Northern Michigan is one of my favorite places in this great country of ours. It’s a special recipe featuring the waters of Lake Michigan, dense Michigan forest, fresh air, interesting topography, and friendly people. It is always a fantastic time when I can take the HOG World Tour to Northern Michigan, an opportunity I’ll always take advantage of. On the last World Tour leg to the area I had the pleasure of staying at The Inn at Bay Harbor, an elegant resort right on the shore of Lake Michigan, minutes from the town of Petoskey.
Inn at Bay Harbor Overview
The Inn offers nine different types of accommodations, from a standard guest room to a penthouse suite. The property offers access to some great recreation in the area, like golf in the summer and skiing in the winter.
Located directly on the shore of Lake Michigan, guests can enjoy the pool or take a dip in the Lake. Other activities on property include kids activities, spa, dining, biking, shopping, and wine tasting from local vineyards.
Accommodations
I’ve been in the Penthouse Suite and the Master Suite, so I can speak to what they offer and show a few photos. Let’s go big first, with the Penthouse Suite.
Penthouse view
Suitable for large groups, the 3,000 square foot Penthouse offers five individual bedrooms and common living and dining areas. There are two full kitchen areas for food prep (below).
Penthouse Suite Kitchen and Living Areas
There is also a laundry room with washer and dryer. The best feature of the Penthouse is the huge deck area overlooking the grounds and Lake Michigan. The view is stunning, especially at sunset.
The 720 square foot Master Suite offers a single isolated bedroom and large bathroom. The living area is spacious, including a kitchenette, fireplace, large screen TV, and a Murphy bed.
Master Suite
A comfy deck is also enjoyable for enjoying some fresh air. Unlike the Penthouse there is no washer/dryer in the room, but down the hall is a shared washer/dryer setup. This was great for me as I had been traveling for many days, and ran out of clean threads.
Master Suite
Dining
There’s some excellent dining on property at The Inn: Vintage Chop House & Wine Bar, Sagamore Room, Inn Cafe, Cabana Bar.
The Vintage Chop House served up amazing cuts of beef which I really enjoyed, and the atmosphere overlooking Lake Michigan was terrific. The breakfast buffet at the Sagamore Room had a large selection of very well prepared breakfast items.
Final Thoughts
There are many great reasons to visit northern Michigan: golf, water sports, skiing, biking, or just relaxing on a hammock on the shore of Lake Michigan. I strongly recommend staying at The Inn for your northern Michigan trip.
Sunset on Lake Michigan as seen from The Inn at Bay Harbor
Think golf buddy trip here. Your group of buddies could all chip in and book the Penthouse Suite. Golf in the day and poker, or whatever your fancy is at night in the shared living space.
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