If we were to open a lodge this would be the blueprint as it fit “us” to a tee. The reasons why:

Location. I was a little hesitant on location as it is one mile from town. We have “happy feet” and like to explore other restaurants/bars/shops when traveling. One mile is not a walking issue during warmer months, but during winter it didn’t sound that appealing so I thought that would be a negative. Turned out to be a positive being on the lake for the views and how quiet it was at night. Being so close to town it took more time to warm up our vehicle than the drive to town which there is ample parking.

Awesome Employees. Some of the friendliest people we have met. When we checked in Margy and Carolyn were at the front desk so they were the first faces that we associated with the lodge. Extremely competent, helpful and genuinely interested on how our stay was going. We looked forward to seeing them every night.

Rooms. Loved the “Up North” decorating with the log furniture. We usually rent cabins for this atmosphere so we were pleasantly surprised to find it in a room. King size bed was extremely comfortable. Good water pressure in the bathroom. Had microwave and mini fridge. The room was very clean, spacious and had a gorgeous view of Shagawa Lake.

Bar/Restaurant. The first night we stopped at the bar to get something light since we weren’t too hungry. One glimpse at the menu had us hooked. I wanted to try everything on the menu. But could they back it up with quality and taste? Yes, they could. Chicken Wild Rice soup which is a staple in Minnesota was the best I’ve ever had – and I have had plenty. Ditto for the Prime Rib. Plus the bartenders Scott, Bob and Dan were so engaging that our original intention to eat dinner elsewhere in Ely the following night, literally went out the window. We ate at the bar both nights as we liked the atmosphere, conversation with the bartenders and you can order off the same menu as the restaurant. Our breakfast at the restaurant was so good that my DH wanted pictures. We’ve been back for a couple weeks now and keep joking that we should make the 4 hour trek for just happy hour, dinner or breakfast.

Pool/Whirlpool. Great design – the atrium structure had a great look with the log beams. The lodge was at low occupancy so we had this area to ourselves both nights. After dog sledding, we looked forward to the whirlpool. So relaxing to sit in the whirlpool and see the snow falling outside. Both the pool and whirlpool were very clean.

Lastly, the Details. We appreciated their attention to detail. Towels by pool, fresh horseradish for the prime rib, warm syrup for pancakes, pepper mill in the restaurant, holiday scratch offs for a discount at their restaurants (every one is a winner – not a lot of $, but a fun idea), Summit Beer (which is brewed in MN but is lost in many MN establishments), and lastly, hiring competent and friendly employees.

You don’t have a lot of options for hotels in Ely so it’s nice to see they don’t take advantage of their location with their customers. After touring the town, if it is affordable in your budget, this is the place to stay. This was our first time in Ely and already are planning on being returning guests.

The Grand Ely Lodge or The GEL to those who have stayed there already, is a wonderful place to stay. From the moment we checked in to the moment we checked out, everyone was awesome. I had to change the date, did it online, I received immediate response back. We got locked out of our room (our fault) and it was taken care of immediately as well. Can't say enough good things about this place. In fact, going back again this summer and staying longer. Lakeside with 2 queen beds is awesome!! Food and drinks were great there too!

Large rooms with fridges decorated in lodge style. Free wifi in rooms. The restaurant on site had really good food (walleye and the chicken champange with wild rice). The gym is underwhelming; just a few machines in a small room but the indoor pool is very impressive. Ask for a room facing the lake!

We just needed an overnight stay because we were attending an event in Ely. It turned out to be one of the best decisions to pick the Grand Ely Lodge. The decor does indeed resemble an old lodge, with a large wood-log lobby and wood-log furniture in the rooms--not shabby and old, by any means, but modern and shiny clean logs. Sleeping in the bed was like sleeping on a cloud. The room was a cozy retreat.

Breakfast was not included, but the restaurant menu was reasonable, and the dish I chose
(Andouille Sausage Skillet) was awesome. There is also a nice-sized bar for evening relaxing. The room, restaurant and bar all faced the lake, which seemed to change its personality based on the time of day and angle of the sun.

For those of you who do not know Ely, it's a wonderful northwoods town on the edge of canoe country with a lot of great shops, for outdoor gear, clothing and quality handmade items.