The Harbor Grand Hotel — Hotel in New Buffalo

The Harbor Grand is a nice hotel that thinks it's a world class hotel. Unfortunately, there are many limitations that absolutely do NOT justify their price (particularly in the summer).||Location: Adjacent to a small boat harbor you a see water, boats, condos, hotels, houses, etc. Not great, but not bad. It's a quick walk to downtown New Buffalo, but there's not much in New Buffalo to do. ||Beach: Its a long walk to, frankly, an ugly beach. MI has many stunning beaches - this is not one. The beach is so crowded on the weekend that it's chaos. The public parking is limited and chaotic. Trying to find a place to put your beach chair is chaotic. And, its not like you can walk down the beach and find a more remote and peaceful place, the beach is so crowded because the majority of the beach is a private with a rude guard shooing people away. ||Hotel: The hotel decor is modern, understated, and well appointed. The rooms and facilities can seem dark because the walls appear to be black, but it's a good vibe. The hotel is small and built in the same general architecture as most roadside Hampton Inns, so that imposes a lot of limitations. The front of the hotel is all parking lot view, they call it village view, but its just parking lot. Oddly, they put the big expensive suites on the front of the hotel so you pay a lot of money to look at asphalt and orange cones. The hotel was definitely not honest in its description for those rooms.||Staff: The staff was generally nice, but ill-prepared to handle expectations that go along with their high prices. We made a restaurant reservation for 8 and they put half the group on different sides of the restaurant with plenty of empty tables in between. It took getting a manager to realize that we could actually sit together, and, by the way, the empty tables remained empty for the entire duration. Want an extra blanket - need a manager, AC not working - manager. Though pleasant, the staff's inability to handle basic tasks needlessly turned simple things into big problems that involved the manager. ||Room: The room was well decorated but our stay was very disappointing. For instance, there was no side table at the bed so everything had to be put on the floor. Even though we got a suite - the view was ugly. You could hear the cars drive in the parking lot, headlights shown through the window, and you could hear every word of every conversation people had as they walked to/from their car. Awful. This wouldn't be acceptable if I was staying at a roadside Hampton Inn, but absolutely intolerable when paying $3,000 for a long weekend.||Summary, the hotel tries to be a luxury retreat but misses badly. You pay high prices for nice decor and...

The Harbor Grand is a nice hotel that thinks it's a world class hotel. Unfortunately, there are many limitations that absolutely do NOT justify their price (particularly in the summer).||Location: Adjacent to a small boat harbor you a see water, boats, condos, hotels, houses, etc. Not great, but not bad. It's a quick walk to downtown New Buffalo, but there's not much in New Buffalo to do. ||Beach: Its a long walk to, frankly, an ugly beach. MI has many stunning beaches - this is not one. The beach is so crowded on the weekend that it's chaos. The public parking is limited and chaotic. Trying to find a place to put your beach chair is chaotic. And, its not like you can walk down the beach and find a more remote and peaceful place, the beach is so crowded because the majority of the beach is a private with a rude guard shooing people away. ||Hotel: The hotel decor is modern, understated, and well appointed. The rooms and facilities can seem dark because the walls appear to be black, but it's a good vibe. The hotel is small and built in the same general architecture as most roadside Hampton Inns, so that imposes a lot of limitations. The front of the hotel is all parking lot view, they call it village view, but its just parking lot. Oddly, they put the big expensive suites on the front of the hotel so you pay a lot of money to look at asphalt and orange cones. The hotel was definitely not honest in its description for those rooms.||Staff: The staff was generally nice, but ill-prepared to handle expectations that go along with their high prices. We made a restaurant reservation for 8 and they put half the group on different sides of the restaurant with plenty of empty tables in between. It took getting a manager to realize that we could actually sit together, and, by the way, the empty tables remained empty for the entire duration. Want an extra blanket - need a manager, AC not working - manager. Though pleasant, the staff's inability to handle basic tasks needlessly turned simple things into big problems that involved the manager. ||Room: The room was well decorated but our stay was very disappointing. For instance, there was no side table at the bed so everything had to be put on the floor. Even though we got a suite - the view was ugly. You could hear the cars drive in the parking lot, headlights shown through the window, and you could hear every word of every conversation people had as they walked to/from their car. Awful. This wouldn't be acceptable if I was staying at a roadside Hampton Inn, but absolutely intolerable when paying $3,000 for a long weekend.||Summary, the hotel tries to be a luxury retreat but misses badly. You pay high prices for nice decor and...

A Luxurious and Relaxing Lake Michigan Getaway

We just returned from a wonderful two-night stay at The Harbor Grand Hotel in New Buffalo, Michigan, and it exceeded our expectations. We stayed in a Lake View King room on the third floor, and it was beautifully designed with Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired decor—clean lines, rich woods, and dark, soothing tones throughout the hotel.

Our room was spacious and thoughtfully laid out. The bathroom felt spa-like with a freestanding tub, large walk-in shower, separate toilet area, and a roomy vanity. We appreciated the plush towels, soft bathrobes, and overall attention to detail. A wall of mirrors in the hallway added a sense of space, and although we didn’t use the under-bed drawers, it was a clever design feature. The Juliette balcony offered stunning views of the marina and Lake Michigan—sunsets were especially magical.

The king-sized bed was comfortable, flanked by lamps and nightstands, and the fireplace next to the bed (operated by remote) added a lovely ambiance in the evenings. The room also included a mini fridge, TV, complimentary water, and a boutique chocolate bar—small but thoughtful touches.

One of our favorite features was the in-room breakfast delivery. Each evening, we filled out a breakfast card, and the next morning a basket arrived right on time with choices like frittata, muffins, fruit, juice, coffee, and more. Sitting by the window, sipping coffee while watching the marina come to life, was a highlight of our stay.

The on-site restaurant, The Terrace Room, was bustling every evening and for good reason. The Italian-inspired menu, creative cocktails, extensive wine list, and marina-level views made it a fantastic dining experience. There was both indoor and outdoor seating available.

Though we didn’t use the pool or hot tub, we did check them out, and they looked clean and inviting. The adjacent sun deck is a nice bonus. Front desk staff were friendly and helpful, offering bikes and beach towels as needed.

At over $400/night, it’s definitely a splurge, but we felt it was worth it for the location and quality of experience. The hotel sits right in the heart of New Buffalo, which offers great shopping, dining, and of course, lake access. Sunday was quite busy, but by Monday things had calmed down, and it was wonderfully peaceful.

We’re a married couple in our mid-60s, and this stay was just the relaxing escape we were hoping for. We will...