Hancock Lodgings

RAMADA INN WATERFRONT
(906) 482-8400
The Ramada is the area's only hotel with both a dining room and dockage. (Houghton's Super 8 has docks but no dining.) The ample front lounge with fireplace is a comfortable gathering room as well as a morning breakfast area where an expanded continental breakfast is served. The attractive Upper Deck Restaurant has good food, live music and dancing generally Wednesday through Saturday. The adjoining outdoor seating area has a good view of the lift bridge. Conferences and community groups use the large meeting room.
        The light-filled two-story indoor pool room, small inside seating area, and larger outdoor terrace also have good bridge views. It's a squarish playground pool, about 32 feet long. A hot tub sits in a corner, open to the rest of the vaulted space. There's an adjacent electric sauna. A guest laundry is a nice extra.
        Walkers have a lot to explore: the artistic labyrinth-garden across the parking lot (see Hancock points of interest), the nearby marina with occasional spectacular boats, and, to the west, bits of public waterfront boardwalk and park. Walk up the steep hill and you'll be in historic downtown Hancock. Venture across busy U.S. 41 at Dave's Service, go up Dunstan Street alongside it, to explore the rich early 20th-century residential architecture of East Hancock.
        51 rooms, half facing the water, are on two floors with interior corridors. All rooms have coffeemakers, hair dryers, irons, cable TV, plus a table and chair. Wireless internet access. There's well-maintained contemporary furniture and subdued floral decor. Standard doubles with two queens are $85 in summer and winter, $80 in off seasons (2004 prices). Minifridges come with whirlpool rooms (they have pullout sofas, too), all king executive suites, and some queen rooms. Open year-round.

BEST WESTERN COPPER CROWN MOTEL
(906) 482-6111
This well-maintained, 46-room older motel right in downtown Hancock offers more than meets the eye - AND it's the least expensive area lodging with an indoor pool. Its two stories are oriented around an inner parking area, so traffic noise from U.S. 41 is more muted. It's an easy walk to Finlandia University and Hancock's shops, taverns, galleries, restaurants. There's an interior door to the Kaleva Cafe, known for breakfast; nearby Gemignani's is among the area's better restaurants. Walkers can easily reach historic East Hancock and hillside neighborhoods. It's fun - and safe - to walk across the lift bridge to downtown Houghton. (Better stay on the west side and, if the traffic's really bad, circle round under the bridge to get to downtown.)
    Simple shared decks by the inner parking area let guests sit out over coffee. There's complimentary continental-plus breakfast served in a common room that's open throughout the day as a gathering spot with microwave and refrigerator for guests to use. A spa and medium-size freeform pool are in a simple room with a few windows, enlivened by a northwoods mural. An electric sauna adjoins. The basement conference room is sometimes rented for weekend birthday parties for children who use the pool. The Copper Crown caters to snowmobilers with heated garage parking for sleds; trailers are sandwiched into the adjoining parking lot.
    Attractively decorated rooms are up to Best Western standards, which currently means coffeemakers, irons, cable TV, at least one queen bed (typically two), good sound insulation, and desks or square work tables and nearby phone with data port. High-speed internet is in the works for some rooms. Standard rooms were $59 for two in summer, 2004. King rooms have one or more easy chairs. Room sizes vary. None have interesting views.

Return to Hancock