Muskegon, MI / Shoreline Inn, Pigeon Hill, Boars Belly, Lakeshore Trail

October 2017, Weekdays, 2-days

Shoreline Inn, penthouse suite 1003

We loved this guestroom! You can see more photos of this fabulous suite in my Facebook album, as I could not fit them all in this post. We booked a penthouse suite with points, and received an upgrade to a lake view penthouse suite. Or, the upgrade may have actually been an error, since the front desk agent did not tell us it was an upgrade, and I had some difficulty making the reservation.

View from penthouse suite balcony #1003

This room is a corner suite with floor to ceiling glass windows on all of the exterior walls. There was a balcony with two chairs and a small table from the kitchen area, and the other glass doors could also be opened.

Kitchen area in suite 1003

The kitchen area contained a full size fridge, range, microwave, dishwasher, and a small sink. A Keurig coffeemaker was on the counter, and coffee supplies were in the cupboard. I was surprised that bottled water was not provided in a suite like this.

Penthouse suite 1003

There was a comfortable high-top table with seating for four, which overlooked the balcony. A gas fireplace was located between the kitchen and living area. The fireplace heated the room up nicely without having to also run the heat.

Fireplace between kitchen and living room; across from whirlpool tub.

The furniture in the living room was comfortable, and the view was great. Unfortunately, it clouded up by nightfall, and we did not get much of a sunset the night of our stay. A large desk and chair were positioned against the wall between the living room furniture and the bedroom.

View out the window behind couch.

Two double doors opened into the bedroom, which contained a king size bed, nightstand, lamp, two dressers, a flatscreen TV, suitcase bench, and a small closet.

View of bedroom from bathroom.

View from kitchen table area.

The bathroom contained a large shower and a whirlpool tub. Two bathmats and extra towels had been provided; however, there were only two washcloths in the suite. I am used to seeing more than two washcloths in a deluxe suite, such as this. Bath salts had been provided along with the usual bath amenities. I was told there would be bathrobes in the suite. When I could not find any, I called and housekeeping brought one up. My understanding is that there are robes in the penthouse suites, and that they had not been finished laundering before our arrival (we arrived and checked in at check-in time, which is 4:00 PM).

In 2016, we looked at several different guestrooms in this hotel, and the penthouse suite is much nicer than the other rooms we looked at or stayed in. You can find additional hotel information in that post. I was told that the club floor lounge on the 9th floor is no longer open. This used to be the room below suite 1003. As of the end of March 2017, breakfast is no longer included with the guestroom.

Redeeming Choice Hotels points and customer service

This was our first time redeeming points through Choice Hotels, and I learned some things during the process. Rooms at Shoreline Inn start at 12,000 points, although it costs more over the weekend. This information is not stated online, so how can someone know how many points are needed to make a reservation? I purchased 1,000 points for $11 because we did not quite have 12,000 points, and initially we thought we would just book the least expensive room for a Friday. I then called Choice Hotels when I was not able to make a Friday reservation, and found out rooms start at 16,000 points on the weekend. All of the other hotel programs I belong to state exactly how many points are needed for a reservation, so guests can decide if they want to earn more, or purchase, or transfer, etc. Additionally, Choice Hotels will not let you make a points reservation more than 30 days in advance. Every time I had to call Choice Hotels, the call lasted 10 to 30 minutes because of the hold time. I sent an email to Choice Hotels customer care one of the times when I was on hold for 30 minutes this summer. I received a reply to that email nine weeks later! We really like Shoreline Inn and Cambria Suites; however, Choice Hotels does not live up to the standard that these hotels provide.

Summer beverages during Happy Hour at Boars Belly

Downtown Muskegon and Muskegon Lakeshore Trail

We visited a few places in town before sunset, and the next day. Boars Belly has a fabulous Happy Hour from 2:00 - 6:00 PM Monday through Friday, and all day Sunday. Several beverages and appetizers are available for $3. The menu had changed since our last visit, and we liked the new fall/winter beers better than the ones that had been available over the summer. Be sure and check your receipt before you pay; we have been overcharged twice during Happy Hour, and I have read complaints from others who experienced the same thing.

Pig Pen appetizer at Boars Belly (not a Happy Hour special).
Unhealthy, but delicious!

Pigeon Hill is a great place to visit, if you like craft beer. Good prices, good quality, good service. We wanted to visit Smash Wine Bar for Happy Hour appetizers and beverages; however, we learned they had ended their Happy Hour for the season. A tequila and Mexican bar, Rad Dads, was supposed to open in LC Walker Arena this fall. We had hoped to try some tacos there during our visit; however, the opening target date is now the end of this year.

Lakeshore Trail behind Fricano's

The Lakeshore Trail near Hartshorn Marina and boat launch was more flooded than I had ever seen it. There is often water on the trail in this area when it rains a lot, although not usually this much. It was also windy and cold when we went for a brief walk on the trail. We did not pass anyone else out exercising in the cold!

Let me know if you have any questions. Feel free to share this post!