Friends:

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Convention Services on a recent accolade, but before I do as the hotel historian I don’t seem to possess the ability to restrain myself of sharing a bit of Grand Hotel’s convention history. Grand Hotel and hundreds of resort hotels like it were built during America’s gilded age to create an extravagant destination for the wealthy Victorian traveler. The privileged set wanted to escape the searing heat of America’s industrial cities and find a cool place to enjoy their privileges. As the Victorian period was coming to a close, after the turn of the century, a middle class was becoming an economic force in tourism and many resorts had a hard time adapting and fell by the wayside. Flexibility became the key to success and longevity serving all classes of people, but still not diluting the uniqueness of a summer resort.

Conventions have long been a part of Grand Hotel’s history as early as the 1890s when ballrooms were temporarily converted into meeting halls for political gatherings, service organizations and religious retreats. For many resorts the primary reason to host conventions was to show their facility to the wealthy conventioneers in hopes they would return with their family for long term stays. The management of Grand Hotel viewed these groups as the future and took action by creating dozens of meeting rooms, hiring a sales staff and establishing a Convention Services Department. Today many of the same groups from decades past still come to Mackinac for business and respite. Groups large and small, some taking all the rooms in the hotel and half the rooms downtown.

It looks like we are doing a pretty good job of it according to Meetings Mid America Magazine. For the second year running we have been honored by the readers of Meetings Mid America as a top property in the Midwest United States. A true testament to the efficiency and dedication of the Convention staff and all the hotel’s departments that work so hard to make these group events go smoothly.

We are always mindful and eternally grateful to both our Convention and Social guests for their years of support. Their steadfast patronage has made it possible for the hotel owners, the Musser family, to not only maintain this wonderful old building but to make it shine. This support makes it possible for future generations to experience all that a Grand Resort Hotel has to offer.

Thanks,
Bob T.