The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island was named one of the Top 25 Historic Hotels of America’s Most Romantic Hotels for 2025.
Historic Hotels of America is the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation for recognizing, celebrating, and promoting the finest historic hotels in the United States.
The Grand Hotel, built in 1887 (the front porch was designed by noted Detroit architect Albert Kahn), was designated a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior and was inducted into Historic Hotels of America in 2001.
“These romantic historic hotels range from intimate and charming, to grand and opulent,” says Lawrence Horwitz, executive vice president of Historic Hotels of America and Historic Hotels Worldwide.
“Staying at a historic hotel is a wonderful opportunity to create an everlasting memory, whether you are visiting for a romantic getaway, proposing, or planning a gathering. Each of these destinations provides the setting, the staff support, and the ambiance for the perfect proposal or the perfect wedding.”
Here’s what the judges noted about the Grand Hotel, which opens for the 2025 season on April 25 and runs through Oct. 27.
“For 138 years, Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island has provided the charm and beauty of a variety of romantic settings for engagements, weddings, honeymoons, and even films. Famous as the backdrop for the classic time travel romance “Somewhere in Time” (1980), the Grand Hotel offers couples romantic experiences and amenities, including horse-drawn carriage rides, picnic baskets, chocolate fudge, candlelit dinners, and sweeping views of the Straits of Mackinac.
“Located at the very top of the Grand Hotel, the Cupola Bar offers breathtaking panoramic views of the island, making it a perfect place to get engaged. The world-famous Front Porch, the world’s largest, is also a great engagement location.
“Other locations to propose include the picturesque Main Dining Room, the lush gardens for a more private setting, or at Woods Restaurant, an opulent Tudor-style mansion with Bavarian charm, that offers private candlelit dining experiences and is just a short, romantic horse-drawn carriage ride away.
“To capture the moment, Grand Hotel’s photography team specializes in secret proposal photoshoots. Packages like the Grand Romance package include amenities such as a fresh-cut flower arrangement, a wine basket, and Mackinac Island’s famous fudge delivered to the guestroom.
“The concierge can arrange a private sunset candlelit dinner on the iconic Front Porch overlooking the Straits of Mackinac.”
Other hotels on the list include The Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, Virg., the Ledges Hotel in Hawley, Penns., The Union Station Nashville Yards in Nashville, the Bellwether House in Savannah, and Hotel Du Pont in Wilmington, Del.
For a complete list of the Top 25 Historic Hotels of America’s Most Romantic Hotels for 2025, visit here.
For more information about the Grand Hotel, visit grandhotel.com/.
To access DBusiness magazine’s exclusive Northern Michigan Dining and Iconic Restaurant Guide, visit here.
