We had the opportunity to spend three nights in beautiful Traverse City, Michigan. Our lodging was provided by the Bayshore Resort, a smallish resort right on the beach of West Grand Traverse Bay. If you aren’t yet familiar with the geography of Traverse City, the Old Mission Peninsula divides the bay into two: West and East Grand Traverse Bay. Both bays have beachfront hotels, but the advantage of the western bay is its proximity to the downtown area. We were pleased with our stay and I would recommend it as a family-friendly hotel.
The Bayshore Resort has a Victorian theme throughout. The hotel has 120 rooms, many with a bayfront view and a balcony. We stayed in a room with two Queen-size beds and a spa. Here are a few pictures.
Of course, as soon as we arrived and my kids saw the beach, they couldn’t wait to get out there.
We were told the water temperature varies depending on which direction the wind is blowing. It was cool, but swimmable.
My kids usually love to build sand castles, but on this occasion, the older two decided to play “Bury our little sister.”
A water sports rental shop is located right on the beach and you can rent kayaks, paddle boards, wave runners, etc. My only complaint is that they didn’t stay open long enough. My daughter wanted to rent a kayak in the late afternoon/early evening, hours before sunset, but they were preparing to close and wouldn’t rent to her.
If the water in the bay is too cold for swimming, there’s another option–the indoor swimming pool. In addition to the 84-degree water temperature, I absolutely loved the cheerful decor of the pool area.
Isn’t it adorable how they painted clouds and hung kites from the ceiling?
And if the pool isn’t warm enough for you, there’s a hot tub too.
It would be hard not to be happy in a place that screams, “Be happy! You’re on vacation!” with kids happily swimming and splashing around.
Other hotel amenities include a complimentary hot breakfast buffet each morning. My kids love breakfast, so that made them happy. There are no restaurants on site, and the rooms don’t have microwaves, but there is a microwave on the beach level of the hotel that guests can use. The hotel also has an exercise room and a small arcade that had a selection of video games and an air hockey table.
Another family-friendly feature of the Bayshore Resort is that the entire hotel is smoke-free. But perhaps my favorite amenity was the beautiful sunset.
Enjoy the view from the balcony, the patio, or one of the recliners on the beach and enjoy the view.
Ready to visit?
Bayshore Resort
833 East Front Street
Traverse City, MI 49686
Disclosure: Our lodging was complimentary and provided by the Bayshore Resort. Our trip was arranged by Traverse City Tourism.
This attraction appears in my e-book, How to Visit All 50 States in 12 Trips.
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