Northern Michigan resorts keep setting the bar higher when it comes to sumptuous, state-of-the-art meeting spaces. Here’s what’s new at a dozen destinations around the region.
The Homestead
1 Wood Ridge Rd. | Glen Arbor | 231.334.5000
This four-season resort, spa and ski hill is located right in the heart of scenic Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, with Lake Michigan, the Crystal River, and the villages of Glen Arbor and Leland just steps away for great team-building and relaxation opportunities. The focus here is on smaller groups—as few as a handful of people or up to 180. Major upgrades to the furniture, fixtures and technology in spring 2016 ensure a world-class experience.
Crystal Mountain
12500 Crystal Mountain Dr. | Thompsonville | 855.995.5146
Set in beautiful Benzie County, this four-season resort has been praised as one of the finest conference spots in the Midwest. This year Crystal Mountain will see a 31,000-square-foot expansion to its Inn at the Mountain, including a lobby bar, indoor market, 25 new guest rooms and a rooftop terrace for intimate gatherings. The Crystal Center, with room for up to 350 attendees, continues to be an exemplary meeting spot for larger groups and corporate events. Unwind on the golf courses, ski hills, hiking trails, or in the 18,500-square-foot, LEED-certified Crystal Spa.
Grand Traverse Resort
100 Grand Traverse Resort Blvd. | Acme | 800.236.1577
At 17 stories tall, the Grand Traverse Resort’s striking glass tower is the tallest building in Northern Michigan, and a beacon of luxury and exemplary service. A recent $7 million total renovation of the tower’s guest rooms further position the resort as a national destination for high-profile clients. Grand Traverse boasts more than 86,500 square feet of meeting space, accommodating small groups on up to conferences with more than 2,000 attendees. Three championship courses, a 7,000-square-foot spa, and customized team-building events round out the experience.
Evergreen Resort
7880 Mackinaw Trail | Cadillac | 800.634.7302
This Cadillac resort is sporting a fresh face in 2016, with significant updates and upgrades to nearly every room at the resort—from the lobby, which boasts new furniture, tile, computers and more, to the down-to-the-studs renovation of more than half the guest rooms. Space for up to 200 convention or corporate retreat guests, plus plenty of ways to unwind—the resort sits on 350 acres of woodland, right next to more than a half-million acres of Manistee National Forest.
Shanty Creek
5780 Shanty Creek Rd. | Bellaire | 800.678.4111
Planning a tech-heavy event? Upgrades to the already-impressive WiFi at this four-season resort’s Lakeview Hotel and Conference Center means seamless connectivity without hiccups. Other recent improvements include an expanded menu of team-building activities, more shopping and dining on the property, and an updated online reservation system that allows attendees to access information for their event. More than 36,000 square feet of flexible event space, a seasoned event staff, and recreation opportunities on the slopes, links and nearby Torch Lake.
Grand Hotel
286 Grand Ave. | Mackinac Island | 800.334.7263
This iconic Victorian-era resort perched on a bluff overlooking the Straits of Mackinac sets an elegant backdrop for memorable meetings. The two-story, 16,000-square-foot Woodfill Conference Center has space for up to 800 attendees, with smaller rooms nearby for breakout sessions or smaller groups. New for 2016: Sushi Grand, a made-to-order sushi restaurant next to the hotel’s Gate House; an upgraded business center with state-of-the-art facilities; 400 new meeting-room chairs for more comfortable conferences, and more. After-work activities include horse-drawn carriage rides, bicycle trips, and golf at the Grand’s 18-hole Jewel course, with nine holes near the water and nine in the woods.
Mission Point
6633 Main St. | Mackinac Island | 800.833.7711
This landmark on the southeast shore of Mackinac Island is in the middle of a three-year master plan for ongoing improvements ranging from updated guest rooms to new gardens and a full-service onsite spa. These are, of course, icing on the cake at this historic resort, which boasts frontage right on the Straits and more than 38,000 square feet of extensive, flexible conference space. Your group might enjoy a private grounds tour of the resort’s new gardens, including the Apothecary Garden and Cocktail Garden, new as of last season.
Park Place Hotel
300 E. State St. | Traverse City | 231.946.5000
A beacon of hospitality since 1930, this historic Traverse City landmark is seeing big changes this year as it upgrades the space in its 10-story tower to include premium guest rooms, suites and a hospitality room. The Park Place already can’t be beat when it comes to location, putting your guests within walking distance of shopping, dining, brew pubs, the beach, entertainment, and tons more. Nine meeting rooms totaling more than 13,000 square feet of functional space, room for up to 500 attendees, a broad range of catering options, and million-dollar views of the bay from the 10th story Beacon Lounge.
Odawa Casino & Resort
1760 Lears Rd. | Petoskey | 800.585.3737
Conferences at this Petoskey casino and resort can be both professional and laid-back—striking a balance that allows for maximum creativity and productivity. Six banquet rooms ensure comfortable accommodations for groups of all sizes, from the Superior Room, suitable for up to 14 people, all the way to Ovation Hall, with space for 1,000 (or 600 seated banquet style). When it’s time to let loose, hit up the slots or table games, or arrange a private motor coach tour of the region, which serves up beauty in spades.
Little River Casino Resort
2700 Orchard Hwy. | Manistee | 888.568.2244
Whether your group totals just 10 guests or as many as 1,400, there’s space for your event and plenty of ways to unwind at this resort just a short distance from Lake Michigan. After burning through each day’s agenda, your guests can hit up the full-service casino with five slot rooms and table games like roulette, blackjack, and Texas Hold ’Em, catch live music in the 1,600-seat Event Center, head out for a hike at nearby C.S. Mott Nature Preserve, or head into downtown Manistee for shopping, dining or unwinding on the beach.
Boyne Mountain
1 Boyne Mountain Rd. | Boyne Falls | 855.688.7024
This four-season Boyne Falls resort has it all: exemplary skiing and outstanding golf, horseback trail rides, sleigh rides, disc golf, a zipline adventure course, paintball, kayaking and canoeing, the state’s largest indoor waterpark, and the award-winning Solace Spa. When playtime’s over and you’re ready to gather your crew, there’s more than 37,000 square feet of event space, plus freshly upgraded AV equipment as of June 2016.
Boyne Highlands
600 Boyne Highlands Dr. | Harbor Springs | 855.688.7022
The rolling hills surrounding Harbor Springs sets a stunning scene any time of year, and much of the meeting space at this resort offers spectacular views of that beauty. Spend a half day gettin’ some hard work done, then head outdoors to golf, ski, or make some memories on a group outing: there’s a zipline course, scenic chairlift rides, a complementary nine-hole golf course, and more. Event space for up to 600 attendees; short drive to picturesque Harbor Springs.
Inn at Bay Harbor
3600 Village Harbor Drive | Bay Harbor | 855.688.7023
Sophisticated doesn’t have to mean stuffy, and this premier golf resort, recognized by Travel + Leisure as one of the world’s 500 best hotels, is both an elegant and inviting destination for your team. Designed in the spirit of romantic turn-of-the-century lakeside hotels, the inn offers 6,600 square feet of meeting space, a newly remodeled lobby with cozy alcoves for intimate chats, plus 45 holes of award-winning golf, a full-service spa, and more, all set against breathtaking Lake Michigan views.
View more Northern Michigan resorts in MyNorth’s hotel directory.