More about Hamilton Inn Select Beachfront
Okay, But Could Find Better
by TripAdvisor Member wx3guy
We stayed at the Hamilton Inn Select because it seemed like a great rate for a great room. For the most part this is true.
When we arrived they said that we were the last to arrive because the hotel was full. Somehow though they had a room they could upgrade us to for $10 per night because it was larger and had a better lake view. The room was spacious but nothing that special. The one problem was that the room was right across from the elevator. Every morning there were people outside waiting for the elevator making enough noise to wake you up. So, avoid staying by the elevators.
The breakfast was very good with a wide variety of food to choose from and a helpful staff. This made life easy being able to grab a quick breakfast before heading out for the day. The pool also was really nice.
Two other things that attracted us to this hotel was the $75 attractions savings package and the high speed Internet. I don't see how what we were given, even after asking if this was the package, it would be worth $75. The only thing that we could use was a coupon to the butterfly house. The chamber TV channel says to check with your hotel for an extra savings card, but they say that the hotel doesn't participate in it. Then the high speed Internet is only available in the lobby with their own access point. So it is kind of a hassle.
Overall, the stay was okay but it could have been better. While I am not disappointed by our stay, next time I may give some place else a try.
BEWARE BEWARE BEWARE
by A TripAdvisor Member
Notice a pattern? 5 star and 1 star reviews? And all the 1 stars say the same thing about the dishonesty and rudeness of the management while the 5 star reviews tout this as being the best place ever. IT'S A TERRIBLE PLACE TO STAY!
Family of four with 2 small kids wanted nice place to stay for 2 nights. Registered after 12 noon, went to Island for the day, got back late. Crawled into bed and small son said blanket was gross. Checked blanket and found dried (not a stain) material that in my opinion appeared to be semen. We stripped the blankets (had brought some for the kids, anyway) and decided to leave first thing in the morning. When I approached the desk, they said it was after cancellation time (which was "24 hours before 11 o'clock on the day before checking out". This translates to us coming in the day before we booked the room to cancel the second day.) The owner (said his name was Bob, but found out later it is Jim) was summoned and when I told him calmly that we were going to a different hotel, he told me that he was sending the maid "back to Jamaica on the next plane". I asked him to not try that tactic on us because making us feel guilty would not change our mind. He called the maid and went to the room. He came back and asked me to come look. I went back to the room and the blanket had been switched, of course. He then told me I seemed like an honest guy, and if I would go to another hotel "they did business with" (owned, it turns out) he would transfer my reservation, but if we didn't, then he had to put down the reason we cancelled and the maid would be deported. That ticked me off, because he was back to the guilt trip. When I said no, he yelled at me to stop raising my voice, that I was going to be charged and if I didn't cease and desist, he would sue me for slander. All this in the hotel lobby in front of other guests!
When I told him he was crazy and wouldn't get any money for the second night, he turned the security camera on me. I asked him how as the owner of this establishment he could treat guests this way and he denied being the owner! I told him one of the desk clerks had identified him as the owner and he shot the guy an evil look.
My wife called the credit card company and they advised us to get a copy of the bill. He wouldn't produce one. I asked for one repeatedly, and then the owner's brother Enzo came out from behind the desk to punch me out. I asked him to go ahead, but he backed down. We called the police and they couldn't get one for us either.
The policeman apologized to us and left us with the impression that our experience was not unique. We went to the Chamber of Commerce and they told us that this guy does this all the time and had formed his own chamber of commerce just to intercept complaints. And Hamilton Inn Select sounds like a luxury level of some chain, doesn't it? If you call 1-800-Hamilton, you get the owner's place in Rochester, MI.
DON'T STAY HERE EVEN IF YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT.
Breakfast buffet is horrid
by A TripAdvisor Member
The Hamilton advertises a 25-foot breakfast buffet. We were extremely disappointed by the buffet, which is nothing more than a couple tables against the wall with absolutely lousy food. The scrambled eggs are not real eggs; I can only guess at what the light yellow substance is. Then there's the sausage patties, which are beige in color, leaving you wondering what they're really made of... I suppose lots and lots of filler. That's it as far as a hot breakfast. Then there's a couple of large containers filled with sugary breakfast cereal. The fruit on the buffet is fruit cocktail, in syrup, straight from the can. Even the little containers of cream for the coffee weren't really cream nor half & half; the first ingredient was some sort of partially hydrogenated oil. So if you're the least bit concerned about your diet or healthy eating, you'd better plan on eating breakfast somewhere else! There were no problems with the hotel itself or the service, and we very much enjoyed our stay there, but you might want to seriously consider other plans for breakfast. The breakfast buffet is total garbage!
Worst Customer Service Award
by A TripAdvisor Member
World's Worst Customer Service Award...
My wife and I needed to cancel our Sunday reservations. We started attempting to cancel on Weds. but discovered they don't accept them via email. On Thursday we followed up on phone because they had not responded. I told the representative I would fax a copy of my email...he accused me of lying...saying maybe I had since typed one up! He questioned my truthfulness a couple of other times on matters.
I chair the Social Studies Dept. at a high school and my wife is Dean of Students. We are not in the habit of spending our time lying about reservations.
Reason for cancelation...surgery...which I offered to send documentation of...NO GO. We were charged for the room. Do yourself a favor, book another hotel.
NEVER STAY HERE
by TripAdvisor Member onumom
The staff was absolutely horrible. They were so rude they had my wife in tears TWICE. The rooms are NOT that great. Any favorable reviews you read here had to have been written by the owners. There is NO WAY anyone would be happy here.
Not ecstatic about our stay...but not disappointed
by A TripAdvisor Member
My wife and our three boys stayed two nights this summer at this hotel with a great location. Our beachfront room had beautiful views of the straights and Mackinaw Island. The balcony was a nice feature. The room was adequately clean and large enough for our family. Although the room wasn't exceptional, it was nice. We found the free breakfast bar and indoor pool to both be disappointments. The food wasn't that good and the pool was too small. The front desk staff wasn't overly professional but the cleaning staff were all very friendly and helpful. We would recommend this hotel for a family stay due to the excellent location. Everything worth doing in Mackinaw City is within walking distance. One of the ferry services is right outside the back door. Parking is plentiful. We don't believe the room was worth the $168 nightly rate. We believe the room and hotel would be a better value with a rate in the $100 to $125 range.
absolutely horrible.
by A TripAdvisor Member
I had the wrost time here! We got into the lobby and found out that everyone who worked here was absolutely horrible. They were rude to my husband and me! We have been coming to Mackinaw City for 15 years now and have stayed at many different hotels and this one by far was the worst one we have ever stayed at! We thaught that the hotel was old, but thier front sign is very misleading! Grand Opening? Yeah maybe 15 years ago!!! We found out from a few local stores that it once was a Hampton Inn, but the name was removed! I don't know why it was, but I think I know why! Everything their is the lowest standard of a hotel I have ever stayed at, and I have stayed at $40 a night hotels that and nicer to their people and rooms are nicer than these!! I have read all the reviews on this web site for this hotel and i just have one question, WHAT HOTEL DID YOU STAY AT, BECAUSE IT SURE WASN'T THIS ONE!! TO EVERYONE WHO READS THIS DON'T MAKE THE MISTAKE WE DID BY STAYING HERE!!!
WILL NEVER STAY OR RECOMMEND THIS HOTEL
by A TripAdvisor Member
Arrived at hotel to check in. Staff was nice. Gentlemen at the counter said my room would be hard to find so he would show me the way.
He walks me up the stairs behind him to a dark room. The room is used for the breakfast everyday from 7-10am. My room is right off of this room. No room number, no lock, just a normal door knob that I have on my garage door. So the door is hard to open and the door breaks with in 2 hours of us checking in. Manger was rude and blamed us for the door breaking, and there was nothing he could do. We had to go to another hotel at 11:30 pm because they had no other rooms available.
This room was just some extra space they had that they wanted to change into another room.
WILL NEVER STAY OR RECOMMEND THIS HOTEL.
Tourist Worst Nightmare
by A TripAdvisor Member
Old, nasty, smells like a backed up sewer, over priced extremely rude staff, owners are rude, no customer service at all. Act like they are doing you a favor by letting you stay here. Would not let my dog sleep in this place.
Sign in with Facebook
