We sat on the beautiful patio of this historic inn during Porchfest 2026. The smoked salmon and…read morecheese appetizer and drinks were delicious, the service was friendly, and the new owners are working hard to make this place shine. All of the rooms have been renovated beautifully. Well worth a visit!

Ignore all reviews before late 2024; every experience before that was regarding prior ownership…read more The Garfield changed ownership at least four times since 2018. The current owners (2024 and 2025) -- using the business name I'd Simms, have kept much of the historic architecture intact. That is appreciated. The superficial changes, although there is clearly an attempt to make it artistic, fail in several key areas. Instead of a warmth suited for a historic building, the visual atmosphere is more akin to entering the lobby of a hospital, with all it's bright-light and sanitary harshness: white walls, white granite [I don't think it is fabricated quartz, but haven't gotten in my knees to look under the slabs] bar counter; harsh LED lighting (the smokey gray shades fail to soften them). Adding dimmer switches and reducing the headache-inducing glare would work wonder. A bar with floodlight brightness is so hyper-modern in its personality -- besides not wanting to see all details of every bar patron in harsh light -- is a glaring juxtaposition for a historic building. If they would be more sensitive to the aesthetics of the history, the new owners and their vision would be an even greater positive boon to the town. The owner is very engaged with the local community, fun and warm with the customers, and appears to sincerely care about the spirit of the building and the town. He works tirelessly to ensure the drink offerings and food selections are high quality. He even is actively, hands-on engaged in both the big and small details to ensure everything runs well each day. The lead bartender is excellent with the customers, and amazing and artistic with her seasonal drink creations. she works tirelessly and makes everyone feel welcome, as well as being attentive and fast to serve, whether the bar has five or fifty customers. Both these key members, and the rest of the staff. are friendly, considerate, and professional with all. They have the vision and energy to continue their planned renovations, including the guust rooms upstairs. If they just tone down the harsher post-modernist, sanitary style and imbue more historic respect and warmth, they will create a new Garfield worthy of their obvious skill -- l and even more importantly, worthy of their obvious city's, the State's, and our country's historic landmark.

This was a good choice…read more 1) The room was surprisingly large, well-furnished, and sparkling clean. It smelled a little unpleasantly of cleaning products when I first arrived, but the smell soon vanished and I appreciated the cleanliness. 2) They're very generous with towels, pillows and blankets. They left me four bath towels, four hand towels and four washcloths, and replaced the used ones every day. Each of the two beds had two pillows and a blanket, but there were two more pillows and two more blankets in drawers. I never needed them but it was nice to know they were there. 3) The fridge was large and worked great. I didn't use the microwave or coffee maker but they looked new. 4) There are a lot of drawers and flat surfaces, including a sizable table with chairs. The counter on the bathroom sink was large enough to hold a whole lot of stuff I normally don't bother unpacking because I don't expect to need it, but here I unpacked everything because there were so many places to put it. 5) On the downside, the walls are thin, which means I heard a lot of what my remarkably talkative next door neighbor had to say, but not thinner than I expect at a place like this. On the upside, except for my neighbor, I never heard an unwanted noise; the area is quite quiet and peaceful, and though there are restaurants and bars nearby (some with live music), I was completely unaware of them. 6) I had to change the details of my reservation and my wife did it for me by phone. She reports that it was an easy and pleasant interaction. 7) Port Austin is so small that location is not an issue. There are a LOT of motels in the area but no reason I can see to prefer one over another on the grounds of where they're located. 8) When I first arrived, I had a sense that all of the motels in the area looked pretty run down, and that this one looked more rundown than most. But there is nothing rundown about the interior. 9) I would definitely stay here again.

We have stayed here every year since 1988! This is classic Port Austin cabin living that gives you…read morethe feel of the up north life. You are just a short walk into downtown Port Austin with small shops, food, bars, and a pier. Some people may have unrealistic expectations, for those people stay at home in your air conditioned place in the suburbs instead of enjoying the simple life of up north living.

So, I am giving it three stars for the cost of $53 a night, you cannot go wrong. It is definitely a…read moremotel. Two beds - a double and a twin - was perfect for us. A bathroom with towels. On Lake Huron. No Lake views - it is a short walk to the shore where my son had a great time skipping rocks. The bathroom was way small - room for a single, a shower stall and the toilet. A small fridge, microwave and a coffee maker. That is about it. But for $53 a night? Perfect!! The owner has a Chinese Crested dog. These things are ugly so if you see it, don't freak out or gasp in surprise. Seriously. But the owner is very nice and the dog was too, in the end. There is nothing else around this area other than an Inn down the street. It is about a mile from the making Village of Harbor Beach where there are a few decent restaurants, one of which has a really extensive beer list and another one with a great cheap breakfast.

When we 1st arrived they had all the windows open and the room was full of gnats. We stayed one…read morenight in May 2025, the rooms are incredibly small for the price you pay and the blinds don't cover the door or windows, so anyone walking by can see in. Will not be staying here again!!

Just spent a weekend at this motel and will not be returning. See below for all of the things…read moreexperienced: They left cellar doors open (we have kids and didn't want them falling), tried charging $40 to stay an hour past checkout, pool didn't open till 11, gave no soap or paper towels, had to ask for everything, they tried entering when we were in the room, big boulders on the beach, kids manning the front desk and not knowing how to talk to people, asked for extra pillows and a little girl came back with pillows from who knows where, felt like a cult atmosphere, 1 centimeter thin bar soap, dish soap was watered down, no breakfast or anything offered, Walmart bags for trash, people stared and they seemed like family lived there all knew each other, made you send in a check for a deposit, stay away!!!! Only benefit was the pretty sunset. Not worth $300 a night.

Million dollar beach ! Owner has groomed and protected from erosion and it shows…read more One of the nicest beaches in the area.

Wonderful vacation as always. Great hospitality and Merrick and Colleen are the most friendly…read moreowners you could meet.

What a great stop. Large parking lot out front. Walked in and found a seat at the bar. Libby waited…read moreon us. She was friendly, nice and very prompt. Got our drink order right away then gave us menus. I had the BLT, my husband had the perch, onion rings and my girl had a grilled cheese. Nice big slices of bread and everything was served hot. Enjoyed the touch tunes jukebox so I was able to harass the entire establishment with my playlist. Everything was great until I needed to use the bathroom. Then it was not so great The restroom itself was clean and stocked but it smelled awful. It was a mixture of sewage smells. I assume it was because of how close they are to the RV park and shallow water but DANG! Definitely changes things. Can't smell it while you are eating though.

We have always enjoyed Days on the Lake since the new ownership a few years ago. They have stepped…read moreit up a notch now! New bar, some new tables, extending the outdoor seating, even a gelato stand! Make the trip. Food is amazing. Staff is amazing. The owners are present and working alongside staff. The enthusiasm is contagious. Really happy this place is open. With the drive over.

Beautiful park with breathtaking views. The cabins for rent here are awesome. Shared public…read morerestrooms that are clean. Great way to have an affordable, refreshing weekend getaway.

I went here for a quick day hike after kayaking to Turnip Rock. There's actually two trailheads-…read moreone official one with campgrounds and bathrooms, and one with a bridge over the river. I parked at the trailhead with the bridge, which does not have any amenities. If you're nervous about trying to find it, it's right next to the Dark Sky Lodge and Tavern so you can plug that into your navigation system. It's also well marked with a small gravel lot. When I went, the trailhead lot was full so I parked at a grassy lot across the street. The trail runs though the beach and forest ecosystem and it's pretty well maintained and well marked. It's impossible to get lost. As you go near the beach there's plenty of offshoot trails leading to the beach. Just watch out for ticks!

This is a great motel with great atmosphere, friendly people and a fantastic view of Lake Huron!…read moreThe only two downsides were there is no wi fi, and that there was not an exhaust fan in the bathroom for the shower. But besides that it was wonderful!

For the price the place was very clean no frills and the bed was comfy. I would definitely stay…read morethere again. Quiet area. Nearby we saw a deer. Overall I highly recommend.