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Monday, February 22, 2021

Grayling, Michigan: Borchers Bed and Breakfast


February 2021, Weeknight, One night, Au Sable room


Lodging choices in Grayling consist of mostly small motels, a couple of Bed and Breakfasts, and two name brand hotels (Days Inn and Ramada). We decided to try a local Bed and Breakfast for our stay. We had tried to stay at this location during off-season last year; however, our trip was cancelled due to shutdowns caused by the pandemic.


Reservations and check-in

There are four rooms at this bed and breakfast. Two of them have a second guestroom door directly onto the baloney: Au Sable room and Main Stream room. We made our reservation online, and chose Au Sable room, because it looked like a corner room. All rooms were available when we made our reservation, and Main Stream room had also been reserved when I checked online the day before our stay. When we arrived, there were actually two other rooms rented besides ours.


I received a telephone call from Cheri the day before our stay. She confirmed our reservation details, and inquired whether we had any food allergies or dietary needs. She provided her cell phone number, just in case we arrived before 4:30PM. We did not expect to arrive that early, and we arrived as expected, shortly after 5PM. Cheri was waiting for us, and our room was ready. After a brief tour and quick settling into our room, we walked downtown to a couple of local breweries (information about that in my Northern Michigan post). Even though it was snowy and cold out, this Bed & Breakfast is close enough to walk downtown. 



Views of Au Sable River from Borchers Bed & Breakfast Au Sable room



Au Sable room

We loved this room. It was clean and spacious. It is located on the southeast corner of the house, and the french doors walk out to the balcony facing the river. Even though the mostly overcast skies caused our view to be more dreary than bright, we liked the view. 

View through french doors from
Au Sable room at Borchers Bed & Breakfast

The guestroom contained two queen beds, soft chair, flatscreen TV, sufficient lighting/lamps, dresser with mirror, end table, and nightstand. I loved the super soft and cozy blanket rolled up in a basket next to the chair.

Au Sable room at Borchers Bed & Breakfast

There was a wall heating unit, and a free standing gas heater, along with the baseboard heaters in the room. The lighted closet contained hangers and a folding luggage rack.

Au Sable room balcony furniture at Borchers Bed & Breakfast

The sun came out for a bit before we departed in the morning. We would have enjoyed the outside balcony, if the weather had not been icy cold during our stay. 

Au Sable room bathroom at Borchers Bed & Breakfast

We liked the tile bathroom and stand alone shower. I could not find a photo of the bathroom before our stay, so I am including one here, although I forgot to take one of the shower!


The outside entrance doors have coded locks, and we received a key for our guestroom. The wifi requires a password, and the connection speed was good. 


Food and beverages 

Coffee was available around 7:30 in the morning, and we enjoyed a delicious breakfast around 8:30AM (Cheri had asked if this time was okay during check-in). Breakfast included: orange juice, cheese omelet, sausage, fruit salad, and biscuits. There were also individual packets of cereal on the table. Glasses in the kitchen were available to use during our stay, and there was a fireplace next to the kitchen table. 


Misc. and overall

Overall, this was a great stay. The price was reasonable, and we felt safe with pandemic guidelines. I thought the bed was a tad hard, although I realize that is also a personal preference. I did not think to check both beds, as I know sometimes when there are two beds in a room like this, they are different. 


I think most people stay here during warmer months, when Borchers also offers river services (canoe and kayak rentals, shuttle service). All four of their rooms were booked for the weekend after we checked out. It was nice to see this much activity, when we have often witnessed dismal activity at businesses like this since the pandemic started.


Let me know if you have any questions!


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