Silver Beach Hotel

We loved the balconies and booked a lake view room. The photos show what the view from ours looked like. Breakfast was underwhelming, though, and we wished it had been better. The stay itself was simple and lovely, with a perfect location close to everything. There are several restaurants, coffee shops, and stores within a five-minute walk, and Silver Beach is a short walk away.

The location was the best part, one block from downtown and a 15-minute walk to Silver Beach. That’s why I gave it three stars. The lobby was decent, but the rest of the hotel looked dated. Our bed was very uncomfortable and squeaky, and the picture was fuzzy on every TV channel. The balconies are shared with the next room, separated only by a railing, and ours didn’t even have that partition. The vending machines were empty, though they did have a few snacks and drinks for sale. The pool was out of order despite being listed as an amenity when booking. It smelled and looked clean. Anyone can enter through the back door without a key card. Parking was difficult, both lots were full.

The hotel is dog friendly, which makes it the best choice for me. The staff are great and the location is super convenient. It’s my go-to place whenever I’m in west Michigan.

We came back for two nights out of nostalgia. We’d stayed here 10 years ago when we got married, and it was great then. This time our room smelled musty, like mildew. At the desk, one man said the hotel was sold out and there was nothing we could do, “too bad.” Another man came over and offered a room with two beds. Since it was our anniversary, I asked if we could move the next morning. He offered to reduce the bill and switch our room then, so we agreed. After looking into it, I found only the first three floors had been renovated. The pool wasn’t working during our stay, and the second room smelled too. The discount wasn’t enough.