Mackinaw City Chamber of Tourism — Local services in Saint Ignace

BUYER BEWARE! This CHAMBER Is NOT run the by the city and is a SCAM!!!!

As a single mom, looking for a getaway for myself and the kids, and having spent hour looking for JUST the right hotel, I am APPALLED that this unethical business is even allowed to operate!

I booked at the Best Western Waterside Dockfront hotel and received a shady confirmation, stating they had the right to change my hotel. So I called and they pretended they were the hotel and assured me I WAS staying at the best western. I let her know what the email confirmation said and she again reassured me that we were all set.

After a four hour drive, with two children in the car, we arrived to a Ghostown! Their tourism website fails to let you know that the city is SHUT DOWN for the winter/early spring. No big deal... we’ll have fun anyway, I thought.

We arrive at our hotel, that i confirmed reservations at and the DOORS ARE LOCKED and no one is answering the phone!!!!!! BEST WESTERN, I hold YOU accountable for working with this shady operator to lead me to your locked doors!

I call, and they say, “no your reservation is at the Hamilton Select.” She said it as if I were crazy. I said, “no, I have the reservation in front of me... and I called to confirm.” She put me on a long hold and I hung up. I tried to find something a couple hours away but was pressed to make a decision. So we went there. I paid upfront for my three nights but we left after two nights. The Hamilton select quoted this shady operator, that they could switch my hotel. HAMILTON SELECT, I hold YOU accountable for working with and being part of this scam. She refused to refund my monies and said she could issue me a credit to come back this time of year when they’re not full.

Well, why would I want to do that?! These hotels are closed, work with a scam artist to lie to people and make you think you have reservations at a certain hotel and they lead you to believe the city is a fun place to be and fail to tell you it’s SHUT DOWN.

I am not done with this. Mackinaw City Chamber of Tourism? You’re the Chamber of LIES and your shady practices, and those of your hotels that go along with it are unethical, wrong and absolutely unacceptable.

Best Western Waterfront Dockside and Hamilton Inn Select? People need to know that you’re part of this and avoid booking at your hotels lest they show up to locked doors...

Booked a room threw the website two weeks prior to my stay at the hamilton inn my confirmation email says guaranteed room till 7 pm the day of arrival . I arrived at 4 pm and was told I didn't have a room showed them my email and then was told I canceled it , sail no I didn't why would I cancel when I was on my way didn't make sense so then my 3 answers was the phone number was wrong.. I told the man at the front desk I was on the road from the kewanee peninsula and most of the area is dead zone as well as mid section of the upper peninsula as well so I would have never even received a call not that that mattered you had my debit card and that was good I am guaranteed a room till 7:00 p.m. and it's only 4 . The front desk man said don't matter I have no room to leave the hotel . I was informed to call the mackinaw city chamber of tourism which I did and they were rude as well. Called them 4 times and got nowhere either so I had to go back across the bridge and stayed in st.ignas . After being on the road for almost 7 hours in a snowy drive some areas were almost white out conditions from the kewanee peninsula I was treaded rude and felt like I was a inconvenience even though I had a reservation with a guarantee with a room till 7 pm and it was only 4 it was no big deal . I couldn't get a name all 4 front desk cleared not one had a name tags all were rude and ignorant and the same with the chamber of commerce tourism folks . So sorry to say I will no longer stay or visit mackinaw city again I will go to st.igans if I have to . After taking and waiting for a call from either place is and was like talking to a brick wall. And swing some of these complaints it seems they don't care either . The chamber of commerce tourism said I wasn't charged why am I concerned ? Well let me tell you for one it's bad business practice to work like this you should stand behind what you put in writing , and 2 customers are not always right I get it I worked for hilton hotels "hampton inn and holiday inn" and you don't treat and speak to a guest in the manner they spoke to me in . Did I get Nasty and rude ? I sure did I am only human when your treated and spoke to most...

We stayed at the Hamilton and it was the worst experience I have ever had at a hotel. I originally called the hotel to book a reservation because I like to deal directly with people and the lady who answered the phone quoted a price $100 higher than the website stated. When I said I found cheaper rates elsewhere, she said "oh no!" and started being very rude on the phone. She then asked what we wanted to pay. That is the strangest thing I have ever heard. Who asks what someone wants to pay and then is rude to them. I should have known then not to book the room online for the cheaper rate. From the moment we arrived, we realized it was a mistake. The reservation was for two days and they only reserved the room for one. They had to fix it. The gentleman who checked us in had no idea what he was doing and never gave us any details about the hotel, breakfast, shuttles, checkout, etc. He didn't even tell us our room number and just handed us the keys and turned around to do something else. Then on the second evening there were ANTS in our bed. When I went to ask for a different room, the same lady who was rude on the phone (same voice) said all she could do was have maintenance spray the room. We didn't want to breath toxic fumes all night. I asked for a different room and she said they were booked and wouldn't give us money back to find another place. After noone came to address the issue for over an hour, I returned to the desk and she was still as rude. I was so upset at this point and walked away. She then called the room and told my husband that she could send housekeeping to sweep the floor. So we opted for that since it was better than nothing. Now that I realize the hotels are connected, she should have offered for us to stay elsewhere. I have now realized they treat ALL customers this way. Terrible. Tragic. It is hard to recommend people visit Mackinaw City, which is supposed to be a great place in our home state, when I don't want to stay there myself. Next time I will find a small hotel or stay outside the city. These hotels and staff don't deserve business or paychecks for...