Grand Mackinaw Beachfront and Waterpark

Nothing worked, not the jacuzzi or even their own pool. I ended up driving an hour to Gaylord, and I'm glad I did. Expect to be disappointed. If my refund doesn't clear into my bank in the next couple of days, my review will be worse. The room clearly hadn't been opened for the year yet. Mosquito carcasses were in the jacuzzi, bathroom sink, and around the bed. I asked the front desk to have someone clean it for my wife and me, then had to ask repeatedly for a clean room. I don't know why wanting a clean room was treated as weird. I was condescended to and disrespected, then refunded and told I was free to leave when I asked to switch rooms. They checked me out in a super passive aggressive way, lol.

The hotel was called Great Mackinaw Beachfront hotel, then Blue beach front hotel, and when we checked out, Fairview Beach hotel. I wouldn't recommend it. Our room had new walls and flooring but old electrical covers and extenders with several things plugged in. There was sand and dust on the floor, the sheets weren't clean, and mattress springs were coming out. We told staff, and they didn't care. The price was higher than quoted, and we were supposed to get a military discount. It was odd that after checking in they said our time to cancel had passed. Definitely a red flag. We'd never stay again. They deserve a zero.

I made a Friday reservation around 1 p.m. after seeing a cheap beachfront room that looked nice on the website. After I gave them an authorization, I was told the cancellation time had already passed. We arrived around 10:50 p.m., and thankfully did, because otherwise we would have had to go to the hotel next door to get our key. The women were welcoming. We got a lake-view room with two full beds, but the utility closet beside it was wide open, messy, and disgusting. The room smelled musty and nasty. The walls looked recently renovated, but the decor was still from the 1980s. The carpet didn't seem clean, and there were stains on the bathroom floor and sheets. The smoke detector beeped every so often. We checked both beds for bed bugs. The first looked fine, but there was clearly a bug on the second bed, as shown in the picture. We wouldn't even put our things down and left right away. After sitting in the car for about an hour, we found a much nicer hotel. The next morning, we returned to Fairview, showed them the photo of the bug, and explained the smell and stained sheets. They said they'd contact management, have people inspect the room, and call me later. I waited all day without hearing from them, so I called. They said they couldn't refund me because the team had inspected and found nothing, even though I'd shown them the photo. I tried calling corporate as they suggested, but nobody answered. I still didn't have a refund, so I called my card company. Luckily, they're willing to dispute the charge because I paid for a service I didn't get. I also had to contact the Better Business Bureau and the Health Department. Don't stay here. It's a dump, and I'm surprised it hasn't shut down with the reviews it has. Don't believe the renovation claims either. All they did was put new wood on the walls. It's worth spending more somewhere nicer. Please take your money elsewhere.

The low price didn't make the indoor conditions worth it. We were moved to a lakefront room after another family staying next door, who had similar issues, encouraged us to tell the front desk about mold and spiders throughout our bathroom. Staff were kind and understanding and gave us an upgrade. The new room was much better, but had very little ventilation and signs of mold in the bathroom and near the sliding door. Beach access was the best part, and we spent most of our time outside the room.