The Shoreline Inn

Being able to step straight from the hotel onto the beach was wonderful, and the sunrises over Lake Superior were beautiful. The view really can’t be beat; it felt like I was floating on the lake. Grand Marais shops and restaurants were an easy walk away, and for the price I couldn’t be happier. We had a lovely Valentine’s Day weekend. I accidentally left something in the room, and Monica got it back to me so quickly. She was amazing, and the person at the front desk that weekend was really kind too. I’ll definitely come back!

We’d stayed here many times over the years, and it used to be one of our favorite hotels. After we had to cancel a recent booking, I called a week ahead and was told there was no reservation under my name. The following weekend I discovered I’d been charged $500. I called right away and was repeatedly told there was no booking under my name. The person I spoke with even questioned whether I had the right shoreline inn. After several minutes, the employee finally found that my card had been charged under my name, though my fiancee's name was on the reservation. I thought the person listed on a reservation was the one who got charged. I called multiple times the next week to speak to a manager, after being told one would call me back, but nobody answered and nobody followed up. I got $400 back and lost the rest. I still don’t understand how one person can make a reservation and someone else gets charged without being asked, or how this wasn’t caught. I won’t stay here again. The hotel itself is modest, with a great view right in town, but the staff’s unprofessional handling of this is concerning. If you visit, make sure the right person is charged, and hold the staff accountable, since they clearly don’t do it themselves.

The lake-view room gave us lovely views and the sound of the waves, and the town was walkable and felt very safe. Guests here always seem friendly, and people are happy to chat. This was my second stay, and the humans working here are fantastic. Monica, Carmen, and Timmy deserve five-plus stars. I’ll be back again.

The staff and location deserve five stars, but the rest was absolutely horrid. The physical problems have already been documented in photos and reviews on this site. During my stay, wastebaskets were still sitting under a dripping ceiling, just as in a photo from a month earlier. It’s a shame to let such a perfect spot, with its view and proximity to town, run into the ground. I’m sure the owners have been offered millions for the land. Are they just collecting as much rent as they can before the health department shuts the place down? Thanks for the memories. I won’t be able to afford it if they sell and it gets torn down or renovated.