Midwest - Hotels and country clubs near Grand Rapids, MI?

I live in Chicago and I'm thinking about looking for a summer home near Grand Rapids, MI. It's fairly close and I can get there by car, train or air.

I like that there are state parks to the north, which is where I'm thinking to buy a place.

But my wife is a luxury hotel/spa fanatic and I have a pre-schooler who is going to want lots of fun activities, so I'd want something fairly close by to cater to them.

Does anyone know of any *real* luxury hotels in or near Grand Rapids?

Also, are there any very nice country clubs (not just golf but tennis, pool, good restaurant, etc) or big resort hotels in the area?

Thanks for any help!

This thread may be of interest to you: luxury family resorts driving from chicago (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/luxury-hotels/1071782-luxury-family-resorts-driving-chicago.html)

Although I don't have a lot of recent experience, I'll say that I grew up spending time every summer in a cottage along Lake Michigan in Holland, MI. From a kid's perspective, I thought it was great being able to spend time at the beach, catch a water show up in Grand Haven, eat some pizza at Fricano's, check out the wooden shoe factory, see a show at Hope College, sail, spend more time at the beach, etc...

Come to think of it, it sounds pretty decent from an adult's perspective, too. :)

It's further south than Grand Rapids, but you might want to look around Benton Harbor/ St. Joseph. Point of Woods is a nice club, Robert Trent Jones golf course (used to be ranked in the top 50 U.S courses), pool, tennis, restaurant. The beaches around there are nicer than almost any I've ever been to save Amanpulo. A lot of Chicagoans summer at New Buffalo which is even further south. I don't know the area around Holland /Grand Haven as well but it's supposed to be quite nice as well.

I don't think you'll find anything that is real luxury or even a very good spa, but you might want to instead think about renting a house on the Lake.

I live in Chicago and I'm thinking about looking for a summer home near Grand Rapids, MI. It's fairly close and I can get there by car, train or air.

I like that there are state parks to the north, which is where I'm thinking to buy a place.

But my wife is a luxury hotel/spa fanatic and I have a pre-schooler who is going to want lots of fun activities, so I'd want something fairly close by to cater to them.

Does anyone know of any *real* luxury hotels in or near Grand Rapids?

Also, are there any very nice country clubs (not just golf but tennis, pool, good restaurant, etc) or big resort hotels in the area?

Thanks for any help!

I'd second the recommendation for Holland. It's 2-3 hours drive from Chicago (depending where you're starting at in Chicago).

Amtrak stops in Holland just before ending in GR. Departs Union Station to Holland 5:20pm; arrives MI 9:20pm w/ time zone change. Departs Holland to Chicago 8:20am; arrives 10:20am w/ time zone change. Also, some people will drive to Michigan City, IN, from Holland and then catch the South Shore Commuter into Chicago, leaving their car in the free parking lot.

GRR is nearest airport, and is 35 minutes from Holland, all freeway (and no traffic, unlike ORD!).

Holland (pop: 40,000) is nestled along the shore of Lake Michigan, and also has a large inland lake (Lake Macatawa) which leads out to Lake MI. Holland State Park is large, lot of sand, overlooks "Big Red" (famous lighthouse).

Holland has a cute, quaint downtown area. They deliberately kept the focus on that, so all the 'big box' stores are out on US31 on the outskirts of town. Holland has 'snowmelt' in the downtown area, so in the winter there's no snow on the streets or on the sidewalks.

One of the things I think Holland does well is draw people to downtown/stay local with a variety of activities. For example, during the summer on Thursday evenings they have a 'street performer' series, with different types of street performers ranging from mimes to juggling to singing to playing guitar, etc. It's quite busy, as parents bring their kids to see all the performers.

There's the Tulip Time Festival in May, with a lot of activities for kids. There's a big event the weekend before Thanksgiving in downtown Holland, with carolers and yes, even chestnuts roasting on an open fire (now I won't be able to get that song out of my head!). There's an ice sculpting competition in January. In December they have the Sinterklaas (Dutch Santa) parade, as well as a regular Santa parade.

There are some museums, and some of them have children's programs. There's also Windmill Island, and the Dutch Village. There's a large aquatic center, which the kids seem to love. There are also a variety of parks.

Kollen Park is next to Lake Macatawa, and there's a kids series of events there, as well as (free) Friday night concerts and other happenings.

The county fair is held in Holland, which I'm assuming families attend.

Holland has a fabulous farmer's market, and they also have a kid's series at the market, as well as a chef's series. Between Thanksgiving & 2nd week of Dec, it becomes an open air Christmas market.

Hope College (small, private liberal arts college) is a couple of blocks from downtown Holland, and has events year-round for adults & children.

Both Holland and Saugatuck have marinas and yacht clubs. Both also have yacht builders. There are some sailing clubs as well.

There are a few spas in Holland, but they're not LaCosta calibre spas. I'm not as familiar w/ GR, so don't know if it has any 'luxury' spas.

The closest restaurant in Holland I've found to one like I'd find in LA or Chicago is Butch's, which has a good menu & a Wine Spectator Award for several years. Also does a lot of wine tasting events w/ vintners from Italy, etc. FTers who have been to Holland also like the New Holland Brewing Co (but they're big on beer; me, I'm more a wine gal).

Holland has one 'boutique' hotel called City Flats. One of the few certified 'green' hotels in the US; sister hotel in GR. People who have stayed there say it's a bit like ALoft or W (much smaller scale; 70 rooms).

Just north of Holland by 20-30 minutes is Grand Haven/Spring Lake, also on Lake Michigan, with beaches, etc. Just south of Holland by 10-15 minutes is Saugatuck, a charming village with a lot of art galleries, fun shops, etc, again right on the water. Just south of Holland 20 minutes is Fennville, which has orchards & families go apple picking, etc, in the autumn. North of Holland by 2-3 hours is Traverse City, which is more 'resorty'.

A lot of people from Chicago who own large boats usually keep them either in Saugatuck or Holland, and come up on the weekends & holidays. Also, a lot of Chicagoans have bought second homes in Saugatuck or Holland. Homes in Holland can range from $90K to a few million; the latter usually being right on Lake Michigan or Lake Macatawa.

I think if you picked Holland it's a good base, with a lot of things itself, and then to go north or south (or east to GR) depending on what other trips you'd like to do.

In GR, probably the JW Marriott is as close to a 'luxury' hotel as you're going to get. It actually gets pretty good reviews. It's managed by the hotel arm of the Amway corp, which also owns/manages the Grand Amway in downtown GR. If you decide to visit GR, I'd recommend the JW.

If you decide to get a place in GR, GR (pop: 500,000) has some good restaurants downtown, museums, a lot of festivals, a zoo, Meijer Gardens, Van Andel Arena (concerts; sports), minor league baseball team. The downtown GR Assn does a pretty good job of activities/things to draw people to downtown GR. I'm sure it has some spas, but again, doubt they're the calibre of LaCosta. Downtown GR is probably the closest you'll get to something like Chicago, and whether you go to Holland or Grand Haven for the beaches, both are only 30-40 minutes away.

Re: good country clubs. Holland/Saugatuck have them, but they're not the calibre of what you're looking for. GR might have one of the type you're looking for, as there's a lot of 'money' in GR. Not sure. There are golf courses in the Holland/Saugatuck/GR area. The MVP Sports Club ((locations in both Holland and GR), is the closest thing to a health club like those in LA and has both indoor & outdoor pools and indoor & outdoor tennis courts. MVP also has a kid's series of events, and family membership plans. The 2 things it's missing that you get in LA is an on-site spa & an on-site cafe for smoothies, etc.

Anyway, having relocated from LA to Michigan, hopefully the above info is helpful. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions or need additional info. Also, I've got some friends in the GR area who are very wealthy (homes in GR, Holland, Florida, large boats - philanthropists of the year, that type of thing). I'll ask them about the spas/country clubs, etc, in GR area. Think they're on the boat for a week cruising Lake Michigan, but will ask them when they return.

Cheers.

Wow, great suggestions! I'll start looking through them. :)

...I've got some friends in the GR area who are very wealthy (homes in GR, Holland, Florida, large boats - philanthropists of the year, that type of thing). I'll ask them about the spas/country clubs, etc, in GR area. Think they're on the boat for a week cruising Lake Michigan, but will ask them when they return.

Cheers.

Please do ask your friends -- that's the kind of place I'm looking for. I spent lots of time as a kid at the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo and at Abbey Springs in Lake Geneva, and I'd like to offer my daughter a similar experience. But Florida is too far, and I'm sick of Lake Geneva (and have heard that club has gone downhill) and I'd like an area that has wooded areas for mountain biking/hiking (Lake Geneva being surrounded by farmland), which is why I'm looking at Michigan.

Is there any large woodland near Holland? I know there is a big state park north of Grand Rapids, which is why I'm interested in that area, along with the fact that there seems to be money there which I'm hoping means nice country clubs and spas.

I'll check out the JW Marriott; I've been to some really great ones abroad but never stayed at one in the US.

It's further south than Grand Rapids, but you might want to look around Benton Harbor/ St. Joseph. Point of Woods is a nice club, Robert Trent Jones golf course (used to be ranked in the top 50 U.S courses), pool, tennis, restaurant... you might want to instead think about renting a house on the Lake.
So actually, we live on Lake Michigan in Chicago, right next to a beach and a with a great view of the lake (we are high up in a condo and can actually see Michigan from our window on a good day), so I'm not really interested in spending the money to buy a beachfront house on the other side of the same lake. And I want to buy, since rentals are just too uncomfortable for us.

Now an inland lake sounds much more fun, so I'll have to take a look at Holland. But are there any country clubs there? I couldn't find any.

I live in Chicago and I'm thinking about looking for a summer home near Grand Rapids, MI. It's fairly close and I can get there by car, train or air.

I like that there are state parks to the north, which is where I'm thinking to buy a place.

But my wife is a luxury hotel/spa fanatic and I have a pre-schooler who is going to want lots of fun activities, so I'd want something fairly close by to cater to them.

Does anyone know of any *real* luxury hotels in or near Grand Rapids?

Also, are there any very nice country clubs (not just golf but tennis, pool, good restaurant, etc) or big resort hotels in the area?

Thanks for any help!

Two nicest hotels in region are in Grand Rapids, JW Marriott and AMWAY Grand. I have stayed at both and enjoyed both.

It's further south than Grand Rapids, but you might want to look around Benton Harbor/ St. Joseph. Point of Woods is a nice club, Robert Trent Jones golf course (used to be ranked in the top 50 U.S courses), pool, tennis, restaurant. The beaches around there are nicer than almost any I've ever been to save Amanpulo. A lot of Chicagoans summer at New Buffalo which is even further south. I don't know the area around Holland /Grand Haven as well but it's supposed to be quite nice as well.

I don't think you'll find anything that is real luxury or even a very good spa, but you might want to instead think about renting a house on the Lake.

Anyone else been to Point O' Woods and have an opinion of it? I can't find any reviews on the web.

Just wondering if anyone knows if there are any luxury hotels in this area. Please pipe in if you do as I haven't seen any mentioned so far. If not, after a bit of further run here, this thread may get additional relevant information if moved to the Midwest forum.

Thanks,
RichardInSF, moderator, luxury hotels

No there are not any luxury hotels in the area. Nearest one is Chicago.

Thanks, and since there hasn't been any additional comments, let's see if this thread garners more information in the Midwest forum, where I will move it.

RichardInSF, moderator, luxury hotels

Is there any large woodland near Holland? I know there is a big state park north of Grand Rapids, which is why I'm interested in that area, along with the fact that there seems to be money there which I'm hoping means nice country clubs and spas.


If you're looking for mountain biking in the area, GR is a decent locale. Look here for more details: http://mmba.org/trail-guide

Luton, Cannonsburg SGA, Yankee Springs, Ionia are all nearby.

When I was growing up, Kent Country Club was the old money, and Cascade Hills Country Club was the slightly less old money. (Though it's been many moons since I lived in the area, and I don't know the current lay of the land.)

The JW is a fantastic property.

I live in Chicago and I'm thinking about looking for a summer home near Grand Rapids, MI. It's fairly close and I can get there by car, train or air.

Thanks for any help!

Have you ever looked at the Amtrak schedules -- without going into a lot of detail, they leave Grand Rapids early in the morning and get back very late at night?

and have you thought about how are you going to get around once you're in Michigan ?

Bob H

Please do ask your friends -- that's the kind of place I'm looking for. I spent lots of time as a kid at the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo and at Abbey Springs in Lake Geneva, and I'd like to offer my daughter a similar experience. But Florida is too far, and I'm sick of Lake Geneva (and have heard that club has gone downhill) and I'd like an area that has wooded areas for mountain biking/hiking (Lake Geneva being surrounded by farmland), which is why I'm looking at Michigan.

Is there any large woodland near Holland? I know there is a big state park north of Grand Rapids, which is why I'm interested in that area, along with the fact that there seems to be money there which I'm hoping means nice country clubs and spas.

I'll check out the JW Marriott; I've been to some really great ones abroad but never stayed at one in the US.

Sorry; I forgot about this thread. I need to add the Midwest forum to "My Flyertalk".

My wealthy friends have been traveling, so we've missed each other. I'll send an email & ask them about country clubs/spas.

Holland has woods north/south. Lot of folk walk/hike. And there are a LOT of folk who bicycle. Velo City on 8th street is the bike shop that has the really expensive bikes/experts & they do a lot of weekly rides. I don't know if it's mountain biking or regular biking. I can stop & ask them about mountain biking specifically.


Now an inland lake sounds much more fun, so I'll have to take a look at Holland. But are there any country clubs there? I couldn't find any.

Lake Macatawa is 6 miles long & about 1.5 miles wide. A lot of upscale homes along the shoreline. Large houses but also smaller ones. Prices from $350,000 to $3million.

Holland used to have a country club, but I think it went bankrupt. There is one in Saugatuck 10 minutes away. But it's not Pebble Beach calibre.

Again, I'll ask some of my wealthier friends which clubs they belong to. Both Holland and GR have $$.

When I was growing up, Kent Country Club was the old money, and Cascade Hills Country Club was the slightly less old money. (Though it's been many moons since I lived in the area, and I don't know the current lay of the land.)

I vaguely remember that too. I have friends who live in East Grand Rapids (EGR, which is one of the upscale areas). I'll ask them about the country clubs in GR area.

capite, I think you need to make a trip to Holland and GR to check out the lay of the land. Try to do it while the weather is still nice.

Cheers.

SkiAdcock,

Thanks for the reply!

We just took a trip to Tahoe and my wife enjoyed it (the scenery and the rental houses), *almost* enough to think about getting a place there, but it's just too far from ORD: 3 1/2 hours on plane + 1 hour drive.

So now I'm thinking of extending my search further up north to around Traverse City. That is a pretty short plane ride from ORD so a bit of a drive would be OK.

I'm hoping for somewhere fairly wooded, near inland lakes, and with very nice resorts with spas, or country clubs.

So basically I'm looking for any really nice country clubs or full-service, high-end resorts in Central/North Michigan, either close to Holland/Grand Rapids or within driving distance of Traverse City.

It's good advice to go check out the area, and I'll do that as soon as I can locate at least one promising resort or club. Otherwise I'll just be driving around and asking strangers since I don't know anyone who lives around there.

Any suggestions welcome!

So now I'm thinking of extending my search further up north to around Traverse City. That is a pretty short plane ride from ORD so a bit of a drive would be OK.

I'm hoping for somewhere fairly wooded, near inland lakes, and with very nice resorts with spas, or country clubs.

So basically I'm looking for any really nice country clubs or full-service, high-end resorts in Central/North Michigan, either close to Holland/Grand Rapids or within driving distance of Traverse City.

Any suggestions welcome!

Now that you’ve extended your search to NW Michigan, this opens up your possibilities a bit more. Three PUBLIC courses that come to mind are:
Boyne Highlands, Boyne, MI
Arcadia Bluffs, Arcadia, MI
Treetops, Gaylord, MI

All three are very well known and top tier courses. All three are within reasonable driving distance to Traverse City. Arcadia Bluffs is on Lake Michigan, so not inland as you hoped for. There are smallish lakes not too far, however. It is one of the highest rated courses in Michigan. No spa, I believe.

Treetops would seem to fit the bill as far as facilities go. Of the three, it is the only with spa facilities. Several golf courses, all of which are quite highly revered. Not far off of I-75. Several lakes nearby, but then again, no matter where you are in northern MI, you are sure to be near to a lake.

Boyne Highlands is in Boyne City which sits on Lake Charlevoix. They have several courses which are also highly regarded.

Not sure of any Private clubs. Sure there are some but I just don’t know of them.

SOUTH of Holland is Harbor Shores Golf Club in Benton Harbor, MI. The Senior PGA Championship was just played there last month. No spa facilities, but in a nice area. Other than little thing they call Lake Michigan, there’s really not any lakes of significance nearby. Easy to get to from Chicago.

SkiAdcock,

Thanks for the reply!

We just took a trip to Tahoe and my wife enjoyed it (the scenery and the rental houses), *almost* enough to think about getting a place there, but it's just too far from ORD: 3 1/2 hours on plane + 1 hour drive.

So now I'm thinking of extending my search further up north to around Traverse City. That is a pretty short plane ride from ORD so a bit of a drive would be OK.

I'm hoping for somewhere fairly wooded, near inland lakes, and with very nice resorts with spas, or country clubs.

So basically I'm looking for any really nice country clubs or full-service, high-end resorts in Central/North Michigan, either close to Holland/Grand Rapids or within driving distance of Traverse City.

It's good advice to go check out the area, and I'll do that as soon as I can locate at least one promising resort or club. Otherwise I'll just be driving around and asking strangers since I don't know anyone who lives around there.

Any suggestions welcome!

We actually have an FTer who has a 2nd home in the Traverse City area. He spends the summers in TC & the rest of the year in the Carolinas, where his main house is located. I'll send him a PM & ask him to take a look at this thread.

I'm also going to cut/paste part of this thread & send it to my wealthy friends in an email to get some input.

My guess is that from Chicago to Traverse City it's a 5-1/2 to 6 hour drive.

Cheers.

Outside of the golf course, Benton Harbor still has a reputation of being really, really economically depressed. Not an area I'd think of as a place to have a higher end vacation home.

It's not the spa community you're looking for, but Bay View near Petoskey is an old school summer community with lots of activities and might be worth a look:

http://www.bayviewassociation.org/
http://www.pbvcc.com/

Outside of the golf course, Benton Harbor still has a reputation of being really, really economically depressed. Not an area I'd think of as a place to have a higher end vacation home.


+1.

Cheers.

We actually have an FTer who has a 2nd home in the Traverse City area. He spends the summers in TC & the rest of the year in the Carolinas, where his main house is located. I'll send him a PM & ask him to take a look at this thread.

I'm also going to cut/paste part of this thread & send it to my wealthy friends in an email to get some input.

My guess is that from Chicago to Traverse City it's a 5-1/2 to 6 hour drive.

Cheers.

The golf in northern Michigan is far superior and scenic to the GRR area. It has a huge concentration of top notch courses from south in the Manistee area to past Petosky with Boyne Highlands.

The flights to TVC are one hour on either United or American non stop. Most of the courses are resort style but here are a few private clubs TCCC, Beladere in Charlevoix.

The drive is more like 7-8 hours than five to six. Golf and beauty Go up north. Shorter commute GR or Holland

Yeah, from what I'm hearing, the Traverse area is so much better it should be worth the 1-hr flight from O'Hare, then rent a car and drive.

My ideal situation: inland lakeshore 2-3 bedroom house in a gated or resort community that has its own tennis and pool, and/or is within 15 minute drive of a country club or resort that has those things. Then also within 45 drive to a top-tier resorts with a spa and golf at least.

The Spider Lake area looks promising geograpgically, though I haven't seen any gated/luxury level houses listed, or at least any in a planned community or less than 6 bedrooms.

I guess it might be possible for there to be something like this near GR. From what I hear, anything SW of there just isn't the luxe/service level we need. [And by "we" I mean my lovely yet pampered better half :)]. Anything from Indiana to Benton Harbor is clearly out, and Holland doesn't seem to have any full service high-end resorts or clubs.


The golf in northern Michigan is far superior and scenic to the GRR area. It has a huge concentration of top notch courses from south in the Manistee area to past Petosky with Boyne Highlands.

The flights to TVC are one hour on either United or American non stop. Most of the courses are resort style but here are a few private clubs TCCC, Beladere in Charlevoix.

The drive is more like 7-8 hours than five to six. Golf and beauty Go up north. Shorter commute GR or Holland

Traverse area is quite lovely & does have resorts/clubs. Some friends of mine from EGR (East Grand Rapids; upscale area) have a condo in the Traverse area & are there now. I'm waiting for them to get back & will ask them to provide more info re: that, plus input on the country clubs in GR area. Also, when my philanthropist friends get back from their trip I'll ask them about spas/CC in Holland/GR area.

I've got a trip to AMS coming up but am attending a charity gala in Holland the night after I return, so odds are I'll see some of them at that & can respond later with their input.

I like spas & do get the facials, massages, etc, in Holland, but can say it's not the same environment as a LaCosta or other resort spas which I thoroughly enjoy. I'm not familiar with the spas in GR. I'm not a golfer and I'm thinking of joining the yacht club vs. a country club as I'm more a water person. Holland area everyone's into boating.

I don't think you'd really go wrong with either Traverse or Holland, as Holland does offer a lot especially for your pre-schooler & offers a lot in general, including easy to get to via driving or train (plane would be overkill), which is why I was so detailed in post # 4. But to keep mum & dad happy w/ the spa/ccs :), then Traverse might be better for you.

BTW - this is a Marriott golf resort/spa property up north that's gotten good reviews.

The Inn at Bay Harbor Renaissance Lake Michigan Golf Resort

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/plnbr-the-inn-at-bay-harbor-renaissance-lake-michigan-golf-resort/

Recognized by GOLF magazine as a Gold Award Premier Resort and Travel + Leisure magazine as one of The World's Best Hotels, The Inn at Bay Harbor - A Renaissance Golf Resort rekindles the romance and style of the great turn-of-the-century Northern Michigan lakeside inns. The Inn at Bay Harbor enchants guests with spectacular Lake Michigan views, world-class service in the Peotskey Michigan area. 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom suites, designed with cottage-style elegance is ideal for a romantic retreat, girlfriends getaway or relaxing sanctuary from the everyday. Guests can choose to dine on classic cuisine in our lakeside Sagamore's Dining Room. The resort features 45 holes of championship Michigan golf, The Spa at the Inn at Bay Harbor, a private Lake Michigan waterfront and an outdoor swimming pool for summer use. Serene surroundings, complemented by functional meeting facilities and innovative catering, make northern Michigan's premier lakeside resort an ideal destination for group events and social celebrations.

Cheers.