We stayed in one of the 3 bedroom villas, which was perfect for the occasion. We stayed there once before by accident, and we went back because it was so amazing. The place is beautiful, well furnished, and extremely spacious.

I had the pleasure of working with Tony, the manager, who went above and beyond to make sure that my engagement evening was amazing. He even went into the villa while we were at dinner and beautifully decorated the place with flowers and candles that I had previously had delivered to the hotel. Couldn't have been better.

I 100% recommend this place.

The Grand Beach Resort Hotel in Traverse City was a great getaway spot for a fall trip Up North. I booked a room on the beach side, first floor - so my patio opened directly onto the beach. The patio had a small table and 2 chairs so you can enjoy morning coffee with an amazing view of the bay. Unfortunately, the ducks and seagulls wanted to share my breakfast so it was a bit noise with their begging.

The room was very comfortable, clean and in good condition. A few minor repair problems were evident (loose towel rack and coat hanger) but nothing that impacted my stay. (I imagine it was just wear and tear from the busy summer season and would be on the repair list for the slower winter months.) The staff was friendly and attentive. The breakfast buffet was plentiful and delicious (the cherry sauce for the hot waffles was delicious!).

There's a great glass enclosed "bridge" between the two main sections of the hotel where a line of comfy overstuffed armchairs are situated. I spent some time there one afternoon just reading a book and enjoying the view of the water.

The room was a little pricey at $169 for a weekend and $135 for a weekday (I stayed Saturday through Monday). But I guess that's what you get for a higher-end hotel right on the water in a resort community. I splurged on my weekend away and was happy I did.

The hotel is located a couple miles outside of the downtown area, but centrally located enough to not feel like you're too far away from the attractions.

Last weekend we rented the Villa at the Grand Beach. It was truly a lovely place. 3 Beds, 3 baths, fireplace, full size laundry and fully equipped kitchen and bar with granite counters. All the Villas at the Grand Beach are full on view of the gorgeous bay.

The Red Mesa Grill is just across the street and has a full gluten free menu including gluten free beer! I thought I was in heaven.

The Grand Beach hotel and villas are within 10 minutes of the beautiful peninsula with some really good Michigan wineries.

Here's what set them apart in our view:
1. The accommodations were... Clean. Nice. Comfortable. Bed was firm with deep pillow top. VERY comfortable. Nice flat screen tv. Nice pool. Game room.
2. The people were warm and courteous. One even checked football scores for me on the internet. Another returned $0.75 to me that was eaten by a game in their game room. While I was at the front counter asking if they would, my wife unknowingly put another $0.75 in the same game. They refunded both with no questions or comments... just a smile and a "sorry, we'll put a sign on it."
3. We were hauling our motorcycles in a trailer to do color tour. Even though we only stayed one night, they let us park our trailer in their parking lot until evening long after we had checked out. "Oh sure" was all they said.