Last Friday, the new nine-story Inn at Harbor Shores (800 Whitwam Dr., 269-983-1111; from $219) opened in Benton Harbor, Michigan, making it the first high-rise hotel to hit Lake Michigan’s southwest shore in 10 years. The $26 million waterfront property has 92 rooms, all with balconies. The hotel adds a needed lodging component to the 530-acre Harbor Shores development, a multi-use real estate project that includes the Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course, which will host the PGA Senior Championships on May 22.
About 90 miles from Chicago, The Inn at Harbor Shores caters to area’s boater crowd with a modern marina that has direct, deep-water access to Lake Michigan, as well as a sandy, private kayak and canoe launch. Other features of the hotel include indoor and outdoor pools, a restaurant and bar, 13 miles of nature trails, and a rooftop deck with views across the lake, golf course, and two nearby rivers. Later this summer, the hotel will open a full-service spa and a market with local beers and more for sale.
The design of the Inn takes a cue from the classic coastal style of the great lakefront resorts of the late 19th and early 20th centuries—in particular, Plank’s Tavern, a historic St. Joe’s hotel built in the late 1800’s by John Oliver Plank. If you go, make a day of combing nearby beaches, including John Klock Park and the wide Silver Beach. You can also walk to the charming shops in St. Joseph’s or the galleries in Benton Harbor’s emerging Arts District.
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