Clearwater Lakeshore Motel

Inn

This is a great hotel. Clean, comfortable and great staff that are kind. They offer nightly bon fires on the beach with great views of the bridge & have beach equipment. Wonderful breakfast bar too.

We came up to spend a few days with friends. The staff went above and beyond to make our stay comfortable. We loved the evening s’mores and fire pits. We felt relaxed and rejuvenated at the end of our stay and wanted to stay longer. So grateful and we plan on returning again sometime.

My husband and I came up for our 2nd wedding anniversary and were blown away with how friendly the staff were. The room was very clean and comfortable as well. We never asked for our room to be cleaned, but the staff came in everyday to clean and resupply us towles/wash clothes which was wonderful! The hotel has a very strict no smoking policy and someone decided to break that to smoke Marijuana in their room while we were there. My husband went back to the room while we were enjoying campfires and s'mores that the staff provides and noticed the smell. The staff was graciously on point with finding out who it was and provided us a different room in another building to get away from the smell as I am 21 weeks pregnant. Not only did they move us, but they upgraded our room to a King Jacuzzi free of charge. This was above and beyond for the staff to help us out. We are very grateful and thankful for the staff's quick response on handling the situation. This is the best hotel we have ever stayed in for as much traveling as we do. We will recommend the place to everyone we know and will definitely be back here!

Awesome place to stay. Beautiful view. Super nice rooms & really good prices! This is my official go to spot to get away! Thank you Clearwater staff. You are amazing purple!

Great staff and fire pits on the lake.

It was our third time to stay and there has never been a single disappointment! Always clean, staff is awesome, love the lakeside fires in the evening… truly Mackinaw’s hidden gem!

Disappointing customer service during COVID-19. They did not inform me of their safety guidelines until within the 48 hour window to cancel with charges. I left a message and did not receive a call back. I called again to express my concern and they said why would it matter to know about their safety guidelines during a pandemic!

Very nice, spacious room. Fantastic beach, extremely nice and polite employees. Free kayak rental and smores were a bonus.

Really enjoyable place to stay. Nice room, friendly staff, perfect view. Lit firepits and s'more kits at night included. Will have to check out the pool next time! I really liked that it was just around the corner from the main road so it wasn't so busy out front. We'll be back again! Thank you Clearwater!

Great view from our room. We will be going back. Great place.

We loved this hotel, it's one of the best. Amazing rooms, fantastic staff and the views of the Mackinaw Bridge were unbelievable. Great rates. We will be back.

Great location, beautiful view, very clean rooms, very nice breakfast room with large selection of food.

Really enjoyed our weekend at Clearwater Motel. Staff was amazing, clean rooms and very accommodating, the night time fire pit, beautiful views were so relaxing. The treat bag with all the makings for S’mores was a perfect end to our busy days. Would highly recommend this motel for your stay while visiting the Mackinaw area.

Well maintained beautiful motel. Coffee, microwave and fridge in the room perfect for my family of 5. Beautiful view and beach. Friendly staff. Best mackinaw city motel I've stayed at in all my years coming up there.

This was my first time staying and it definitely will not be my last. Everything from check in to check out was amazing. Beautiful place, very clean, friendly staff, beautiful views and spacious rooms. My family and I loved our visit and will be back.

Extremely clean rooms, good breakfast choices from eggs, make your own waffles, fruit, & yogurt. Nice view, small beach area. They have bonfires every evening and hand out s’mores kits. All the staff there were very friendly and helpful with any questions I had.

We had a great time. Water was beautiful, very clean, and perfect weather. Thank you!

Friendly, clean and wonderful atmosphere with the view of the lake and bridge. Only place I want to stay in Mackinaw.

Very nice motel. The rooms are clean and have hairdryer, balcony, TV, phone, fridge, microwave etc. The bed is very comfortable and very quiet. The view from the room are to the lake and the Mackinaw bridge. Every evening between 7 and 11 pm they prepare the fire pits and you can sit around and enjoy the evening/night. It's amazing. The breakfast is simple and nothing fancy. But good. The staff is very friendly and great. Totally recommend this motel.

The grounds and our room were in good repair. The beach was well maintained with staff stopping buy to replenish firewood and S'mores supplies regularly. But most importantly, they had what I look for in a resort… Staff that seemed genuinely interested in my family having a good day. I saw genuine smiles, friendly waves… When I went up to the kitchen with an empty coffee cup and found the door locked, I was greeted by a friendly smile from through the window "oh, come on in, there's still some coffee left. " and when we ran out of aluminum foil to cook our dinner, they were more interested in what I was cooking than the amenity level I'd purchased. We felt welcome. Additionally, we're a mixed race family and were actually surprised by the diversity of both the staff and guests. This business supports diversity, and that's important to us. We will be returning.

Rooms are comfortable, staff is friendly, and there's even fire pits on the beach! We were in room 301 and everything functioned well! The continental breakfast, while small, was very tasty, and the pool was sizeable and clean. The swim area off the beach, though, isn't very good for swimming, because it's rocky and weedy, and the water pressure in the shower isn't very good (but still doable! ), and the toilet isn't super powerful, but it's still a delightful place! There's also plenty of seating on the beach, and if you don't have enough chairs around the fire pit, all you need to do is ask the staff, and they'll happily provide you more! They even offer free kayak rental to their guests! Would definitely recommend this place, and would stay again!

I loved our vacation so much! This place does everything to make sure your stay is amazing. From having bottles of cold water, coffee, & tea available 24/7, starting-bringing wood, and keeping a fire going, corn hole game, supplying s’mores bags, blankets if you’re cold at the fire, to having utensils and paper goods in the rooms for cooking on the supplied bbq grill! Just truly wonderful! Have never had such a great stay in the 30+ years I’ve been coming to the UP… and this will be the only place we stay from here out! 10 thumbs up!

What a wonderful place to stay. If you like the quieter atmosphere, this is the way to go. Everyone was so friendly and the room was just wonderful and super clean. The ac unit was kept clean and you could see how clean it was. The bathroom was a little smaller than most, but that did not bother us. The beds were very comfy and the linens were clean and fresh smelling as well. The Wi-Fi did cut in and out but we did not care. The floor was super clean and you could go barefoot without worrying what you may be stepping in. The beach was just beautiful and was kept picked up and was well maintained and groomed. (With a beautiful view of the mackinaw bridge) The breakfast offered waffles, fresh fruit, oatmeal, and juice and milk, coffee… and more. We can not wait to go back, we will not stay anywhere else. We fell in love with this place.

Nice place. Nice little beach, great location. Have fire pits on the beach, they provide the firewood and bring you Smores! Nice pool, hot tub. Would come again.

We were very pleased and happy with our room and amenities! Immaculately clean, neat and made up perfectly. Although not entirely unobstructed, there is a nice view of "Big Mac". The beds are comfortable and there is a small table & chairs. The bath was scrupulously clean and well appointed. Overall, a real gem.

The motel was very clean and nice. Very simple but everything is provided. There were a lot of flies, mosquito looking flies, everywhere but that's around the whole area. So we dont blame them, we did not go outside or anything by the beach because of that. Overall, it was a nice motel.

The rooms were very small, but the customer service was excellent. S'mores on the beach at night we're a great way to spend the evenings after coming back from a day on Mackinac Island.

Fantastic place to stay for our Minimoon! Absolutely perfect! Comfy bed, right on the beach and an in room jacuzzi! Loved the fire pits and smores kits! Close enough to town to walk if you really want but far enough to be quiet and intimate. Loved our stay!

A fantastic value with comfortable beds and a great beach front complete with fire pits and Smore kits and Incredibly friendly staff. The added option of an in-room jacuzzi is a great!

Very clean hotel located right on the beach with a view of the Mackinac Bridge. Staff were very friendly and accommodating. Definitely recommend staying here when visiting Mackinaw City!

My husband and I stayed two nights here for a weekend. We absolutely loved our cute little room. It was well kept and very clean. We really enjoyed the indoor pool and spa as well as the Lake view that we had on the little beach. They have several fire pits out there that they light up every night and this employee would come around and give little s’mores kits to anyone who wanted one. It was an awesome experience here at Clearwater!

The location is great. A few minutes from downtown and the ferry. Rooms are nice. I especially love the thought and service they put into their outdoor firepit area. View of the bridge at sunset is amazing if you get a bridgeview room.

Very friendly staff, clean rooms, right on the lake, so in addition to their indoor pool and spa, you can enjoy the beach.

Beautiful settings. Nice breakfast and very helpful employees.

We just returned home from our 3rd stay here in the last 4 years. We got engaged while staying here and even stopped for a night on our honeymoon. This trip included a couple hiccups along the way with the hot water heater in our building, we had no hot water and a 9 month old baby who needed a warm bottle and a bath. We were moved to a new building and room after it was determined that a repair guy would need to be called. The employees were wonderful and even helped us carry all of our stuff across the parking lot to our new room. Despite the issues on this trip, we will return on our next vacay to Mackinac! Clearwater holds a very special place in our heart!

Excellent hotel. The room I had was small but clean. The best part of this hotel is the beach. There is a great view of the bridge from the beach and they keep several fires going on the beach to sit by at night. It is very relaxing. I will most likely be staying here again any time I am in the area.

Amazing view of bridge from rooms and beach. Fire pits on beach that they set up and start for you (no extra charge) and they will come back by and restock you with wood. Very friendly service. And breakfast in the morning.

Awesome facility. Wish we were staying longer. The price is on point, very clean, excellent beds, pool, hot tub, and bon fire on the beach. Staff is great, very friendly and caring. Would highly recommend this place to anyone on a budget looking for concierge type service. Small continental breakfast, but a great value nonetheless.

Great little motel! My wife and I loved the room, beachfront and hospitality. For the price it will be very hard to beat. Highly recommend staying here and I know we will once we return for another visit.

Beautiful beach with great lake view rooms and wonderful porch, if you get the lake view rooms. This hotel is away from the hustle and bustle of city proper, but close enough to be very convenient. The grounds are well kept. The only "not perfect" item is room size, which for a non-lake view room, is small. On the plus side, internet is reasonably fast and the cost is reasonable.

Nice relaxing hotel with great views. The new owner has really done a lot with the place, including fresh paint in peaceful colors, beautiful flowers on the property, and lots of great work on the beach. The owner came and personally lit fires for all interested guests each evening, and even handed out smores kits! Definitely recommend for a quiet relaxing stay in Mackinaw.

My husband and I chose Clearwater Motel based on all of the wonderful reviews! I'm so glad we did! I loved how cute and clean the motel was. Also the view from our water front room was absolutely beautiful! The perfect mini vacation spot!

This is our third stay at the hotel. Normally, I would give it a 5 star rating, but this time the indoor pool, which is nice, was cold for it being heated. Everyone who went in said the same thing. The stay overall is always nice and the breakfast and staff are first rate.

Stayed there for one night on our honeymoon on our way up to Pictured Rocks Lakeshore. Their staff is so organized and friendly. Their facilities are clean and well kept. One night was not enough to enjoy all of their amenities. Pool, beach front fires, jacuzzi rooms, and complimentary breakfast. We will definitely be back!

Wow. Just wow. We went there for an overnight stay on our way up to the Pictured rocks Lakeshore. The communication was on point. They email you reminder after reminder to make sure you know the date, check in time, and cost of your stay. The staff is friendly and efficient. Their rooms and facilities are so clean, cute, and we'll managed. Whether you are looking for a bridge view, pool, complimentary breakfast or a relaxing fire by the beach — this place does not disappoint. This is definitely out go to place in Mackinaw from now on!

We've stayed in other hotels in the city and have not been impressed, so when I saw the reviews on Clearwater I decided we'd give it a try. I am so glad we did! For a family of two adults and four children it's hard to find lodging that doesn't require two hotel rooms. This was prefect! The staff was friendly, the rooms were clean and the view was awesome. My family loved the option of hanging out at the beach or going to the pool. The only thing that is missing is a sidewalk to connect to the main sidewalk that heads downtown. That said we've already booked for next July.

We spent the Saturday of Independence Day weekend at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, with the intention of driving through the night to our final destination in Iron Mountain. When it became clear we would not make it, we looked for very last-minute accommodations near the bridge. Of course everything was booked or $300 for the holiday. We were tired, but we weren't going to stay at the Knight's Inn for that price. We found a slot and booked online. When we arrived the gentleman told us someone has "simultaneously booked" their last room, our room, and they were full. We despaired. A quick search showed a much cheaper room at this location and we pounced. We drove over only to find everything closed up. We banged on the door, but no luck. We resigned ourselves to sleeping in the car. Then miraculously a woman appeared. We relayed the story and she seemed perplexed because we shouldn't have been able to book a room with them after a certain time. But she kindly went to the computer and sure enough our names had registered. Turns out someone should have taken their room off the computer system for the night, but had forgot to do so. Our guardian angel, as the kind woman then let us have the room! Truly fantastic service and wonderful compassion for other humans. On top of it, our room was clean and wonderful and when we awakened we saw the amazing view to boot! Thank you to the amazing people here!

The staff was friendly and helpful. Although dated, the room was clean and comfortable. The fire pits outside our room were a plus for our nighttime beach activities. The only complaint we have is that the water heater was broken, and as a result, we had no hot water. We would stay there again provided the water heater was fixed.

Room was clean. Staff was very friendly and helpful. Beach was very nice. I would stay again.

Have been coming to Mackinaw City for 25 years and have tried many motels there. Our usual motel was full for our recent visit, so we decided to try Clearwater Lakeshore based on their number 1 rating on TripAdvisor. This is our new favorite place to stay! Super clean rooms with great view. Really nice beach with 6 fire pits spread along it's length. Chairs and firewood included! Just call the front desk and they come to light your fire. The motel grounds in general are really well maintained. The pool was huge, clean, and warm. Gary and his crew work hard to provide a top notch stay for their guests. The result was our nicest three day weekend in Mackinaw ever. Hope to be back soon!

The Clearwater was a pleasant surprise. It is not the most modern facility but it is well-kept, comfortable and a good value. The owner takes special pride in upkeep and in providing guests with personalized service such as lighting bonfires on the beach and providing firewood. Breakfast is provided in a separate building, consisting of the basics: mostly cereals pastries and beverages. The view is the clincher!

Beautiful hotel. Great and helpful staff. Beautiful view of Lake Huron and the Mackinac Bridge. They even build a fire for you on the beach.

What is not to like about this motel? Clean comfortable, quiet. Friendly, helpful staff. Nice beachfront view. Well stocked breakfast room includes a wafflemaker, oatmeal (crockpot, not instant! ), muffins, bagels, fruit, yogurt, etc. We chose to stay here based on other reviewers' comments and we were not disappointed!. Highly recommend.

My wife and I just spent 6 days at the Clearwater Lakeshore Motel. The rooms are very large (and clean), we had a table large enough to share with lap tops. The view of the Mackinaw Bridge was great from our spacious balcony. Also loved the pre set up camp fires each evening. The owners and staff were exceptionally friendly. I highly recommend this motel, we will be staying here again next August.

Great little cottage type motel. A little out of the way but great rooms with an amazing beachfront view.

Cheap for the location with fantastic views. They have been updating the rooms as well, so they're a little more modern. My family comes here for the 4th, the view of the fireworks is perfect.

I always look for this hotel when I'm staying in Mackinaw. My dad discovered it when I was younger and it was so wonderful I use it every year when I go to visit with my family now that I'm older. If you're looking for a nice quiet clean place go here! The owners are really accommodating and friendly. The pool is good size for the hotel. One of my favorite parts is that the hotel rooms are split into smaller buildings so there's less noise than those giant hotels. I wish that this hotel was on Mackinaw's official website so it was easier to find since it's an amazing place! They also have free firewood for the fire pits on the beach (though beware if you go during the Spring when it's been rainy the pile usually has a lot of bugs and it's been outside so starting a fire with it isn't as hopeful as a day later in the summer). While there are hotel rooms that the view is of the parking lot, you also get a view of the beautifully kept lawn, playground and forest beyond the small and well kept lot. The hotels facing the water are amazing. The bridge view is wonderful, especially at sunset and you can even see the various islands, including Mackinac Island. Some of the rooms on the shoreline have balconies that you can simply jump off onto the beach and climb back on and if you want something a little higher there's a second floor. The continental breakfast is quality vs. Quantity. Everything is clean and fresh.

Good Rates, excellent view, decent rooms, dated but for the price it can't be beat. Would stay there again.

WHAT A FIND! Even though we only spent two nights here, it was worth every penny. Our room was on the second floor with a balcony and an OUTSTANDING view of the Mackinaw Bridge — none of the hotels going into town have any view at all. It was very peaceful and quiet and our room was very clean. If I'm ever in Mackinaw City again, this is where I'll lay my head.

Since the only review on here was four years ago I felt obliged to leave my own. I guess to me this place is about on par with what they're charging you to stay here. Is it awesome, no. It's a decent place to stay while in Mackinaw if staying on the cheap. We're only here a couple days so it works. Nice and very clean pool and hot tub area so we liked that. The rooms are rather dated but they are clean. The views are definitely nice though. Air conditioners work well although a bit loud sometimes. All and all for the money it's worthwhile. There are better places on the coast in Mackinaw but they're much more expensive as well.