We loved staying at this lodge for a long weekend in Northern Michigan! The location of Falling Waters Lodge is so special. I'll never forget the beautiful views of the boats and shops of Fishtown. Van's Beach is right outside the door, and the town is a close drive to Traverse City, Sleeping Bear Dunes, and wine tasting on the Leelanau Peninsula. We opted for a balcony apartment room, which was a great decision. It is located off their upper deck and offers some additional privacy from the other visitors. The room had two beds - one downstairs and one in a cute loft area. It would be plenty of space for two couples to share, although noise could be heard throughout the room. The bathrooms and kitchenette are both recently updated and really added to our overall experience! We also loved that they are dog friendly, as it can be limiting to travel with pets at times and find convenient stays. While the price point to stay is similar to the prices of nicer hotels, we didn't experience quite the same level of service. As you can imagine with a smaller staff, they offer room cleaning only as requested and don't always have someone staffing the office. Overall, we didn't mind since we loved the location and the amazing views. read more

See all

If the owners of this business could please reach out to me, I would appreciate it. We splurged on this hotel for a special occasion and had the worst experience not only with the office staff, but with our room. The office staff said they would deduct $75 from our bill and never did. I've called and left many messages and will be following up today with an email. We have a two night stay booked next fall and I would cancel it if it wasn't for us meeting friends there and staying at the same lodge. I don't mind that this is a more low-key, no staff present at night but when you wake up and you can't take a shower because the shower isn't draining and backing up with disgusting stuff and you call the overnight number and text it and no one even bothers to get back to you once the office is opened, it's a terrible way to start your day. Especially if you're celebrating some thing. Then, to be told they know that there are problems in there with the drainage and didn't care about disclosing it or even answering their phones and addressing the issue and just laughing it off is incredibly unprofessional and just unkind. Maybe they would like to start their day standing in disgusting water on their birthday. :/ I've read a lot of complaints about this lodge. This is such a beautiful location and a very special and unique lodge but you need new management. Desperately. read more

One of the best hotel/motel/lodge I've ever stayed in! The new owners have put a lot of love and care into the business and building and it shows. The rooms are comfortable, clean, and thoughtfully decorated. And the location can't be beat! We slept so well with the white noise of the dam outside our door, and it was so fun to be able to walk out of the room and throw a line in the river off the patio. Not to mention it's within walking distance of everything in Leland (and a few minute drive to the boat launch in town). Oh, AND they're dog friendly! Their tag line is true, it really is "the best dam lodge," and the reason we'll return to Leland. read more

Falling Waters Lodge - The view from our first floor room. - Hotels Near Me - Leland, Michigan

We stayed there a few weeks ago for our anniversary. Everything was great, beautiful views! My only complaint was for the price of the stay I would have expected a good cup of coffee to be offered in the morning. We had to wait and walk into town to find the only place that serves coffee. Room coffee does not cut it. Providing guests with recommendations on what to do and where to eat should also be common practice. When I asked the front desk person she seemed a little annoyed but did give me some useful info. My favorite part about the stay was the beach and watching the fish jump up the damn! Would highly recommend! read more

Just finished a stay at the Falling Waters Lodge in Fishtown. We knew we were paying a premium for the location but were pleasantly surprised by the room after reading some of the other Yelp reviews. Our 3rd floor room offered two queen beds and a fold out couch if needed, a balcony overlooking the river, and a small kitchen/kitchenette. The access to Fishtown was great and the views from the balcony were amazing. To top things off walking down the small trail at the end of the parking lot brought us right into the beach to watch amazing sunsets every night. We highly recommend the Falling Waters Lodge and a return visit for anyone who hasn't been there recently. Definitely the #bestdamlodge read more

See all

It's a cheap hotel at the dam. Seems rundown and needs updating. The bathtub looks like someone attempted to fix it with some paint but now it looks even worse than a worn spot as it appears dirty. The wife made a comment that if she took a shower she plans on wearing her socks so she's not standing in the tub. There are no tables or chairs in our room so you had to sit on the bed. The sound of the water from the dam does give you some white noise but it doesnt cover up all the people outside fishing or looking at the dam talking louder than the water noise just to be heard. We couldn't even use our chairs to sit outside because some fisherman kept his tackle and rods on them. I had to move a rod out of the way just to get in our room. The table outside had 2 large frozen piles of salmon eggs they were using to fish with so the fishermen basically took over the whole area around our door. There is no cell service on the lower level and we had to keep connecting to the spotty wifi to try to get internet service. Nothing romantic about our room and we are hoping for a good night's sleep so we can get up early and leave. Sad to say but this stay was a major disappointment. read more

My wife and I recently stayed here for our wedding anniversary, and we had a wonderful time at Falling Waters Lodge. Our room was very clean and comfortable. It was quite nice to sit out on the balcony and enjoy the view of the dam. The noise from the dam is not overwhelming, but it provided some pleasant white noise to fall asleep to. The staff was very helpful in providing some suggestions for places to eat around town. Since some of the restaurants close relatively early, it was helpful to have suggestions about which restaurants had later hours. We took the staff member up on a few suggestions and had a great experience at all of them. We definitely plan on coming back here again. read more

Falling Waters Lodge - Hotels Near Me - Leland, Michigan

Fantastic location, nice rooms although they are a bit dated, but that actually is quite refreshing to stay in something that's been around a while and doesn't have to be fancy and expensive. read more

Very over price! Our air conditioning didn't work. When staff was told air conditioner did not work, their reply was " we haven't had to use the air conditioning in the past, and our maintenance man does not work weekends." Our bed was not made, bathroom not clean, bathtub is waiting for a accident to happen, the bathtub had no anti slip protection on bottom of tub. Toiletries not replaced. Advertise as honey moon suite,there was nothing special about the room. Very Disappointed would not recommend a night to stay here. But a nice to place to visit. read more

Falling Waters Lodge is pretty cool, yet pretty simple. The room we booked was a bed, bath, and TV. Clean, a little dated, but, all good. You are a short (1 min) walk to the Cove Restaurant and 5 min walk to the Blue Bird Tavern. The host were very cool, accommodating, and helpful. They pointed us in the direction of the wineries which were fun. I recommend staying at Falling Waters. read more

I visited Falling Waters Lodge this past weekend, and had an incredible stay there. The owners and the rest of the staff were very friendly and accommodating, and the hardwood floors and new beds in our room were excellent. The location was breathtaking and we were just a few yards from the lake. From what I can tell from previous reviews, the owners have made some great changes that have clearly made a difference. I highly recommend this hotel and will definitely be staying here again in the future. read more

This place was a huge disappointment. The website photos and descriptions are very misleading. The A-frame, two queen suite is really really small. There is no area to sit, i.e., a couch or comfortable chair. Most importantly, however, this place is really dirty. The hallway is dirty, stained carpets, debris in the corners, and full trash cans in all corners . And there were multiple dust bunnies hanging from our ceiling, The floor was gritty with sand, and our old bathroom smelled. I do not think the toilet had seen any cleaner in a long time. For the amount of money we paid, over $250 a night, I expected better. I would absolutely not recommend this place. Find somewhere else to go in Leland. read more

The location was good if you want to stay in the area. Rooms were clean ??but in need of upgrade. The choice of where to stay in this town is limited beds were lumpy read more

Falling Waters Lodge - Hotels Near Me - Leland, Michigan

Overpriced for what you get with this property. Did not have a chair in the room because there is no space to put one. Floors felt gritty. Parking lot very tight. It is close to the beach which is nice and walking distance to the other overpriced businesses. read more

Excellent location. Rooms in need of an upgrade but fairly clean and neat. BRING YOUR OWN PILLOWS! I need to see my chiropractor now! Lol. Fishtown is awesome. read more

This lodge needs some major upgrades. The location is great, but that's the only positive. I understand that they are going for a cottage feel, but I would prefer my room cleaner (mold and super sandy...), less damp (the sheets and my luggage were damp when I woke up), and not so smelly.... (I couldn't figure out where it was coming from!) I was afraid to turn the lights on at night to see how many spiders were dangling around me. We ended up moving to Inn the Pines Bed & Breakfast in Leelanau and it was amazing. read more

My family really enjoyed our stay here. We didn't have any drunken fishermen outside our door as a previous Yelper had mentioned, but my 8 year old was pretty excited to catch a few nice ones, so perhaps that was all the ruckus. Room was clean, access to Fishtown was awesome, beach was really close and awesome! read more

Needs a major renovation. The suite we had was neat in terms of layout; loft upstairs. That said it needs new carpet, stains everywhere, new beds, tvs, fittings, etc... If you get it for cheap go for it but do not pay anything close to advertised price. Btw. Coffee was disgusting. read more

If you are looking for a swanky place like The Hilton, you're probably going to be disappointed. With that being said, this place is PERFECT! It's right on the water, directly across from Fishtown. You can see Lake Michigan from the rooms and the beach is literally right next to the hotel. The staff was beyond friendly and accommodating. The rooms have recently been refurbished and the beds are magnificent! We even looked to see what kind of mattress we had, so that we could get the same kind for our home. We also fished right off of the first balcony and caught several large fish. We couldn't have been happier and will be returning sooner, rather than later. read more

I recently visited Northern Michigan with some friends and this was a wonderful place to stay. The location was perfect for some of my favorite things: beach, sunsets, and great food. The beach is less than a minutes walk away, where I saw some of the best sunsets of my lifetime. Great food was a couple of minutes walk away from the hotel at a quaint restaurant called Early Bird. The lodge is right next to a unique area called Fishtown, where there is great shopping and food (try the ice cream with fudge, you won't regret it). The lodge itself has clearly had some upgrades. I stopped by this lodge a few years ago and it is clear the differences that have been made. The furniture is new, the floors are in good shape, and there is more unique decor, including some hand made lamps by the owners! There is a very nice "homey" feel to this place. I definitely recommend staying here.I recently visited Northern Michigan with some friends and this was a wonderful place to stay. The location was perfect for some of my favorite things: beach, sunsets, and great food. The beach is less than a minutes walk away, where I saw some of the best sunsets of my lifetime. Great food was a couple of minutes walk away from the hotel at a quaint restaurant called Early Bird. The lodge is right next to a unique area called Fishtown, where there is great shopping and food (try the ice cream with fudge, you won't regret it). The lodge itself has clearly had some upgrades. I stopped by this lodge a few years ago and it is clear the differences that have been made. The furniture is new, the floors are in good shape, and there is more unique decor, including some hand made lamps by the owners! There is a very nice "homey" feel to this place. I definitely recommend staying here. read more

Like someone already said, expect to pay for location and not amenities. The location is great. Right on the water, beach access, shops and food in walking distance. However, the parking lot is extremely tiny. I don't see how it is possible for even 1 car from each room to fit. Cars are packed so tightly and we left with a large scrape on the side of our car. The parking lot and general entrance to the property is extremely hidden and difficult to find. Our gps could not recognize the location. Doesn't help that the road leading to the property is unmarked and looks like a private drive. The facility itself is outdated for sure. Nothing special. The layout is confusing and hard to navigate. I liked that the rooms have unique layout options like suites with kitchens, lofts, etc. This is a nice option for group vacations and would be fun for families. Furniture and fixtures are all old. And if you are there in fruit fly season, they are really bad inside the rooms. Bring apple cider vinegar to set traps. The best part of staying here was the beach access. The sunsets are amazing. And there are fire pits on the beach for anyone to use. That was a lot of fun. Also great food options in walking distance. And free wifi! Not a ton to do in town but the sleeping bear dunes and other activities are just a short drive away. Overall it was nice to see Leland and visit, but this place is expensive. I will explore other options next time I visit this area. read more

Stayed two nights last weekend and had an absolute blast. The building's architecture is just the right kind of funky, and the room was clean and comfortable. The staff are pleasant and kind. Loved being situated right over the dam, and wished I had more time to lounge on the deck taking in the quaint scenery of nearby Fishtown. Perhaps the crowning feature of this motel is the two-minute walk from the parking lot to Leland's excellent municipal beach and its serene view of Lake Michigan and the Manitou islands. Can't beat the swimming, either. read more

A very unique setting that is right across the inlet from downtown Leland. Leland is accessible by a short bridge. The sound of rushing water is the best white noise to fall asleep to! There are a few cons... The price is a bit steep for the rustic cottage feel. Maid service was very light over the three days we were there. Parking is at a premium. If your room is on the lower level expect to have people fishing (often drunk) right outside your door. Other than those few items, our stay was just fine! read more

Yes, this place needs a renovation but that is why it is so quaint and small town. My husband and I stayed there this week for a little getaway for our anniversary. The staff was very nice. The location is PERFECT! Right on the river, next to the beach and close to shops and restaurants. Loved this little getaway and so glad we stayed there. read more

Run down. Old carpet. Old Frat house furniture. Room smelled bad. Toilet was not clean enough. Bathtub drained slowly, so I was ankle deep in dirty water. Old squeaky mattress. The owners don't seem to be reinvesting any money into this place. However, friendly staff. Location is fantastic. Right next to all the fun. Leland is a great town. Will not stay at this hotel again. For the money it is Just not clean enough. read more

Ok so first off let me say if your looking for a nice place like Marriott stay far away. The location is amazing but as far as the hotel it is not. I would definitely not stay there again. Also when I went to the front desk to ask for good places to eat and things to do, the guy seemed like he was uninterested in helping and more into whatever he was reading. ( I believe his name was cooper) read more