I cannot, cannot, cannot say enough about this venue and its venue manager/wedding planner, Brian…read moreSmith. I'm not the girl who dreamed of a magical wedding day my whole life (I wanted to get married in a courthouse) - but this unbelievably gorgeous venue and all of Brian's coordination made me feel like a queen on the day. Bride Tip: HIRE BRIAN as your wedding planner & coordinator. I can't even begin to cover the ways he and his incredible staff went above and beyond for not just me, but my party and family. His coordination with outside vendors, his setup team, and his sense of humor made the weekend enjoyable when I thought I'd be a hot mess. He also set us up with gorgeous home rentals so my friends and family could stay in town for the wedding and didn't have to stay in Gaylord or local rinky-dink hotels - I highly recommend you ask about these rentals, because my family RAVED about how gorgeous they were and I couldn't believe how cost effective the properties were in comparison to some of the Gaylord hotels. I might divorce my husband just so we can get remarried and do it all again at The Manor. Seriously, the best weekend of my life. I want you to feel as good as we did on your big day. Book this place before it fills up.

The Manor is an unbelievable event destination. Our daughter and son in law were married there on…read moreJuly 25, 2020. Everything about the Manor is wonderful. The venue is meticulously clean, warm and welcoming. The grounds are manicured to perfection. The staff is unbelievable! They are ready to meet your every need and willing to go above and beyond to make your dreams come true. If you are at all concerned about planning your event from a distance, you have absolutely no worries. Brian will be with you every step of the way to make sure that everything you want, need or may need is available. He has relationships with so many vendors to help complete your event. I highly recommend the Manor for your next Destination event.

The doors were locked during normal hours, a sign says that they provide catering only now. We were…read morevery dissapointed as there were such great reviews.

This review is far overdue as we were there back in early July while on a road trip. We were just…read moretalking about it and I remembered that I needed to write this review. When we arrived there were no closed signs or anything but they were having a graduation party. Asked about takeout and they insisted that we join the party and wouldn't accept any payment, only accept a donation to the graduate if we wanted to (of course we did). This actually worked to our favor because we don't eat much so we got to sample very reasonable size portions of several options we might not have gotten to if we purchased a full meal to split. Also, since we were traveling, we wouldn't have been able to keep leftovers and would have felt bad about wasting it. It was also nice to meet and chat with folks from the area. It was one of the highlights of our first trip to this incredible state. The barbecue was so good we're still talking about it months later. The meats were exceptional. Perfect seasoning. Perfect smoke. Obviously high quality meat to start with. The sides were very satisfying as they were traditional, but at a very high standard. This was a place that would beat most, if not all of our local southern joints hands down. I don't know if we'll be back in that area again, but if we are this will be one of our stops for sure.

Great fly shop and good for gear. Place is well known and established for their lodging and river…read moreguides. Always good advice. Haven't eaten at the restaurant yet but I have heard from multiple people it's good!!!!

Been a customer of the fly shop often, and of the restaurant occasionally, for about 25 years…read more Just recently stayed at the lodge for the first time, so with the full Gates experience under my belt, it's time for the review. Can't beat the location. Right on a prime reach of the Au Sable where, with correct timing, you'll see trout gulping mayflies, whetting your appetite for a trip downstream. Fly shop staff is always helpful and patient with questions, and every year it seems like local tiers have tweaked the old favorite patterns and invented striking new ones to bring more fish to hand. Food isn't cheap, but it's never disappointing, and portions run large (can't make it through a full day of fishing on tea and toast, can you?). The menu offers both conventional and creative selections, something not always the case around Grayling. When my wife and I had dinner there on our latest stay, my flank steak was outstanding, and the housemade steak sauce dabbed on the side complimented it wonderfully. I've paid more for steaks that were not nearly as good. My wife enjoyed her cod, but really the hit of the night was the crispy duck wontons. Our server said they were a new item the kitchen was trying out and we said KEEP THEM! Our room certainly showed its years of use. There were some scuffs and scratches, though only to the degree that suggests "character," not shabbiness. It was spacious and certainly clean. A sliding door opens onto a patio along the river. The bathroom was clean and the shower had plenty of hot water, and good water pressure. There is not any air conditioning, which usually isn't a problem in northern Michigan, though our first night up there was sweltering, even with every window open and the fan on high. No fridge in the room, though the "board room" across the lot from the lodge has a large refrigerator and some limited cooking facilities that all guests have access to. Not to mention a fantastic library of fly fishing books. So, to sum up each component of the place: Fly shop: 5 stars Lodging: 4 stars Restaurant: 5 stars Overall atmosphere: 10 stars (I know, Yelp doesn't allow that, but they ought to in this case.) Average: 5 stars Gates is a classic Au Sable experience.

Great little local bar with a friendly, welcoming atmosphere. It's the kind of place where the…read morelocals make you feel at home. Definitely worth stopping in if you're in the area!

This rustic restaurant has absolutely delicious food, from a slab of ribs to fried lake perch to…read morepizza There is something for everyone. The decor is, like I said, rustic. The wait staff was friendly and accommodating, even though the place was packed. Definitely visit if you are near Lewiston.

One thing about this place is it is clean! Everywhere I looked was clean but everything is also run…read moredown. Our room was comfortable enough but outdated as were the exterior and hallway finishings. We were attending a conference and every staff member we encounter was friendly and helpful. The camaraderie at the bar was fun and comfortable however the pool area was like something out of a scary movie. I wouldn't mind dining or attending a conference here again but will find other accommodations next time.

Not what we expected. The travel websites don't say that the pool is closed. The air conditioning…read moreis not up to the task on the room. The lodge has no air conditioning. We visited in July, and the pool was closed for the summer. We have the only car in our lot for where we stayed. We called ahead of time, and none of this was disclosed to us. The person at the front desk did not tell us the pool was closed when we checked in. Pretty views though.

So last night, one of my best friends and I were discussing how customer-service is pretty much…read moredead today. Well, I'm very happy to say that it isn't dead! Dan & Lindsey Schneider now run Hinchman Acres. The customer service they provided was top notch. They have gone way out of their way to make my family stay up here exceptional! I told Dan that this kind of superior customer service will make for an extremely profitable business. I am honored to share with all my friends my review and recommendation of this business. If you ever want to canoe/kayak one of the most beautiful rivers in the world- stay at Hinchman Acres in Mio Michigan!!

Bunch of ignorant people Sarah who apparently "owns this place" got in all of our faces and cussed…read moreout all of us including my 15 year old brother considering you "own this place" you should act like it. All 9 of us sat at the pick up from 4:00 pm until 6:30pm considering you charge us $100 after 6:00pm pick up you should have given us a refund. Not impressed and 100% do not recommend.

Comfortable lodging, friendly and helpful owners, and very affordable…read more I have stayed there 7 or 8 times, week-plus each time. Excellent place for enjoying the northern end of the lower peninsula.

I've been reading other reviews and seem to have gotten a bad shake and not normal experience…read more Despite that: Just stayed here for the Snodrift rally. I had called a few months before and had an open reservation. I checked a few days before arrival, and the kind lady that had helped me the whole time had extended my arrival time by a day, assuming (correctly!) that'd I'd want to show up early. Fantastic customer service! I wasn't much of a fan of having to fill out a card with my info on it, but it's all info they could acquire by just running my license plate. I didn't want to pay up front, but I'm pretty sure I've had to at literally every other hotel. This one just felt more seedy somehow. My room, 105, was nice enough. It was decorated like someone stopped at a garage sale and bought a bunch of "outdoorsy" nicknacks and spread them around. Kind of odd, but not a dealbreaker. Small microwave, mini fridge, tiny table, single chair with a "seen better days" cushion, coatrack, dresser, all the normal fixins. The bathroom was small, but for a normal sized person, it was adequate. No soap or shampoo was provided, but there were a couple bars of hotel hand soap. If your waist size is more than 30", it's unlikely you will be able to wrap the provided towel around yourself. Nice hot water and pressure though! The toilet took some finesse to flush. The trick is to hold it until you actually see it complete the flush. One main problem I had was the bed. Nice big bed, normal boxspring. Likely the worst bed I've slept on in my life. I woke up the first morning fine, but developed a headache a bit later. The second night, I was getting a cold, and the bed took no prisoners. Splitting headache that morning with a lot of body aches. I was back out on stages that day and feeling worse from poor sleep AND getting sick. I honestly couldn't bear the thought of sleeping on that bed again, so I drove seven hours home with a fever, fighting off sleep, just to get rest on my own bed. I wanted to discuss in person that I was popping out early and my concerns, but no one answered the door at the office. I'll grant that I did not call the number (literally posted on the door), but it would have been nice to at least been acknowledged that I left early. I won't ask for money back, as the initial service was great and it's not their fault I got sick. But I can say if you get sick and stay in my room, you're in my prayers. Maybe bring a cot and bed roll.

Excellent staff. Nice ample rooms with ice cold A/C. Good rates. Lots to do around. Some modern…read moreamenities. Can't beat it. Ask for Beth. She will make you feel at home. I recommend room #6 (their suite). Roosters will wake you up, so no need for an alarm clock. #purecountry