Clean comfortable quiet room. Great location across from Lake Michigan shore parks. Walking…read moredistance to restaurants and shops. Will be back.

Very cute vintage motel! Not for you if you want something more up to date. The pool area is very…read morenice and clean. The bed was comfortable, but bring your own pillows. The pillows were very thin. Luckily we drove from Texas and brought our own pillows. Having chocolate kisses in the room was a nice touch. The shower set up was awkward. It was hard to adjust the temp and the water sprayed way back in the tub. No breakfast provided. Front desk staff was very friendly. You can buy your Mackinac Island Ferry tickets at the front desk and get $2 savings per ticket but you have to go out Mackinaw City. We went out St Ignace, which was less congested and closer to where we were staying the next night. Hubby thinks it's a three star review. I gave it four because I thought the pool and the view were really nice. There is a park across the street, great bridge views and some cute shops down the street. I nice place to walk along the lake shore.

We stayed 2 nights in August 2023. The Balsams has a row of motel rooms that you can see from the…read moreroad, and back further are cabins. We stayed in Cabin #6, it was nestled in a wooded area. This one has 2 bedrooms, a small and well stocked kitchen, a sitting area with a futon, dining table by a fireplace, and a small bathroom. They provide wood and kindling and have a firepit for each cabins use. I loved the rustic camp atmosphere, with the cut out wood entry to the bedrooms. This place is comfortable, and not flashy. The porch was relaxing to sit out on for morning coffee. Things to note: The toilet gurgles, it's a septic system. The shower is stall style, no tub. The bedroom dividing wall does not go to the ceiling so you could potentially hear what the other side says or does. There are a couple steps to get inside. The kitchen has way more supplies than expected. The beach walk takes maybe 5 minutes. There is a cute fairy garden by the beach. You do hear some road noise even though you are tucked away in the forest. I would love to come stay again. (Hoping to plan another trip for next year).

We reserved a cabin for a night for a family road trip vacation through the U.P. Thoroughly happy…read morewith what we got, which was a small, two bedroom cabin with a kitchen, a living room, a bathroom with a shower, a nice-sized dining room table and chairs, a front porch with two rocking chairs and a nice bonus deck off one of the bedrooms with a couple of chairs and a table that overlooked a river. The living room has a futon that folds out to a double, and the chair and ottoman fold out to a single--so this could possibly accommodate 7-8 people who really don't value their privacy at all. Firewood is provided. Bath towels are not. Bring soap, shampoo, toiletries. As noted, the TV's don't have cable and WIFI has not yet reached the cabins. There is a library of VCR tapes in the office to borrow, along with a collection of board games. We didn't use any of these--but we had perfect weather for our short stay. There's a private beach across the road and we took advantage of that. Each cabin has a fire ring with chairs, a grill, and a picnic table. After five nights in unfailingly terrible hotel beds, the beds here were a big win for me. I am nursing a nasty shoulder injury and have a hard time sleeping and limited positions, and slept exceptionally well here. Great pillows, comfortable mattresses, nice sheets and blankets. Daughter, who's a light sleeper, was very comfortable on the futon as well. We'd happily come back for a longer stay--it was basic but very comfortable and reasonably well appointed, not luxurious but everything we needed and a few things we wanted. Staff was friendly and helpful and cabin information binder gave us good suggestions of where to eat (which we should have followed.)

We stayed 3 nights in the Bayview Loft (the only second story room, two queen beds) and had a great…read morestay! I loved that we had our own little patio on the landing overlooking the water - a great spot to sit outside in the morning having coffee. We were greeted warmly when we arrived, super easy check in. The two beds are in the same room, with a door to close off the 'living room' which worked great for different needs of my husband and young adult kid. Nice table to play games on, the fridge was a good size, two tvs (one per room) and easy to walk to a ferry to the island! The attached restaurant had good food, too. Is it a high class place to stay? Nah, it's a motel! The price was great for us and met all our needs!

I've been staying at the Driftwood Motel for decades. I learned from my wife's dad how much cheaper…read moreit is to stay here than it is to stay on the island. I don't know what the prices were when he started coming here, but I was able to book 2 rooms for three nights for cheaper than it costs to stay on the island in one room for one night. Sorry about the flashback to math class, people, but this is an economics lesson where you'll want to pay attention. There is a log cabin kind of feel to the architecture. And, in another throwback to a bygone age, the doors use keys...actual, metal keys, not plastic cards. Outside the room, you'll find gas barbecue grills with tongs and other tools to enjoy your home away from home. While the room itself seems humble, it does contain most of the amenities you would expect. It's spacious. The beds are reasonably comfortable. There is a mini fridge, but unfortunately no microwave. And the restaurant is just a few steps away from your room, and it's excellent. One thing you would not expect, however, is a mind-boggling array of on-demand programming on your flat screen TV. Dozens of shows are available from maybe 30 different networks. And, it's no extra charge for any of it. Even if it weren't for all this, the location itself is perfect. Directly across the street are two Mackinac Island ferry terminals. I'm not exaggerating: they're literally across the street. That $27 you pay for a round-trip ticket is a heck of a lot cheaper than you would pay each day to stay on the island. Economics, people. So, go ahead and get a second mortgage to pay for a stay on the island. I will keep on coming here and enjoying all the great benefits, while also having money left over to actually pay for things to do on the island.

Super clean, decent size rooms. Didn't hear any noise from other guests. Chairs outside each room &…read morepretty flowers in planters. Would definitely stay here again!

The Wayside Motel is a hidden gem in St. Ignace that we found through its excellent reviews on a…read moremultitude of websites including Yelp. This is an old time motor hotel (motel) located on the main drag, just up the hill from Shepler's Ferry. It transported me back to family vacations in the 1960s, before interstates and box hotels were pervasive. On first sight, one might understandably move on. Rust on the outside of the motel room doors might have suggested poor upkeep. But we already had reservations and the rust was a false flag. Check-in was quick. The owner called us as we approached the Mackinac bridge to confirm our arrival. As has been reported by others, staff was both friendly and helpful. We were offered discounted ferry tickets and an offer that we could leave our car at the hotel during our day visit to the island. This saved us parking fees. The Shepler's shuttle was called to collect us the next day and dropped us off when we returned. As many have written, this family operated motel is impeccably clean and well appointed inside. Internet was fast, heat in the evenings kept us comfortable. (Many hotels turn off heat until October). This motel has obviously gone through a recent renovation. Entering the room, the smell of freshly laid carpet was apparent. The two queen beds were comfortable and provided a good night sleep for our family of 3. Despite the location on a busy street, insulation and sound proofed windows muffled any noise from passing traffic. All important hot water had good pressure and volume in a very clean bathroom. (The only negative would be the towels which were rather thin). We normally stay in brand name box hotels when we are on the road because there is usually a free breakfast. Wayside offers coffee but no breakfast. But that was not a problem. A pancake house was a short walk down the street. All in all, we enjoyed our time at Wayside Motel. It was a good value. We will look to stay here again on our next visit to Mackinac Island.

My son and I stayed here for 3 nights, 28-30 July 2023. I am a Disabled Veteran in a wheelchair. We…read morehad an ADA room, King bed with handicapped rails in bathroom and roll in shower. Also pedestal style sink in bathroom enabling wheelchair access. Movement within the room in my electric wheelchair was tight but doable with a little practice. There was a designated disabled parking spot directly outside of room. Had a microwave, coffee maker and mini-fridge (with freezer compartment) great for my insulin storage. This is a small older motel being renovated and upgraded. Has the feel of a "Mom and Pop" place of yesteryear. If you're looking for The Four Seasons, this ain't it You're in Da UP

We stayed at this hotel on a Thursday and Friday night for $400 total. It was not nearly as nice as…read morethe pictures on the internet. Our room didn't even have a place to hang clothes. I had to hang them on the shower bar. The air conditioner was so noisy we had to turn it off at night or to listen to the TV. The bathroom was dirty in the corners. The building was in a bit of disrepair. The bed was comfortable though which was a plus. The view was beautiful which was also a plus. The best part was the manager, Kara. She was wonderful and helpful. She did the best she could. She was even helping clean rooms. She explained that they were very short of help and that it was difficult to get people to work, like everywhere these days.

Our stay was only 1 night as we passed through the area. It's very conveniently located, about half…read morea mile from the restaurants and right off the highway to the bridge. The room was clean and functional. While there it didn't seem too busy, based on parking lot. Overall, it was a simple stay with two beds for our party of 3. The beds are on the firm side, the shower was hot but lacked water pressure, and they give you an actual key, vs a card. I did enjoy that outside each room are 2 white plastic patio chairs that were clean and a nice spot to sit for a bit in the evening. The next morning checkout was simple (leave the key on the table), and we walked across the parking lot to the Wild Blueberry to grab some treats for the road. Although it doesn't have the luxury of a Holiday Inn, etc. it was the absolute definition of "eh, not bad." Reasonably priced, clean (an imperative), and convenient.

We had reservations for Wednesday and called Sunday to change them for tomorrow, Monday. Their…read morevoice mailbox was full. We contacted the booking site by email to cancel the Wednesday reservations 72 hours in advance to comply with the restrictions. It should be noted that there was no change option. However, on a Sunday afternoon, we received no response. It's 9/29, too late for summer, and too early for real fall color. As we were driving through town, every single motel/hotel had vacancy signs and empty parking lots. The person staffing the desk at the motel was just a temp and asked us to wait for the regular person. I stepped across the parking lot to get a blueberry donut at The Wild Blueberry. Ten minutes later, I returned to the motel door to stand and eat my donut. A woman breezed past me and asked, "You don't want a room, do you?" I kid you not!!!! At that point, I could tell we were not going to have a good experience. Sure enough, she proceeded to argue forcibly with my man about cancellation restrictions and that the rate instead of being $78 a night was now $99 a night. My man said he didn't want to cancel but simply change our reservations receiving the previously booked rate. She started talking loudly over him. He said, "It sounds like you don't want to help us." She responded that she thought we should stay elsewhere. We're staying at the Holiday Inn Express who welcomed our business!

Review of Motel Rooms We stayed in room 1, which as previous…read morereviewers have said was close to the road, but we didn't find it any louder than other rooms would be. The room was exceptionally clean and had a very good rate. The bedding was spotless and clean (I'm the person that comes prepared with a black light) and the bathroom was super clean as well. They have mini fridges and microwaves as well as a nice tv with a good amount of channels. The location was fantastic, very close to downtown and the freeway and right across from the lake. We walked across the street several times to grab snacks at a fudge shop and breakfast at a restaurant and ate right on the beach. The service was wonderful. Our kids locked the bathroom door from the inside and they promptly helped us fix it. We were able to get some good recommendations about things to do or places to go. It was a nice, clean spot for us to rest our heads at night.

Loved our stay here. The only word that comes to mind is bonafide. The cabin decor fits perfectly…read morefor what it is and they don't try to be something they're not. The bedsheets were fresh, and the hotel manager was very personable and gave us lots of info on the places to eat/drink while in town. I imagine this is exactly what roadside America was like before the hotel chains, and we will be staying here every time we come to St. Ignace.

We love this place! When we lived closer we brought our camper to the main campground so when we…read moresaw it was the same people we knew we were good. We rented the smallest cabin. It was perfect. So clean and pretty. There is a community fire pit that the camp hosts light every night. One of the camp hosts even came down and played awesome guitar for us one evening! The camp hosts are some of the nicest people you will meet. Fresh coffee every morning as well. These are empty cabins so bring everything, sheets pillow, blanket, etc. They have charcoal grills you can pull over to your cabin. I would recommend a foam bed topper, the beds are quite uncomfortable, I think that would help. There is a playground for the kids, picnic tables at your cabin too. We didn't go in the water because it was FREEZING, but many brave people did. Highly recommend. We will be back!!!

Absolutely worth the trip! On my first one to the area, I tried to research as much as possible,…read moreand opted for the Lakefront Cabins. As long as you know what you're dealing with going in, like bringing your own linens and towels, as well as utensils, cups and food to cook in a charcoal grill, it absolutely is the move to book here. Check in was super easy, and at Mill Creek Campground. Going towards the end of the season was my favorite choice in the fall, but anytime you can here is beautiful. Highly recommend!