Terrace Bay Hotel - Lakefront

The amenities were great. E bikes and kayaks are free and ready to use, what fun! The sauna was hot and the rooms were comfy

Bar restaurant- staff- room.

The new terrace rooms, the pool with a view.
Kayaks and bikes that are free to use.
Great customer service

The rooms were great and very clean. The staff were polite and informative as well.

The view was wonderful from the balcony in our room. Conveniently located. Very quiet, clean and a nice place to relax by the lake.

Lakeside view, friendly staff, esthetic environment

Beautifully decorated rooms with thoughtful small details like real glass glasses and real coffee mugs.

The king bed was comfortable. The room was clean. The shower was great. The view of Lake Michigan was exceptional! We watched fireworks from the balcony! Freshwater Tavern has outstanding walleye. The staff were courteous and friendly.

The Terrace Bay Hotel is probably the best hotel option in the Escanaba/Gladstone area.

Its location directly on Lake Michigan is beautiful. Compared with other nearby lodging options, it offers the most amenities and the closest thing to a resort experience.

The property consists of two connected buildings: the original motel-style building with rooms facing either the lake or the parking lot, and a newer four-story hotel building. The original section has been extensively renovated, and the renovations were done quite well. The property also offers a surprising number of amenities for a small hotel, including a coffee shop, an excellent restaurant and bar, an indoor pool, and other resort-style facilities. I was traveling for work, so I didn't have an opportunity to ​enjoy the resort aspect of the hotel.

The biggest oddity is the arrival experience. The front desk is tucked into the section of the hotel occupied by a franchised coffee shop with a drive-through. It isn't immediately obvious where guests are supposed to check in, and the drive-through lane almost looks like the parking area for the front desk. You would naturally expect reception to be located in the lobby of the newer building.

On the subject of the new building, I was surprised that its entrance remained unlocked around the clock. There was no staff member in that lobby, meaning anyone could simply walk in off the street. ​The Escanaba/Gladstone ​area is a very safe, but it still seems unusual that keycard access isn't required overnight.

Both the renovated original building and the newer addition are attractive, but I was surprised by the amount of wear and tear already visible throughout the property, including in the new building, which is only about two years old.

My guest room was located in the new building. At first glance it appeared clean, but a closer look told a different story. I paid extra for a lake-view room with a balcony, yet the balcony was filthy and looked as though it had never been cleaned. The bathroom sink and shower head had extensive staining and what appeared to be mildew. The coffee cups were stained. The microwave door and control panel were covered with fingerprints and grime from previous guests and clearly hadn't been wiped down.​ The floors had visible dust, cobwebs and debris. The handicap rails alongside the toilet had extensive rust.

​Similar issues repeated elsewhere in the property, reflecting a general lack of attention to detail. The stalls in the restaurant's bathroom were extensively rusted. Exposed pipes were sloppily painted. The lobby in the new building had boxes and other materials just left out in the open. In the restaurant, the fake leather fabric covering the padding on the bar was ripped and torn.

One thing that genuinely puzzled me was the complete lack of USB charging outlets beside the bed. In a hotel built only a couple of years ago, that's a surprising omission in 2026.

Dinner in the restaurant was outstanding and easily one of the highlights of my stay. I have absolutely no complaints about the food or service. The only disappointment is that the restaurant is closed for breakfast and lunch. Guests are instead directed to the coffee shop, which primarily offers microwaved breakfast sandwiches and pastries. For a property marketed as a resort, a proper sit-down breakfast would be a welcome addition.

Another improvement would be adding a small market selling bottled water, soft drinks, and snacks. The hotel doesn't even provide complimentary bottled water in guest rooms.

Summer room rates are not inexpensive. I paid nearly $300 per night for my stay. At that price point, I expected a higher level of attention to detail, particularly regarding housekeeping and maintenance. Overall, the operating standard is closer to a Holiday Inn Express or Hampton Inn​ with the added benefit of an excellent restaurant, bar, and meeting​/banquet facilities​. The hotel's waterfront location on Lake Michigan undoubtedly justifies much of the premium, but cleaner rooms and better maintenance would make the experience feel much more consistent with the rates being charged.

I hope management places greater emphasis on cleanliness and preventative maintenance. Doing so would elevate an already good property into an excellent one.

Great location. Large room.

The perfect location in this part of the U. P., although one should ask to be placed in the newer section based on other reviews. Clean comfortable, connected to the best restaurant in the area with very helpful staff. Reasonably priced as well.

Enjoyed kayaking ..
We will be back with more guests

Location, view of bay, directly on waters edge, quiet

Recently renovated, clean and great amenities.