Grand Hotel ( Mackinac Island ) - wikipedia Grand Hotel ( Mackinac Island ) Grand Hotel U.S. National Register of Historic Places U.S. National Historic Landmark Michigan State Historic Site The Grand Hotel as seen from the lake Show map of Michigan Show map of the US Show all Location within the state of Michigan Location Grand Hotel Ave., Mackinac Island, Michigan, USA Coordinates 45 ° 51 ′ 4 '' N 84 ° 37 ′ 33 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 45.85111 ° N 84.62583 ° W ﻿ / 45.85111 ; - 84.62583 Coordinates : 45 ° 51 ′ 4 '' N 84 ° 37 ′ 33 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 45.85111 ° N 84.62583 ° W ﻿ / 45.85111 ; - 84.62583 Built 1887 Architect Mason & Rice Alphonse Howe & Charles Caskey, builders assisted by John O. Plank Architectural style Queen Anne NRHP reference # 72000637 Significant dates Added to NRHP May 5, 1972 Designated NHL June 29, 1989 Designated MSHS July 12, 1957 The Grand Hotel is a historic hotel and coastal resort on Mackinac Island, Michigan, a small island located at the eastern end of the Straits of Mackinac within Lake Huron between the state 's Upper and Lower peninsulas. Constructed in the late 19th century, the facility advertises itself as having the world 's largest porch. The Grand Hotel is well known for a number of notable visitors, including five U.S. presidents, Russian presidents Vladimir Putin and Dmitri Medvedev, inventor Thomas Edison, and author Mark Twain. Grand Hotel is a member of Historic Hotels of America, the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Contents 1 History 2 Facilities 3 Notable events 4 Acclaim 5 In popular culture 6 See also 7 References 8 External links History A Hotel dinner menu from July 6, 1890 In 1886, the Michigan Central Railroad, Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad, and Detroit and Cleveland Steamship Navigation Company formed the Mackinac Island Hotel Company. The group purchased the land on which the hotel was built and construction began, based upon the design by Detroit architects Mason and Rice. When it opened the following year, the hotel was advertised to Chicago, Erie, Montreal and Detroit residents as a summer retreat for vacationers who arrived by lake steamer and by rail from across the continent. The hotel opened on July 10, 1887 and took a mere 93 days to complete. At its opening, nightly rates at the hotel ranged from $3 to $5 a night ( equivalent to $79.97 -- 133.28 in 2016 ). In 1957, the Grand Hotel was designated a State Historic Building. In 1972, the hotel was named to the National Register of Historic Places, and on June 29, 1989, the hotel was made a National Historic Landmark. Facilities A catamaran used to transport people to and from the island Carleton Varney, a protégé of Dorothy Draper, designed the Grand Hotel in its late 19th - century decor, including Pelargonium geraniums. Varney purposely designed the hotel so that all the rooms are different from each other in at least one aspect. There are four types of rooms : Category I, Category II, Category III, and Named Rooms. There are six two - bedroom suites consisting of two bedrooms connected by a parlor, of which two, the Grand Suite and the Carleton Varney Suite, overlook the Mackinac Bridge and the Straits of Mackinac. The presidential suite is located in the center of the hotel with a balcony over the porch. A detached structure added in early 2000 was named the Masco Cottage. Additionally, seven suites are named for and designed by seven former First Ladies of the United States. These are the Jacqueline Kennedy Suite ( with carpet that includes the gold presidential eagle on a navy blue background and walls painted gold ), Lady Bird Johnson Suite ( yellow damask - covered walls with blue and gold wildflowers ), Betty Ford Suite ( green with cream and a dash of red ), Rosalynn Carter Suite ( with a sample of china designed for the Carter White House and wall coverings in Georgia peach ), Nancy Reagan Suite ( with signature red walls and Mrs. Reagan 's personal touches ), Barbara Bush Suite ( designed with pale blue and pearl and with both Maine and Texas influences ), and the Laura Bush Suite ( decorated with bright cream and floral patterns inspired by the Texas prairie ). Grand Hotel 's front porch is the longest in the world at some 660 feet ( 200 m ) in length, overlooking a vast Tea Garden and the resort - scale Esther Williams swimming pool. These areas are often used by guests on a casual family vacation, for large conventions, or concerts during the hotel 's annual Labor Day Jazz Festival. The hotel has drawn some criticism for its policy of charging a $10 fee for non-guests to enter the building and enjoy the view from the famous porch. Guests are transported from the docks to the hotel via horse - drawn carriage. Before 2007, air conditioning was only available in public rooms, such as the lobby, parlor and Salle a Manger ( main dining room ). Due to the building 's design it was difficult to add air conditioning to the guest rooms. Air conditioning was installed in 170 guest rooms after water heat exchangers in the bathrooms were added. The exchangers cool the air through contact with the cold water system. Mackinac Island does not permit motor vehicles ( except for emergency vehicles and, in winter, snowmobiles ), and transport to and from the dock to the hotel is via horse - drawn carriage. The only other motor vehicles allowed in recent history were cars brought over for the filming of Somewhere in Time. During the winter months, when ice prevents ferry transport from the mainland, the hotel is closed. The island also has a small airport ( no fuel or services ) for private aircraft. The horse - drawn taxis will take guests from the airport to the hotel or any other destination. Notable events President Gerald Ford golfing while staying at the Grand Hotel in July 1975 U.S. Presidents Harry Truman, John F. Kennedy, Gerald Ford, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton have visited the hotel. The hotel also hosted the first public demonstration of Thomas Edison 's phonograph on the porch, as well as regular demonstrations of Edison 's other new inventions. Mark Twain also made this a regular location on his speaking tours in the Midwest. In May each year, the Grand Hotel serves as the headquarters for the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce 's Mackinac Policy Conference that attracts politicians, businessmen and labor leaders from across the state and the northern Midwest region. Acclaim Conde Nast Traveler `` Gold Lists '' the hotel as one of the `` Best Places to Stay in the Whole World '' and Travel + Leisure magazine 's lists it as among the `` Top 100 Hotels in the World. '' The Wine Spectator noted the Grand Hotel with an `` Award of Excellence '' and it was included in Gourmet magazine 's `` Top 25 Hotels in the World '' list. The American Automobile Association ( AAA ) rates the facilities as a four - diamond resort. and in 2009 named the Grand Hotel one of the top 10 U.S. historic hotels. In popular culture The Grand Hotel served as a backdrop and one of the settings for the 1980 film Somewhere in Time starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour. Every October the hotel hosts an annual convention for fans of the cult classic. The hotel also served as the setting for the 1947 musical comedy This Time for Keeps starring Jimmy Durante and Esther Williams ( after whom the hotel 's swimming pool is named ). The hotel was the origin of the first World Sauntering Day in the 1970s. See also Michigan portal National Register of Historic Places portal List of National Historic Landmarks in Michigan The Dearborn Inn References Jump up ^ Eckert, Kathryn Bishop ( 1993 ). Buildings of Michigan. New York : Oxford University Press. pp. 550 -- 51. Jump up ^ Ast, William F. III ( September 7, 2010 ). `` Descendant of Grand Hotel Builder Donates Wealth of Information ''. The Herald - Palladium. Benton Harbor, MI. Retrieved September 8, 2010. Jump up ^ Denby, Elaine ( 2004 ). Grand Hotels : Reality and Illusion. Reaktion Books. p. 38. ISBN 1 - 86189 - 121 - 0. Jump up ^ Michigan State Historic Preservation Office ( 2009 ). `` Grand Hotel ''. Historic Sites Online. Michigan State Housing Development Authority. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved June 26, 2010. Jump up ^ National Park Service ( April 15, 2008 ). `` National Register Information System ''. National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. Jump up ^ `` Grand Hotel ''. National Historic Landmark Summary Listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on October 8, 2012. Retrieved June 27, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Grand Hotel, a Historic Hotels of America member ''. Historic Hotels of America. Retrieved January 20, 2014. Jump up ^ Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Community Development Project. `` Consumer Price Index ( estimate ) 1800 -- ''. Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Retrieved January 2, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Grand Hotel : Hotel & History ''. Grand Hotel. Retrieved June 6, 2007. Jump up ^ `` List of National Historical Landmarks '' ( PDF ). National Park Service. Retrieved November 25, 2007. Jump up ^ Knowles, Gary. `` Cruising to Mackinac Island ''. Madison Magazine. Archived from the original on February 12, 2007. Retrieved June 7, 2007. ^ Jump up to : `` Grand Hotel : Named Rooms ''. Grand Hotel. Retrieved June 6, 2007. Jump up ^ `` Front Porch of Grand Hotel -- Mackinac Island ''. The Best Up North. Retrieved March 8, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Grand Hotel : Trip Advisor Reviews ''. Trip Advisor. Retrieved June 6, 2007. Jump up ^ `` Modern Upgrade for Mackinac 's Grand Hotel ''. Walker, MI : WZZM - TV. Associated Press. Retrieved June 6, 2007. Jump up ^ Dearle, Brian. `` Mackinac Island ''. The New Colonist. Retrieved June 6, 2007. ^ Jump up to : `` Grand Hotel : Facts ''. Grand Hotel. Archived from the original on May 27, 2007. Retrieved June 6, 2007. Jump up ^ `` Mackinac Policy Conference ''. Detroit Regional Chamber. Archived from the original on June 10, 2007. Retrieved June 6, 2007. Jump up ^ `` Cruising to Mackinac Island ''. Madison Magazine. Archived from the original on February 12, 2007. Retrieved June 7, 2007. Jump up ^ `` AAA Inspectors Pick Their Top Ten Historic Hotels for Independence Day '' ( Press release ). American Automobile Association. June 23, 2009. Archived from the original on April 2, 2010. Retrieved June 25, 2009. Jump up ^ `` This Time For Keeps ''. IMDB. Retrieved June 6, 2007. Grand Hotel listing at Michigan History, Arts and Libraries Grand Hotel listing at MI State Historic Preservation Objects External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Grand Hotel ( Michigan ). Grand Hotel Website `` Map of Island and hotel location '' ( PDF ). Hotels in Michigan Conference and resort hotels Amway Grand Plaza Hotel Bay Mills Resort & Casino Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center Edward Village Michigan Hotel FireKeepers Casino Hotel Fort Shelby Hotel DoubleTree Detroit Four Winds New Buffalo Greektown Casino Hotel Inn at St. John 's Plymouth Detroit Inn at Bay Harbor Mountain Grand Lodge and Spa Boyne Falls MGM Grand Detroit Mission Point Resort MotorCity Casino Hotel Odawa Casino Resort Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort Westin Southfield Detroit Hotel Radison Hotel Lansing Turtle Creek Casino and Hotel Westin Book Cadillac Hotel Westin Detroit Metropolitan Airport Historic inns and boutique hotels Atheneum Suite Hotel Detroit David Whitney, an Aloft Hotel ( 2014 renovation ) The Dearborn Inn, a Marriott Hotel Grand Hotel Mackinac Island Inn on Ferry Street Detroit Inn at St. John 's Plymouth Detroit Inn at 97 Winder Detroit Landmark Inn ( Marquette ) The Leland Hotel Detroit Hotel St. Regis Robert 's Riverwalk Hotel Detroit Royal Park Hotel Stafford 's Bay View Inn Petoskey Townsend Hotel Birmingham Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Grand_Hotel_(Mackinac_Island)&oldid=801114798 '' Categories : Hotel buildings completed in 1887 Coastal resorts in Michigan History of Michigan Hotels in Michigan Mackinac Island Michigan State Historic Sites National Historic Landmarks in Michigan Railway hotels in the United States Tourist attractions in Mackinac County, Michigan Buildings and structures in Mackinac County, Michigan Hidden categories : All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from October 2010 Use mdy dates from October 2015 Coordinates on Wikidata Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Español Français Edit links This page was last edited on 17 September 2017, at 19 : 09. 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Question: who built the grand hotel on mackinac island
Answer: the Mackinac Island Hotel Company