The catwalk second story, open cooking line and fanciful lighting fixtures would be quite at home in River North. And in a departure for the area I found a dinner reservation essential, at least on peak weekends. At the other end of the thoroughfare the Original Pancake House offers ample incentive to show up for breakfast. An outpost of the popular Detroit diner, the Pancake House serves high fat, high satisfaction buttermilk pancakes with thick cut bacon, chunky hash browns and lots of butter. A short, lakeside stroll from the Marina District, the stand-alone Inn at Bay Harbor updates the grand Victorian lake hotel model with New Age charm.
Scented candles perfume the polished lobby.
Sprawling rooms feature kitchens adjoining living areas with gas fireplaces. Downy comforters envelop the beds. I reserved a hot rock massage boasting native Lake Michigan stones, heated and used to knead the muscles. At least from the sheltered distance of a massage table. Though imported sand amplifies the beach, the rock and shale that gird the shore visibly cue you to keep your shoes on in the water.