Inn at Bay Harbor, Autograph Collection

The Inn at Bay Harbor was the perfect mix of luxury, comfort, and winter charm. A fantastic winter retreat with excellent service, highly recommend and can’t wait to return!

Let me preface this by saying I have stayed at hundreds of resorts. We are a couple that came for rest and relaxation. If you are a couple this is not the hotel for you. The pool was bombarded with kids playing football in the pool and their pool appears much larger in their pictures. It was intrusive to the point where it was not useable for fear of being big by the balls. There were employees passing by the pool and not one person said a thing. It was a complete free for all and at times did not seem safe. When we checked in we have a certain status with Marriott. But they advised us they no longer give plastic bottle water due to the environment but they had plastic cups everywhere. In the door to the room it states not responsible for stolen items yet there is no safe in the room and I have news for the hotel they are responsible for their employees. On the first day we asked for our room to be cleaned and nobody came. At checkin our room was not ready at 4 and the front desk quickly pointed out that’s when their check in begins. There was limited courteous and at other resorts when this has happened they have offered something for the inconvenience even a free soda would have been nice. I also didn’t appreciate being called honey when I was upset at checkin by a very young clerk. Ma’am would have been respectful. Honey was very condescending. On the positive, the room was adequate but walls are very thin so don’t get a connecting room. The lake was lovely and by default at the pool we spent time at the small beach area.

We stayed in a two bedroom suite right over the restaurant/wedding area with our son. We paid over $1400 a night for the room with a view of the resort and lake and a separate space for our son. A tent was set up for a Saturday night wedding on Friday which blocked half of our view. The wedding was from approximately 5pm until 11:15 pm. on Saturday. During that time, music blared throughout the resort - blaringly loud. And not any music you’ve heard but rather some unfamiliar music in a foreign language. It was blaring when we were at the pool, blaring while we tried to enjoy dinner at the chophouse and blaring in our room which was right above the wedding. Our room was shaking. We couldn’t sit on our balcony because we couldn’t hear ourselves think and we couldn’t relax on our room. You can’t charge full price for rooms in prime season and then let a wedding basically ruin the experience for everyone else at the hotel. Honestly I was appalled. I asked at the front desk and they said there is a wedding every Saturday night in the summer! The resort is not big enough to hold weddings without disturbing the rest of the resort guests. There should be notice and a significant discount to the exorbitant rates if a wedding is going to ruin the tranquil experience for the rest of the guests. We were extremely disappointed.

Pulling up to this resort felt like I was getting a stay at Disney's Grand Floridian. It's beautiful with flowers blooming at the entrance. Reception was welcoming and explained everything the property has to offer. We used our FNA (Free Night Award) to stay and as Marriott Titanium, we were offered either 1000 points, free breakfast or a $10 food credit. We used the bikes, free if you are willing to pedal, $25/hour for eBikes. Once we returned, we had s'mores by the campfire, packets are complimentary at the reception desk. We even found free laundry on our floor (2nd) that we were able to do, while enjoying our in-room fireplace and our robes. The view from our room was stunning and we could hear the crashing of the waves against the shore as we relaxed before bed. Pool is open (mid May, but only 45º outside) and heated. I saw folks in the pool and hot tub, while it's quite chilly outside, so it must be decently heated. There's hammocks and a human sized chess board on the grounds as well. As to the resort fee, I called ahead to find out how much it would be, since we got our room as an FNA. I was told the resort fee is usually 10% which is crazy! But for us it would be $10.30. I made a note and prepared to address whatever cost came up upon arrival. All for naught. We weren't charged a resort fee at all. Upon checkout, our bill was $0. Nothing charged. For reference it was a free night award with the Chase credit card and we are Titanium Elite. I would come again in a heartbeat.

This hotel is top-notch. The staff are friendly, helpful and professional. The rooms are clean, comfortable and well appointed. The breakfast buffet is plentiful and delicious. The Vintage Chophouse also has delicious food and a cozy atmosphere. A short drive will take you to the charming town of Charlevoix to the south, or Petoskey to the north. I highly recommend getting a room with a view of the bay. It's beaufiul.