I was quite cautious about being a passenger in such a small plane, but this was the only option…read morethat would work with the itinerary. Yes, it is expensive, but the 45-60 minute flight is much quicker than the 3-6 hr ferry options. Check in was quite smooth. You park in the lot, and give them your car keys (I guess in case they need to move your car? It's also $8/day for parking). Your luggage gets weighed as there's a 45 lb limit per passenger (and no individual bag can weigh more than 45 lb). Thankfully they don't weigh the passengers, instead they just eyeball you and might tell you if you need to sit in a certain seat to balance the plane. The whole process was a breeze. The flight out was very smooth, while the flight back was a bit rough. It was raining pretty hard with a chance of thunderstorms, but as the weather improved, my flight wasn't delayed. There was a screen at the outside of the Rock Harbor visitor center with updates, but you can also ask the NPS ranger who has more detailed information too. The company tries their best to make sure you aren't delayed, including adding extra flights if there's a backlog. If you have the cash, definitely splurge on the seaplane as you get a cool view of the island, and you have the chance to sit in the co-pilot seat too!

DO NOT TAKE THE SEAPLANES!!! I explored the seaplane option as I've heard the waters can be rough…read moreand I wanted to save some time. HUGE MISTAKE. They also have terrible reviews on Google. I submitted my first request to their website on May 7th, they responded May 12th that "On 7/6 the latest available flight is 1pm." even though 1pm isn't an option in the dropdown, so I replied on May 16th that yes okay I'll book that time, again on May 21st, and then May 26th asking what to do. They replied "please resubmit. We discarded your request because you didn't respond from 5/12 to 5/16." ARE YOU KIDDING ME. That is so unhelpful. So I sent a screenshot showing how that isn't an option on the form and what time to select instead when I resubmit, and he replied "It's not in the menu but is one that we provide most days. Let us know if you want it." Like obviously I want it??? I've told you 3 times I want it??? So I resubmitted May 30th with the new incorrect time since both the times I wanted weren't listed, and didn't hear back until June 18th: "The requested flights are sold out." Well in the meantime I had to schedule the rest of my trip so I scheduled the Voyageur II boat from one part of the island to another, which now I cannot take, and because they took so long to reply I'm outside the cancellation window and have to eat the late cancellation costs. I called them and there is nothing they can do. They provided alternative options which is the inverse trip of what I wanted, which would require me to change my vacation dates and I still wouldn't make the boat that I have booked so I would have to eat that cancellation cost either way. They've sabotaged my entire trip that I've spent months meticulously planning out. Now if I want to go I have to rework my entire itinerary with only a week left to plan this, and hope that other routes to the island are available. Either way, I will not get to see the island as much as I had wanted, and I will have to eat the costs of the boat I reserved, all because of Jon and Kirsten at IsleRoyaleSeaplanes. I called the Voyageur company as well to explore alternative options, and they said they are not surprised to hear about my experience, and have seen this happen before. It is very well known that Isle Royale Seaplanes has horrible customer service and cancels on customers outside of weather reasons.

One gate airport with 5 star service. Recently flew from Hancock to Chicago as the first leg of a…read moretrip to Las Vegas and the last leg of the return flight. The same people who checked us in, helped me with the aisle chair and getting loaded from the Tarmac (there is no jetway). Everyone was extremely nice and professional. I don't know if we'll ever fly out of Upper Michigan again, but this experience was definitely 5-Star worthy!

Pro: even if you r late they process you for the flight unlike other small airports…read moreCon: i was "randomly selected " for "extra" security testing 2 days in a row when flight was cancelled. Was only non white on flight. Then the week after again"randomly" selected when I was again the only non white on the flight. I was so happy at these random lotteries that i thought I would parlay this into a fortune buying lotto tickets, but nah, did not work. So I have to conclude they are plain racist. The United flight inbound often has mechanical problems, usually the "door". This time no water.

Booked a last minute stay here. Didn't realize "Pet friendly" meant that it'd smell like your…read moregrandma smoked in there for the 40 years and you won't be able to breathe, or that someone else's dog hair would be ALL over the bathroom. Overpriced, no coffee in the room and only in the lobby. Girl who checked us in had zero people skills and seemed like she wanted to be anywhere but there. Used almost an entire bottle of Lysol to try to get the room bearable to sleep in and still had the worst headache of my life.

Overpriced, dirty, moldy shower curtains, stained bathrooms, no hand soap, dirty carpet with food…read moreand trash on the ground beneath beds, stained bed sheets, no breakfast, poor parking. It was more expensive than the luxurious hotels on Lake Michigan in Traverse city this time of year. Not expecting much from a motel, but this was not enough.

The restaurant was wonderful. We enjoyed the breakfast and it was fun to talk to owners and fellow…read moreDiners. Great atmosphere. Prices were VERY reasonable and there was a ton of food on the plate. Would definitely recommend the restaurant.

I cannot say enough good things about this restaurant. The food was phenomenal, truly the best…read morebreakfast sandwich I've ever eaten. The atmosphere was so welcoming and the service was top notch! Do yourself a favor and stop here!

Nice place, very quaint and comfortable. The staff were all…read morevery nice, helpful and polite. The clerk I met at checkin was very welcoming and friendly. The room was nice, well organized with plenty of plugs and space. The queen beds are not true queen size beds, but rather "hotel queens," meaning they are several inches narrower than a standard queen. This is not a knock, but it's worth noting if the person you share a bed with gets violent if you impose on their sleeping space. The shower was very good but the hot water cuts in and out depending on others using the hot water in nearby rooms. Very clean and comfortable. A bit of an odd odor that comes from older hotels, but nothing that should deter you from staying here. The value was great! The location was great for our purposes of exploring. 4.5 stars!

Our room was very nice. It was a king room, and the bed was wonderful. It was one of the best…read morebeds we have ever had in a hotel. The room was also very spacious and comfortable. The parking was good, and covered parking. That could help in Hancock in the winter. On the second floor they had a large, elevated patio space that would be good for an outdoor sitting area to relax. The not so good; there is no elevator. If you have mobility problems, you should know that and do everything you can to request a first-floor room. We did not explore the layout of the hotel, but it looked like there were some areas on the first floor that also required you to climb a few steps. The next issue was breakfast. To be fair, they make it very clear on their signage it is a "continental breakfast". Most name brand hotels also say this, but they have a decent spread. Here, it is almost all carbs, cereal, or yogurt. As an added bonus, it is a big hotel, and the breakfast area is tiny! We couldn't find a seat, so we were just going to take some food back to the room, but the room is so small you could barely move, then when we saw the food, we knew we were going to need to find a restaurant. We were there two nights and going out for breakfast added to the cost of the stay. I will also say, for what they charge a night, they could afford to have a decent breakfast. This was not a low-end hotel pricewise. We would stay again, for the room and the bed, but we'd be wiser.

The Fitzgerald is a fabulous restaurant. The atmosphere is spectacular with view of Lake Superior…read more The inside is small, quaint and nicely arranged. The chopped ice in the water glass is definitely appreciated. The food is wonderful with interesting dishes. The plate presentation shows their culinary expertise. There is wide range of cocktails and beer choices. Overall, a very nice place to enjoy a great meal and drinks. We look forward to eating there soon.

Several years ago we had a bad experience at the Fritz. I finally got the husband to give them a…read moretry again and it was an amazing experience. From being greeted by friendly staff, having mixologist make our drinks which were over the top good, to literally the best smoked prime rib we have ever had. My husband's comment was "the Fritz is backed on the list! Thank to all the staff and owners for a great dining experience. We will be back next year. Thank you Judy Robinson

Absolutely LOVED this place. The whole house is AMAZING! The views are wonderful and pretty much…read morehave a whole private beach. Nancy and her husband were wonderful hosts and turning into a complete one stop shop place to stay. I can't wait to go again!

Tent camped July 2019. Beautiful, quiet, waterfront campsite. VERY clean and luxurious bathrooms…read morethat make you feel like you are at home. Cozy bar set up on the water. The owner Bob is a great host, full of stories if you are interested. Much of his family history is on display at the School House in Gay. Would highly recommend.