Grand Traverse Motel
1010 E Front St, Traverse City, MI 49686-2708
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US$144
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EtripUS$144
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Room & Suite (18)
Dining (2)
About
#33 of 41 hotels in Traverse City
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
We are a family operated motel with 18 units. We provide in-room coffee, refrigerators, microwaves & air conditioning/heating, Free Wifi and Cable TV. We do accept pets in three ground floor rooms. The Motel is located just eight blocks from downtown shopping and dining and only one block from the beach. The Grand Traverse Motel is a non-smoking property.
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Property amenities
Free parking
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Free breakfast
Pets Allowed ( Dog / Pet Friendly )
Taxi service
Baggage storage
Non-smoking hotel
Laundry service
Room features
Air conditioning
Housekeeping
Private bathrooms
Coffee / tea maker
Microwave
Cable / satellite TV
Flatscreen TV
Bath / shower
Refrigerator
Complimentary toiletries
Hair dryer
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Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
Languages Spoken
English
Location
60Somewhat walkable
Grade: 60 out of 100
20Restaurantswithin 1 km
7Attractionswithin 1 km
Contact
1010 E Front St, Traverse City, MI 49686-2708
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96Reviews0Q+A17Room tips
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Standard motel. Lukewarm shower both nights but at least the response was quick so hope the visitors after us got hot showers. Very expensive for what it is so avoid weekends. Not too far from town, about 1/2 hr walk. Minimal breakfast but a good place just 15 minutes walk away.
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Date of stay: October 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
We actually stayed at this hotel in June 2021. I wrote a previous review and Christine, the owner, provided a lame response. When I first made my reservation and requested a more private room, she wrote me back that she would provide me with a room at the end of the second floor so there shouldn't be anyone going by your room. Unfortunately, I was not able to get that room and was put in a less than basic room. Blinds that were damaged and did not provide privacy, the bathroom was gross, lamp shade looked like someone had punch it out, wall paint was chipped. I am okay with a basic, well-kept, clean room, which is not what I would describe the room I was provided at this hotel. If Christine wants to call this basic, unless you really want less than basic, I would seriously consider a different location.…
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Date of stay: September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Dear Grand Traverse Motel, My full name is *REDACTED*, and I have been subjected to what I believe to be a racist incident perpetrated by Penny, a housekeeper. As the only guest of color, this situation has been very distressing to my family and me. I contacted the front desk to lodge a complaint with the owner, and Christine Allie and Clare stated that I could not speak to anybody else but her. I have been very polite, but your establishment has not. Since this establishment recently changed owners, senior management has been impossible to contact. Other reviews attest to the same. While understandably, this is not a luxury hotel, a minimum modicum of respect has not been afforded. I firmly believe this merits a management response and due investigation. I want to stress again that I have behaved very politely throughout this ordeal. I have been staying in Room 138. The other housekeeper, not Penny, is also cleaning the rooms alongside her approximately ten-year-old daughter. This violates Michigan's child labor laws. Moreover, this has also been ignored by Christine Allie. A BBB complaint has been filed, but we are still waiting for an answer.…
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Date of stay: July 2022Trip type: Travelled on business
Location
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
My credit card was compromised and charges were made on it in Traverse City when I wasn't even in the city.....I am a Canadian resident. I made a reservation and gave my credit card information to simply hold a room 7 weeks in advance of my arrival. After 2 days, I decided to cancel my reservation and unbeknownst to me, the manager had run my credit card for the full amount of the room WITHOUT my knowledge or consent. A refund was issued BUT within those 2 days, my credit card was used to purchase items and more attempts were made for unsuccessful purchases! I have spent hours trying to rectify this situation and this has been a massive inconvenience to me. The illegal charges stemmed from this location. This whole situation could have been avoided if the manager had not run my card in the first place.....again .....WITHOUT MY PERMISSION!!!!…
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Date of stay: May 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Response from Christine A, Owner at Grand Traverse Motel
Responded 25 Jul 2022
You provided your credit card details to make the reservation, we placed a deposit on the card as was explained when you made the reservation, we refunded the deposit when you cancelled the reservation. We are a PCI compliant location - we do not store any credit card information on site - it goes to a national processor. If we make charges, we send the charge to the processor and they charge the card. I don't know how illegal charges could have "stemmed" from our hotel, that doesn't make any sense.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
+1
I'm a bit overdue on this, but really felt like I should share our thoughts since I often look at reviews to help make a decision. We came to MI in June for my niece's wedding and planned a road trip up the coast of Lake Michigan to show off my home State to my CA husband. Back in March I had made a reservation at a AirBnB that ended up cancelling on me for no reason a month prior to being in Traverse City. I'm guessing they may have chosen to sell the property. With the late notice, I didn't have lots to choose from. I don't favor the motel type with the walkway that goes in front of the room so I had actually asked if they could accommodate us in a more private location. I was so pleased to receive this response, "I have put you in a room that should work for you. It's at the end on the second floor so there shouldn't be anyone going by your room. Thanks, Christine." Therefore, I was quite surprised when we arrived and there were no rooms that were remotely private available. Our room had a terrible set up, very run down, blinds that wouldn't close completely and the bathroom was digusting! I did give them 2 stars because I will say they were gracious with their offerings of to go packaged breakfast items like granola bars, etc. Overall though, I would not recommend this location and felt it was overpriced for what we received.…
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Date of stay: June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
2 Helpful votes
Helpful
Response from Christine A, Owner at Grand Traverse Motel
Responded 25 Jul 2022
Hello Ms. Trinca, we are definitely a motel with walkways that go in front of the rooms. The motel was built in the 1950s and that was the style then. Motels are not for everyone and we're happy to recommend some high end hotels in the area. We offer a simple accommodation close to town and close to the beach. We don't have private apartments, though, we offered you a room at the end of the row of rooms that no one would be walking by, that was the best we were able to suit your request. Our rate when you stayed in the later part of June was $175 for the night when the hotels and resorts were charging $300 to $550. We offer lower rates in a no-frills accommodation, but Traverse City is an expensive town. It sounds like a high end hotel would suit you better than a no-frills motel, please let me know if you need any recommendations.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
A funeral took us to Traverse City for a one-night stay. It was difficult to find a room in the summer that was not pretty pricey. The most reasonably priced room we could find was at the Grand Traverse Motel. A pleasant surprise. It is an older motel that has been recently updated. It is not plush, but our room was large and clean and pleasant. The owner was pleasant and helpful. The only (small) problems we had were not finding the ice. and when we went to leave in the morning, cars were parked on both sides of ours and the spaces were so small that we had to squeeze into the passenger side and crawl over the console to get into the driver's seat.
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Date of stay: July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Christine A, Owner at Grand Traverse Motel
Responded 25 Jul 2022
Thank you for staying with us, we hope to see you again soon!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
The room was clean and comfortable. Cleaning team is outstanding. Full size fridge was unexpected and helpful. We also appreciated that it was pet friendly. Plenty of space to walk dogs nearby. The building itself is older, but not a problem for us.
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Date of stay: September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Christine A, Owner at Grand Traverse Motel
Responded 25 Jul 2022
Thank you for your kind review, we love our housekeepers! We're so glad that you had a great stay and hope to see you again soon.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Stayed at the Grand Traverse Motel for one night in mid October. Room was a deluxe king. It was pretty good, clean, and recently renovated. However there were a few challenges. The blinds don't do a great job of blocking the light so the sun is very visible pretty early. Could really use some dark curtains. The bathroom remodel wasn't very good and the window had no screen. Both of those were not huge issues. The bigger issue was that, while the bed appeared fairly new, it was broken. The mattress frame collapsed to ~6" on one side when you laid down on it. (slept on by a very averaged sized person) This caused a rather uncomfortable night. Would have mentioned at check out, but the office is closed in the morning.
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Date of stay: October 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Christine A, Owner at Grand Traverse Motel
Responded 25 Jul 2022
We're sorry for your bed issue. The king beds have two twin box springs under it so if one gets pushed off of the frame, the mattress doesn't have anything to sit on. There is someone available 24/7 by calling the front desk. We would have happily come to fix the issue for you.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
I found the Grand Traverse Motel at the last minute for a 1 night stay in Traverse City on our way home to Ohio. The motel far exceeded any expectations we had and our room was even more updated than pictures appear (I unfortunately did not take any of my own, as we were in a bit of a rush upon arrival). The room was spotless and had a very nice flat screen tv, mini fridge, and bathroom. Five minute drive to downtown, where we found open parking to be abundant. Both staff members we communicated with were very friendly and helpful. I imagine the price is hard to beat in such a lovely city.
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Date of stay: August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Christine A, Owner at Grand Traverse Motel
Responded 25 Jul 2022
Thank you for staying with us and we appreciate your kind review!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
The Grand Traverse Motel's use of third party sites and the way they hide the fact that your reservation is non-refundable is in my humble and naive opinion sufficient reason for me to warn you to avoid this place when there are so many honest options available. Sleep in your car, on a park bench, but dont let them grab your money like they did mine.
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Date of stay: July 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
3 Helpful votes
Helpful
Response from Christine A, Owner at Grand Traverse Motel
Responded 25 Jul 2022
It sounds like you booked a non-refundable booking on Expedia. We only allow third party bookings through Expedia and its affiliates and Booking.com. Expedia charges 22% on top of our rates and their bookings are non-refundable because, as a small property, we do not have an account manager to work with to change reservations. Expedia very clearly marks the reservations as non-refundable and offers travel insurance in the case that you need to cancel. Bookings made directly with the property are fully refundable up to 3 days before and we often refund it or offer a credit in less than three days when we are able to rebook the room.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
PRICE RANGE
US$87 - US$333 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
grand traverse hotel traverse city, grand traverse city hotel
LOCATION
United StatesMichiganGrand Traverse CountyTraverse City
NUMBER OF ROOMS
18
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Claim Your ListingGRAND TRAVERSE MOTEL: UPDATED 2022 Reviews, Price Comparison and 26 Photos (Traverse City, MI) - Tripadvisor
Frequently Asked Questions about Grand Traverse Motel
Which popular attractions are close to Grand Traverse Motel?
Nearby attractions include Dennos Museum Center (0.8 km), Bryant Park (0.2 km), and Benjamin Twiggs, legendary cherry products (0.5 km).
What are some of the property amenities at Grand Traverse Motel?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free wifi, free breakfast, and free parking.
Which room amenities are available at Grand Traverse Motel?
Top room amenities include air conditioning, a flat screen TV, and a refrigerator.
What food & drink options are available at Grand Traverse Motel?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast during their stay.
What are some restaurants close to Grand Traverse Motel?
Conveniently located restaurants include Reflect Bistro Inside Cambria Suites Hotel, The Filling Station, and Cooks' House.
Are pets allowed at Grand Traverse Motel?
Yes, pets are typically allowed, but it's always best to call ahead to confirm.
Are there any historical sites close to Grand Traverse Motel?
Many travellers enjoy visiting The Village at Grand Traverse Commons (3.6 km).