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Betsie Bay Inn: Traveller Reviews

231 Main Street, PO Box 271, Frankfort, MI 49635
Hotel amenities
Betsie Bay Inn
Ranked #1 of 2 hotels in Frankfort
4.0 of 5 stars 41 Reviews
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41 reviews from our community

    Trip type
Traveller rating
    23
    9
    2
    5
    2
Date Rating
Auburn Hills, Michigan
Contributor
15 reviews 15 reviews
Reviews in 8 cities Reviews in 8 cities
5 helpful votes 5 helpful votes
“Must stay here”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 22 October 2011

This is a superb bed & breakfast. I wanted a b&b for our honeymoon last year. However, I wanted rooms on the first floor because stairs are hard for me. This b&b is unusal that it has several rooms on the first floor. Each room is unique with individual decorations - all Victorian. Each room has a special bonus of a whirlpool, hot tub or similar. We got one with a whirlpool. Reservations are easy - you can go on line or call and ask about the rooms. We returned there this year because we loved it so much. The prices compare well with hotels of this type and even compare well with other chain hotels. They vary depending on when you want the room.

There is a very nice restuarant serving all meals. The room charge does not come with a free breakfast but that is ok. The pancakes are the best we have ever tasted anywhere. We also had dinner there this year and last. They change the menu quite regularly and always have a curry dish because the hostess is Scottish. The wait staff is very good and recognized us from last year (how unusual is that?). As a recent reviewer said - the service can be a tad slow. My response is that the area and the hotel is meant for you to relax. So waiting a little longer than you expect is part of the amience - slow down and enjoy.
There is a nice bar and a wine cellar! We did not visit that but it does have a good reputation.
Although it is right on the main street of Frankfort, it is very relaxing and quiet.

It is true as one reviewer said that the water pressure is a bit low but that is because they are making efforts to conserve and have won some awards for their efforts. The large whirlpool did take a little bit of time to fill, but it is a large tub. Because we were relaxed we did not mind the time.

We found our room clean and the bed was excellent, though it is a little harder than I am used to. We will always stay there on our trips to NW Michigan.

Room Tip: Look on line - they have a description of every room. Every room has some sort of special bathing ch...
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  • Stayed October 2011, travelled as a couple
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
michigan
Contributor
19 reviews 19 reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
14 helpful votes 14 helpful votes
“love the the hot tub!”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 12 September 2011

The Betsie Bay has it all, great rooms and great food with attentive hosts. We have been there twice and will definitely be back!

  • Stayed June 2011, travelled as a couple
    • 3 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
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Ask skiteshome about Betsie Bay Inn
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Chantilly, France
1 review
“Rooms a good value - Bfast service slow”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 26 July 2011

The room was a good value (off season) but this place was our second choice. A nice walk to the beach and a nice Asian fusion restaurant across the street. The website describes the Inn as Victorian but it's covered in plastic siding which does make one wonder what is really underneath it. The low point of the experience was breakfast (not included with the room). We felt we had been completely forgotten by our server. We ended up just putting our money on the table and leaving.

  • Stayed June 2011, travelled as a couple
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
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Ask t5247rb about Betsie Bay Inn
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Saginaw, Michigan
1 review
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
“Won't be back”
2 of 5 stars Reviewed 7 July 2011
4
people found this review helpful

We had what was supposed to be one of the very best rooms. It was way over priced for what we got. The mattress needs to be updated, so do the love seats. The blinds were dusty, as was the decorative stove. The tub looked nice, but the water pressure was so low, that I decided not to wait 1/2 hour for the tub to fill. I had to fight with the shower doors, which were old and worn out and didn't want to slide. For $245 per night, I expected much better.

  • Stayed July 2011, travelled as a couple
    • 1 of 5 stars Value
    • 3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 2 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 2 of 5 stars Service
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Ask revkat about Betsie Bay Inn
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
BetsieBayInn, Owner at Betsie Bay Inn, responded to this review
9 July 2011
Oh Dear! I wish people would let me know they are unhappy when I can do something about it instead of waiting to get home then giving us a bad review. They left a sealed note at check out and I was getting my emails together to tell them they could have a free night in the winter by way of an apology when my husband told me they had written this. I'm very proud of our staff since they are freindly and make the utmost effort to make sure our guests are comfortable and enjoy their stay. That is why so many return .However I'll take the issues one at a time. The blinds were dusty - I checked eveything myself and yes they were dusty ! But the stove wasn't. It's a beautiful ornate cast iron stove that used to be in use but our insurance company doesn't allow them any more. The shower is a steam shower and as such needs to be really well sealed. It is quite old but it's very clean. The love seats have new loose covers on them made out of good quality upholstry fabric. The jetted tub is a 2 person one and I have not heard from any other guest that the water pressure is low so I have a plumber coming to check it out on Monday. (ps the blinds were washed with hot soapy water as soon as I saw that they were dusty!)
Lesley Owner
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Lapeer, Michigan
1 review
“Can't wait to go back in the fall!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 2 July 2011

My husband and I wanted a little weekend get-away from the kids and decided to try the Betsie Bay Inn. We stayed in a mid-range room (queen, with a hot tub). It was lovely; private, clean and well decorated. The hot tub is in the bedroom, and there was a small sitting area and a view of the garden. The staff was very friendly and welcoming. We had breakfast and dinner in the dining room, and drinks at the bar and everything was wonderful. We especially liked the bartender - her name I never caught - who was very friendly. Not the pour-and-go-back-to-talking-with-other-staff stuff. The Inn was a short drive from Sleeping Bear dunes (which we climbed) and the wine area of Michigan. At night, it was only a short walk to watch the sunset on the beach. There is so much to explore that we're going back. I peeked into one of their pricier rooms - ooh la la! I think those are well worth the higher price tag- very nice. Looking forward to the fall. My husband is already teasing that we should go back this weekend! Every time the kids get annoying this will be our mantra.

  • Stayed June 2011, travelled as a couple
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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BetsieBayInn, Owner at Betsie Bay Inn, responded to this review
9 July 2011
You will never know how much we appreciate our guests taking the time to write a nice review for us. It is SO valuable. Valuable in many ways. It's great for our morale it's great for our pride and it's really great for other people who may want to choose us as nice place to stay. So Thank You for making the effort we really do appreciate it.
Lesley - Owner
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Additional Information about Betsie Bay Inn

  • Betsie Bay Hotel
  • Betsie Bay Frankfort
Address: 231 Main Street, PO Box 271, Frankfort, MI 49635
Price range (per night):* 87 AUD - 205 AUD

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