Island House Hotel — Hotel in Mackinac Island

This was our first trip to the island and we had been looking forward to this trip for a while. We travel a lot, including to multiple countries per year. I have not left a one star review for a hotel before so this was a first. Our stay was so bad that we just up and left without even staying the additional night just to get out of there.

The price paid for this hotel and rooms is ridiculously expensive for what you get. We paid for a lakeview room, but you're not really on the lake.You're across the street from the Marina.So that itself is false advertisement.

The bellboy and the front desk were not communicating well with each other or with us. So one would tell us that our luggage isn't here yet and the other said it's here. When I asked the bell boy if I can grab our luggage so that we can get some clothes out of it and change and go explore the island until our room is ready since we checked in a little early he seemed very bothered.

By the time we were done changing they told us our room is ready so we went up to our room. The room was still dirty.The shower had not been cleaned.

The pool was so hot.It felt like sitting inside of a sauna so we didn't even go in so what a waste it was to find a place with a pool and be excited to swim.

We purchased the package where we prepaid for our breakfast and dinner. Nobody bothered to tell us that reservations are required and that you should book in advance. So imagine my surprise when I ask to book for dinner the next day and was told there are no seats available. Then I was called and offered to sit at "the bar" with my 3 kids as an alternative. Then they said that it must have been a misunderstanding because what they meant is their lounge area.....

The hot water was not working in the room.

There is no room phone in the room so if you need something you're out of luck if your service isn't working because you have to actually go to the front desk for anything.

Not once were the hours of operation for anything on site or details on any of the packages I prepurchased shared with me on check in, rather just gave me one of their hand outs, which did not even have anything that I needed answers to on there.

The air conditioner was not working in the room and it was very warm , making it very difficult to sleep at night.

After we checked out and took our belongings and left, someone called me to confirm if I received a text message or email about them fitting me in for dinner that night at the lounge and not the bar. I let them know that we were actually already checked out and would not be returning. They asked if I would provide details and I let them know that we were walking with our luggage to make the next ferry and I couldn't talk right now. Not one single follow-up, not 1 single discount, not 1 reimbursement for not even staying the night.. we left before 3pm.

I would be very cautious with staying at places like this. Clearly, we were not valued...

Very nice hotel, clean excellent location, very cozy atmosphere and quiet. Just the place to relax. If you are traveling with more than 2 I would definitely upgrade to a Deluxe or suite as the traditional king rooms are little small and bathroom quite small. I would highly recommend this hotel and will definitely return. The 1852 Grill room has very good service and food was exceptional. We booked meals for 2 with our room and the food quality and portions were excellent. Our package included breakfast both mornings and they were very good with great selections. The only thing i would recommend on the Grill room is to try to hire more seasoned people or do some trial runs with maybe the locals to make sure they are operating efficiently. The staff was very pleasant, however they were sometimes running around in circles. Chasing around the coffee pot with another waitress to give customers in his area refills on coffee, when the original waitress that had the coffee pot only refilled "her customers" and didn't offer coffee to anyone else. Seemed pretty inefficient. My criticism was more on staff operating efficiency, not in any means on the food quality because the food was great. The chef should be awarded for his skills. The BBQ Smokehouse was a totally different experience. They were definitely understaffed with waitresses/waiters, and the one we had was clueless. Had no idea about the menu, drink selections, and would disappear for long periods of time. We sat there 20-25 minutes before she brought water and then when we asked a couple questions she could not answer and advised she would ask. We didn't see her again for almost another 25-30 minutes. By that time we said forget it lets order as the sun was dropping and it was getting pretty cold. The maintenance guy spent our entire time (probably 1 1/2 hours) there trying to light the outside warmers and only got 1 of 5 working by the time we left. (you would think they would have tested these out before memorial day weekend to make sure they were working as it had been pretty cold for days before that.) The food was not good at all, portions were small, and it had no taste of a traditional BBQ smokehouse food. Very disappointing meal and would not recommend this place to eat. This would be a 5 star rating if the BBQ restaurant...

SPECTACULAR!!! WORTH EVERY PENNY!!! Absolutely loved this place!!! We reserved the most basic king room and were thoroughly pleased. It seemed fresh and recently renovated. Our room was on the smaller side but we expected that based on the rate and that Mackinac Island is popular and in demand. The views from the covered porch and 1852 Grill Room restaurant are breathtaking and soothing. 1852 GRILL ROOM The food from the 1852 Grill Room was absolutely outstanding! We highly recommend purchasing the modified American plan when you book your room, which includes a full breakfast and dinner each day. You will save a lot on the your meals and once you have your first meal there you won’t want to go anywhere else anyway! When booking your room be sure to also make your breakfast and dinner reservations so you get your choice of dining times. The blueberry pancakes are an A+++! The best we’ve ever had by far. I can’t say enough good things about the food. OUTSIDE AMENITIES *There are 2 clay fire pots that are lit each night overlooking the water, with cozy chairs to relax in. *There is a place to rent bikes right in front of the hotel and the two gentlemen who work there are super friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. *Rocking chairs on the front porch looking out toward the water are good for the soul. *Family pool and spa are well kept up and inviting. ICE HOUSE BBQ & BAR There is a delightful casual bar & restaurant at the back of the hotel, called the Ice House. Food, service, and atmosphere were outstanding. The background music was great too. At far too many restaurants it’s too loud, but here it was on that fine line of being upbeat and energetic without drowning out conversation. We really appreciated this often unnoticed but important aspect of a dining experience. There is also a corn hole game to take advantage of. ADULTS ONLY SPA TUB We loved the adults only spa tub. When my husband and I get away with just the two of us, we appreciate adults only areas. FINAL THOUGHTS The Island House Hotel is now our go-to place to stay on Mackinac Island. The quiet and peace there because of no...