Meetings
» UNFORGETTABLE VIEWS
» CARRIAGE TOURS
GRAND HOTEL
PHOTOS FROM LEFT: DANIEL OSWALT // KELLY REWA
M ACK I NAC I S L AN D
A successful meeting often means slowing down and seeing the world in a completely different way. And what better place than an island—one with enduring elegance and deep roots in the past, where the pace of life is measured in the slow clops of a carriage horse’s hooves? Mackinac Island makes for a one-of-a-kind meeting getaway, and the grand dame destination is Grand Hotel herself, the historic 1887 hotel that’s home to the world’s most famous front porch and has a history of old-fashioned hospitality. “It’s a feeling that you get,” says Ken Hayward, executive vice president and managing director of the hotel. “You take a deep breath, stand on the porch, look out over the gardens and the water beyond and you’re transported ... a lot of companies come here for meetings because they want their attendees to experience that. You dress for dinner, you stand a little straighter—guests feel special.” Part of the magic for guests is that the meeting spaces are distinct and unique—no air walls separating you from the meeting next door—ranging from elegant, antique-filled hospitality suites to a theater or formal dining room. No matter which you choose, the atmosphere is undeniably that of Grand Hotel. “Imagine being in a meeting all day,” Hayward says, “and you walk out and there’s afternoon tea with a harpist playing. Or you just wander out to the porch and grab a rocking chair and a beverage and reconnect with your family, gazing out over the geraniums and the gardens.” Annual meetings at the hotel are so treasured that they’ve become a legacy for many companies—some groups returning year after year, for decades.
SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL FEATURE
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CASE STUDY The Michigan Health and Hospital Association has been coming to Grand Hotel for 98 years. When CEO Brian Peters took the job several years ago, his predecessor told him, “Look, you can do anything you want, the only thing you can’t do is screw up the summer meeting at Grand Hotel.” LOCALS LOVE Starting the day with breakfast at the Chuckwagon, a little diner downtown, and ending the day at the hotel’s cupola for sunset. HOT TIP “If you want to do something unforgettable, plan an event at our stable,” Hayward says. The beautiful, state-of-the-art working stable is home to a historic collection of 100-yearold carriages and the hotel’s enormous draft horses. Recent guests planned an event there with music and a menu of grilled whitefish and corn on the cob. “It was the night they couldn’t stop talking about,” he says. QUICK FACTS » Total meeting space: 22,000 square feet under one roof » Total guest rooms: 397 » Getting there: Sky West (Delta) serves Pellston Regional Airport, with shuttle service to the ferry docks available. I-75 brings you directly to the ferry docks of both St. Ignace and Mackinaw City.
Find more things to do at MyNorth.com/Mackinac
MyNorth Meetings 2020
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3/13/20 2:56 PM
