Little Traverse Bay, Past and Present

Hotels

58 Petoskey Motorists traveling on U.S. 131 or U.S. 31 encounter many hotels and motels as they enter Petoskey. All offer guests clean rooms, attractive views and, often, breakfast. A hundred years ago (when those highways were fields and forests) the same amenities—and more—were available at Petoskey’s downtown hotels.The Little Traverse community—particularly Petoskey—provided a wide range of guest housing options.These ranged from simple boardinghouses where a room could be procured to extravagant hotels that could compete with any luxury resort hotel on the East Coast. By 1900 a room at one of Petoskey’s fourteen hotels could be secured for $1 to $5 per day. Additionally, there were eighteen boardinghouses where those on tighter budgets could stay.The higher-end hotels provided concerts, dress balls, and dances (with music provided by house orchestras); costume, tea, and cocktail parties; elegant dining; and sightseeing excursions.These Hotels The original Arlington Hotel was opened in 1883. (Courtesy of Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University; courtesy of Little Traverse Historical Society) hotels offered a summer society that rivaled what the wealthier city dwellers experienced at home. Original Arlington The premiere hotel was the Arlington. Located a short walk east of the GR & I main station, it cost $60,000 to build in 1882. Four stories high, it had 115 rooms and offered its guests luxurious comfort and entertainment options. Hotels 59 just in time to see one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen. But it is not alone the sunsets, both as to time and poetic inspiration. During my stay I have heard nothing but praise from the guests about the superior service and cuisine. T he liveliest hotel scene on my trip thus far I witnessed as the train draws up in front of the Arrington Hotel in Petoskey, Michigan. A throng of people were on the platform and verandas. A band is playing and everybody seems to be supremely happy. Many of those people are from heated Cincinnati, Louisville, and southern cities. We arrived Hotel World of Chicago, July 1885 60 Petoskey a small private dining apartment off the main room; 160 guests can be comfortably seated at one time The first floor contained the office, reading rooms, ladies parlor, and reception room beautifully furnished with velvet carpet, massive pier glass, piano and public private dining rooms to seat 160 guests at a time. The remaining floors are given over to sleeping, bath and linen rooms, arranged each side of spacious hallways. All are nicely carpeted and furnished with black walnut, cherry, or ash suites with marble tops, purchased from the Phoenix Furniture Company of Grand Rapids. The house has electric bells to every room, and will be lighted with gasoline, a tank with capacity of 15 barrels having been set from eight or ten feet in the solid rock in the rear of the hotel. A twelve-foot veranda extends entirely around the hotel proper, making a delightful promenade. No better location can be found in the state than the site occupied by the Arlington. The view is magnificent and the breeze invigorating. N orthern travel is to be the great “go” of the season. . . . The Arlington will be informally opened for the reception of guests July 3. It is a grand structure, the grounds and floor plans being models of perfection for convenience and comfort. There are 115 large and finely furnished sleeping rooms, all well lighted and ventilated. . . . The ground or basement floor has a dance hall 40 x 70 feet; two billiard rooms—one for the gentlemen containing three tables and the other a private hall for the ladies with two tables of superior make and pattern; the bar and barber shop; a thoroughly equipped steam laundry; room for the help, and the kitchen, which is fitted with a twelve-foot range, pastry oven and every appurtenance that will add to the convenience of the chefs. On the first floor is the office for the reception of guests; reading rooms; ladies parlor and reception room beautifully furnished with velvet carpet, massive pier-glass, piano, etc. The dining room, which is on this floor, is 40 x 70 feet with 16 foot ceiling; there is also Grand Rapids Eagle, June 19, 1883 New Arlington By the 1890s other, newer hotels began to rival the Arlington, so the owners decided to reinvent it.The New Arlington Hotel...