Empire Lakeshore Inn

Clean rooms, friendly service, and a convenient location near Sleeping Bear Dunes.
The walls are paper-​thin — we could hear a quiet conversation in the next room, and were glad it wasn’t a party — but otherwise this this place hit the spot.
The manager is there during regular hours; for early or late check-​in, call ahead and he’ll sort out leaving the keys in the room. Similarly for early check-​out.
There’s not a ton of options for food or coffee during the winter in Empire; drive up to Glen Haven for that sort of thing. During the summer, there’s more within walking distance of the Empire Lakeshore Inn.
Definitely stay here, but bring ear plugs.

Very nice place, walking distance to the beach… just your basic hotel, air conditioned room and cable TV… but right in the middle of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park makes it all worthwhile.

We were planning a spur of the moment getaway for Valentines Day weekend and booked our room through
. Somehow our reservation got cancelled by the website, and Megan was gracious enough to call and confirm we indeed wanted to cancel. At the time we were halfway there, and had nowhere else to stay. When we arrived, Megan greeted us warmly and we headed to our room. It was nice to see a older hotel that was maintained and spotless. We will be heading back!

This was my first time in Empire during the winter. It has as much to offer in the winter as it does the summer. I absolutely loved it and the accommodations made my trip so relaxing. Megan will greet you at the front desk, very helpful and hospitable. The rooms were very clean. Pricing was fantastic. Coffee was always ready at the front desk. In short, I didn’t want to leave and I’m looking forward to my next vacation to Empire and stay at the Lakeshore Inn. Great experience.

The new owners did a nice job renovating the rooms. My room had new beds, fresh paint, and a flat screen TV. The Lakeshore Inn was perfect for a winter weekend getaway. Crystal Mountain and the Homestead ski hills were a short drive away and being able to walk to Lake Michigan to see the Ice Balls that have been making it on the news was a great perk. I’m looking forward to my next trip back.

Rooms were spacious, clean, and well kept, and the staff was freindly. Right across the street from the Empire Bluff and the beach. It was everything you’re looking for in a place in Northern Michigan! Will definately be back!

NEVER AGAIN!
The room was nice and clean, but the AC didn’t work properly (couldn’t heat the room and therefore it was freezing all night). Also, there was a party going on in the room above us and it was like they were in our room, the walls are so thin! They partied til 3am and we couldn’t sleep! As there were no other people in the hotel, we suppose that the owners were having the party, what is even worse for their reputation.

We found this place to be very nice, clean and moderately priced. We wanted to visit the Dunes Park and wanted plenty of time and this was very conveniently located. We were greeted by Megan at check-​in. She was very friendly and explained everything to us about our room and the local attractions. The room was clean and comfortable with two double beds. It bare bones but, clean as can be. There is fuel across the street and a fudge shop next door. There are bikes to rent down the street and the Park Visitor Center is just behind the Gas/​Convenience store across the street. There is a beach down the street and either a short walk or drive to see the sunset. Megan will look up the sunset time for you as well. It’s also a very short drive to the Park. We had a good stay and will return.

Great little quaint hotel within walking distance to the beach and a short drive to the dunes. Since the new owners have taken over the rooms they have done a 360. It was nice before, but now it is just better. Meagan at the front desk is a real sweety and will help you with your stay from getting you more shampoo to directing you to local restaurants. Empire beach is probably one of the nicest beaches I have been to. The sunset is amazing.

I stayed at this property in early May 2014 with my wife and my elderly parents. I ended up booking two rooms at this property via email communication with Megan for $ 59/​room/​night.
As such we had a pleasant stay here. Although the formal check-​in time was between 3 to 7 p.m., I arranged with Megan to come in later during the evening at 9 p.m. One of the rooms we stayed in had a microwave that we made use of for dinner on the evening we drove in. The location of the hotel was excellent (that was the prime reason for having chosen it in the first place) and was literally a stone’s throw from the Philip Hart Visitor Center to the Sleeping Bear Dunes.
The place was not without its drawbacks however. The hotel does not provide a breakfast and so isn’t quite a B&B. But neither is it a hotel with a front desk that is staffed through most of the day. This being the lean season, there was no one on the property for the 16 hours or so we were here. A number of toiletries were absent from our room and we ended up sharing some toiletries with our parents who were in an adjoining room. I also noticed that the phone in my parents’ room wasn’t working and when I tried checking whether it was plugged into the outlet or not, I found the area behind the desk where the phone was placed to be pretty pretty dirty :(Sadly, that wasn’t the only thing which was dirty. The toilet in our room was also not perfectly clean and I found a stain on one of the towels in our room. I also agree with the comments that were left by some of the other reviewers who noted that as this hotel is located right at the intersection of two arteries (M-​22 and M-​72), it could get fairly noisy during the summer. The parking space at this property is also quite limited and if the place is completely full, then it may be difficult getting a parking space during the peak summer season.
Would I stay here again? Well, after having stayed in Empire, one of the things that I would say is that one doesn’t have to stay in Empire or Glen Arbor to get a feel for the Sleeping Bear Dunes Lakeshore. Unlike other national parks where I have been, staying in Empire or Glen Arbor isn’t quite the same as staying within a national park surrounded by dense green foliage. Staying at Traverse City and driving for 45 minutes to get to the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive would not distract from enjoying the wonderful beauty of the Sleeping Bear Dunes and if I were making another trip to the Sleeping Bear Dunes, I would certainly consider staying in Traverse City rather than being hung up about staying in Empire or Glen Arbor. But if it turned out that prices at hotels in Traverse City were comparable with prices at the Lakeshore Inn, I would consider staying here again.

Great place to stay in Empire. Close to the local beach in Empire and the Sleeping Bear Dunes visitor center, also a quick drive to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Not exactly a 5-​star resort, but the prices are reasonable and it gets the job done for a weekend trip. Off-​season prices are $ 80 cash per night, peak-​season prices are $ 130. The owners of the motel are very welcoming, rooms are clean.