Good food. Worth the visit in this northern small town. A little pricey, but worth the price. Family friendly. Good selection and good service. read more

For where I am, this should be a 4-5 start, but it wouldn't do in a developed area. The staff is amazing. The hotel is out dated. The beds are comfortable. The beer is cold. The food leaves something to be desired. Overall...C - read more

We love this place... Honestly, I'm not sure if some of the reviewers I've read below WERE at the Doherty. Since my first 'taste' of the Doherty Hotel- from it's cozy, historic atmosphere - to the owners and management that treat you like family - to the friendly, always smiling staff that are trained very well to make you comfortable... the Doherty is our home away from home. And the food-- Please don't take my word for it, but I challenge you to find a more diverse, extensive, creative and YuM menu! Try NOT to LOVE the unbelievable salad bar with more fresh items and options than I can find in my hometown grocer's produce, deli and bakery sections combined. Or the specials (i won't eat a buger anywhere else!) They change their menu a couple of times a year, and I'm always anxious to try the new dishes and wines. I see groups - small to large - there year after year, singing the praises of the town, and the Doherty. These owners really care about the community, their customers and their business. I always see the owners and managers out on the floor meeting, greeting, welcoming, and socializing with guest. They really seem to care about what's going on and making sure everyone is comfortable and content. We've held family gatherings there ranging from just two people up into the thirties. The hotel sales staff is always eager to accommodate our needs, and frequently it has been on short notice. We've never been disappointed. I've been to some of the most beautiful weddings at the Doherty. There are always compliments enough to go around regarding the planning, service, presentment, options and care taken. I encourage you to stop for a moment. Take a peek in the Lounge and check out the unbelievable murals that were painted during the Depression. Most of the staff is knowledgeable about them and will fill you in if you ask. There is a world of Clare and Doherty Hotel historical information on the hall walls between the back entrance and the Lounge. read more

There are actually a lot of interesting items on the menu but the three things my group tried were bland (pork belly and egg sandwich, gyro, and meatloaf). The cream of tomato bisque tasted like Campbell's tomato soup, although less flavorful and I could not detect any hint of cream. The homemade potato chips tasted like a gluten-free salt-free cracker substitute. This may not make sense, but despite the blah flavors, the food was all well prepared, so I'm sure there are some people who would enjoy it. Plus, the service was great, and our food arrived quickly. Our server was so nice and attentive that I felt guilty for not loving my meal. I didn't bring my disappointment to her attention because there really wasn't anything wrong with my food; I just wasn't into it. The atmosphere is casual and pub-like, with a very charming leprechaun mural created in the 1930s. read more

I have been to the Doherty a bunch of times, thought I should write a review! Came in on a Monday for the burger special, my husband said the burger was great and I got the southwestern sauté and it was awesome. Good beer, good wine. All was good, we left happy and full. read more

Doherty Hotel - Hotels Near Me - Clare, Michigan

Needed to stay in Clare for a work related trip. Was excited to stay in a local/independent hotel for a change. This hotel is very historic and dates back to the 1920s. Hotel staff was very kind. Restaurant staff was also very kind. The rooms are a little dated but this place is almost 100 years old! I thought the hotel was clean. There is a free breakfast from a special menu on weekdays for guests. There is also a regular menu for additional options or for non-guests. The Doherty oatmeal was especially good. I would stay again and would eat here again. read more

If I could give this hotel ZERO stars, I would. This place was disgusting. The good reviews on here have to be fake. This place was dirty, gross and outdated. I felt sick sleeping here. Filthy. Staff was rude, hotel was beyond horrific. I felt disgusted. Just because a place is so-called historic, doesn't mean it should be acceptable to be SO run down and filthy. Our room was disgusting. read more

See all

We love Clare and we wanted to experience their St. Patrick's Day Festival. We were lucky enough to be able to stay at the Doherty and be right in the heart of it all. Unfortunately, we were staying in the old section of the hotel. Although clean, the rooms are tiny, with tiny TV's that are no bigger than a 2 liter of Coke. The bed is not even a queen size, it's a full size. The bathroom is so cramped that if you are any taller than 5' 10" your knees will hit the tiled wall in front of you while using the toilet. Tried to call down to the front desk, but the phone didn't work in our room. Was really fearful that if emergency crews had to come into a room, they would not be able to fit a gurney in the narrow doorways. Upon packing up the next morning, I did notice that although my sheets were clean, the mattress protector was not. It had blood on it. I will give this place another try, only if we can stay in the new section. read more

See all

Betty S The Doherty catered our daughters wedding this summer, and did a fabulous job. Everyone was very pleased with the food and the service. Thank you Ann and Dean read more

The Hotel web site was misleading. The room I reserved was shower only. Caring for a disabled person and being disabled, we were put at the furthest room from pool access. Room was not equipped with our 2 requests. Beds looked very tired, furniture was dinged and finish missing. The room gave one a feeling of "well used". We had an assistant from the hotel take our bags to front desk and Barb graciously cancelled our reservation due to substitute room not cleaned, in a construction zone with a worker painting door trim. We had to drive another 75 miles to a friend's home. read more

Had such a blast staying here this week. We will definitely be returning! The staff wass fantastic and the history made such a fun time!

Echoing a previous review- Bar and Restaurant Staff are A-1. Love The Historic Quality of that part of the facility. The food is fair, for the price. The rooms are stuck in the 80's ! Sad. Needs major upgrades and remodel, to justify the price to stay, in comparison to all other lower priced places, all of which have far better rooms, with modern amenities. read more

Very interesting. This place has a ton of history in one side of the building but is more like an old Holiday Inn on the other. Growing up my family had a place nearby so I had always heard about the Doherty but never stayed there until last night. This is the place to be if you want to stay at a hotel in Clare. I stayed in the "newer" section which the term newer is relative- no major updates in at least 15+ years. The "newer" section definitely needs updating... I can't speak for the older section. With that being said it is very clean and well maintained. The place has a nice looking indoor pool and hot tub too. Price was fair, service was good. The restaurant and bar are excellent also and the free breakfast (weekdays only) is just about the best I have ever had in a hotel. The strange part is that it is 2016 and this hotel still does not take online reservations?!?! I'm not sure how they survive but it seemed relatively busy. I will return next time I need lodging in Clare, it's ten steps above anything else in town. Bonus: it's pretty much right across from Cops and Doughnuts which is open 24 hours in the summer! read more

I always stop at the Doherty for lunch during the summer. I had the Crocque Madam and it was phenomenal! Their bloody marys are always a hit! read more

The Doherty Hotel is clean, comfy and has a lot of personality and character since it's almost 100 years old. The pool area was warm, clean and a welcome experience after being on the road for a long length of time. My husband and I also enjoyed the fact that the hotel is located in the quaint little town of Clare, Michigan. We enjoyed walking around the downtown area straight from the hotel doors. read more

This place is way awesome! If you want the feel of an old cocktail lounge to hang your head low or whisper a shady business deal, go here! Okay, I exaggerate a little.... read more

Nice building, nice location. Servers seemed to be trying. Drinks in the bar were ok. A really loud long table of wasted people sitting on one side of the bar. The kids at the end of the table found them to be as droll as we did. From other reviewers, I can guess who these people were. read more

We had the opportunity to eat here again on a couple of occasions, once in the bar and once in the renovated/expanded dining area. The menu has been updated a bit, and some locally sourced ingredients spotlighted; nice. Our dinner party had absolutely delicious dinners -- whitefish and steak in our party of three -- with real key lime pie for dessert. Our service was fine. We also enjoyed a TGIF of apps and beer in the bar, which maintains a vintage feel, sports a great leprechaun mural from the 1930's and also boasts a colorful history as a hangout for the Purple Gang during Prohibition. We like the changes and hope the Doherty continues to refine its menu and service. read more

The Doherty maintains a quality which is rare in mid-Michigan. Just try to find a restaurant which serves something other than Big Boy fare. The menu is perhaps a bit presumptuous, but the selection includes as available interesting fish (e.g., walleye), and more than the usual steak and chicken. The salad bar is great--don't fill up on it! I found the service OK, but the wait staff is in need of some training for a fine restaurant--but given the complete lack of ther fine restaurants in the area, this is perhaps not surprising. The wine selection is adequate; the bar drinks are good. I would recommend the Doherty for a special dinner, or for a friendly drink and sandwich in the bar. read more

This review IS for the hotel part. We were UNLUCKY enough to stay at the Doherty over Thanksgiving. Well, it seems that this is the time for all Doherty's to come to Grandpa's house aka hotel. Now we have all been to "Grandpa's House" where we might be allowed to do things we don't normally do at home, like stay up late, have a M&M before breakfast, do a jump and Butt drop bounce off the big bed.... BUT not allowed to be as rude, crude, and loud as they can, until 2am in the morning, then start again at 8am. Some examples, and believe me this is just a tad of their actions, the lovely little Doherty offspring were running up and down the hall shouting cuss words, had a contest who could throw their chewing gum the farthest from the elevator (into the carpet) left used picnic plates and cups in the elevator. Eating at the Thanksgiving table with Ball hats on...And did I mention, they were unbelievably LOUD. Many times I would open the room door, and ask them "where are your parents" the only answer I received was "I don't know." We called the front desk many times, and complained to the staff. Unfortunately, nothing was done, Seems more like they just don't care. Fine if you want to have a family gathering at your place of business. Fine if you let your children be rude, crude, and socially unacceptable, but DO NOT subject paying customers, paying for a clean hotel, and a good night sleep to these little urchins disturbing the peace until 2 am. The other reviewer is correct in that they try to invoke a "upper crust" atmosphere. I saw nothing this Thanksgiving weekend to impress me. And highly suggest not staying here, especially in one of the rooms by the indoor pool, where the sounds are amplified right into your room! On one positive note. Each and every staff member was very nice, and helpful. read more

Good food and alright service. With a few updates this place could be extraordinary! The Bloody Marys and pricey cuisine are staples here as you come into Clare you have to take a dip as many of us have here in the pool or better yet the got tub. If you're lucky you can swap business stories with the everyday Canadian businessman on vacation! read more

I have never stayed at the hotel here but I go to the restaurant with my family fairly often. The food here is really good and it's a fairly well priced for the quality. My favorite thing here is the fish and chips which is always perfect and it's become my favorite. The restaurant in the hotel is perfect for a nice meal with my family. read more

So, on our way further north and stopped at this classic old place for lunch. I had a cup of bean soup and a hot meatloaf...seemed like the thing to get in a place like this. Soup pretty good although a little thin. Meatloaf flavorful...gravy mediocre, potatoes not so great. Service decent. Depending on your expectations, this place was okay in a funky sort of way read more

Excellent quesadilla and potato skins; however, the over-powering smell of the buttered popcorn machine is a deal-killer for me.

I was shocked to see an overall rating just three stars. This hotel is very clean very luxurious the staff was very warm and courteous, the pool and sauna were at the perfect temperatures read more

Size does matters...don't bother to order a martini at this bar. I ordered the chocolate martini and the bartender gave me a half a glass and when I said it's missing half she told me the glass was large. IT WAS A STANDARD SIZE MARTINI GLASS! read more

The Doherty Hotel restaurant is a gem. Food is always consistent and tasty. We ate there tonight and the salad bar was fresh, unique and tasty. Don't miss the Michigan bean soup. Our entree of horseradish encrusted salmon was perfect. Thanks to the friendly staff for a lovely evening. read more

We had the pleasure of staying here, after years of hearing stories from my step-brother & sister-in-law about how much they love this place. The location is great, the staff very friendly, & the lobby was nicely decked out for Halloween. Now for the room- nice size, but the bed was hard as a rock & the pillows were not much better. You get a complimentary breakfast with your stay, which was good. In spite of our experience with the rock hard bed- I would be willing to try it again- just in another room. It seems like a place that is kind of past its prime & in need of some TLC, & I hate to give up on a classic... read more

Members of my family drove over 90 mins. to meet others to celebrate Mother's Day, on the Saturday night before. There was clearly a local graduation, maybe CMU? because many grads and family's there, and the restaurant had a special menu. None of us ordered off of it as it was very pricey. Lots of our table ordered burgers, I had the mac and cheese and my sister ordered ribs. The salad bar was ok, but mostly just bagged lettuce that I could still smell the bag chemicals on...please wash it once to take that smell out! The ribs came, huge and fabulous on the plate. The other plates looked wan in comparison....a few fries, lackluster at best, and for the men who ordered the bison burger, they came on weenie bread, not buns. No one was happy. Mom had to ask for the lettuce and tomato. The very nice, and good, waitress had told me that the mac and cheese was excellent. No, it was not. It was very mediocre. I hope the people that spent over $20 for the special menu items got better food than we did. The only thing good about this meal was the coffee, which was delicious. I would never go back there and I wish we had just gone to the pizza place down the street. read more

The Doherty is one of my favorite places to stop while traveling through mid-Michigan. I've never had the chance to stay there, but hope to soon. It's true that the Doherty isn't the Four Seasons, nor does it try to be. It's a modest sized and simply decorated 1920's vintage hotel. There is a wing that was added to the back that is more modern than the plain, square building that was the original hotel. Clare is a small, friendly town that caters mostly to business travelers who move by car, in addition to sportsmen and resorters. What makes the Doherty special is that it is still run by the same family that started it almost 90 years ago. They take great care to train their staff to be helpful, but unobtrusive. Some people consider that standoffish, but I personally enjoy servers and desk staff that focus on doing a good job rather than constantly peppering me with small talk and reassurances that I'm enjoying myself. The restaurant is small and the food is unpretentious, but in over 15 years of dining there, I've yet to have anything but a delightful experience. My wife loves their spinach salad, and I'm a big fan of the Doherty's corned beef, particularly when served in the form of a wonderful Reuben. They also serve a chicken pot pie that is precisely like the one my grandmother used to make, with a crust that is so flaky I've yet to find its match. Across the lobby is the bar, which also serves a full menu should the dining room be full, or if you simply prefer a more casual atmosphere. High on the walls surrounding the bar is a whimsical mural of leprechauns, paying homage to the Irish heritage of the Doherty name. In closing, let me recommend that if you go to the Doherty to dine, save room for the peanut butter pie. It is so silky, delicious, and decadent it's downright sinful. But save plenty of room - the servings are huge. read more

Had a great dinner there with clients. It was great food, at a price that was along the lines that you'd expect for a steak. The staff were attentive and fun, and I'd go back in a heartbeat! read more

Stopped in on our way to Mackinaw. Great outdoor patio. New renovations add to nice experience. Food was good.

I was up north with my elderly mother and wanted to take her out to lunch at a nice venue. I chose the Doherty Hotel for lunch. The salad bar had brown edged lettuce,(which they replaced because I would not have the salad bar otherwise) the BLT soup was all broth and no vegetables or bacon, and the meat tray of ham had no flavor. My mother chose a chicken salad on a croissant and the croissant was so hard she ended up eating only the chicken salad. She had the soup too and all broth. Both of us were extremely unhappy with our meal and it ended up costing with tip $25.00. We both walked away not ever wanting to go there again. I do have to say the waitress was great. read more

every year my organization hosts a large leadership training at the doherty - we're talking over 200 people, all with specific needs and dietary restrictions, all needing accommodation and three meals a day - the doherty and its wonderful family-run staff have always been extraordinary and quite literally taken care of everything - not only do they manage to remember and satisfy all of our large group's needs, but they also handle any of our last minute requests with ease (and trust me, there are many) - the success of this event in large part is contingent upon the doherty's excellent staff and management, and we have yet to face any kind of disappointment - i cannot emphasize enough how refreshing it is to work with such a professional and caring family business - read more

The food and service was mediocre for the amount charged. I will never eat here again without a free food voucher

The Doherty is pretty great. Excellent breakfast buffet, they even have crepes (good ones, not gross American knock-offs). I like eating in a hotel, it makes me feel like I'm living in an American version of Downton Abbey. Good atmosphere. I hope they stay in business for a very long time. read more

I think this hotel has a nice location. It is historical and the building has undergone renovation. I have stayed at this motel a few times and never had any real problems. I know enough to ask not to be put in the old hotel but in the "new" hotel which is showing quite a bit of wear because it is 15 years or so old. This time made up for all the good visits...it was bad. I had made my reservations on the phone and did not have a computer confirmation. I requested wo a ground floor room, a rollaway bed and extra towels the clerk at the property said no problem. We check in and they put us on the 2nd floor...ok, no biggie. We get to the room and there is no rollaway bed. Go down to the desk and they say they had no record of that, but they would get us one. We went out to eat and came back and our keys wouldn't work. Back down to the desk and get them reprogrammed. Back to the room and they had brought the bed. Time to start taking showers. Four towels do not cut it with 5 people. Back down to the desk to get towels. Again no record of this on my reservation. What is the point making prearrangements if the motel doesn't follow up? Of course they would have to bring us the towels. Finally they bring the towels and we are happy. Nobody ever said sorry about the problems. Next year we will be finding a new place to stay. I will say the beds are comfy and the lady at the desk when we checked out was very friendly. read more

Ick. I tried to get past the dirty, outdated decor but the food wasn't any better. Strange and minimal 'salad table,' is absolutely not worth the price. Our waitress was sweet but clueless, as in didn't know the vegetable of the day and shrugged her shoulders and stated that she had no idea when asked about a beer. Skip this place. read more

I'm a frequent customer as we have hunting property nearby. This past weekend the manager on duty Dean Doherty went over and above to accomodate our request of a bigger TV to watch the NBA All Star Weekend Saturday night event. It certainly made the night much more enjoyable. Thanks to the staff that always gives us great service. read more

A little pricey and the waiting staff is slow at times but friendly. The food is pretty good overall. Out of everything on their menu , my favorite thing is the Hippie Wrap. The problem is that every time I order it, it's slightly different. Still awesome but you can tell when different chefs are working. The atmosphere is classy, comfy, and clean. read more