Otis Harbor Springs — Hotel in West Traverse Township

This is a review for the hotel portion of the business.

It’s a bummer to write this review as the staff are soooo nice and helpful and the building had so much potential, but it’s just seemed like they ran out of money in the remodeling process or tried to do things cheaply from the start.

Firstly, as other reviewers have brought up - the air conditioners in the rooms need to be replaced, no question. They are so incredibly loud and disruptive. Not only are they loud, they also abruptly turn off which makes the situation worse as it’s jarring when it turns off, and it’s jarring when it turns on again. Me and my husband both slept terribly because of this. And weirdly, our room was still very hot all night despite it being cool temperatures outside.

When you’re outside in the courtyard, among this peaceful rural setting, all you can hear are the other room’s air conditioners going off. The noise was literally inescapable.

They put us in room 1, which is arguably the worst room in the hotel. It really shouldn’t even be a room in my opinion, as it shares a wall with the bar (very loud) and as all the rooms are on the first floor there are people constantly walking in front of your window, talking loudly, etc. Absolutely no privacy.

In the morning, you can hear staff walking around and talking in the wall sharing our room as well.

As reviewers had mentioned, there is no mini fridge in the room. I have medication that needs to be refrigerated and they were unable to accommodate me beyond offering to put it in one of their fridges, but the entire staff is gone from 9pm until 8am so the meds would had been inaccessible to us while they were gone.

The rooms feel cheaply done, cheap carpet, scratchy bed sheets, the shower head didn’t work properly, and we booked a room that was meant to be a slight premium room, which cost $260 for one night, definitely not worth the price.

The best part of the hotel was sitting outside of the room because it was too depressing to be inside of it with a blaring AC and all the shades down so you dont feel exposed to all of the guests outside.

Bar patrons kept wandering into the court yard as well adding to the foot traffic and noise, I feel this area should only be accessible to guests as everyone is so exposed being in the courtyard.

They dont serve food at the hotel and the only restaurant nearby is some kind of farm (I forget the name) that serves very good pizza, but I could see that getting very tiring after a night.

Again, the staff are amazing. Props to them.

Ultimately, after what we paid VS what we got I feel a bit...

I'm leaving this review to both help Otis and educate future customers:

I stayed at the Otis for a couple nights with my husband and was impressed with the thoughtfully curated decor and accents. Checking in was seamless and the staff was incredibly welcoming and eager to help. They gave us great suggestions for beaches in the area. I loved the little shop next to check-in, with fun drinks and goods. The restaurant/bar had a great cocktail hour menu with the most thoughtful charcuterie board. You can tell that there's been a lot of thought and effort put into these details.

The room was basic, no TV, fridge, or dresser. No TV was welcomed, but I honestly didn't realize how much I would miss a mini fridge. There was an open closet, but it would have been nice to have a place to set our suitcase or even a couple drawers. The room did have a strange smell, I honestly couldn't tell if it was musty from having been unoccupied and warm, or if it was a scent or cleaning agent they used. The bed was incredibly comfortable! Nice white fresh sheets and very plush. The bathroom was small, especially the shower. The placement of the shampoo/conditioner hanging basket was right in the middle of the shower which took up a lot of room and made it awkward to maneuver. The room was cleaned daily with fresh towels, which I really appreciated!

The major downside of the room was the paper-thin walls. I could hear my neighbors private conversations clearly, not even muffled - it was as if I was in the room with them. And at night, my other neighbor's snoring was all we heard. My husband and I found ourselves whispering and gingerly walking about as to not disturb anyone. The AC was a help and hinderance as it sounded like a jet engine, therefore drowning out any other noise when on. I saw this comment in other reviews, but thought they were exaggerating. They were not.

Overall, it's a beautiful motel nestled in a great location. But the accents were more focused on than the much needed basics. To truly make this an elevated stay, like the accents suggest - I think the next focus should be on:

Noise reduction panels in the rooms Updated/quiet AC units Reconfiguring the shampoo/conditioner baskets in the shower (while a small detail, will make a huge difference) Adding a signature refreshing scent...

Absolutely delightful! Really appreciated the vision and decor selected by the owners. The quality vintage pieces throughout really made the space so inviting. Visited in March which I am betting will be my favorite time to visit. As I sat in front of the real log fireplace listening to the crackle of the fire, I was able to take in the breathtaking sunset over Lake Michigan through the trees.

I cannot speak highly enough of the food and beverage. Tony, the bartender, is truly talented when it comes to mixing beverages. I asked for an Old Fashioned and sipped on the best Old Fashioned that I have ever tasted. I asked Tony to surprise me with a beverage of his choice. He mixed an absolutely beautiful smoked Manhattan that has now become my favorite. Everything I ate was delicious and you can tell that only quality ingredients are included. And that honey butter.....well let's just say I stayed an hour past the time I intended to just to purchase a jar of it.

The room was spacious and the bed was so comfortable. I slept like a baby. My room did have a TV, but I did not use it. I didn't have a problem with the lack of a microwave or mini fridge as there were no leftovers since I nearly licked my plate. It is true the walls were a bit thin but my neighbors were courteous and quiet and I had no issues. I was looking for a place to unwind and reflect, and Otis is the perfect place to do so.

Word is that a salt water pool is coming, which I was so pleased to hear!

I will definitely be back to enjoy...