Grand Hotel Turns 130 Years Old
Mackinac Island landmark opens for the season May 4.
The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island welcomed its first guests in 1887. Now 130 years later, the owners of the landmark are adding new suites and restoring some of the original features, including the iconic front porch.
Hotel President Dan Musser III, whose family has owned the property since 1979, says workers spent two years rebuilding the porch.
“We finally took off the enclosure that we installed all winter so that we could replace the front porch,” Musser says. “I think there’s enough lumber there to build a home.”
The Grand Hotel will celebrate its 130th anniversary this summer. It opens for the season on May 4.
Musser says business was good in 2016.
“Occupancy was up,” Musser says, adding that bookings for 2017 are strong so far. “We do have availability throughout the summer.”
Musser tells WDET’s Pat Batcheller the challenge is keeping the historic character of the building intact while offering features and amenities that today’s guests want like air conditioning, Wi-Fi and television.
Click on the audio player to hear the full conversation.
