Michigan's Presidential Grand Hotels: Mackinac Island and Detroit

Michigan gave the nation Gerald Ford and has drawn presidents for well over a century. Its two great presidential hotels could hardly be more different: a car-free island resort where time seems to stand still, and a Jazz Age skyscraper that came back from the brink.

Grand Hotel

Grand Hotel opened on July 10, 1887, after a mere 93 days of construction, and it has presided over Mackinac Island ever since. Cars have long been banned on the island, so guests arrive by ferry and travel by horse-drawn carriage and bicycle. The hotel's 660-foot front porch looks out over gardens of geraniums toward the Straits of Mackinac.

The hotel's earliest presidential guests included Grover Cleveland, followed by Theodore Roosevelt, according to its National Register nomination and hotel history.

Michigan's own Gerald Ford had first come to the island as a Boy Scout honor guard at Fort Mackinac in 1929, and he returned as president in 1975, relaxing at the hotel and playing its golf course. Harry Truman strolled the porch on a visit in 1955, after his presidency; John F. Kennedy came in 1960, shortly before his election; and George H.W. Bush spoke at a conference at the hotel in 2005. Bill Clinton visited in 1987, when he was governor of Arkansas.

The hotel honors the White House in its own way, with suites designed in tribute to first ladies, including the Jacqueline Kennedy, Lady Bird Johnson, Betty Ford, Rosalynn Carter, Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush, and Laura Bush suites. Grand Hotel is a seasonal resort, so plan your stay for the warmer months.

The Westin Book Cadillac Detroit

When the Book-Cadillac opened on Washington Boulevard in 1924, its 33 stories made it the tallest hotel in the world. For decades it was Detroit's most glamorous address, and presidents including Herbert Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and John F. Kennedy all checked in over the years, during decades when it also operated as the Sheraton-Cadillac.

The hotel closed in 1984 and stood empty for more than two decades, a symbol of the city's struggles. A $200 million redevelopment brought it back to life in 2008 as the Westin Book Cadillac, and it marked its centennial with an exhibit on its history created with the Detroit Historical Museum. Come for the restored ballrooms and the sense of a great American city rising again.

Plan your stay: Explore more hotels in Mackinac Island and Detroit

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About this guide: Presidential connections are drawn from public sources, including official White House schedules, presidential and historical archives, and reputable news outlets, as well as the hotels' own published histories. Hotel names, ownership, and amenities may have changed since publication. This information is provided for general interest, is not guaranteed, and should be independently verified. Hotelaholic is not affiliated with or endorsed by any U.S. president or government agency.