Grand Hotel Celebrates 130th Anniversary!

It’s the world’s largest summer hotel located on Mackinac Island, and today it’s celebrating its 130th Anniversary!

The Grand Hotel was built way back in 1887, and continues to stand today. Guests from all over often visit the hotel to experience its traditional hospitality and charm. The hotel has been family owned for three generations, and features the world’s largest porch!

“The favorite thing which is sitting on one of our one hundred rocking chairs on the 660ft. long porch and kind of watch the world go by,” Said Ken Hayward, Grand Hotel managing director.

In addition to a porch that’s as big as two football fields, the hotel was also the setting for two major movies- This Time for Keeps, filmed in 1947, and Somewhere in Time, filmed in 1980. It also contains rooms that are named after former first ladies.

“Back in 1887 when the hotel was built kind of the same things people were doing way back then, why they came up here, and why they got away…kind of the same things people are doing today which I think is one of the main parts of the tradition,” said Hayward.

For 130 years, the Grand Hotel has remained a classic, and one of Michigan’s many charms.