Hotel Iroquois on the Beach

The Hotel Iroquois on the Beach has been family-owned on Mackinac Island since 1954 — a 47-room clapboard summer hotel on the Lake Huron shoreline, with the wraparound porches and shutter-painted exteriors of the island's late-Victorian era. The Carriage House, the inn's restaurant, sits inside the original building and is one of the few full dining rooms on the island that's not part of the Grand Hotel.

Mackinac Island is one of the more unusual hotel markets in the country. No cars are allowed on the island — transportation is bicycle, horse-and-carriage, or foot — and the season is short, roughly May through October. The Iroquois operates on that calendar.

The setting

On Main Street, on the eastern shore of Mackinac Island, with the Lake Huron beach immediately at the back of the building. The walk into the village's commercial strip — fudge shops, cycle rentals, the Mackinac Island Carriage Tours stand — is two minutes. Fort Mackinac on the bluff above is a five-minute climb.

The ferry to the island runs from Mackinaw City and St. Ignace on the mainland, on either side of the Mackinac Bridge. Cars stay on the mainland. The trip is about twenty minutes by ferry. From the ferry dock, you walk, ride, or take a carriage.

The building

A two-story white-clapboard summer hotel from the late 19th century, with a full-width front porch facing Main Street and a wraparound porch on the lake side. The interior leans refined-Americana — wide-plank floors, painted wainscoting, period light fixtures, a parlor with a fireplace. Public spaces include the front porch (used heavily), the Carriage House restaurant, and a small bar.

The building has been kept in period register through the family's stewardship.

The rooms

Forty-seven rooms across the main building and small annex. Categories climb from compact rooms (around $495 in season) up through lakefront suites with the better lake exposure. Beds are queens and kings, linens are good, bathrooms are functional and updated. Lake-side rooms get the Huron view; Main Street rooms face the village activity.

The lake-side rooms are the obvious ask.

Food & drink

The Carriage House restaurant runs contemporary American with a Great Lakes seafood weight (whitefish, perch). Open to non-guests by reservation. The bar runs through the evening. Breakfast is served on the porch in good weather. The Carriage House is one of the more reliable fine-dining options on the island that isn't the Grand Hotel's massive operation.

On the property

A summer hotel with the right amenities for an island stay.

• Direct beach access
• Carriage House restaurant and bar
• Bicycles available for guest use
• Wraparound porch
• Open seasonally (typically May through October)

Who it's for

• Couples doing a Mackinac long weekend
• Travelers who'd rather be on the lakeshore than up at the Grand Hotel
• Families on multi-night summer stays
• Repeat Mackinac visitors who've cycled through the larger hotels

Who it's not for

• Year-round travelers — the inn is seasonal
• Anyone with mobility limitations who'd struggle with the no-cars-on-island setup
• Travelers who want a contemporary boutique aesthetic

Nearby

The Mackinac Island village strip is two minutes' walk — the fudge shops, the carriage stand, the cycle rentals. Fort Mackinac on the bluff is a five-minute climb. The eight-mile loop road around the island (Highway M-185, the only US highway with no cars) runs along the lake from the front of the hotel — it's the standard ride or walk on the island. Arch Rock and the interior trails are accessible via the loop. The Grand Hotel is a fifteen-minute walk west. Take the ferry back to the mainland for Mackinaw City or St. Ignace, both with their own attractions.