When looking for Traverse City Resorts for your next holiday in Michigan, I can save you some time and just tell you that Grand Traverse Resort and Spa is amazing. It is tucked back from the main downtown area because it has three golf courses on property. If you are looking for a luxury stay via Traverse City Resorts – Grand Traverse has it all.

So what makes Grand Traverse Resort the best in Traverse City Resorts? The Grand Traverse Resort is located on a bountiful 900 acres, offering its guests:

• 86,500 square feet of meeting space
• 7,000 square foot spa
• Nearly 600 guest rooms and condominiums
• Five restaurants and lounges, including Aerie Restaurant & Lounge on the 16th floor
• Gallery of Shops
• Three championship golf courses including Jack Nicklaus-designed The Bear, The Wolverine by Gary Player, and Spruce Run by William Newcomb
• Private Beach Club on Lake Michigan’s Grand Traverse Bay
• Four indoor/outdoor pools and several indoor/outdoor hot tubs
• Indoor Water Playground
• 100,000-square-foot Health Club with five indoor tennis courts
• Nearby Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel with shuttle

Just looking at the sheer amount of offerings Grand Traverse Resort has to offer, I would say browsing for Traverse City Resorts just got a whole lot easier.

Getting to Grand Traverse Resort and Spa offers many options. You can fly directly into Traverse City to the Cherry Capital Airport (TVC). From Detroit (DTW) the flight time is about 1 hour and 5 minutes. I flew into Detroit and because my family lives there, we drove – which took about 4 hours. The drive through Michigan is easy and most importantly scenic! If you are considering making the drive up to Traverse City Resorts BEST resort, you will love the drive.

Rooming Options:

Grand Traverse Resort is quite large overall offering about 600 rooms for its guests. With six areas to choose from, guests can select to stay in the Tower, hotel, in a condo, or in a home. During my stay I checked into The Tower with my mother and because it is recently renovated, everything was fresh. However, if you have a larger group traveling, you could opt to get a condo or home to share.

What I loved about the Tower was the gorgeous views because you could see the golf course and views of the sunrise. If you know me, I will do just about anything for a great sunrise or sunset and my view each morning delivered from the 15th floor. Since these rooms are newly renovated, expect to find a relaxed luxury vibe with reflections of local culture.

The bed was brand new and there isn’t much else that can satisfy oneself than sleeping like a baby while on vacation. The headboard design along with the plush pillows are a silver tone which speaks to the modernness and sleek design of the room.

Traverse City Resorts: Grand Traverse Resort and Spa Room Features:

• All-new furniture, lighting, bedding, fixtures, carpeting, window treatments, and bathroom.
• HDTV with 65 channels
• Lightening fast WiFi
• Gorgeous bathroom with preferred lighting
• Enclosed glass shower
• Beautiful tiled back splash in the bathroom
• Luxurious bath amenities
• Plush robes
• Large closet space
• Work station
• Plenty of areas to charge electronics
• Coffee and tea bar with a sink and fridge
• In-room dining
• Nightly turn down service
• Smart TV: movie rentals, order room service, etc

 

Dining:

When you are looking for Traverse City Resorts, one thing that really blew me away was the food at Grand Traverse Resort. Grand Traverse Resort offers three restaurants, four bars/lounges, and in room dining. I want to note that in-room dining is not available 24 hours a day, therefore plan ahead and have some snacks available at night if you think you will get hungry.

Aerie Restaurant

Aerie has the best food in Traverse City in my opinion. We dined at several restaurants during our stay and no other dining option compared. Aerie offers vast views of the Grand Traverse Bay with floor to ceiling glass windows and perfect sunset views high atop the Tower. During our dinner we started with a wild mushroom risotto and a crab and avocado salad. Risotto is a hard dish to crack because of its laborious cooking method, but Aerie made it to creamy perfection. If the only dish you order is the risotto, you will be just fine. For our main entrees we ordered the pork tenderloin and the dry aged New York strip. Both dishes were cooked perfectly and so tasty!

We both went all in on desert and got the cherry toffee pudding cake. Traverse City has over 3.5 million tart cherry trees and therefore a lot of dishes are centered around this scrumptious fruit. We both agreed that all the food was exceptional at Aerie, the upscale decor and the views were also just as marvelous.

Sweetwater American Bistro 

Located off the main lobby and offers plenty of seating, Sweetwater is the perfect breakfast to end our trip. On Sunday morning during our stay we stopped into Sweetwater American Bistro for the buffet breakfast. There was a made to order omelette station, fresh fruits, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, potatoes, yogurt, a variety of breads and pastries, and then juices and coffee. I am a huge fan of bacon, therefore I would recommend getting some since it was so good! My mother and I both raved about how quick and easy the buffet was in addition to being fresh.

In Room Dining:

Late Saturday night around 10:00pm we got hungry and ordered a pizza from room service and ordered a movie on TV. I do not have a picture to show you as evidence but we ate the entire thing. The pizza was delivered in less than 30 minutes and was still hot when it arrived. We did not get anything else from room service because we dined at the hotel and outside, but I would recommend it – just check the hours as it is not 24/7.

Other dining and bars/lounges:

Because our time was so short, we did not get a chance to dine at The Grille and we also did not get a drink from any of the four establishments on the premises.

Grand Traverse Activities:

Out of all the Traverse City Resorts, Grand Traverse Resort has it all. From championship golf, world class spa, a healthy club, tennis, and gaming nearby. There is more than enough to do at the resort that you could visit and never leave the property. During my stay over the weekend they did offer Saturday night s’mores around the fire. I do not think this is a nightly offering, but worth checking out when you visit.

Overall Review:

We absolutely loved Grand Traverse Resort! When I was looking for Traverse City Resorts, Grand Traverse kept popping up as “the place to stay” because it was everything and more! Our stay surely exceeded all my expectations. From the moment you arrive you feel this sense of home where the staff are friendly and have warm smiles. The Grand Traverse Resort is the luxury hotel to book while you are visiting Traverse City, Michigan.

Additional Information:

• Address: 100 Grand Traverse Village Blvd, Williamsburg, MI 49610
• Phone: (231) 534-6000
• Distance from Cherry Capital Airport: ~20 minutes
• Parking: Self parking on site

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Disclaimer: I was hosted by Grand Traverse Resort and Spa, but as always, opinions are entirely my own.