We had a great experience at this spot! Friendly and helpful staff, the rooms were cozy and the mattresses were surprisingly comfortable. It looks like they've been updated fairly recently too. There's a small pool that looks very well kept, the view is incredible- especially on a clear day. There's shuttle service to Sheplers ferry if you're going to Mackinac Island. Would recommend! read more

We stayed her for four nights, basing our choice on previous ratings. The location was another reason for choosing this motel. It's off the beaten path, but close enough to the shops in town and it's an easy walk to many places to eat as well. It's not a big place and it's not a big well known company either. It's a nice family owned business. There were pros and cons to our room so I'll be sure to cover everything. First off, the room was very clean and that comes from someone who is a neat freak. Housekeeping was fantastic. The bathroom could have been more user friendly. Although it was nicely updated, there was no room to set toiletries because it had a pedestal sink which looked very nice, but when you're traveling, you have 'stuff' that needs to set out. The odd thing was there was no toilet paper holder and because it had the pedestal sink, there was no room to set the roll. We either had to set it behind us on the tank lid which was an awkward reach or put it on the shower 'step in'. It was kind of maddening but maybe they weren't done updating or maybe someone forgot to reinstall the holder after the update. Now on to the shower.... it was beautifully tiled with a very nice and newer looking shower head. I loved it. The downside was that the shower didn't have any type of shelf or area to put shampoo, conditioner, soap etc except for the safety railing. So... we had to balance the bottles, razor and bar of soap on the railing. That was a fun daily game of balancing everything. The towels and wash cloths were thick, soft and clean and there was plenty of bar soap and shampoo that was replenished daily. The light and overhead fan were connected rather than separate so when you turned on the light, the fan went on as well. The toilet looked fairly new and it was the newer type that had the water saving flush. All in all the bathroom was pretty nice. If they could add a toilet paper holder and maybe a shelf for the shower to set the bottles, bar soap and anything else on and maybe a shelf for toiletries and accessories next to the sink, the bathroom would be perfect. For the main living area, it was your standard motel room with a smaller size TV, a small fridge with a freezer, a small Keurig type coffee maker with two coffee pods a day and an ice bucket. There were 2 drawers on the dresser and one of them was where I had to put my cosmetics and toiletries when getting ready each morning due to the bathroom having no room for anything. There was also a small rack above the dresser for hanging a few clothes The two beds were full size. Needless to say, I was happy to come back home to the queen size we're used to. They had a variety of pillow to choose from based on your sleeping preferences. The bed overall was a bit too soft for my liking but for 4 nights, the full size, softer bed was fine. The comforters looked clean and fairly new and updated. There was an outlet next to the beds to plug in charging cables, and the bedside table had a wireless charger that we were able to just set our phones on to charge so that was nice. The outlet did have a couple of ports too, but unfortunately they weren't working. There's a heated pool, but we didn't use it so I can't say anything about it except that it had a nice sitting area and people seemed to enjoy swimming in it. The best part about staying here is the awesome view of the Mackinac Bridge. Pretty much every room here has a great view. We were closer to the end, which is closer to the water, which is closest to the bridge and we were on the 2nd floor. I'm glad we were up a level because the morning and evening views of the bridge were beautiful from the 2nd floor. You do have to walk upstairs because there's no elevator so if you have difficulty with climbing stairs, the lower level is where you want to be. The sunrises from the balcony were fantastic, beautiful and picturesque. There is a small beach, a walkway and benches for sitting as well. There's also a grassy area with picnic tables right outside the motel. So....there you have it! A pretty nice place with absolutely fantastic views of the bridge along with lovely morning sunrises and close to the bustling town where there are plenty of shops and places to eat. If you decide to stay here, I hope you enjoy your stay just as we did. read more

They messed up my reservation and only had a one-bed room available. I was told it was my mistake, but hotels.com confirmed I was right. I paid in advance during the registration. I was told I didn't. Still investigating possible double billing. The room was clean. The bathroom door didn't fit the door frame, so you could not close it completely. The refrigerator didn't work. I have been in worse hotels, but not often. read more

What a cute place! Stayed here for the view that didn't disappoint! But the room was so adorable and very clean. I wish we could have stayed more than one night! read more

Motel needs help. Room was old and dark. Bathroom has no hanging, storage, or toiletry space. Bed sagged in middle. Outside building old with makeshift repairs. Not worth the nightly charge. The cleaning people forgot something everyday. Will not go back again read more

We liked staying at Riviera Motel. It was located near the water so you could walk around the motel and see the beautiful Mackinac Bridge. Make sure you go and check out the bridge at nighttime too - the lights are beautiful at night. The motel didn't provide breakfast but there were plenty of options for food around the motel. We could walk from the motel to Mackinaw Crossing and it only took us about 10 mins and there were so many options to choose from there. So overall we had a nice stay at this motel. I do wish a couple of things done differently though. I wish the motel had provided a door tag which we could hang outside our door if we didn't wish our room to be cleaned. We couldn't find it at all. Second, they provided coffee in the office but the coffee station was placed awkwardly - we almost felt like we had to go to the other side of the receptionist desk to get to it, so it was hard for us to get to it. But other than those 2 things, we enjoyed our stay at this motel. read more

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The view of the bridge and water from outside was beautiful but....this place needs an overall facelift. Very disappointing. read more

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Is there a reason that you wouldn't keep your voicemail box cleaned out so someone can leave you a message with questions about possibly booking with your family motel? I understand that you aren't opening up for the season until May however people are planning their trips now. Communication in the hospitality industry is key to a successful business. read more

This review is going to be long, but it's worth the read. I have been coming to this hotel with my mother & father for years for family vacations. It used to be owned by an older American couple who is married. They sold it sometime in the late 2017 to a Mexican family. (Ok no big deal) Except when I decided to go up here on 4/28/2018, I was shocked at my experience this time around. When we got there, prior to arriving, he told me it would be $75 for one night on the phone. No big deal. We get there, and he only charges us $60. OK... cool! At this point, he starts talking, and I can't even understand him bc the English is very broken. Then he asks do we want 1 bed or 2 beds, we say 1 bed. We get to the room and it's a 2 bed?? We go downstairs, and say you gave us the wrong room. He goes OK my bad. (And says some stuff in broken English) And gives us a key to a 1 bed room. So then we go to the second room, the heat doesn't work. It's April and it's 50° outside so we crank it up to about 75 and the heat still doesn't really work. So then we call him from the room and say our heats not working, he says he couldn't understand us & comes up to the room and start working on the television because he doesn't speak & understand proper English and thought we were talking about the television not working. I said no the heat man, and had to point to thermostat on the wall. Says he fixed it, we gave it a half hour, wasn't warming up, so we went back down there and he moved us to a 3rd room!!!! OK so the third room is decent, heat only got to about 65 in the room but that's OK. We go out to eat, went shopping a little bit, and came back to just take a shower and go to bed. Went to use the bathroom... the toilet got backed up. So we called the office and asked if they had a plunger, he kept saying he didn't understand us, so he walked to our room, asked us what we were talking about, and my boyfriend had to show him with his hands what we meant to by "plunger." It was ridiculous. I love this place because of the view, and because it's always been fairly priced, but now you have owners that don't speak full 100% English. So it makes for an unpleasant experience when a hotel guest can't express their needs and you provide them. And on top of it, they didn't have any ice in the ice machine for the ice bucket. When I asked him about the ice machine he just shrugged his shoulders and said "I don't know". I come here every year and I don't think I'll be back... It's a shame. read more

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Nice location and views of the lake and bridge, but the "view" from my room was a sliver of the lake. Rooms are very dated, and I mean VERY. Bathrooms still had tiles and light fixtures from the 1950s (The one over the sink even had an old fashioned pull chain to turn it on and off.) THe pool was not working, which they did tel us beforehand, but we weren't looking for a pool anyway. However, the "beach" was simply a stretch of sand and gravel, and any attempt of walking on it was like walking through a mine field, due to the amount of goose poop from what is evidently a resident flock of Canada geese. However, the motel is within walking distance of downtown, which is a plus. read more

This was a wonderful hotel. Giving 4 only because the interiors are clearly older BUT clean, functional, and adds to the charm in my opinion! Closest motel to the water, literally adjacent to the Mackinaw Lighthouse and park, heated pool, great staff. Comfortable beds but they are small to share (fulls), but we made it work on our girls' trip for three of us! Great breezes in the windows! Quiet and easy access to everything! read more

Never even got a room. Stopped there on the way back from a work stop near whitefish point, asked if there was a vacancy & was told "no" right away, even though it was September and there were only 2 or 3 cars in the lot. Its unfortunate that Mackinac City is changing from the quaint friendly town to what it is now. The guy there also was doused in waaayy too much cologne, dial it back a notch!! Very disappointed!! read more

Best location in Mackinaw City, and extremely clean. Yes the rooms are dated, but welcome to northern Michigan. The staff was very friendly, the views of the Mackinaw Bridge are unbelievable, and the location can't be beat. read more

As stated in a previous review "Stay here for the view". The view is breathtaking. Check in was a piece of cake. Ran by a husband and wife, she checked us in while he was helping another couple. You can tell she loves what she does and this Motel is her baby. She gave us lots of information about events and other things, even gave us a wonderful restaurant recommendation. Our rooms were okay, a little dated, had almost everything you would need for one night, no fridge or microwave, but there was a large ice machine by the office. Let's all be honest, no one goes to Mackinaw to hang out in a hotel/motel room. I will say this is the cleanest place I have ever stayed and to me that is the most important thing. My biggest let down was that the pool didn't open until 11am. I'm an early bird, but I guess some people need their sleep! If I ever make it to Mackinaw City again I most likely will be staying here! read more

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We had the best stay here! Got to town and had no reservations- This was the first place we stopped. The front desk manager was so friendly and helpful- she let us see our room before committing to booking. There was a heated pool, and the view from the room of the bridge was amazing! The room was clean, plenty of towels and soaps. The atmosphere was so relaxed, we had an amazing time. We will be staying here again! read more

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We stayed here just for one night. The staff was very friendly, but the rooms were not super nice. They were pretty outdated. Our room had a few bugs in there that we had to kill. At night, we had swarms of gnats above each lamp in the room. You could tell in the bathroom that the wallpaper had pretty bad water damage. The only reason I'm giving it 2 stars is because it smelled clean and we were right next to the beach. read more

A stopping point before crossing the bridge. Many choices to stay in Mackinaw City. But if you want a place with a great view of the bridge and awesome hospitality then this is your next place to relax. I was travel with a 25' camper and was able to park out front. I had to detach my truck but the staff held a spot for my camper and truck. They went out of their way in making everything go smoothly. We were travel with kids and they enjoyed the pool after our day trip to the island. The staff really made the start of our vacation great. I would recommend staying at the Riviera Motel and will do so again next time I travel north! read more

An October stay a week before closing for the winter. Windy, foggy and rainy much of the time. I read another review which criticized the Venezuelan owner for not speaking good enough English. First, the author misidentified him as Mexican. She obviously thinks all Latinos are from Mexico. Her geography was only off by about 1300 nautical miles. Second, somehow I managed to understand every English word. Broken? Yes, somewhat. He needlessly apologized while saying he would get better at English. He also told me he had just purchased the hotel in 2017. Can't blame him for wanting to own a business in the USA after what Chavez and Maduro have done to Venezuela. P.S. He spends ten plus months a year in Venezuela with his family, less than two in the United States. But I digress. Let's get to the review: Excellent service and hospitality. The owner was on site our whole stay. He was sweeping the parking lot on more than one occasion, and he personally opened the front desk each morning at 7am. You don't see that kind of care by owners of the big chain franchises. His other front desk attendant was a local woman from Cheboygan. Friendly and personable defines both of them, traits of standard northern Michigan hospitality. The very best view of Big Mac and the straits of any hotel in the city. The bridge was fogged in one minute and clear the next. The last day of our stay it was a clear view most of the day and night. Amazing how the parallax makes it appear so much bigger than any pictures I've seen. Room 203 was spotless. If I had to suggest anything, an exhaust fan for the shower would be nice as it was too windy outside to have the window open during showers. The humidity from the shower fogged the inside of the room windows. Also, the heat worked so-so. The room temp never got above 68F with the thermostat set at 75 (baseboard heat units). It was cool and very windy our entire stay with occasional rain. We spent most of our time visiting the island and in the small shops so heat was not a big issue. On the plus side, the shower was welcoming and hot after a day in the cool, damp fall air. The queen bed was clean and comfortable. The in-room amenities are a new refrigerator, very good wifi and cable. Missing are a microwave but that wasn't an issue for our three night stay. There's fresh coffee ready each morning when the front desk opens (closed from 11pm 'til 7am). Bagels or donuts would be a nice addition to go with the coffee. Of note was the overall quiet. Modern franchised hotels/motels are constructed using cheap materials. I've stayed at all the franchised chains - the walls are paper thin - and it sometimes feels Godzilla is walking by your room as people traverse the halls outside your door. In the franchise hotels you hear the neighbor's television, the shower running, the toilet flushing and the neighbors just walking past your room but not in the Riviera. Other than watching them walk by my window as I enjoyed the bridge view I wouldn't have known I had neighbors. My wife went out on the balcony to talk with the neighbors who were enjoying the bridge view, I could not hear her while inside the room. We are planning on staying again in 2019. read more

Stay here for the view, period. This is a MOTEL, so rooms are what you would expect, small, old furnishings, out dated decor and bathroom. It is CLEAN. Husband and Wife run the place, they will assist if they can (we wanted a roll away, but they only had one and it was in use, so we asked for extra blankets to make a pallet, they gladly got us more). Free coffee in the morning. Pool is great, heated with steps and a hand rail. View of the Straits and the Bridge are phenomenal. You pay for the view. Parking is minimal. Would stay here again. read more

The Riviera Motel is a stand alone reason to visit Mackinaw City--it's worth the trip just for the view and the easy access to the water and all the interesting things to do. You'll see people mention in the comments that its interiors are dated, and they are, but the are so dated that they are vintage now (those diamond shaped key fobs--so many memories of Holiday Inns when we were kids!). We have stayed at the Riviera in either summer or fall for the past four years, and it's always clean with excellent service. This last visit, we splurged on Room 212, the one with the panorama view of the bridge--so worthwhile (and still more affordable than most properties nearby)! We love being able to step outside and be on the water. We also appreciate how easy it is to get to the sights--the historic lighthouse & its cute gift shop, Fort Michilimackinac, the awesome gift shop under the bridge, Shepler's Ferry, and Downtown. I wouldn't come to Mackinaw City unless we could stay at the Riviera. read more

Comfortable, clean room and friendly management. Right next to a park, great view of the bridge. Reasonable rates. We will come again.

Perfect place for a quick stay. After spending the day on Mackinac Island we needed a place to stay. They have the basic amenities: bed, sink, toilet, shower, cable tv and pool. They also have an ice machine for coolers. Though they don't offer breakfast they will give you a coupon for 10% off breakfast at a local restaurant. read more

Friendly staff and very clean rooms. This isn't a 5 star resort, but if you are looking for a clean room, friendly staff, walking distance from everything, a beautiful view of the bridge, for a decent price? this is the place. read more

This little motel was a cozy place to stay for the night. My Mom and I were greeted in the office by the friendly owner, who had our room ready for us, as we arrived earlier than expected off of the mackinac ferry from the island. His son was courteous and helped carry our luggage up the stairs to our room. The room itself was very clean, and offered a awesome view of the bridge (which is gorgeous at night, all lit up with colorful lights). This motel is right on the lake. The office offered coffee, tea, and hot chocolate througout the day. On a sidenote, the towels were awesome. I found them to be very plush and fresh smelling-better quaity than high end hotel towels. The only thing I did not care for was the soap dispensers in the bathroom and inside the shower (a little creepy). Would have preferred the individual little hotel soaps and shampoos instead. But if you enjoy mom and pop type vintage motels, this is the place to go. We had a great night's sleep and a pretty view. read more

My family stoped here for one night and we loved our stay. Yes, the rooms are a little dated but they were clean. My daughters loved the heated pool because it was chilly on this day. The view from the pool can't be beat. Contrary to a previous Yelper, I could understand the staff's English just fine. They went out of their way to tell us where to watch the fireworks and where to eat. We would stay here again in a heartbeat. Coffee was nice, but it would have been nice to have some fruit or something. read more

I have stayed in this motel several times over the years of visiting Mackinaw while it is not the most up to date place, I find it comfortable, the staff friendly and the view amazing. read more

I always like to support local businesses, which is why I stayed here instead of a chain hotel/motel. Big mistake! The view was pretty, but that's the only nice thing about this place. The walls were so thin I could hear the entire conversation in the room next door. The beds were uncomfortable & there were spiders all over the bathroom! Yuck! Also, what place doesn't offer Wi-Fi in 2012??!! I wasnt expecting free Internet, but at least give me an option to pay a daily fee like other places do... So much for getting any work done during my trip. read more

Inexpensive, clean, phenomenal view. This is an older motel run by a very lovely couple. The wife greeted us and gave us lots of good information and coupons to use during our visit. We were barely in our room but to sleep and watch the sunset behind the mighty Mac bridge. It was perfect for us. I would definitely stay here again for a visit to Mackinac Island. read more

A very clean but dated motel. Wi-Fi available very poor speed difficult to connect and drops out often sometime refusing to reconnect, ended up leaving to find another Wi-Fi connection to email pictures we had taken that day and return to sleep. Over priced for a limited view of the Lake, only two rooms have a full view, the gentleman, manager or owner we spoke to told us that those rooms are difficult to get and they are their real "Money Makers". No breakfast items, only coffee at the office,no fridge or microwave. Located next to two parks for bridge and lake viewing or taking pictures. read more

We are not fussy travelers and can be just as happy in a remote cabin with no electricity as in a luxury suite. Cleanliness and friendliness count a lot to us. It was 2pm when we arrived. Unfortunately, the owner of this establishment could not have been more unfriendly. Not saying hello until we did and he offered no information unless we asked. We did not feel welcomed but had to stay the night somewhere. The view is nice IF you can see out the windows. They have thermal windows which are permanently fogged in between the panes. You can't even see out of a window at all. I mentioned this to the owner and he couldn't care less...replying, "And...?" So, we tried cleaning them ourselves with windex but the moisture is built up between the panes and cannot be cleaned. If you count on enjoying the view, that is a MAJOR flaw!!. It really detracts from the view which is the only thing going for this VERY small and PRICEY room. The price of this small room is the cost of a suite at the Marriot Hotel. Also, the rooms do not have any small refrigerator or microwave. What it does have is old furniture and an extremely, heavy smell of mold and mildew when you open the door to walk in. (If you are allergic you may want to avoid this hotel.) Half the lights did not work as well as the hairdryer. Sheets and pillowcases were hard and uncomfortable to sleep on. You will quickly get the feeling that they no longer care to upkeep the hotel and make their customers happy...and sadly, it shows in the rooms and on their faces. read more