Finding a hotel or AirBnB on Mackinac Island that is ADA wheelchair accessible is ROUGH. I literally called so many places and looked through so many listings to try to find something that was actually accessible.
Many places were flagged as accessible on a google search, but didn’t actually have fully accessible rooms and entrances. There are a lot of older Bed & Breakfasts with stairs or rooms that people will say “should be fine,” but don’t have enough space to move a wheelchair through the space or get into the bathroom.
After making countless calls and sorting through listings, we finally found a hotel that worked – and I’m sharing our experience so you don’t have to go through the same stress.
Finding a Wheelchair Accessible Hotel on Mackinac Island
We stayed at the Bicycle Street Inn & Suites in room 315, a courtyard balcony suite with two queen beds and a pullout sofa. When I called I was told this room was wheelchair accessible and when we arrived we quickly learned that it was not an ADA accessible room and were worried that it might not work at first. Fortunately the manager, Leilani, and her staff went out of their way to help.
Initially we looked at another room option – there was a king suite, which had more room for the wheelchair to move around by the bed, but the bathroom was narrow and less accessible. This room also only had one bed and I didn’t want to share a pullout sofa with my teenage son.
Room Accessibility
The Bicycle Street Inn and Suites does have actual ADA wheelchair accessible rooms. They are basic rooms that have either a king or two queen beds I believe. These rooms were booked when we were there.
We ended up moving a chair out of the original room that we had reserved to create more space for the wheelchair and decided to stay in that room. With the additional equipment we brought this room ended up working out well. It was a little bit of a tight fit for the wheelchair, but my mom was able to move around, use the restroom and even go out on the balcony.
I would recommend this room for anyone who had a standard size wheelchair or used a larger wheelchair, but is able to walk some. My mom had a wider wheelchair that she uses at home and it would not have fit well in the space.
Bathroom Accessibility
The turn to get into the bathroom is a bit sharp, but she was able to navigate and get in and out. There was even enough space for me to wash her hair in the bathroom sink, with a special cape that I used so water doesn’t get everywhere.
General Accessibility at the Bicycle Street Inn
The Bicycle Inn was easy to get into from the street with no stairs and wide doors. There was also an elevator so that we could easily get to our room on the third floor.
Outstanding Service & Staff at the Bicycle Street Inn & Suites
When we first arrived and realized the room wasn’t as spacious as I was anticipating, we spoke with someone at the front desk. A bicycle tour group had just arrived earlier than the hotel was expecting and the manager was being pulled in many directions, but somehow managed to juggle it all with grace. She was very kind and went out of her way to make sure they did everything they could to help accommodate us. How the manager handled this challenge was honestly some of the best customer service I’ve ever experienced. I hope they are paying her well because her leadership made all the difference in the world when it came to our stay at the Bicycle Inn.
Hotels with ADA Accessible Rooms on Mackinac Island
These are all the hotels I could find that state they have any accessible rooms. Unfortunately you cannot filter to select an ADA accessible room and it is not indicated on the booking side of the website, so you will have to call to book an ADA accessible hotel room on Mackinac Island.
If you have found another one, let me know and I’ll add it to the list!
- The Lenox Collection has accessible rooms and outlines details on their website.
- Grand Hotel states they have accessible rooms, but there is little info and appears to be no ability to book an accessible room online.
- Bicycle Street Inn & Suites does have ADA accessible rooms, but you will need to call when you book to confirm needs.
- Here is a chart that outlines accessibility at various hotels. I would still call to confirm accessibility of the entrance to the facility and not just the room at some of these.
Looking for more? Check out our other wheelchair accessible travel blogs!
Written By Erin Mullen
Erin is a digital marketing professional and content strategist who believes in being loving, authentic and bold. She is all about the detailed touches that turn experiences into truly memorable moments.
Social Media: @AnotherAdventureGirls
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