This was our first experience at a Bed and Breakfast. Since we did not think our previous hotel stays in Mackinaw City were desirable, we decided to try something new.
I had reserved the least expensive Lighthouse guestroom at Deer Head Inn because we were only going to be staying a short time. We were arriving in the evening, and departing the next morning. I had some work to do in the morning before we left, which would be easiest to complete at a desk or table. Before we arrived to check in, I began to wonder if The Lighthouse room had a desk. The main rooms page of the website says: "All of the rooms at the Deer Head Inn feature incredibly cozy queen size beds with special comfort appointments, spacious bathrooms each with unique and welcoming tile designs, warming gas fireplaces, and comfortable easy chairs and desk to make you feel right at home." When I viewed the pictures, however, I did not see a desk in The Lighthouse room. I contacted the inn to ask about this, and I was told that The Lighthouse room does not have a desk, and that we had been upgraded to The Hemingway room for no charge!
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| fireplace in breakfast room |
Arrival experience
Barry met us at the door when we arrived. He provided keys and instructions for how to use them. He escorted us to the guestroom, and provided an overview of the features. We were the only guests the evening of our stay, and he told us we could view any of the other guestrooms that had an open door, if we wanted. We briefly looked inside the other rooms later that evening. He also said that there are movies available, and he explained where they were located.
We had to carry our luggage up the stairs, which was not too difficult. We had one small to medium sized roller bag, a laptop bag, and a small cooler.
The Hemingway guestroom
This guestroom is located at the north end of the inn by itself. All of the other guestrooms are up a different set of stairs across from the steps leading to The Hemingway room. We did not hear any floor noise from the stairs to The Hemingway room, or in the guestroom; however, the floors creaked when we walked to the other guestrooms. Since The Hemingway guestroom is located away from the other guestrooms, I expect that this room offers a quieter night's sleep than the rest of the rooms when the inn is full.
The guestroom contained a queen size bed, night stands, lamps, clock, two leisure chairs, a desk and chair, end tables, a flatscreen TV, wicker armoire, a fireplace, and two ceiling fans. A good size closet was located at one end of the sitting area by the foot of the bed. It contained hangers, extra bedding, and a folding luggage rack.
The room was charmingly decorated, although we did not think that any of the chairs were comfortable, especially the desk chair. I had only brought my short laptop cord, and it barely reached the outlet under the desk.
I read reviews from a couple of guests who did not care for the stuffed animals in the room. We were fine with that, although we thought the artificial plants were too much clutter on the desk and end table. I would have preferred more workspace on the desk, and we moved one of the plants in the sitting area so that we could use the end table.
The bed was comfortable, and the sheets were good quality.
The bathing area contained a small shower, a whirlpool tub, decent size vanity, small fridge, coffee pot with supplies, 2 coffee mugs, a plastic ice bucket, plastic cups, 2 towels, 2 washcloths, 2 hand towels, a bath mat, a makeup remover wipe, and a bar of glycerin soap. One of the packages of coffee that was provided was Hazelnut flavor, and the condiments included liquid creamer.
I was surprised to see the fridge and coffeepot, because this is not listed on the website, and it is not visible in any of the photos. I did not notice if any of the other rooms had this feature when we looked at them.
There was not a full length mirror in the guestroom, and the mirror behind the sink was not conducive for applying makeup. I was glad I did not need a makeup mirror, and I missed a full length mirror. The sink mirror looked nice, although it was not very functional.
The shower in this guestroom was smaller than the showers in any of the other rooms. A couple of the other rooms had a 5-sided corner shower stall.
I wondered if the glycerin soaps had been specially made since they were wrapped with the inn name, and I also observed some downstairs in the breakfast room. I wish I had asked!
Breakfast
Barry had asked us about diet needs and breakfast timing when we checked in. Barry and Nancy served a deluxe breakfast exactly at the time they had told us. When we arrived a few minutes early, we found the table set with two place settings, a pitcher of water, and fresh strawberries and pineapple. Coffee and tea were available on the counter across the room.
Barry and Nancy greeted us and offered orange juice. When the hot food was ready, they served an asparagus quiche, potatoes, bacon, and an apple tart with homemade caramel sauce. Much nicer than the continental breakfast we would have received at the Best Western, where we had initially planned to stay!
My husband noticed champagne on the counter in the kitchen area, and if I had not had work I needed to finish after breakfast, I would have inquired whether mimosas were included with breakfast, too!
Misc.
The inn is only about a block away from town, which is another reason we chose it. We knew that we would not be there early, and it was not warm enough out to walk very far.
The larger room was nice, although if I had been given the choice of rooms, I probably would have chosen The Wilderness room. I did not use the whirlpool tub, and I liked the larger shower in The Wilderness room. The desk chairs looked more comfortable, and the bed in that room is a king bed. The Wilderness room is located at the end of the hall, so even if you are choosing a room when the inn is full, I think this room would be just about as soundproof as The Hemingway room.
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