Do the locomotion with me
(Part II)
How do the Hotel and Train businesses intersect? What are some of the longest, nicest, or scariest train routes? Read on to learn more !
Hotels with Railroad Roots
Many of the US grand railroad hotels were constructed between the 1880s and the first decade of the 20th century. It was a fine time to be rich and a fine time to operate a luxury hotel (before cars and planes changed travel patterns forever). Some of those hotels are still taking reservations. For instance:
- Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island, Michigan – To meet a rising demand for suitable summer lodging on Mackinac Island, in 1886, the Michigan Central Railroad, the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad, and the Detroit and Cleveland Steamship Navigation Company partnered to form the Mackinac Island Hotel Co. The wood-frame Grand Hotel opened the following year to guests who arrived by steamer and rail to sit and socialize on the hotel’s impressive 660-foot-long front porch. Rates were $3 to $5 a night . By the end of the 19th century, cars had arrived on the island but were quickly banned by a law that was strictly enforced in the 1930s. The island is still car-free today.