American Boutique Inn Lakeview — Hotel in Mackinaw Township

My wife and I stayed here in late August during our trip to Mackinac Island, and if you're thinking of staying on the mainland to save some money, we would both highly recommend American Boutique Inn.

The service at the front desk was always friendly whenever we went to the lobby, where they sell tickets to Shepler's Ferry at a slight discount. It's not that tryhard, overly-friendly type of service you get at some of the large chains, but just a laid back sort of vibe. They were also very informative when we had questions about the area, especially when it came to good places to eat. Regarding the ferry, there's a shuttle service that they can call for you at the front desk, but the way to Shepler's is so short and scenic that we'd recommend just walking there, barring any mobility issues.

Our room when we first checked in was spotless, smelled nice (which isn't always true of older motels/hotels) and even had a decent view. The beds and pillows were firm, but extremely comfortable. In fact, I have half a mind to call them and ask what brand they are. My wife has back problems and I snore like a chainsaw at home, but on this bed, she was pain-free and I was (mostly) quiet. We also slept well on account of how quiet the room was. While some sound still makes its way in through the door and window during the day when people are going in and out of their rooms, at night, you could hear a pin drop, so it seems that the walls are well insulated. If we had anything to complain about, it would be that the cable in our room was a little spotty, but watching TV wasn't much of a priority for us anyway. ABI's pool area was also well kept and the water smelled clean. At night, they have a color changing light and the water's just warm enough to make night swims pleasant. They also keep the pool open until 10:30pm, so it's a great way to unwind after a long day on your feet. If swimming isn't your thing, they also have a beautiful lawn and garden with a water feature and statuary. There are chairs already set out for guests, and if that's not enough, there are plenty of parks nearby on the beach.

Overall, we found ABI to be as whimsical and charming as anything on Mackinac Island. We will probably be staying on the island the next time we go, but if we ever wanted to visit Mackinaw City and the surrounding area, we would definitely stay here again. At the same time, we're glad we stayed on the mainland this time and at this hotel in particular, as the location allowed us to explore Mackinaw City on foot without wearing ourselves out but was still far enough from the busiest tourist areas of town to be quiet when we wanted...

Stayed two nights at this adorable Inn. We loved it and will now be staying here every year for our island trips!

Room: Very clean! There was plenty of room for belongings. Mini fridge was a nice surprise. The beds were comfortable.

Location: Best location possible! Right across the street from the beach and bridge. Within walking distance of downtown and ferry port.

Amenities: They offer free shuttle to the ferry port. The pool is beautiful and well maintained with astro turf and cool lights at night. Nice garden area with Adirondack chairs and wooden swings. All rooms overlook the pool and face either north or east.

Service: The gentleman who checked us was so pleasant and informative! He was such a nice guy.

Negatives: The only trivial thing was regulating the shower water temperature. Mostly in the morning, the water would stay on extremely hot even with the hot water knob off and the cold on full blast. It would take a few minutes for any fluctuation to kick in. Sometimes changing from hot to cold to hot without adjusting anything.

Overall, it is highly...

The rooms are quite musty. There's evidence of mold in the shower, the shower head was gross. When we turned on the air conditioner we woke up not feeling well. A closer inspection showed that there was mold in there too. The room was dusty and full of allergens. While the beds were ok, the overall experience was not great considering the price.

The breakfast comes in boxes and what you get is quite bad honestly. There's really nothing healthy and it's full of sugar making you feel even worse after being in a dusty and musty room! You can tell they really focus on high margins here because everything they provide is cheap, the toilet paper is horrible, the cleaning is subpar and the mold is the worst! Places like this NEED to use dehumidifiers, it's quite simple.

Not only that but you can practically hear everything. People next door moving in their beds, people in the morning in hallways are very loud. It's really not a pleasant or relaxing experience staying here. Staying in St Ignace instead and spending a bit more is...