Grand Hotel
Mackinac Island, Michigan
The Grand Hotel opened in 1887 on Michigan’s Mackinac Island, and the resort keeps its tradition of luxury and leisure thriving as it enters its 133rd season.
“There’s 133 years of history of people talking about it, their experiences, having their honeymoons and anniversaries there — there’s that lore of being around a long, long time,” said managing director Ken Hayward.
Thanks in part to being owned by the same family since 1933, the hotel has kept its traditions intact and maintained its history while staying relevant and appealing to modern travelers.
The dining room still requires a jacket and tie for dinner. Guests can have afternoon tea and dance to a live orchestra every night. It’s not stuffy, but it helps keep it special, Hayward said.
Luxury is evident in the service, amenities and activities. Guest rooms and public spaces are elegantly decorated by Dorothy Draper. The hotel has 750 employees for 393 guest rooms, and with so many long-term employees and longtime guests, “they know each other and ask about their kids and grandkids and share pictures of their dogs,” Hayward said.
With no automobiles on the island, there’s no traffic or congestion. Groups can take bicycles to explore the coast, do a scavenger hunt or ride into town to get some famous Mackinac fudge. Guests can also take horseback rides or horse-drawn carriage rides. One carriage tour option can take up to 40 people per three-horse hitch through the woods of Mackinac Island State Park and past natural landmarks like Arch Rock to historic Fort Mackinac, where costumed interpreters lead daily tours and demonstrations.
Back at the hotel, guests can golf, lounge by the pool, play croquet or bocce on the lawn, or relax on the “world’s largest front porch” taking in views of the Straits of Mackinac.
Greenbrier
White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia
People first started visiting White Sulphur Springs in the mountains of West Virginia 240 years ago, and in that time, the Greenbrier has cemented its reputation as America’s resort, welcoming 27 U.S. presidents and generations of guests.
“It’s one of one,” said Greg Furlong, vice president of sales and event services. “There’s nothing else like it out there.”
The stately Southern hotel is done up in Dorothy Draper decor and has about 500 guest accommodations ranging from single rooms to seven-bedroom suites. The resort has another 200 one- to five-bedroom cottages within walking distance.
Resort activities include biking, kayaking, zip lining, horseback rides, spa treatments and five golf courses. Groups can also go fly-fishing, try sport shooting and take Jeeps onto 33 miles of off-road trails.
But the Greenbrier has two things no other resort has: a private casino and a fallout shelter. After the Justice family bought the resort in 2009, they built the country’s only private casino that’s open only to members and guests. Groups can arrange private tournaments or private tables, or just people watch and gamble at the 35 tables and 330 slot machines.
Carved into the mountainside deep beneath the hotel, a Cold War-era government fallout shelter is now open for tours. The 90-minute bunker tour takes guests through the blast doors and through the declassified facility, where the U.S. government would have operated if there had been a nuclear attack on the District of Columbia.
“It really is a must-see,” Furlong said. “There’s no other resort in the world that has a government relocation facility.”
Café Carleton works well for groups of 50 or fewer, and the historic main dining room is “the “absolute epitome of grand Southern dining,” Furlong said. The Justice family also added the Prime 44 West steakhouse, which honors NBA legend and West Virginia native Jerry West.
