-windows seating area had the best scenic views.
I nicely asked one staffer if I could dine at one of the empty spots close to the windows. But when I identified myself as being with a cruise line’s shore tour, he pointed to another area of tables much farther inside the dining room, adjacent to an interior wall. This area was also on the other side of the buffet. That seating was reserved for the cruise groups, he indicated.
So, I headed there, and while the views weren’t as spectacular, I enjoyed chatting with fellow Victory Cruise Line guests. I also encountered others from a Viking excursion group. Lunch was pleasant enough, and there was a good buffet selection of salads, soups, entrees, vegetables, potatoes, breads, desserts and so on. And the service from my server was friendly and exceptional.
Advisors might, however, counsel guests that while the lunch is decent, it’s a buffet. For me, at least, the meal was almost an aside. Frankly, I admit I just wanted to say I’d dined there, given how my parents cherished that on their past trips. And I wanted to have time to explore the hotel and grounds.
Touring the Hotel
After lunch, I circulated within the dining room and other public areas to both view and photograph the historic spaces of this property. While it was a quick tour, each space had its own draws.
The Geranium Room, adjacent to the Grand Dining Room, seemed a delightful spot to relax with good views outside. Planter boxes displayed the hotel’s signature geraniums, both inside and outside on the porch. Most of all, I enjoyed strolling through the Lobby Level’s public corridor. The Hall of History is home many historic artifacts, documents, and photographs. At times, I felt a bit “lost in time” exploring the hotel.
Out front, vibrantly colorful tulip beds were in bloom. The grounds were certainly lovely for a stroll. Several people from my cruise ventured on their own to the Jockey Club, which is separate from the main hotel building, and they enjoyed that experience.
Back to the Ship, Movie Time
All too soon, I needed to hop aboard a carriage for the ride back to the ship. As the carriage pulled away, I couldn’t stop glancing back at the hotel—savoring its timeless elegance. As I exited the carriage at the Mackinac Island pier, it was just a short walk to the docked Victory II.
An added bonus? Not long after embarking the ship, I was delighted to discover that Victory II’s team had set up a big screen showing that classic romantic movie, “Somewhere in Time,” in the ship’s Compass Lounge. It seemed the perfect conclusion for my Grand Hotel experience. I’ve seen it many times but stayed until the end. (I wasn’t alone: The number of guests in the lounge was among the largest in turnout for Victory II’s guest activities there throughout the week.) Seeing that movie again, listening to the hauntingly beautiful musical score and watching the scenes shot in places I’d just explored was priceless.
Returning home after my cruise, I can now understand why my folks couldn’t stop talking about the Grand Hotel throughout the decades. Let’s just say I’m already thinking of how to go back, perhaps visit on another Great Lakes cruise. Or I might even stay overnight at the property for a few days to get the full hospitality experience!
For more information on Victory Cruise Lines, visit www.victorycruiselines.com. For more information on the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, visit https://www.grandhotel.com. For tourism information, visit https://www.mackinacisland.org.
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