MACKINAC ISLAND, MI - Some things only happen once year, and that’s how it is with a handful of opening-week traditions at Mackinac Island’s Grand Hotel.
While many of these are things you can see all summer long at the resort - and in some cases into fall - guests who visit during this week’s opening are getting their first look.
Last week, staff members were rushing to finish all the final touches before the official opening on Sunday, June 21. The iconic white rockers were being arranged on the porch and newly-recovered furniture was being placed just so in the parlor. All 397 rooms were getting their final checks.
The hotel has released a video capturing all these Opening Day “firsts” - which you can see below.
Here’s a list of some of those big traditions. For longtime Grand Hotel fans, how many do you recognize?
Geraniums are the signature flower of Mackinac Island's Grand Hotel. Photo courtesy of Grand Hotel.
1. Geraniums: It’s go bold or go home with the hotel’s signature bright blooms. They line the front porch and can be found many other places on the grounds.
2. The red carpet: Who wouldn’t want a red-carpet welcome, freshly laid for the beginning of each season?
3. Flying the flags. The parade of front-porch flags are the most eye-catching tradition at Grand Hotel. “All the flags lining the porch are what makes it special and part of America’s Summer Place,” said Marketing Director Julie Rogers. There is also a flag raised atop the Cupola Bar.
Flags line the front of Grand Hotel. (Tanya Moutzalias | MLive )MLive.com Detroit
4. Pecan Ball: This sweet treat is the resort’s signature dessert. It is always a choice on the hotel’s menu in the Main Dining Room. More than 50,000 are scooped, rolled and dished up each season.
The scrumptious Pecan Balls, served up by the thousands each summer. Photo courtesy of Grand Hotel.
5. Final touches: The hotel’s bustling maintenance staff and its Resident Manager, Pete Badour, can be seen making sure all the last details are just right.
6. Employee appreciation: “Most importantly, it is all about our employees who really make sure the guest experience is special,” Rogers said.
Staff have been hard at work prepping Grand Hotel's parlor and all its other rooms for the 2020 season's guests. Photo courtesy of Grand Hotel.
Some Grand Hotel staff have been front-and-center for years, like Maitre D’ Ken Salmon, who has been with the resort for more than four decades, and welcomes guests at the entrance of the Main Dining Room every morning and evening. Fans of the resort’s horses will recognize Stable Manager Ben Mosley working with some of his four-legged charges. And they’ll see Bob Tagatz, the resident historian who headlines tours and special speaking events all season long.
Also featured in the video are employees surrounded by blooms and bouquets in Margaret’s Garden; Jesse Bader, a bartender at The Gate House; and Neil Cargill, restaurant manager at Woods.
For more information about special packages and new features this year, check Grand Hotel’s website.
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June 23, 2020 at 03:15AM
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