Grand Hotel, Victorian hotel in Mackinac Island, United States
The Grand Hotel is a white‑painted wooden structure with 383 guest rooms on the eastern point of Mackinac Island, facing Lake Huron. The facade runs for a great length and is marked by a continuous veranda that wraps around the entire front section.
The Mackinac Island Hotel Company built the property in 1887 in just 93 days to attract summer vacationers from the growing Midwestern cities. Over the decades, several United States presidents as well as figures such as Thomas Edison and Mark Twain became guests.
The name refers to the ambitious scale embodied by the building when it opened its doors. Today staff members greet guests wearing uniforms that recall late 19th‑century tradition, and afternoon tea is served in classic style.
After 6:30 PM a strict evening dress code applies throughout all public areas: men wear suits, and women wear dresses or pantsuits. The island does not allow motorized vehicles, so visitors arrive on foot, by bicycle, or in horse‑drawn carriages.
The front porch stretches 660 feet (201 meters) along the entire facade and is considered the longest porch in the world. From there the view opens over the Straits of Mackinac between the Great Lakes of Huron and Michigan.
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