I was there for a 3 day retreat. It is the regular place it is held since there is a well equipped meeting room near the rooms and food service. The front desk crew were top notch. The food service crew was also. Even the room I was in was above average and had the bathtub I need to soak. But the room didn't have an alarm clock or sound machine that should have been normal for a place like this. While the TV had a very good range of channels, the lack of a sleep timer again adds to stars being subtracted. Not having a microwave in regular rooms should be a no no for resort hotels. The food was average at best. Nothing to write home about especially the quiche and the muffins. If they want more stars, it is the little things that matter. read more

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This hotel is beautiful. I loved that every room faced the marina so you always have an amazing view. My favorite part was watching the sunrise over the marina from the balcony in the morning. It was a vibe. The room also had a fireplace which came in handy since it was around 40 degrees on the night we were there. Overall the room was nice and the view made it worth it. While there were some great amenities, they didn't quite match up to what I was expecting. They recently opened up The Living Room area in the lobby which has breakfast in the morning and snacks and drinks in the evening. They also gave us drink tickets as well to use on coffee or drinks. Breakfast starts at 8am, but I am an early riser and was hoping for a coffee while I watched the sunrise. I did make a tea with the electric kettle in the room. The lobby/Living Room set up is perfect for drinks, not so much for a family having breakfast. They do sell local Michigan snacks, but you have to ask at the front desk and they have to find them. I would've just preferred a vending machine or an easier way to get snacks between 8pm and 8am when the Living Room is not open. The pool and jacuzzi were great, but we did have a hard time finding them. The indoor pool entrance was through an unmarked door on the second floor so it took us a few minutes of exploring to find it. I don't think the indoor pool was heated, but it wasn't too bad. The hotel is very centrally located so it was just a short drive to the beach, restaurants, and shopping. read more

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The staff were so kind! Our door would not lock, but a staff member helped us and gave us free ice cream! The pool was great. Also right by lake. Beach was amazing calm water if you like lakes definitely go! My grandkids went up to their chins in the lake! If I get a chance to go back to Michigan I'm definitely going back to the Marina Grand Resort! read more

We visited in May from Sunday to Wednesday, and our stay was incredible. The room was spectacular. We turned on the fireplace and watched the rain roll in. The view from our room was stunning, and we loved grabbing coffee and pastries downstairs each morning. In my opinion, this place is a must-stay. read more

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I had an amazing stay right before Christmas at the Marina Grand! From check in to check out, everything was top notch. Since it was winter, it was a very quiet time- however, still so enjoyable. I loved the pool, hot tub, and bath!! Also the lobby was incredibly cozy and warm. Can't wait to come back. read more

This review is in praise of high-quality service - the kind of service we don't find frequently anymore. Keenan, who works at the Marina Grand, went above and beyond for us. He went out of his way when one of our daughters was sick and without giving the whole story, he showed us tremendous kindness and graciousness. We won't forget it. read more

Really unhappy with this place. Booked a two-primary bedroom suite with a loft with twin beds. What we got was ONE primary bedroom and the loft. With ONE bathroom. On a wedding weekend. Front desk couldn't explain what happened. We booked a room for the second night but they can't get us in until 4pm and want to charge $400+. Check out time here is 11am, why does it take 5 hours to prepare a room when they screwed up in the first place?? The person at the front desk wasn't empathetic or apologetic about it at all. This place seems nice, if not a little pretentious. Too bad I wont be coming back or recommending it. My advice is to double check your reservation before arriving. read more

I wish I could give this hotel 5 stars, but I can't for multiple reasons. We had an ant infestation in our room and it was never properly addressed. The manager did seem concerned but all they did was vacuum again and spray vinegar. That was a temporary fix cause they were back morning. On our last night they offered to give us a new room, but it was too little late especially traveling with kids. Also the room doesn't have any child locks from preventing your kids from running out of the room. They said it was fire code...which I think is bs because every hotel I've stayed in has some sort of latch you can put up. Hotel has a lot of potential if they could get rid of the ant problem. read more

Excellent service and amenities along with beautiful harbor views. We are staying here for the first time for a few days and have really enjoyed everything, including the nice fireplace in our room . We will return read more

I stayed here for one night and it was awesome! The room was very nice and welcoming, the morning bar area also sells pastries and other breakfast items which were tasty! Overall, the stay was very nice, with great views of the harbor! read more

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It's not been a very good experience. We hit here 45 minutes earlier. They were checking others in but told us we had to wait. They said but the wine tasting is going on and here are two free drink vouchers. We were abruptly told the tasting is not til 4. Mind you the front desk is 50 feet from the bar. So we got our drinks. We came back to the wine tasting which was a joke. The indoor pool is dirty and no one really seems tell you anything about the hotel unless you ask. Our porch furniture was not clean and in bad shape. The sister hotel was openly rude. I would skip this resort and go where you and your money are appreciated read more

We love this place. It's our favorite , go-to weekend getaway. It's right on the water, staff is wonderful, lobby is beautiful and great for handing out. Walk to town. Rooms are gorgeous. Just love it here. Can't wait to come back. read more

Had a really nice one night stay. The lobby and restaurant are all recently renovated and beautiful including a very good little coffee shop in the lobby. Parking is decent. The rooms are nice-- nothing too special and a bit cramped.. bathrooms are nothing special. Very pretty harbor views available. Helpful check-in folks. Overpriced at $410 for a basic room on a Sat night in New Buffalo in November but they really don't have much competition in the area so they can get away with it I guess. read more

If you want peace and quiet, this is NOT the hotel to stay in. Every single room is a connecting room and the connecting doors have ZERO insulation. My husband reserved us a room and it was not cheap. I was so excited to go away for my birthday weekend but ended up being miserable and exhausted. There was a one year old staying next door and we could hear EVERYTHING going on in their room. I was not happy to wake up to 6 am crying and screaming the entire weekend. We asked to switch rooms and was told they didn't have anything. For the prices they are charging, they should have invested in some insulation and sound proofing. Absolutely not worth the money!!! read more

A recent stay in this hotel. Sept 23' at The Marina Grand in New Buffalo. Upon arrival.. No bell hops or carts that we saw during our stay. Kinda wondered about that. Rooms are laid out down super long corridors if you happen to have mobility issues, kiddos, lots of stuff? you may want to ask where your room is in relation to the elevator. No ice on the 3rd floor yet but 2 on the 2nd floor. Showers are the absolute worst no options for any type of different spray so you are left with a very un useful wide spray so if you wanted to not get your hair wet? Forget it. Not a nice water spa type shower head. Also, A biggy....the bathroom sink faucets will soak you if you turn them on just a very little bit. Not nearly enough signage ANYWHERE for any of the amenities plus, there is no "market " any longer apparently in the hotel --if you want things that aren't included in the room like bottled water. No safes. Bedding and King bed were perfect. Views of marina are very nice. In room fireplace is nice vibe. Bikes are available which is a nice touch. Restaurant food etc, on site is decent. Nice views of the marina. They didn't have the heat lamps out yet so unsure if they have them or not? Pool indoor and outdoor. Nice didn't use, but a bit outdated looking. I'm sure the kiddos would not care. Game room is small but fun. Staff was pleasant. Had a very large (minus the spider) web in our room and the floor tiles in the bathroom (grout) could use a better cleaning. Room felt clean enough but those were noticed. Overall this hotel has a nice vibe. For off season? Probably a much better value vs during the peak season. Way too much $ a night for all these sub par things you expect at these price points. read more

Stayed here back in June and couldn't complain about a single thing. Extremely clean and staff was so helpful and always welcoming. Gave us a ton of places to explore while we were there! read more

This resort is absolutely beautiful. This was our first time in New Buffalo, and the Marina Grand Resort is a hidden gem. Being from the east side of the state, New Buffalo is a treasure in our state. This resort is beautiful and offers a variety of options for stay. Whether you are looking for a weekend get away or place to enjoy with your family, you can find what you are looking for at the Marina Grand Resort. It's a bit pricey, but you most certainly get what you are paying for. The views are spectacular and the marina offers a pleasant background. We decided to make Michigan our vacation destination this summer, and we have enjoyed traveling around our state. There is a great little restaurant, Brentwood Tavern, located in the resort. Trust me, the views are picturesque and they have a nice spot for patio seating. The food is great and the drinks, even better!lol The resort offers an area for roof top viewing. Bring your drink and head up to this romantic little spot. read more

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My mind has completely changed when returning a year later. New remodel does not mean a clean hotel. White bedspread had stains on it, red ones that looked similar to having a period possibly. Thick dust in the room that had to have been there for awhile. Bathroom counter is not even clean, having hair and some liquid on it. To me, it seemed nobody was checking work the housekeeping wasn't doing. I'm disappointed read more

Just left this resort and it was amazing. I felt that they have taken Every precaution that is humanly possible to prevent the spread of Covid 19. The rooms are immaculate and large. The restaurant attached (Bentwood) has outstanding food and they will deliver it right to your door touch free. I saw somebody write that the employees are wearing masks ( which they are) but the guests aren't. How can any hotel Control morons??? I would 100% stay here again. The staff was awesome from check in to check out. They also have electric charging stations which is a huge bonus. I would give this resort 10 stars if I could. read more

Upon booking this hotel, we had a great experience. We got wonderful recommendations from Keenan, the manager, and were super excited to get to New Buffalo - the midway point of a 6 week road trip. When we arrived, everything was meh. All in all, this place is mediocre, especially for the price. Our reception at the front desk was dismissive, the room is small and cramped. The air con was broken. And if you're on the bottom floor - be warned...you WILL hear everything going on above you. We still have 2 more nights here, and the only redeeming things I've found about the hotel are the view and the location. Thankfully those recommendations from Keenan before we arrived have kept us busy and mostly out of the hotel and able to explore New Buffalo and the surrounding areas. read more

Don't know why I never posted this? 1st choice was Harbor Grand Inn due to a fire temporarily closed Stayed here a few nights last December everything was great spacious suite nicely located on the Marina even if it was cold still nice to see the seagulls and birds flying went to Four Winds & Blue Chip casinos the town nicely decorated for The Holiday Season loved the fireplace in our suite we'd stay here again if we are in New Buffalo again read more

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We just got back from a family vacation in New Buffalo and stayed at the Marina Grand. The hotel has done a wonderful job of making guests feel safe despite COVID. Masks are required, and the hotel spaces out their reservations so there are two days between guests to allow for CDC level cleaning to take place. There is no cleaning of your room during your stay and no room service but you can order pick up from the restaurant (which is fabulous) and the housekeeping crew will deliver whatever you need during your stay. We had a one bedroom suite with two little kids so our son was sleeping in our room and our daughter in the living room. We did have an issue with noise the first night because it gets dark there late so older kids were running around outside until around 10 and my daughter couldn't sleep. Our room was centrally located too so it was close to the restaurant's terrace. I called the front desk to see if there was a way we could move to a bigger room and one further down and away from the action so the kids could sleep better. Karen answered and immediately got to work on a new room for us. She ended up moving us to the last room in the hotel on a higher floor and it was a two bedroom suite. We told her we'd be happy to pay more for the larger room and she insisted it wasn't necessary. Such incredible customer service during a time when the hotel is already doing more for their guests just to keep them safe! And I can't say enough about how beautiful the hotel and its surroundings are. It sits right on the marina and every room has a terrace or balcony with a view of all the boats. You can't ask for a better view in New Buffalo! We will definitely be back.. hopefully without kids next time! read more

We were so looking forward to our stay but was completely disappointed by what we found in our room... ants EVERYWHERE. Did housekeeping miss something? Makes me wonder what else was missed during cleaning. We are in the middle of CoVid, right? Of course the front desk was very apologetic and was able to get us into a different room, a larger suite (which we did pay extra for). On the surface the hotel appears modern and stylish, but the closer you look, perhaps this establishment has not done enough to update the property. Case in point, the toilet seat which my toddler son so conveniently left up..to my horror. We had a wonderful weekend in harbor country, but I was sorely disappointed in the Marina Grand. read more

Marina Grand Resort - Toilet seat has seen better days and so has the corner of the wall... this is not what I expected out of a $350/night stay. - Hotels Near Me - New Buffalo, Michigan

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Came here for a special birthday celebration, the event staff was very good, as were our servers. The food, drink very good. The bar - restaurant is nice, servers excellent. Bartenders were attentive, scotch selection good, no hidden upcharges for rocks or no rocks, and I love looking out on a pier while drinking. The resort is very pleasant, peaceful, friendly and a good road trip escape from the Chicago area. Coming from the Milwaukee area...well I think I've been to comparable closer in Door County but the party was for a Chicago friend. read more

Marina Grand Resort - Kind of 80s looking but in nice clean shape. - Hotels Near Me - New Buffalo, Michigan

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Beautifully decorated and upgraded lobby and rooms. Rooms are spacious and with nice amenities including complementary coffee, room service, bikes, beach chairs and more. The lobby and mezzanine are a great place to lounge with a good book, work or visit with family. Within walking distance to town, restaurants and the beach. Easy drive to local wineries, cute brunch and lunch places- so much to do. We spent 4 nights here with my family and had a wonderful time. We will be back often. read more

Nice accommodations, nice stay. Check online for specials- including one with a $50 credit to the Bentwood. We missed out, and desk staff were not senior enough to give us the deal (on a weekday in the off season, wah wah, just give us the deal!). Still loved the room, which had patio with lake views. There's a coffee shop, the lobby décor is nice, and slightly nautical. And they have free bikes for guests, which is a great way to get into and around small but charming NB. You don't want to miss out on eating at the Bentwood, either, which can be pricey, but worth it. read more

clearly still working out the kinks in summer of 2023. at check in they touted their roof deck and said to place an order at their first floor restaurant and take it yourself to the roof. when I got to the roof with my order it was locked. construction materials in the stairwell when I walked back down. I went back and tried to sit in the restaurant with my order but was told I needed a reservation. i then waited in the lobby, which is under renovation, while they tried to find someone to open the roofdeck. Rooms are nice and location is good but this experience did not live up to expectations read more

My husband and I decided to stay at this hotel after having a very successful stay at their sister property, the Harbor Grand. We had very mixed feelings about the hotel. Let me begin by saying that we originally booked a regular King hotel room, and upgraded to the King Suite (SO WORTH IT!) The difference is tremendous. The suite is more than double the size, with an extra bathroom, a kitchen (fully equiped), a flat screen in the living room (the tvs in the bedroom are on the smaller side), and an overall better feel. PROS: *Grant, the male front desk clerk was fantastic! He was very nice, professional, and accomodating. He had a ton of suggestions on things to do and see in the area, and he gave us a great deal on an upgraded room. ($129/ night for a suite - weekday) *Every room has a fireplace *Every room has a balcony with a view *Beautiful tavern inside the hotel * They put a bottle of champagne in our room at no extra charge *There's a HUGE casino (The 4 Winds) a couple of miles away. CONS: *Lourdes, the other front desk clerk was rude, argumentative, and generally unpleasant to talk to (or even look at, as she looked unhappy everytime we saw her). * The heat in the building went out the 2nd night we were there, and no one told us. We had to spend half an hour messing around with the thermostat before we decided to call the front desk, who didn't seem to care about it. No apologies, no concern about it. * this town is VERY boring unless it's summer time * The lighting in the rooms is very strange, and slightly annoying. There aren't really enough lights in the rooms. It's very dimly lit. Overall, it was just an okay experience. I probably wouldn't go back. Mainly because of the attitude of the female front desk clerk. When I told her that I had a coupon (received in the mail) for $100 off my next stay, she talked in circles and didn't want to honor it until I finally said forget it, and left. Not sure what she was trying to accomplish with that, because without that coupon, I'm definitely not coming back. Great place if you go during the summer and try to talk to Grant instead of the Lourdes at the front desk. ***UPDATE*** Shortly after my stay, I received a letter in the mail from Robert, the GM of the hotel. Apparently my comment card had reached him, and he extended his apologies along with a free nights stay in one of their suites to compensate for the trouble. A couple of days later, I received a phone call from the same Robert. He was very apologetic, very sweet, and truly upset about his employees behavior. He asked us to please call him when we return and he will make absolutely sure everything goes well with our stay. He also said that he would be happy to honor the $100 voucher that the previous front desk hostess refused us. Now, I'll definitely give them another chance. read more

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Solid place Nice and clean The rooms are very nice The indoor pool is need of more lighting, it is very dark and depressing and could be a touch bigger. Overall, great place to get away from the city and you can enjoy the town. read more

Corner room overlooking the boat harbor was very nice. We enjoyed the separate bedroom and living room space. The kitchen area was nicely stocked with amenities such as plates, glasses, utensils and towels. Just a note for coffee drinkers, there is only an electric hot water pot and coffee is a tea like bag to steep. It was not a good cup of coffee which was a disappointment in the morning. We were looking forward to a good pot of coffee while sitting out on the balcony. This was not offered via room service either so I walked in my pajamas about a block and a half walk to get to the lobby and paid for 4 coffees to take back to the room :( (another reviewer pointed out, depending on where your room is located it may be a long walk to the lobby). Overall, small but important things cost this hotel a star as we noticed the arms of the chairs on the balcony needed a good wash from caked on dirt, the wall in the bathroom was stained, robe was provided but no slippers, and there is no spa on the property (guests have to walk or drive a few blocks to the Harbor Grand hotel for the spa). We would come back though during off season hoping to see some of these improvements. read more

I planned a weekend getaway for my boyfriend and I for his birthday and I have to say this place was amazing! The staff was super friendly and amazingly helpful!! They helped me plan out my whole weekend before I even got there. They sent me an e-mail with all the local restaurants and winery's with their suggestions. When I needed to change the date of our stay by a day (due to work issues) they didn't have the same room available, and upgraded us for only a charge of $7. The suite was gorgeous and the view of the Marina/ Lake calming. We ate at the restaurant at their sister hotel, and when we got there, they greeted us by name. Jarvis (the amazing man at the front desk) must have told them we were on our way! We went and took a long walk on the beach which was absolutely beautiful and so relaxing. when we got back to the hotel, Jarvis had sent a bottle of wine and candy corn up to our room with a HAND WRITTEN note wishing us a pleasant stay and a Happy Birthday to my boyfriend. Hand Written, you just don't see that personal attention anymore. I was impressed. Thank you for a wonderful stay!! I suggested this place to a few people, some of which have already stayed and told me how much they loved it too. read more

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Beautiful resort to stay, and great location to get together with the family! (Photos by Natalie Cacioppo) read more

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I had a great stay here Friday night! 5 of us stayed in a 2 bedroom loft suite. It was fantastic. We had a lovely living room, kitchen, master bedroom, fancy bathroom, a powder room, and a lofted 2nd bedroom. We stopped at a nearby grocery store and bought ingredients to make breakfast and lunch. The room was very nice, and a great place for a smaller group! We are already talking about when we could return! I loved the free bike rental! read more

Overall, my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed my stay at the Marina Grand. The one bedroom suite was beautiful. We did bring one night of dinner to cook and enjoy. The maid even washed our dishes! The indoor pool was nice but it seemed to need a little more ventilation. The game room was a nice addition as there isn't A LOT of that the of entertainment nearby. The receptionist were just okay. They were professional but not exactly friendly. Wifi in our room was terrible and that couldn't quite be fixed when we called. The free movie rental was a nice addition. It just seems odd that you have to hookup the DVD player too. Why wouldn't it just be in the room already? The one we got had a malfunctioning remote so we couldn't rewind any parts because the DVD player didn't have the rewind feature. That too, couldn't be fixed without our returning the DVD player and remote in the middle of our movie. Who wants to do that? We just suffered through it. We didn't eat at any of the in hotel restaurants though. I would have preferred room service over in hotel dining. Would we come back? Yes. But we'd definitely pick a better weather day. None of the boats were going out due to high winds. It's best to go when you can enjoy the best and boats, jet skis etc. Oh and the shuttle seems to run on its own schedule. We stood out there and never saw it. We had the hotel call and he said he had already come. However, it had to have been early because we were there a few minutes before the arrival time. The receptionist didn't seem too concerned that the shuttle hadn't arrived as scheduled. When the driver arrived, I mentioned his off timing and he just said "oh I must have came early". This wouldn't have been a big deal if I wasn't pregnant and starving. Also, if there is going to be a schedule, the driver should stick to it. If not, the hotel should definitely handle the situation as concern for their guests. read more

Marina Grand Resort - Kitchen - Hotels Near Me - New Buffalo, Michigan

Excellent Resort and next to the lake!!!! My family and I loved it so much that we can't wait to go back, summer is calling us now!!!! We visited the resort in January, it was a very relaxing time. There's not much to do around the area in winter time but with a beautiful resort, outstanding staff, great company, great restaurant and a great coffee shop (Joe, a coffee Market, open 7am-10pm), what else can you ask for. The resort was very nice, we stayed in room 330 the Loft Two bedroom suite. It has a nice kitchen, living room with a nice fireplace, 1.5 bathroom, a kind size bed, 2 twin beds and a sofa bed(mattress was not that comfortable, I believe it needs to be changed), TV's in every room and a NICE waterfront balcony. The place didn't have bedbugs so that was a huge plus as well. With your stay you can get free coffee or hot tea from the coffee shop located on the left side by the entrance of the resort. This coffee shop also sells a lot of delicious things to eat as well. The restaurant is also by the entrance of the resort on the right side: food and desserts were delicious!!! They also have 2 swimming pools (open from 8am-10pm), one indoor, and one outdoor(open in the summer only), a gym (6am-midnight) and a game area(8am-10pm), a laundry room, WiFi worked perfectly!! You can also rent movies for free (they can also let you use a DVD player). Like I said, the service that we received in this resort was OUTSTANDING, THANK YOU !!!!! Yes, it's expensive so we will need to start saving to try to make it for the summer. The resort is in a great location, right next to the lake (a 10 minute walk). The resort lets you borrow towels if you need any to take to the lake. If you like to shop, the outlets are about 15 minute drive, there are also wineries not far from there. There's a 3 block "downtown area", cute, with restaurants and shops. If you like to gamble, there is a casino 9 minutes away and they have shuttles. Can't wait to go back !!! I really recommend this place !!!! read more

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My husband and I stayed here recently for a romantic weekend getaway from Chicago. While the room and stay were generally lovely, I get an email about a week later saying a coffee cup was missing from the room and they were adding the cost of the coffee cup to our credit card on file. I wrote back and said yes, indeed, I took a coffee cup out of the room down to their onsite firepit area one evening and mistakenly left it there. Really?! They essentially accused us of theft. For a $4.00 cup? Left a very bad taste that we' re still reeling from as we are extremely honest people. Will not return for this reason. Never got an apology. read more

Great getaway! Hotel is clean, close to all attractions. Free bike rental. And all rooms have an outdoor area that is right on the harbor. Keenan, the manager was extremely accommodating. He went out of his way to make our stay great. Staff, including Keenan, have a great attitude. We will be back. read more

Chose to stay here for a weekend in New Buffalo and we are so glad we did! The decor in our suite was really pretty and we loved having a fireplace, kitchen, balcony, and games included. Some other perks we enjoyed about Marina Grand: * they have about 10ish yellow bikes that you can rent for free. We rode these around town everyday and loved having this option to get around * you can get free coffee and tea from Joe's, their on-site coffee shop * it was really easy to find hikes, wineries, etc with the help of the front desk and the New Buffalo Explored book/website that they told us about upon check-in * the restaurant inside the hotel, the Bentwood Tavern, is a great option if you want a close restaurant We came before the summer season officially started so the prices were reasonable but we would definitely pay a higher rate to come back in June, July, or August. read more

New Buffalo is a quaint little getaway village for weekending Chicagoans. If you want to get away and have a small taste of what you might get in Door County or at Mackinac, for a fraction of the time invested in travel, then head to New Buffalo. When traveling to New Buffalo, which is approximately 90 minutes away from Chicago, I'd recommend staying at the Marina Grand. It's close to the shops downtown, close to the lakefront and it has its own bar/restaurant and coffee shop. Marina Grand was smart in building the hotel so that all the rooms face the marina rather than the hillbilly-like homes on the west side of the hotel. Nice. So you can go get your coffee in the morning and sit outside on the veranda and enjoy the marina with the sun shining on your skin. Wear sunscreen, please. I would only visit Marina Grand during the off season, i.e. before Memorial Day and after Labor Day, as I'm not a boat guy and I'm going to New Buffalo for a peaceful, quiet getaway from the city. If you go during peak season, I imagine you're going to be in for a raucous sojourn with all the boats outside your window, the hotel guests running up and down the straight-of-way hallways and the suite doors, through which all the noise generated by your neighbors will travel 24 hours a day. Marina Grand also has bikes you can rent to ride around town, a pool, a small workout room and a rooftop deck with a nice view. During my latest stay at Marina Grand, I ran into Mr. West Loop himself, Dan G., and his wife, who gave me the rundown on all the recommended local joints. Of course, he didn't know who I was until I described my avatar on Yelp. The big city, small world thing extends from Chicago all the way to New Buffalo. I'd recommend a visit to New Buffalo and Marina Grand in the off season to decompress and get away for a bit. Four stars. read more

We came to the Marina Grand Resort for a couples getaway and had a very relaxing time. I really enjoyed our suite. It is essentially just like an apartment you would find in Chicago. We had a lot of space, a kitchen and amenities. I will say that the word resort is out of place here (not that we didn't love it) but it's more like a really nice boutique hotel. It's more hip than luxurious. I like unpretentious. I gave the Marina Grand a 5-star b/c it's 2 hours away from the Chicago area and we loved our stay. Just to put things in perspective, you're not getting Las Vegas here. It's a road trip. If you don't have the right expectations coming here, you may be let down. What I will remember most is the staff everybody is so friendly and accommodating smiling taking the time to talk to you to answer questions. My wife was in heaven because you can drink all the gourmet coffee you can stomach all day as part of your stay. I counted 5 iced coffees and 3 hot in two days ;) We came in the off season (weekend before Thanksgiving). I would fear the high season. I can only imagine the chaos. It may make more sense to rent a cottage in the summer. Also, we got an incredible deal b/c of the off season (~$200/night). Other: The restaurant in the hotel, The Bentwood, is great. It's an upscale casual restaurant with gourmet food. Super blazing fast Internet speeds (free). Free coffee/tea. Great views of the Marina from your deck. I like the beach town quality. This side of Lake Michigan is stunning. It looks like the Mediterranean ocean. If Chicago ever develops a "Hamptons" type of area, this will be it. read more