Cute beachfront hotel: a bit overpriced for what it is, but it was clean, roomy, and close by to area bars and restaurants. Two girlfriends and myself drove to St. Joe form Grand Rapids to meet a 4th friend who drove up from Chicago. Around 4pm we met at The Boulevard Inn to check in and drop our overnight bags off. The front desk staff was friendly enough, but up-charged us $10 for each person over their two person "Standard room occupancy". Given that we had booked a small suite, which was more expensive, and because it was larger, we assumed they knew more than 2 people would occupy it. So that was annoying, but we paid it, and moved along with our weekend. The suite itself was cute and tidy with a living room and kitchenette space on one side and two queen beds in the other room. I don't like it when the bathroom sink is exposed in a hotel room- I like the sink and the bathroom to be in a separate place. This place had the exposed sink. I'm not going to knock a star off for that, but just know that your room may be the same, especially if you are sharing the bathroom with others. They offered a city map when we left for dinner with most bars and restaurants being in walking distance, which we found great for our bar hopping overnight. read more

Emeliano at the front desk was extremely welcoming and helpful. Breakfast was very good and the buffet items plentiful. The water view rooms are very large and clean. Room rates are reasonable. read more

Seriously weird experience. Thought it would be fun to rent a room in town with friends over the 4th of July. The location is perfect for Fireworks. First our room wasn't ready. When we finally checked in they didn't tell us that there was breakfast included with the room or what time checkout was. Then our keys weren't working and we had to keep going to the front desk before I finally convinced one of them to just open the door for us. The sink was backed up with this weird sewage when we finally got into the room. The front desk didn't really seem that concerned about it and told us it happens all the time. I feel like we paid too much for that room for it to have a sewer problem. Everything seemed really disorganized. I think they must have been training new people. read more

I stayed here recently while in town for a friend's wedding. Pros: - location. I took the train in from Chicago so I wouldn't have to drive, and the hotel is right up the bluff from the train station. Also centrally located to all wedding activities, nearby restaurants, etc. I got around on foot with zero problems. - not really a pro for the hotel, but holy mackerel St. Joseph is pretty! I arrived at sunset and while walking to the hotel and then dinner I was met with amazing views. Just lovely. - I believe all the rooms are suites, which means more space. I had a fridge, microwave, sink, etc. - Free wifi!! - Though no wedding festivities were actually held here, this was one of the hotels with a block of rooms for wedding guests. The hotel had clearly worked with my friends, as I was given a welcome packet when I arrived and offered other coordinated goodies during my stay. Nice touch. Cons: - my room had a strange smell. Luckily the windows opened. - they were under a renovation when I was there, which made for painfully long elevator wait times, but at least they warned us. - My room was very outdated, especially the bathroom. I assumed I had a non-remodeled room. Yet when my friend stopped by she said I DID have a remodeled room. That's just....scary. - No full length mirror. This has become a sticking point with me after I've traveled around the freaking planet over the last year. How can any hotel NOT have a full length mirror, especially a hotel like this who I assume gets a lot of wedding business? - Terrible bathroom lighting. See also: how is this acceptable with a hotel that gets a lot of wedding business? - On a Saturday morning at FIVE AM there were garbage trucks emptying all the renovation dumpsters for about 45 minutes straight. I wanted to stab someone. SO NOT OKAY. I don't know what the other hotel options in St. Joe's are like, but this was okay I guess. read more

Recently had a wedding block here. They did an early check in for me and my bridal party, allowed us to drop off dresses early, passed out welcome bags to our guests, and accommodated space for my makeup artist when she arrived. Very pleased with their staff and the overall experience working with them. Prime location for guests to enjoy Lake Michigan or walk quickly downtown. Would def recommend as a hotel on the higher price range. read more

You can't beat this hotel for service and location. Extremely friendly front desk and the rooms are very, very clean and nice. Large comfy beds and 2 tv's. Full size refrigerator free wi-fi. Location couldn't be better, right on Lake Michigan and a block away from downtown... Perfect read more

The location is fantastic. Unfortunately, that's the best that can be said. It is far from the luxury hotel it claims to be. The Bistro Restaurant has very restrictive hours, and at the end of the time they allow for a meal, they basically show you the door. The only other hotel right in the little cute downtown area is the Silver Beach, which is not all that great. The Holiday Inn is not within walking distance, so basically, the Boulevard Inn is the only game in town and they fell short of my expectations. A new resort hotel is being build on the st. joe river. That will give the Boulevard some much needed competition. Maybe then they will finally up their game and try to exceed or, at least, meet expectations read more

My husband and I were actually pretty surprised when we arrived to our hotel! If you are looking to enjoy your time on bikes and at the beach this is your spot! Our room had a separate area with a sink and bed that folds out to a bed. My only complaint is that the "free parking" that they offer is for EVERYONE, not people that are ONLY staying at the hotel. On nice weekends, good luck finding a parking spot! People that stay at the hotel should have a separate lot with a tag for free parking, that's only my opinion though.. read more

I can't say enough about this place! Planned a surprise 50th girls trip and couldn't have done it without the help of Lacey and Rachel! From the beautiful suite that was decorated when we arrived to the recommended car service to the excellent dinner at The Bistro, it was a class act all the way! Looking forward to going back! read more

Read your bill carefully. Take your laundry directly to Sanitary Cleaners - it's just across the street. I stayed here last summer for several days. Because my stay was part of a two-week trip in Michigan, I packed light and made use of the laundry service. When I brought my clothes to the front desk and asked what the charge was, I two people at the front counter said they didn't know. I should have realized then that customer service was awful. They should have found out the cost and told me; that's exactly what their job is, to describe and sell services. I was shocked to find that the hotel charged me $37.49 to wash 5 pairs of underwear, four pairs of socks, a pair of jeans, and a cotton beach dress. This was just wash, not dry cleaning. So, I called Sanitary Cleaners and the woman there said that they only charge a couple of dollars a pound to wash clothes. This means that the hotel made a hefty profit just from taking my clothes across the street. If I had been informed of this, I never would had left my clothes at the front desk. I can't believe that the hotel is nickle and dimeing customers in this way. I will never stay here again. The hotel was fine otherwise, but I don't like staying in a place where I feel like I'm being robbed. read more

We stayed here for a wedding. There are some definite pros including free internet and free (albeit kinda weak) continental breakfast. The bed is fine. But there are also cons. The bathrooms are teeny tiny. I would have taken a lower rate over a suite-style room. The elevators are painfully slow. But I guess there's not really much of an alternative for this area...? read more

Friendly staff. Clean rooms. Great location in St Joe. Only negative is excessive fees they tack onto your room at end of stay. Had a fee for the room safe and two other large assessment fees which are not explained on the invoice. read more

For how expensive this place is I thought it was going to be amazing... I was wrong. The only great thing about the "Inn" was the location. It is right by the beach and is a short walk to downtown St. Joseph. We had a lake view room which made up for a lot of the price. The room was... tolerable. The decor is so outdated and NEEDS to be updated to stay with the times. The bathroom was so tiny and my boyfriend could barely fit in the shower. The shower head sputtered out water and I felt like it took forever to rinse off. The furniture looked like my grandma's house. The Bistro was wonderful and it was great that we had a free breakfast buffet included with our room. Maybe I would stay here again, if it was the only choice. read more

We loved the room! Had a park view (lake). Comfortable bed. Clean room. Room has a full size fridge, microwave and sink. This is our 4th time at st. joes and 3rd time at the boulevard. You can't beat the location. The restaurant is just ok. Still cannot understand them not opening until 5pm on a Saturday though. There are PLENTY of nearby restaurant, bars and grilles though. Go out and enjoy this town and its views. read more

Prime choice for the St Joe area/town. The suite was clean, big, had a nice size mini fridge, & close to lake/park. The staff was welcoming, fast when we need a couple things brought to the room, and overall helpful when needed. The breakfast was simple but great for being included in the hotel price. Fresh waffles, yogurt, cereals, coffee. Might be a little more than other area hotels, but worth it & we would happily return. Below renovations are complete and we didn't experience anything but the best. read more

I was a big fan of The Boulevard. I stayed there about 5 years ago and it was very nice. This time, not so much. The staff was very friendly, and I was in my room probably less than 5 minutes from when I arrived. Perfect. I then opened the door to the room and there was an odd odor. I think it smelled somewhat like burned plastic or rubber. I was going to ask for a different room, but I opened the window and it seemed to abate when I opened the window. The other knock was plastic cups wrapped in plastic at the bathroom sink. At this hotel price, I kind of expect to see glass. Finally, my room was above the outside section of the Bistro and there were people partying there until the wee hours. So with the window opened for the smell, and the partying, I didn't get to sleep until they stopped. I grew up in St. Joe, and always thought it a treat to be able to stay there, and occasionally worth the money for the location and the quality of the hotel. No more. I wish them good luck, and look forward to trying it again when the reviews improve after their remodel. read more

Stayed at the Inn Sept 29 and 20 for my daughter's wedding at the Blue Dress Barn. We had about 15 rooms and I made many changes. I am so impressed with the staff (Rita) and others who handled it all with patience and kindness and got it all finalized correctly. Everyone there helped us with restaurant suggestions and refrigeration for flowers. We all thought the breakfast was good and some ordered from the menu. Rooms were very nice and clean, the beds comfortable. We had a couple of two bedroom units for our grandchildren and they were amazingly great. Staff helped us figure out ordering pizza and we ended up eating in our rooms moving chairs in and out to accommodate everyone. It was an enjoyable experience and I could not say enough positive things about this hotel. read more

I could not be happier with The Boulevard Inn. When my best girlfriend and I started coming to St. Joe, our kids were little and we stayed at the (then) Holiday Inn, now The Clarion, because of the indoor pool. Now the kids are grown and we still come to St Joe every August. Our big 'perk' for ourselves was 'moving on up' to The Boulevard. The rooms were updated a couple years ago. The beds are comfortable and fresh. We have never had any maintenance issue at all. The front desk staff is always friendly. The free breakfast buffet is amazing. Eggs, potatoes, bacon, sausage, cereal, milk, juice, fresh fruit, a waffle station, And it's FREE. I seriously don't know where the people who complain about the breakfast buffet normally stay on vacation. I have traveled quite a bit and have never stayed had anything remotely close to this spread...for FREE. I will make my usual disclaimer that I love St Joe. Everything about it. I always chuckle at bad reviews that, in my opinion, have no merit. This is a small town in Michigan that is swamped with tourists from May - Sept. I am not suggesting anyone should ever put up with bad service or rooms with plumbing problems etc. But negative comments about the size of the bathrooms and the slow elevators... LOL. No, this is not the Ritz Carlton in New York City. The nightly rates are not a bargain - but you know the old saying - location, location, location. There is nowhere else I would rather stay. read more

Arrived on a busy Saturday in August only to find that I accidentally booked a room for the following weekend! Luckily, they had a room (with a view of the park) and gave it to me for the same rate that I paid online. Very accommodating I must say. read more

Location was very good & rooms were clean and spacious. However the quality of the breakfast was very poor . It was very limited (hard boiled eggs, oat meal, toast ,waffles, yogurt, mini sweet rolls, & musselix). The only juice was orange juice. The sweet rolls were stale & the bread was poor quality supermarket balloon bread. No bagels or better quality breads. No hot items. It was not what i would expect from a hotel charging $210.00 per night for a room. Also we upgraded from a courtyard room to a Parkview room thinking that we would have a view of the lake, but the only view we got was looking into the trees across the street. That was a waste of money. Nice location but over priced for what you get. read more

The food offered is no better than you can expect in an English pub and the management needs to sharpen their act up with the breakfast. Other than the food windge, good location and helpful friendly staff. read more

Our suite was large, lovely, nice location but very expensive. We were disappointed that we weren't able to see the lake from our window bc of trees. The person on the phone said it was lakeside which was true but our view was the street/trees with many vendors. Our confirmation said park view which I did not pay attention. Next time I will look at houses on the beach. read more

Spent the night here recently with my wife. We arrived very late and were extremely hungry. The night clerk called a local pizza place for us and had it sent up to our room. Clean spacious room, and courteous staff. I will be coming again. read more

I stayed here last week for two nights with my family. I almost didn't stay here because of the reviews written on this site. I have to say I thought it was great. I don't know if it's just been redone or what, but there is nothing dated about this hotel at all. Our suite was beautiful, all granite countertops and looked like new linens etc. I will stay here again whenever I am coming to the area when I can't stay long enough to get a house. read more

Stayed here on a family vacation. The rooms are dated but the location can't be beat! Took the kids to the beach, enjoyed the carousel and was able to walk to shops and good as well. read more

Our daughter had her wedding at the Berrien Hills Golf Club on 8-13-11 and it was catered by The Bistro. The food was great - even guests that don't normally eat fish, tried the tilapia and said it was great. I did not have time to try all the hors d'oeuvres, but the bruschetta was yummy. They really knocked themselves out for us at the Club - a beautiful place to have a reception. read more

I'm someone who has stayed at this hotel many times, even had my wedding reception there many years ago. The hotel is in a great location, but that is the ONLY thing I can say positive about it. The decor has not changed in over 20 years, the same reception furniture, dirty, worn and torn! My biggest concern would be the cleanliness of the hotel. My nephew stayed there this spring, had an asthma attack and ended up in the emergency room!! I also have allergies and for the 1st time in years had to use my inhaler, thank god I had it with me!!! I would consider other options in town. My husband and I were in town last week for a business trip and we had a Lakeview Suite at The Holiday Inn Express, it was Awesome!!!! We had a balcony overlooking the lake and the room was incredibly clean! The bed,pillows and linens were so comfortable that I found myself sneaking in a nap. I will also mention that having the kitchenette was great for chilling a bottle of wine! Enjoying a glass while watching the sunset was incredable. We will be back in St.Joe very soon and we wouldn't consider staying anywhere else but The Holiday Inn Express!! read more