Grand Traverse Resort & Spa

I would give 1 star for the hotel side due to the old carpets that make everything smell old and the awful bathrooms which are extremely small. The bathroom ceiling is really low so if you are tall your going to feel cramped. Also bring your own hair dryer because they are awful. The beds aren’t bad but overall the hotel rooms suck for the price. I can’t say how the tower rooms are because they were sold out when we booked. What I liked was the outdoor pool with bar and the many amenities available. I guess for such a nice hotel in every other way I expected way more quality in the rooms. I would never stay in the hotel side again. Turtle Creek is down the road and the rooms are WAY better and cheaper.

I am sad to say. I am rating this place a 2 star. I use to love this place but as through the last year they have changed a lot.
1. If you want to stay here, it is nice still.
2. No microwaves anymore. You can pay an extra $ 15 per night for the use of microwave in your own room. As I am so disappointed! Not a small kid friendly room because of microwaves.
3. No small fridge in the old part of the rooms either. So, no left over food or drinks can be refrigerated! I am SO, SO, disappointed. But you can pay extra to stay in the tower which has a small fridge. I know the old part of the hotel rooms use to have a small refrigerator. But again. That is gone.
4. So, if these items are important to you because you have a small child which needs a microwave & refrigerator and you can afford paying for those loose ends then stay. I might have to start looking elsewhere for my future stay. Thanks for reading my review.

This place is quite spread out and slightly confusing as these places can be. We were staying in a condo and had to actually leave the grounds and go a few miles around a corner on main roads to get to that area. We were in Hilltop condos and the sign is way after the entry so we ended up driving past & having to turn around. The entrance is actually the same entrance as a neighboring restaurant,
It is a bit of a walk from the check in area to the pool. They had 2 different pool areas, one with fun stuff to play with & on, another just a pool. There is a nice slide and a splash pad on the side for younger kids. It looked like the pools were no more than 4 feet deep.
The condo was decent — 2 floors with 3 bedrooms & 2 baths. Full kitchen with microwave & dishwasher. We also had a deck on the back. One of the upstairs bedrooms was a loft type that overlooked the living/​dining area — when you looked down it was onto a dusty ceiling fan … if you can be above the fan I feel like it should be cleaned but that’s just me. There were a few little things that could use fixing — like where the cable cord goes into the living room wall, it was pulled out from the wall, the upstairs bathroom had a handle that was kinda messed up, & the upstairs shower had what seemed to be a crack in the wall above the plastic shower wall — pretty simple fixes.
It was nice they had a washer & dryer and all the dishes you might need. When we went out & came back they had tidied up, washed the few dishes that didn’t fit in the dishwasher. We didn’t realize they would come in each day to clean and they didn’t make the bed that clothes & such had been left on — I assume they didn’t feel right touching personal belongings which I thought was nice.

Honestly, I’ve never done a Unilocal review until now. I am pleasantly surprised by how nice the tower rooms are compared to the non-​tower rooms. That being said, the tower rooms are so loud! I am currently listening, clear as day, to the conversations being had in the next room. They are in serious need of soundproofing!
Also, the adjoining room doors were completely unlocked when I arrived. If I didn’t check, anyone easily could have accessed my room.
So much for a quiet stay…

This whole place has a bit of a «dead mall» feel to it. the décor is uninspired and on the cheap side. The room was adequate but honestly — and I know this sound whiny– but the bed sheets were polyester. Ive stayed in Red Roof Inns and the sheets were cotton!
Sleeping is not a pleasure because you are either being shocked by static or boiling because the sheets are basically plastic. Not soft either.
The in-​room coffee maker was suspicious because there was either some powder or other film in the water tank — blech.
It would be nice to be able to get a decent cup of coffee before 7:00 am.
The elevator from the tower opens to the bar — which stinks like old, spilled liquor.
Staff however are awesome! friendly helpful and professional.

This review is for the lobby bar. The bartender was more concerned with the conversation with her regulars than the other customers. Use to love this bar… Not so much any more

Came here for two nights stay. At the last second we decided to upgrade to the Tower rooms and I’m glad we did. The view was gorgeous. Most rooms had been renovated in the last year so don’t let some other reviews and photos fool you. We ate at the Sweetwater for breakfast buffet and it was just OK. There’s a lot of great shops and foods to choose from. Only a couple mins from TCity and a 15 min drive from Elk Rapids. Staff and service were fantastic. The only issue as mentioned before is how thin the walls are. No sound proofing at all.

Came for a weekend getaway. Stayed in the Tower. Room was nice and contemporary. Not too far from town for shopping (10min) and wine trails (15min). The spa was nice also. However, it gets a 3 star because the restaurants leave much to be desired. For spending the money you do for this resort, I would expect the food to be top notch (especially for what you pay!). Sweet water restaurant in the hotel has extremely poor quality and seemed like everything was bought from Meijer. We ate here for dinner one night and I was amazed that this poor of a restaurant was in a resort. Jacks Grille was also just OK. Typical bar food. Ate there lunch and was underwhelmed.
I would stay here again but go into downtown for all meals. Had some amazing food the couple times we ventured out.

This resort and spa is very clean! We came here for two nights for our anniversary. They have a lot of amenities, but many things are extra to use. The spa to curl my hair, wanted $ 65. The noise level was great, except our thin walls, which had our neighbors waking us up on both mornings at 7AM. I finally called the front desk.
One plus is that you can purchase food packages, where your breakfast and dinner is included as well as gratuity. Overall, it was nice experience, but if you want anything extra, plan to bring extra cash with you.

We came here for our honeymoon in July. I had stayed here twice as a teenager, once in my twenties, and this latest time. Originally we were going to stay in the shore condos, but then changed our mind once we got there. Our room was a newly renovated King Tower room. Woah, it was a very sexy room-​perfect for a honeymoon! The bathroom was large and luxurious. They had modern tile that looked like wood throughout the bathroom and hallway that was very cool. The shower was big enough to fix 6 people comfortably:) The bathroom mirror was in the shape of a large circle, and they had one of those magnifying mirrors next to it which was helpful. The King bed had a super nice mattress on it. Our view was spectacular. Next to the bed, under the window, they had a large modern couch with a nicely curved floor lamp. There was a small desk next to the couch as well. One the wall there was a large flat screen tv. Under the tv there was modern looking panel with little designs on it. When we poked around this thing further we discovered that it was a cleverly disguised pull down bed:) Our room was huge, and we were more than happy.
We spent a lot of time at the pool, which was large and refreshing. They pool has a cute lil bbq spot for food in case you get hungry, which is helpful. We stopped at the ice cream shop inside where the shops are as well-​excellent ice cream. The beach area located outside the general resort area is nice too. I think many of the reviews I read on Unilocal about this place are overly harsh. We can’t wait to return and explore traverse city more:)

Way way overpriced. On the outside and in the lobby, the place looks like a fancy resort. On the inside, it looks like maybe a Quality Inn. The AC unit was insanely loud and we all got terrible sleep. The bathtub didn’t drain very well, so showers involved lots of standing water. Plus side is that there is a lot to do if you like hanging out at your hotel. Tennis courts were fun and they didn’t charge us since we had kids and were just messing around. Pool was fun, but the indoor pool room was super hot. Arcade had some pretty ancient games. Restaurants were ok, nothing special. I do love Traverse City, but I wouldn’t necessarily have to come back to this hotel. It’s away from the downtown area. I think I’d rather stay closer next time.

What a disappointment.
I came for my cousin’s wedding which was actually a pretty nice event. That’s why they got the second star. So where to start with the problems.
1. We rented a condo «on property» because we were sharing with 3 couples. We booked it through the resort and were told it «was only a 5 min walk». It was more like a 5 minute drive off property which is not entirely a far way off but when you’re expecting to be able to walk to and from it’s a bummer. They do have shuttles but that’s not the point.
2. The condo was a crap-​hole. It was a 2^nd and 3^rd floor unit which was never disclosed. Great for getting my 70 year old mother up and down every day. It was dirty and outdated which is not what we would expect of the grand traverse resort and spa. They claim it was a 3 bedroom but one of the beds is in an open loft so again misleading. Oh and it was over $ 400 a day for this «luxury». They charge you a $ 15 per day resort fee for the ability to use their amenities. When you’re so far away from the resort it’s not very feasible so a total rip off.
3. The location — for anyone that’s never been to traverse (like me) you don’t realize it’s 20 minutes away from the actual town. Fun stuff schlepping across town to have food and drinks because there is nothing around the resort.
Seriously we’re looking at a dinosaur so make sure to stop by and check the place out before it’s dead and gone because if others have the same experience we did I can’t see this place staying alive for very long.
Again what a disappointment. If you do go don’t be fooled by the hilltop condos.
Next time I’m traverse we will be staying much closer to town.

Booked my trip with really high expectations. We stayed in the Golfview condos. The location could have been better. We had to drive down the free way a very short distance to get to the resort. I felt disconnected from everything. As we walked down the hall way to our room I was nervous. I felt like I was in an old apartment complex. They should really renovate the hallways. Thank goodness our actual condo was beautiful. Bummer that I can hear the cars zooming down the freeway as I write this. As for the hotel, the inside was very nice. The outside needs a little updating in my opinion. The golf was outstanding. For the price of $ 1600 for 4 nights, I expected more. Next time I visit Traverse City, I will most likely stay elsewhere.

I visited this resort over Memorial Day Weekend, which, as expected, meant the prices were excessively inflated. I wouldn’t have minded so much, except the entire experience was very underwhelming.
The main problems we had were these:
1. We stayed in the newly renovated «Tower». The room was nice and updated, but the walls were incredibly thin. I could hear everything in the room next door. I could hear the neighbors above and below me lowering and raising their shades. Also, our room was located right next to the elevator, which meant we could hear people coming and going all hours of the night.
2. The resort definitely feels dated. Particularly the pools, carpets, and décor.
3. We found the spa to be very mediocre. Not the staff in particular, but rather the facilities and the actual treatments. You actually share the locker room with general hotel guests using the pool. Which meant after my massage I got to «relax» with a bunch of children running around and screaming in the locker room. Also, considering the massages were around $ 110 w/​o tip, we were expecting something more special than basically a back rub with no attention to problem areas.
But, if you do decide to stay here — I would definitely recommend going to the Aerie Restaurant on the top floor of the tower for Sunday Brunch. It was the best part of the whole stay.

A nice place for a long weekend stay.
I stayed in the towers, which I guess is better than the average hotel room, and I found it to a very relaxing stay. Our room was quiet and the bed was semi-​comfortable, but I’m a stickler for that, and therefore, difficult to please. The décor was nice enough, not ritzy, but more than adequate. I’ve seen better and I’ve seen worse.
Overall, Grand Traverse Resort featured great views, golfing, a very nice pool, and good dining. It was a little more expensive than I thought it should have been, but it was still a decent hotel. It seemed like we were always out of towels. I don’t know why, but it didn’t seem like the bathroom was stocked terribly well when we arrived. We were constantly calling down to housekeeping to get more.
I would recommend it to anyone wanting a nice, relaxing weekend getaway.

I have stayed here more times than I can count over the past 25 plus years.
It us a great property with many rooms offering spectacular views of the Bay and/​or of the golf courses. The rooms in the tower are more expensive than the hotel but have the nicest views and are worth it. I have also stayed in some of their condos through their rental program and I liked that, too.
Several places to drink as well as to eat. The current owners, a native American tribe, also operate the nearby casino. The resort offers free shuttles back and forth.
Over the years, the resort had several owners. Some operated it better than others. The current management seems to be doing it well.
Great convention, meeting and banquet facilities. Also a spa operates here and there are indoor swimming pools, tennis and racquet ball courts as well as exercise equipment and programs.
If you are in the Traverse City area, this is one of the best places to stay!

Considering the reputation this resort has (it’s generally thought of as a great alternative to Mackinac Island) I was expecting better. So far, I have been entirely unimpressed. The front desk staff was incredibly rude while checking me in. I was shocked to be told that a seemingly-​upscale establishment would charge a $ 50 per night security deposit, to ensure that I didn’t break, steal or destroy anything. Even better? This hold would be placed on my debit card… which can take up to 30 days to come off. So yeah… upon check-​in, be prepared to be treated like a potential thief and then surrender a sizable chunk of your disposable income for the next month.
Thankfully, I had booked a spa appointment, so I was looking forward to destressing after the unpleasant check-​in experience. The cherry bliss body scrub was lovely. I will say that GTR has one of the best vichy shower systems that I’ve experienced. Too bad the massage that followed was mediocre at best. A full 80-​minute treatment and yet the massage therapist did not massage my lower back or feet… two areas most people would expect to be focal points.
The restaurant choices are surprisingly limited, if you want a meal that falls somewhere in between «sandwich» and «fine dining.» I ended up taking the complementary shuttle over to Turtle Creek Casino for food that was entirely disappointing served in an environment choke-​filled with cigarette smoke.
I realize that this entire review can be summed up as «first world problems» but if you’re going to spend your money treating yourself to a vacation, don’t do it here. Continue on to Mackinac, or, if you’re with your kids, just go to Great Wolf Lodge. It might be a family-​centric chain, but it’s light years better than the Grand Traverse Resort.
Not recommended.
EDIT TO ADD: My 2^nd day here is fairing no better than the first. My day began with their coffee shop staff making faces and visibly mocking my drink order– chocolate chai latte… not exactly a freaky drink– and continued through half-​asses housekeeping and terrible food (undercooked chicken and essentially raw green beans) I’m seriously never coming back here.

My friend and I spent one night here on our trip up to Traverse City for the weekend! Before checking in. we had spent many hours climbing the Sleeping Bear Dunes and eating lunch by the water… and then trudging all the way back, so we were pretty gross and in dire need of a shower at that point. The receptionist was very friendly and checked us in quickly. The room was nice and simple, although a bit old, but we really weren’t spending much time in the room so it didn’t matter.
We did go out to the downtown area for dinner and had dessert at the restaurant hotel, which was pretty good. Overall it was a great experience!
Would I come back? Yes!

I spent a week in their Condos on a family vacation in August.
The Condos were a bit dated yet I imagine better than the hotel rooms. I was in a one bedroom condo that had a dorm-​like fridge, hot plate, and cabinet with plates/​utensils/​etc. There were individual patios on each unit, which was super nice. The place was dated in the fact that it looks like it hadn’t been updated since it was built out in the early 90s (I’m guessing).
They do have 3 golf courses on the property with one being a Nicklaus course and another being Gary Player designed course. My brother and I played the Bear (Nicklaus course) and Spruce Run (their 3^rd tier course). Both of these were really nice to play and reasonable for a resort town at $ 110 and $ 70, respectively. The staff was alright when checking in yet they constantly had beverage carts and rangers coming out that were super friendly. The courses were dead for the middle of August in regards to people playing the course.
The lobby has a shopping area with Dillon’s Candy Bar, clothing outlets, etc. There is a shuttle that takes you to their private beach and throughout the property. They have an indoor pool that has a slide and tons of other activities for the kids and parents alike.
In regards to the food, it was mediocre at best ranging from the breakfast place to their dinner locations. It is a bit outside of TC so you do have to commute down into the city, which is a bit of a con.

I stayed here for work for one night.
Check-​in: it was late and there was one person working the check-​in desk. I waited for about 10 minutes.
Room: It was roomy! Bed is comfortable, furnishings were adequate. No outlet by the bed though… I use my phone as an alarm clock by the bed, so this really sucked.
Check-​out: breeze. in and out.
Other amenities: There are great restaurants and shops on-​site. I actually spoke with their wedding coordinator when I was first engaged. I actually was quite turned off by the wedding coordinator as she was rude, and basically treated me like low-​class citizen when I said that I wanted to have a small intimate wedding. I get that they do large extravagant weddings there. But just because I wanted a small wedding doesn’t mean I’m cheap or poor. There are plenty of other beautiful areas up north to get married (ie petoskey).