St. Ignace Lodgings

♦ A complete listing of lodgings and house rentals is at http//Xstignace.com.
♦ Lodgings here are arranged from the bridge into town and then north. St. Ignace proper has some 40 motels, nearly all deployed on the 4 miles of Bus. Loop I-75/State St. that curves along the Lake Huron shore between exit 344B and exit 348.
♦ Downtown parking can be tight, so staying close to downtown can be a plus. There are also many mostly small motels, some quite inexpensive, along U.S. 2 west of the Mackinac Bridge. Many date from the years just after the bridge was finished in 1957.
♦ Nearly all St. Ignace lodgings have free casino tokens and shuttles to the casino. Some have shuttle service to the ferry docks.

AURORA BOREALIS MOTOR INN
(906) 643-7488
Perched on the hill where the I-75 business loop curves and descends to enter downtown St. Ignace, the Aurora Borealis offers modern, large, clean rooms in a convenient location. A good restaurant for breakfast, Northern Lights, is next door. Fred's Pub at the Gateway Lanes and the Star Line dock are both 2 blocks away. It's a pleasant walk into town or, even shorter, to Veterans Memorial Park on Moran Bay.
   Aurora Borealis caters to older people who appreciate quiet and don't want costly extras like swimming pools. The L-shaped building has 56 rooms on two floors, with many drive-up rooms on the ground floor. 10 rooms have lake views without premium rates. They get taken first. There's a 20% discount to people ages 50 and up—for instance, for one queen the rate is $60 on regular summer weekends, $40 in spring and fall. Or 2 queens $64 in summer, $44 otherwise. (Summer rates for younger guests would be $75 and $80.) All rooms have phones, cable TV and WiFi. No coffee.

K ROYALE MOTOR INN
(800) 822-7122; (906) 643-7737
This 3-story 1960s-era on hotel row motel has 600' of gravelly Lake Huron beach and a view of the back of Mackinac Island. Many rooms have a lake view and, on the 2nd and 3rd floors, balconies. Others face the parking lot; some are drive-up rooms. Back from the beach is a lawn with some play equipment, benches, BBQ grills, and picnic tables. The 40' indoor pool (with whirlpool) faces the parking lot. There's a video game room and a guest laundry. Microwaves and minifridges in rooms. Coffee served with doughnuts, juice in the lobby, which is conspicuously adorned with mounted animals. Free WiFi internet. Peak summer noon-holiday rates from $79-$99 weekends, $49-$69 weekdays, depending on size of room, view.

KEWADIN CASINO LAKEFRONT INN
(800) 322-8411
This 71-room hotel, perhaps from the 1970s, backs up to Lake Huron and has the area's biggest, most beautiful swimming pool. It's on hotel row, 2.5 miles southwest of the actual casino and its plush hotel, which is called the Kewadin St. Ignace Hotel & Conf. Center (906-643-7071). Here half the spacious 71 rooms, off interior hallways, face the lake (no extra charge), half the parking lot. Tribally-owned hotels like this are now the only ones in Michigan permitted to allow smoking on the premises, but smoke was not detectable on our spring visit. The vaulted pool room with hot tub and 9' deep pool looks out on the lake and the back of Mackinac Island. This is a magnet for kids. There's a game arcade, too. Standard rooms in summer are $80 weekdays, $90 Fri & Sat. Ask about Jacuzzi and other suites.

KEWADIN CASINOS LAKEFRONT INN
(800) 322-8411
This 71-room hotel backs up to Lake Huron and has, perhaps, the area's biggest swimming pool—certainly its most beautiful. It's on hotel row, 2.5 miles southwest from the actual casino and its plush hotel, called the Kewadin St. Ignace Hotel and Conference Center. (906-643-7071; kewadinstignacehotel.com). Half the spacious 71 rooms, off interior hallways, face the lake (no extra charge), half the parking lot. Tribally-owned hotels are now the only ones in Michigan permitted to allow smoking on the premises, but smoke was not detectable on our spring visit. The vaulted pool room with hot tub and 9' deep pool looks out on the lake and the back of Mackinac Island. This is a magnet for kids. There's a game arcade, too. Standard rooms in summer are $80 weekdays, $90 Fri & Sat. Ask about Jacuzzi and other suites.

SAN BAR MOTEL
(906) 643-8880; reservations (800) 294-8882
Repeat customers, excellent maintenance, an excellent location, and a hands-on owner enable this 12-unit motel with drive-up rooms to thrive in an era of franchises. Rooms for 2 are $58/night in summer; $5/extra person. Rooms have harbor views (if you're standing up). An even better view is from the big tables on the deck by the road. Coffee in office. Expanded basic cable TV. Walk to the Driftwood restaurant, Jose's Cantina, Marquette Mission Park, Shepler dock.

MORAN BAY MOTEL
(906) 643-9790; (866) 672-6229
Perched on the hillside on the way into town, this well maintained single-story motel is unusual because of the grand view of the St. Ignace harbor and Mackinac Island from its big front deck and picture windows. All of the 9 pleasantly decorated rooms are air-conditioned, with cable TV. No phones in rooms. Free Wifi. In-room coffee, minifridges. Expanded basic cable & HBO. Normal summer weekend rates for 2 are $56. Walk to downtown restaurants and boardwalk. The cross street allows for nice neighborhood walks.

COLONIAL HOUSE INN Bed & Breakfast and Motel
(906) 643-6900
This Classic Revival house in the heart of downtown is a familiar presence to generations of summer visitors. Its oldest part dates to 1830, its front part with the portico
from the 1870s. The wrap-around veranda and second-floor balcony let guests look out onto the harbor and Mackinac Island. The air-conditioned inn, furnished with Victorian-era antiques, has 7 guest rooms with cable TV.
   It's designed as a romantic couples getaway, complete with a full sit-down breakfast served in the dining room from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Chris Green and previous owner Elizabeth Brown have made steady improvements and renovated all rooms, without losing their historic character. The inn sits amidst gorgeous gardens. A huge horse chestnut shades the side porches. Trip Advisor readers praise the hospitality, ambiance, pleasant rooms, and reasonable rates compared with comparable lodgings in Mackinaw City and on the island, and mention the views and enjoying wine by the crackling fireplace.
   A courtesy phone is available. Summer weekend rates: $124-$155, $20-$30 less on weekdays, less on weekdays and in other seasons except for Car Show Weekend. Next door is a much simpler 8-room motel circa 1950, open only in summer and fall. Rooms have air-conditioning and cable TV but no breakfast. Rates from mid May thru Oct: $59 to $89. More for fireplace rooms.

BOARDWALK INN
(906) 643-7500; boardwalkinn.com
This 1928 brick downtown hotel is now a 12-room bed and breakfast, across from the boardwalk and Galley restaurant. Owner-managers Jim and Kayla Krug have made it a personal place with antique furniture. It has large common areas: the ground-floor lobby and the 2nd-floor Fireside Room (with shared phone), where a continental breakfast is served, and games can be played. Enlarged guest rooms with cable TV, Wi Fi, and air-conditioning are, in summer, $79 and $89 for two. Ask about 2-room suites. 4 rooms open all winter. Indoor storage for bicycles.

DRIFTWOOD MOTEL
(906) 643-7744; (906) 643-7299
This 27-room, single-story motel has a most convenient location, across from the Shepler dock and Kiwanis Beach and picnic area, half a block to the Ojibwa Museum, Marquette Park and downtown boardwalk. Adjacent to the good full-service Driftwood restaurant sports bar. Efficient rooms have Wi-Fi, fridges, and in-room coffee. Two people, one queen: in season $60, two beds $63. Winter rates as low as $35 for one person. On snowmobile trail.

BUDGET HOST INN & SUITES
(906) 643-9666; (800) 872-7057
Outstanding for its excellent central location next to the Driftwood (described above). Many extras: good-size indoor pool with hot tub and game room, free hot breakfast bar, free Wi-Fi internet and more). 58 rooms on 2 floors, all with in-room coffee. Some rooms have private balconies. Indoor hallways. Ask about whirlpool, regular suites. Mini-fridges and microwaves rented in regular rooms. Outdoor play area. Lobby computer. Summer rates for 2: $98, more for special events. See website for packages.

BEST WESTERN HARBOUR POINTE LAKEFRONT
(906) 643-9882; (800) 642-3318
This big four-building complex (150 rooms in all) enjoys St. Ignace's best combination of amenities, decor, plus an 11-acre site (formerly an old resort) with attractively landscaped grounds and a long 800' waterfront with a Mackinac Island view—a "resort atmosphere," as promoted. At downtown's north edge, this is an easy walk to the boardwalk, the Shepler docks, the Driftwood restaurant and sports bar, and José's Cantina. A large, sunny indoor pool and hot tub are in the front building. A free hot breakfast is set out in a large common area with water view. WiFi internet is throughout.
   A water view is shared by the sun deck next to the heated outdoor pool with whirlpool and wading pool. A video game room is with the guest laundry. The playground is near here. The three rear buildings form a grassy court with some trees, volleyball and a BBQ and bonfire area. (The nightly bonfire with marshmallow roast is an all-age hit.) The beach, like most here, is gravelly, fine for walking, not so much for swimming. Rooms face away from road noise. All have refrigerators. Most rooms in the Huron Building and virtually all in the posh Ontario Building have excellent water views and balconies. Many room types. Rates vary accordingly. Huron building, 2 beds, around $115 to $140. Ontario building about $150-$160. Ask about whirlpool rooms.

BAY VIEW MOTEL
(906) 643-9444
Energetically run, this 3-building, 23-room motel enjoys 500' of Lake Huron frontage with a swimmable sandy beach. The owners supply firewood for the bonfire pit. They also own and run Castle Golf and Games, the minigolf course (half off for guests) a short walk away via their own boardwalk. Mostly drive-up rooms; one two-floor building. $55 for two in peak summer season, $5-$7 more for premium end units.

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