Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Bavarian Inn Lodge is a treasure in the heart of downtown Frankenmuth - Michigan's #1 tourist attraction. For generations, millions of people have come here to stay and play, to be welcomed with our home-cooked chicken dinners, delightfully cozy beds, and warm Bavarian hospitality. •360 European-themed guest rooms, including whirlpool, family suites and balcony rooms •Indoor water park with four indoor pools;three whirlpools & two large water slides. •18-Hole indoor miniature golf. •The largest Family Fun Center in any Midwest hotel with 160+ video and redemption games, air hockey, and pool tables.•Two-story Children's Village play area. •Two lounges, two restaurants, two gift shops (stop in at Michael's Gift Shop to check out board games galore). •Gourmet Coffee Bar•Free live nightly entertainment. •Free WIFI internet America's FIRST Living Room Styled Water Park! Yet... A couples paradise with an adult only pool and whirlpool! Oh yes... Parking is always free!
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Nestled in a prime location, the Bavarian Inn Lodge garners praise from guests for its easy access to nearby shops and attractions. The staff's friendliness is often highlighted, although the hotel's service speed varies. Despite its charming Bavarian theme and cozy ambiance, opinions on the value are mixed, with some travelers finding the hotel overpriced due to dated rooms and additional costs.
Amenities like pools and arcades are popular, yet some suggest they could be enhanced. While the majority of guests appreciate the cleanliness, the noise level and room decor receive criticism from others.
Location
Convenient
Atmosphere
Quaint
Rooms
Dated
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Mixed
Noise level
Mixed
Service
Friendly
Amenities
Comprehensive
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Here is the key to this being a 5 star property for you; "PROPER EXPECTATIONS". We got an inside scoop on Lodge from some family members. Yes, the decor is something out of a 1994 Holiday Inn, but they claim nothing different. Look past the initial shock of the overload of natural woods, hunter green and maroon textiles and it'll begin to become clear on why I rated this property so highly. The room was VERY clean. No hair, no dust, no forgotten M&Ms under the bed, none of it. The towels were 100% cotton and of decent quality. The shower had terrific pressure and a great shower head. The beds are comfortable enough, my only comment would be that the pillows were a bit too firm for my taste. The wi-fi was also a bit on the slower side, but this was a welcome problem as it kept me off my work systems. Now the desk did have a few nicks in it and the varnish was a bit sticky from wear, but nothing I haven't seen at a much higher end hotel, namely a recent Ritz Carlton I visited. As for the public areas, they were just as neat and even better maintained. You could always hear a low hum everywhere you went...ya know what that was; A vacuum, they're constantly vacuuming and it shows. I never saw a depleted stock of coffee cups or an area that you regularly see out of stock at other hotels. Prior to arriving I went back and forth on purchasing one of their packages which range from $50 or so to $195 or so. I also looked online for any suggestions and came up empty, so I am correcting that now. We decided to book the Family Deluxe Package for $95 which came with the following and their related cost individually: large pizza + pitcher of beverage ($28), 2 Small Mini Melts $8.07 (Off brand of Dippin-Dots), 4 two day unlimited mini golf packages $37, 1lb of fudge $20 and $40 worth of gaming credits, for those not keeping track that a value of over $130, so just do it!!! My only minor complaints would be: one of the water slides was down for our stay, 5 days of no housekeeping is a bit long for my taste. We did request our room be vacuumed + towels replenished and it was done within about 30mins, no charge. Couple of other tips. Get the perks card, anywhere you go in Frankenmuth ask if they're affiliated with the BIL, sometimes its not front and center. Watch the Lodge channels on the TV, ya learn alot and its very interesting. Take the family, have fun, our kids had a blast!!!
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: December 2023
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Jim Engel, General Manager at Bavarian Inn Lodge
Responded 22 Dec 2023
Dear Olshan: THANK YOU... I enjoyed reading your review all three times - - to take it all in. We appreciate your kind words and also your constructie criticism. We figured out a solution for the firm pillows. We bought super soft pillows but the pillowcases we have aren't reel loose so they feel firm... getting bigger ones deployed! You were so kind to take the time you did to share so many insights. I am Blessed to have been here since the Lodge was on blueprint and am now the "old guy" on the Team at 62 years young. Your insights will be shared with our entire TEAM yere! I do hope that upon your next stay, you will ask for me at the Front desk to say hello. My office is behind the Front Desk! Wishing you the BEST in 2024, Yours Truly, Jim Engel, C.O.O. - Serving Bavarian Inn Guests for 46 Years - On behalf of the ENTIRE Bavarian Inn Ldoge Team.
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OUTSTANDING. Like usual. Here two nights with my wife's Mom and two kids for Mother's Day weekend. We chose this location because outstanding experiences here in the past,. We are frequent visitors. We had three rooms total.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: May 2023
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Jim Engel, General Manager at Bavarian Inn Lodge
Responded 26 Aug 2023
Dear J&AAdventures: Thank you so very much for the PERFECT SCORE on this site! Thank you for your LOYALTY to the Bavarian Inn and Frankenmuth too! We truly appreciate you taking the time to share your experience with other users on this site. With 16 slides, wave pool, lazy river and so much more coming... we look forward to helping you have a BLAST at the Lodge and in Frankenmuth for many years to come! Yours in Service, Jim Engel, C.O.O. - Serving Bavarian Inn Guests for 46 Years On behalf of the Bavarian Inn Zehnder Family & the ENTIRE Bavarian Inn Lodge Team
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A lot to digest? Read an AI-generated summary of recent traveller reviews.
First time staying here, not the last. We came up mid-week for a quick shopping and getaway trip. Really enjoyed the entire Inn and restaurants. The decor and atmosphere is very festive and fun. The location is great, right in the middle of town, near shopping and recreation venues, much of the in walking distance. We had dinner at the Inn restaurant which is incredible- great meals, but I warn you to arrive hungry, the family style or plate dinners are substantial and delicious. I might add this Inn is only a couple miles from Bronner's Christmas store. We only were here for one night and found plenty to do right on the property. The Inn offers a large variety of room types, we stayed in a standard room, and found it quite clean and comfortable. I recommend joining their perks program for extra savings and, well, perks.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: November 2023
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Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Jim Engel, General Manager at Bavarian Inn Lodge
Responded 20 Nov 2023
Thank you for your first visit with us Jeffro! You sound like you could work in our Marketing Department! YOUR HIRED! We appreciate hearing what matters most to folks and appreciate when our guests give advice to others. We are blessed to have you as our guests and hope to serve you whenver you crave the food, the fun or the relaxation aspects of Bavarian Inn. Yours in Service, Jim Engel, C.O.O. Bavarian Inn Lodge
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You walk into your clean room smelling so much must you choke. Opening the slider helps to see a view of construction and realize there’s no water park open. I walk back in to see complimentary ear plugs for the construction I have to endure the next 3 days so I turn the tv on to find 6 channels of the fun things at Bavarian inn that are mostly closed. So I log on to the WiFi to find it doesn’t work and ask the front desk for a paid WiFi. There’s only the free one that doesn’t work sorry. I decide a shower would be nice to find empty shampoo and conditioner and that the drain is backing up in my shower…. Yuck. Then I say well maybe tomorrow will be better but can’t sleep on a rock covered in an inch of memory foam.
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Date of stay: September 2024
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Location
Cleanliness
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Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Bring your own hotspot if you can even get a cell tower. Bring febreeze for musty rooms. Bring a...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Jim Engel, General Manager at Bavarian Inn Lodge
Responded 17 Sept 2024
Dear William R., I am so very sorry for this series of disappointments. I do hope in fact the construction noise was minimal. The Teams on site have been very sensitive to noise and for the tens of thousands of rooms occupied since we broke ground, overall being disrupted has been less than 1% of guests. The inhouse channels to help promote the services that we are offering. They are 100% all active things that are opened. I do believe one channel is focusing on showing off our future Water park. We have never promoted that Bavarian Blast was already opened. It has always been coming soon announcements. There is no good excuse for a backed up bath tub. This is supposed to be checked every day ans one family of long-hair guests can impact that in one day. I do wish I know the room number you were in. Since I do not, we will share your review as an example of the proper restocking of soap and shampoo and cleaning the drain every day. The mattresses are Lady Americana mattresses made in Michigan and distributed to high-end hotels and resorts across the U.S. I am sorry that they disappointed. I know my back lets me know it every time I sleep on a mattress that it is not used to. My Sincere Apologies. I do hope you will still consider visiting Frankenmuth and taking in all that you enjoy. Respectfully, Jim Engel, C.O.O. Bavarian Inn Lodge
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I had previously posted a review, but decided to repost with photos, since the COO was bewildered by my review. Please note: I have included a screenshot of the COO’s previous response for reference.
While we completely understand that the resort is very dated, we did not expect it to be so dirty. Specifically in our room.
Upon arrival, there was an odour in the room that did not dissipate for the entire time we were there. Smelled like BO, perhaps from a previous guest.
The walls, bed and shower were all very dirty. The walls had a layer of dust on them, and there were several visible cobwebs around the room. In the attached picture, you can clearly see where we wiped the wall, showing how much dust was actually on them.
The bedding had stains and food on it. In addition, there was a used earplug behind the mattress by the headboard. This should have been found and removed by the cleaning staff, since it was so easy for us to find.
The shower had black spots all over the ceiling, and what looks to be mold along the tub line. There was also dirt along the showers edge, and it looked like it had never been cleaned. Very disappointing.
The property is currently under construction, as they are in the process of adding on a water park. Unfortunately this meant a lot of noise, and a view off our balcony of nothing but construction. As an apology for the noise, there was a set of ear plugs in the room for us. We understand that in order for improvements to be made, construction and noise will happen. However, a discounted rate for rooms so heavily impacted by the construction, would have gone a lot further than a pair of earplugs. At the very least, being told at check in, that our room was in the construction zone, would have been appreciated. The hotel was not at full capacity from what we could see. We checked in on a Monday, and checked out on Thursday morning.
We are disappointed, and have reached out to our booking provider for a refund.
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Date of stay: November 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Stay somewhere else.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Jim Engel, General Manager at Bavarian Inn Lodge
Responded 21 Nov 2024
Dear Shorty000_73: I do certainly recall responding to your review on your travel agencies site. Unfortunately I try to respond to all reviews so that was several hundred ago. Thus I do not recall the exact room number. Or your name. I do again apologize as there is never a good excuse for a dirty guestroom. We do have plans down the road to eliminate the deeper colored wall behind headboards as we realize that with just one doy of windows or sliding doors open with screens in place, every speck of dust is visible on these deep green and burgundy rooms. The Housekeeper should have taken care of this. I appreciate the deeper explanation on this review from the previous one. We solved a previous complaint of poor water pressure with amazing shower heads with high volume. We created the new problem with water condensate from steamy and vigirous showers to create hundreds of droplets on teh shower ceiling area. There isn't mold involved but there are water spots. We are working on painting all shower enclosure ceilings - (all 360 of them) and trying to determine a way to combat this without lowering our water pressure volume again. I am sorry for this challenge too. We do work very hard with online travel agencies to make clear that we are adding on to the hotel (not remodeling within it). When they let us with their integration we address construction view or obstructed view rooms. These are in fact the lowest rates as you want. I can surmise though you wished they were lower. I cannot confirm or deny what your booking site had on your screen but I am sorry the view was very important and negatively impacted your stay. I am sorry that you did not reach out to me directly with your financial request instead of the agency. But we will follow their lead on this now. I apologize for these disappointments and hope you do still take in all you enjoy in Frankenmuth with one of our fine / friendly other hoteliers in Frankenmuth. Sincerely, Jim Engel, C.O.O. Bavarian Inn Lodge
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Oma's diner should make sure food is hot not cold, Ratskellers should bring back the
Oma's shouldn't serve cold breakfast, Ratskellar's should bring back the BLT. Our visibility from our room now has been eliminated by your new structure. Not very happy about a lot of things to mention.
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Date of stay: September 2024
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Jim Engel, General Manager at Bavarian Inn Lodge
Responded 10 Sept 2024
Dear Cmlynarski, I am sorry that you had a breakfast that was not hot. There is no good excuse for that. The food is plated and placed under a heat lamp or in a pass thru warmer. Picked up by the server and walked to your table which is rather close by. I do hope that you spoke with a Manager to make this right. Yes, as we progress to be Michigan's Premiere Family Resort with the largest indoor water park, we eliminated the view of a lot of parking lot and now have a view of the water park. We hope to jazz up the outside of the west-wall of the waterpark to give it the coolest view it has ever had with murals... :) As the water park constructino ends we will be focused on many changes in our guestrooms as well! I just ate in the Ratskeller last night and saw a "deluze BLT" pictured on the menu as a featured item. I am sorry this was missed. We do hope to still serve you for many years to come. With Sincere Apprecaition for your patronage and feedback, Jim Engel, C.O.O. Bavarian Inn Lodge
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We splurged on a night in this hotel at the end of our honeymoon and carefully budgeted and saved for it. Now I regret that we spend hundreds for the experience we got. The rooms are not anything resembling soundproof - our tower room shared a wall with the elevators and we heard them EVERY. TIME. they came and went. We heard doors slamming and herds of kids running up and down the hallways several times per hour and well past midnight. We couldn't even order room-service without disturbing the people in the room next to us, and then the order was wrong when it arrived.
There was a stain on the bed's blanket, peeling leather on the furniture, leaky fixtures in the bathroom. People were shouting from the Tower entrance below our window past midnight, and a semi-truck started unloading outside the same window at 7 am (construction machines beeping by 8 am). It's a wonder we slept at all.
It wasn't all bad- the staff we interacted with were friendly, the hotel is beautiful, the food was great, and the family fun center IS a lot of fun (great for a child's birthday party). However, those good elements of the stay did not make it worth the expense. We've paid 1/3 of the cost of this place to stay in hotels & motels that were MUCH quieter and more pleasant than this place! We even paid for their fancy Tomahawk Steak Dinner and although it was delicious, it was difficult to enjoy because of how noisy Oma's was (not at all the romantic, intimate experience we were expecting).
Overall, there was nothing about our stay that made us feel our money was well-spent, and definitely nothing romantic or honeymoon-like about our stay. We are unlikely to ever stay at Bavarian Inn Lodge again.
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Date of stay: January 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stay We stayed here last week for 2 days and my family had an awesome time. Check-in and check-out process is easy and quick. Just a reminder, that there is an axtra charge of incidental fees upon checking in.The front desk and staff are friendly. Complimentary coffee, water and special water available and accessible anytime of the day.
Activities There are many activities to do and ample amenities. We participated in some of the free games, my little one loved the pool and the slides. We also had a lovely time playing at the mini golf. We also visited the different restaurants and the Bavarian chicken is a must to try!! The food is delicious at the Bavarian Inn Restaurant and the staff is very welcoming and explained the menu as we were first timers.
Room The beds are very comfortable and high quality linens. Our family had a good night's sleep not only because of the bed but the patrons are also respectful of the noise.
For improvement The rooms need to get updated as it gives off an, old, outdated, dark vibe - walls and carpet. With this, it gave off a not so pleasant ambient upon entering the room for the first time. The pressure of the shower is a bit strong and so it hurts when taking a shower.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: July 2024
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Jim Engel, General Manager at Bavarian Inn Lodge
Responded 27 Jul 2024
Dear Cruz Clan - THANK YOU very much for your indepth insights from your recent experience at the Lodge. We appreciate knowing what mattered most to you and your family in the review. The "For Improvement" section especially. Knowing the particular attributes that were negative is especially helpful. I understand and thank you. We hope for the opportunity to serve you for many years to come whenever you crave anything Frankenmuth or the Lodge has to offer. With Sincere Appreciation, Jim Engel, C.O.O. Bavarian Inn Lodge
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The staff are all very friendly and helpful, but that's where the good stuff ends. The hotel is dated with below average rooms and uncomfortable beds, our 3 night stay cost almost $900, and that is after my AAA discount and the discount they offered since the Waterpark was closed during our stay. They advertise extra amenities at the hotel, but each one cost extra (miniature golf, arcade, climbing wall, rope course basically anything besides the swimming pool). We decided to eat at the restaurant buffet one night, which cost $110 for 2 people not including ANY drinks, for a turkey dinner. We were looking forward to a nice weekend get away and knew it would cost a little more because of where it is, but this place is definitely not worth the price!
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: November 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Jim Engel, General Manager at Bavarian Inn Lodge
Responded 6 Dec 2024
Dear Wayne, I am so sorry that you were disappointed in your stay. We use Lady Americana Mattresses made in Michigan and sold to Marriot's, Hiltons, Hyatt's, etc. accross the Country. With the deep pillow top design, I feal they lean towards the firm side of a mattress top. I get raves from them from many and "too firm" from others. I know anytime I sleep on a mattress that is a variance from mine at home, I don't sleep as well. I am sorry for the discomfort. Regarding free and paid amenities, the items with an extra charge are that way across all resorts in Michigan. I am not aware of anyone with games, or golf for unlimited free use. We do in fact have a 2 hour window each morning where most video games are FREE though. WE also offer free amenities like nightly live entertainment - year round; free off-site shuttle service; ping-pong tables; Toddler video tables with touch screen games next to children's village; Karaoke on weekends and school breaks & free coffee/tea 7X24. The Buffet you must be speaking of was our Thanksgiving Holiday buffet served specifically for that one day. It is expansive and our highest ticket buffet of the year. We do hope that you will still visit Frankemuth and take in all that you enjoy for many years to come. Sincerely, Jim Engel, C.O.O. Bavarian Inn Lodge
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Very focussed in water activities only - $30 additional fee per day (mandatory) for use of the pools. No option to opt out! Front desk staff could be friendlier. Nice restaurants on site. No housekeeping at all. You take out your own garbage, change the linens, no vacuuming etc. Not an issue for a short stay but the rooms should have a make-up and the floors vacuumed after the 3rd day in my opinion.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: September 2023
Value
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Jim Engel, General Manager at Bavarian Inn Lodge
Responded 16 Sept 2023
Dear MWilliams: Than you for your recent stat at the Lodge. I am sorry that you had disappointments in your stay. Thank you for the feedback on cleaning on stayovers. We are definitley studying how we can boost this level of service again. We and our industry are struggeling (even with continued increases in wages) to aquire enough Staff to do what you request. But we are on a path for improvement. Thanks you again for this helpful feedback and your trust in Bavarian Inn. Sincerely, Jim Engel, C.O.O. - Serving Bavarian Inn Guests for 46 Years On behalf of the Bavarian Inn Zehnder Family & the ENTIRE Bavarian Inn Lodge Team
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We ate breakfast at Oma's Restaurant. Most of us had the breakfast buffet, while a couple of people ordered off the menu. Here is a link to the the restaurant and menus. At the time the breakfast buffet was $14.95.
You can look up the restaurant and menus on their website
There are more places to choose from in the Frankenmuth area.
PRICE RANGE
₹15,732 - ₹23,381 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
bavarian hotel frankenmuth, bavarian inn lodge, bavarian resort frankenmuth, frankenmuth bavarian lodge, bavarian inn frankenmuth mi, frankenmuth bavarian inn lodge resort, bavarian lodge frankenmuth, bavarian frankenmuth
LOCATION
United StatesMichiganFrankenmuth
NUMBER OF ROOMS
360
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect average nightly room rates, including taxes and fees that are fixed, known to our partners, and due at time of booking. Please see our partners for more details.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Bavarian Inn Lodge
Which popular attractions are close to Bavarian Inn Lodge?
Nearby attractions include Frankenmuth River Place Shops (0.3 km), Frankenmuth Cheese Haus (0.4 km), and Bavarian Inn Holz Brucke Covered Bridge (0.2 km).
Yes, it offers wheelchair access, reduced mobility rooms, and facilities for disabled guests. For specific enquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm.