The Inn at Stonecliffe

Where one goes to truly experience the most incredible gem of Mackinac Island. You will be welcomed, you will be family, you will not want to leave. The Inn sets a standard that will be very difficult to surpass.if you are looking to treat yourself and your loved ones this is the property to stay at. Everywhere else pales in comparison.

Another wonderful overnight stay at the Stonecliffe. Aesthetically stunning property. Impeccable, professional, and attentive service from F & B to the reception staff. Beautiful grounds. Great food. Housekeeping was extremely courteous and our room impeccable when we arrived; 2 welcome cookies upon arrival. They even took care of washing and drying our damp garments one day. If you can get used to the horse-drawn carriages and bicycle riding for a few days, I strongly recommend visiting this high-end property; at least for 2-3 days. I will definitely return next season as they are open to from May to November.

Molly, We last came to Mackinaw Island in 2007. We were gifted a weekend at the Grand Hotel. We’ve stayed at downtown hotels in the past and I have stayed at the conference center when I was an MEA and NEA teacher delegate. So I have some appreciation for what Mackinaw Island has to offer. By far, the Inn at Stonecliffe tops them all. Anyone who has not visited Mackinaw Island or not been there for a few years. You are in for a great surprise. Now about the Inn At Stonecliffe. We had a lovely time. Every staff member was polite, attentive, and asked if we needed anything. I am a firm believer in customer service and willing to pay for great service. Your staff did not disappoint. I want to mention a few staff who stood out.  Emily (reception desk) was as sweet and kind as they come. Helpful with any question. She walked us to our building and made sure all our questions were answered. Gave her an origami heart. She was genuinely thrilled and made me smile. Alan (bar tender) and I are both MSU grads and had so much fun chatting at the bar. He did a masterful job handling some DJT supporters with grace and a smile. (He did look at me and we both rolled our eyes). He raved about his mentor Jasynth who I met the next day as he had a day off. I made an origami heart for his girlfriend. He said she will love it. Jasynth (sp), was a delight and she shared a lot of her life story with me. I loved hearing about her growing up in Costa Rica and her adventures in the USA. I asked her about her accent and how she ended up working at the Inn. Alan raved about her as a mentor and I can understand why after spending time with her. Made her an origami heart, a bird, a frog, and a flower from cash register tape.  The staff at the Backyard (outdoor restaurant) were all attentive and friendly. We sat at the BAR seating to be able to watch them at work. The arugula salad as simple as it was, was surprisingly delicious. The margarita pizza was equally good. I would encourage reception staff to promote your restaurants as they are also part of a great experience. Dinner at the Straits was one of the best fish meals we’ve eaten. The sauce with the trout was stellar. And those oysters with the pickle relish. What a pleasant surprise. The food manager came by to ask us how we liked them and I told him that I have never tasted anything close to that with oysters. The setting for the property is extraordinarily and we loved walking the grounds. The ride to and from town is the shortest 40 minutes because of the scenery and conversation with fellow travelers. A bonus was we got to experience changing the horse team. Loved that too. BTW rides to and from town are included in the price and leave every hour. Luggage is handled from the time you drop it off at the boat to the time it gets delivered to your room and likewise returning home. So all in all we had a fabulous time. We believe that this experience easily tops the Grand Hotel or any other hotel on the i

This hotel is stunning! Especially the lawn area was so nice to spend time on with our family. I went for business (I’m in the wedding industry) but brought my family. The fountain with the ducks and all of the funny animal heads were adorable Mostly though the staff! Oh my gosh everyone we talked to was SO nice! They helped my toddler have peppermints for the horses and honestly we just felt like we got to know them. We were sad to leave but everyone gave us a hug when we left.

The Inn at Stonecliffe was the perfect combination of historic charm and modern simplicity. It was something like out of a fairytale. Our experience went above and beyond our expectations. All of the staff were extremely courteous and attentive to our needs. The grounds were absolutely pristine and the ambience on the patio while eating gave Bridgerton vibes. ( including the music). The owners and staff thought of everything… from bicycles to go into town, adult and kid friendly pools, and evening fire pits….just to name a few. Lastly, the view from Sunset rock was spectacular. The Inn was the perfect getaway. We would love to go back and do it all again.

Beautiful, peaceful. A different kind of Mackinac Island experience. Many people are concerned about the distance from downtown. There used to be a free shuttle to take you back and forth. The gentler pace up on the bluff is pure bliss. If you want the hustle of Main Street, it’s only 20 minute carriage ride away. You can have the best of both worlds.

We first stayed at the Inn at Stonecliffe in 2013. What an amazing transformation for the entire property! From the moment we stepped on the property, we could tell this has become a very special place. The staff was super welcoming and helpful. Cocktails on the beautiful lawn sitting on Adirondack chairs next our fire pit with a spectacular view of Lake Huron and the Mackinac Bridge was like living in a postcard. It's a bit of a hike from the docks to the Inn, but there are on the hour carriage rides each way and taxi carriages that can be arranged at no charge after normal operating hours.

The rooms are very nice and the workout facility is the best. The breakfast at the straits restaurants is the absolute best. The resort has so many nice ammentities and is reasonably priced. We may opt for a water view or even the Love Shack when we come again next fall.

This iconic Mackinaw Island hotel was totally remodeled over a two year period and it reopened in June of this year. It is a wonderful property with luxurious amenities and beautiful landscaping. We stayed here for three nights. Our time here was very enjoyable but our rating of four stars is due to significant issues we encountered with every meal we had on this property. The resort has two places to eat. The Backyard is a small detached cafe that serves pizzas, sandwiches and other inexpensive items. We had pizza the night we arrived and both of us ate a slice of pizza before we noticed we were not eating what we ordered. Our pepperoni pizza was missing pepperoni. They apologized for the error and took our remaining pizza and added pepperoni. They also, without our request, deducted the cost of the pizza from our tab, which was nice. However, we both felt that the error was probably due to the numerous staff members goofing around in plain sight while also glued to their smart phones. We never returned to The Backyard because of this. The main restaurant, The Straits, within the mansion, is small but beautifully furnished. We ate there three times. Unfortunately, we had issues here also. Our food was cold on two occasions and the couscous on one of my wife’s meals was almost inedible. She also had white fish that was very overcooked. On our last day we ate breakfast at the Straits where we engaged in conversation with the couple next to us. They claimed that they also had issues with the restaurants during their stay. In fact, the man sent back his breakfast that morning and said he had to send it back a day before as well due to his eggs being cooked differently than ordered. We also ate at the Woods, which is next to the hotel but owned by another company. Our meals there were wonderful and the staff we experienced were very professional. We came away from our stay feeling that many staff members were less experienced/ trained than we had the right to expect for such a nice resort. On several occasions we saw staff goofing around at places we ate. Other things to know if staying on Mackinaw Island: No motor vehicles are allowed on the island except for those needed for police and emergency services. This means you’ll either walk, bike or ride horse drawn carriages to get around. Stonecliffe is two miles from the town’s main drag, which requires a 45 minute carriage ride. This makes you somewhat isolated while at the hotel and really limits your choice of nearby restaurants. All of these horses produce a large amount of manure, which falls to the ground and stays there. Although they did have workers cleaning the streets, they didn’t come close to keeping up with the supply. This makes nearly the entire island have a strong barnyard smell. I can only imagine what the aroma is like in the summer when the tourists and horses are many times more plentiful than we saw. Mackinac Island is really worth seeing but I don’t think we’l