Best Weekend Getaways from Chicago, Illinois: Grand Traverse Resort

 

Located near the Health and Spa Club, The Hotel offers affordable but still comfortable and clean accommodations. Rooms have either two queen beds or a single king bed with a sleeper sofa. The rooms also come with a coffee maker and free coffee.

The newly renovated Tower is aptly named. The 17-story glass building dominates the resort and is visible for miles away. From their rooms, guests can take advantage of the height with marvelous views of the nearby golf courses, the bay, and the surrounding woods. The rooms offer free high-speed Wi-Fi, a refrigerator, a phone/radio with a smartphone dock, flat-screen TV with cable service, and a coffee maker. The rooms come with two queen beds or a king bed with sleep in sofa.

The Condos at The Shores are perfect for couples looking forward to some time on the water. Located near the East Bay, The Shores are just a short walk from the resort’s private beach and marina. Each condo is uniquely decorated, but all exemplify the lakeside atmosphere. The condos offer one or two bedrooms, a dining area, a kitchenette, and living-room with a sleeper-sofa and private patio or balcony.

The Resort Homes are perfect for a family looking for an extended stay at Grand Transverse Spa and Resort. While the homes are privately owned, guests are provided with the full amenities of the resort. Located near The Bear golf course, they are also perfect for any guest planning on spending a lot of time on the green. The resort homes are fully furnished with a full kitchen, living room with fireplace, and a deck to enjoy the views of the golf course while guests relax.

 

The resort boasts an impressive five different restaurants on the property, making sure guests never need to leave the resort to find something new to try.

Aerie Restaurant and Lounge is worth the meal for the views, if nothing else. Located on the 16th floor of The Tower, it offers stunning views for miles of the surrounding countryside through its floor-to-ceiling windows. Sunsets are particularly breathtaking. The décor of the Aerie is distinctly modern, with the metal accents and the simplistic chairs and tables matching the seamless windows.

The menu of the Aerie is partially dictated by what foods are in season, as ingredients are locally sourced, and can change slightly, but it focuses on a diverse arrangement to satisfy anyone. The offerings range from burgers to Japanese food to filet mignon to Italian and anything in-between. The Aerie also offers a wide range of deserts, wines, and spirits to match whatever meal guests choose. For those wishing for just a quick snack, the Aerie’s Lounge is perfect for a quick bit and a beer while still enjoying the excellent view.

Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, The Sweetwater is perfect for the guest who likes a relaxed environment and a diverse menu. The décor of the Sweetwater is a simple and guests are arranged in a semi-circle with a buffet area situated in the middle. The menu includes staples such as soups, salads, burgers and sandwiches, pizza, and entrees such as pan-roasted chicken and meatloaf.

The Grille is located off the 18th hold of the Bear golf course and is perfect for the looks to bring its guests to the elite golf clubs of Europe. The décor of the Grille really works to bring this to light with stone and wood accents, tartan chairs, and wild game on the walls. The menu is classic club fare with salads, burgers, wings, and crawfish among others and a fully stocked bar to occupy any meal.

For those who don’t wish to get out of the Michigan weather, the Grille also offers a patio with lawn chairs where guests can watch the golfing action. Jack’s Sports Bar is the ideal location for guests wishing to catch up on a game while getting a bite to eat. Jack’s offers four wide-screen TVs hung strategically placed throughout the bar so guests can enjoy the game no matter where they are sitting. Jack’s menu is similar to The Sweetwater and offers a select variety of comfort foods that are perfect finger foods while enjoying some games with friends.

 

Featuring three separate courses cut through the woods of Northern Michigan, Grand Traverse Resort and Spa has a course for everyone. Frequently used for the Michigan Open, each course provides award winning golf.

The Bear, aptly, is the hardest course the resort has to offer, and the hardest course in all of Michigan. Designed by the famous Jack Nicklaus, the course offers standard Scottish terraced fairways and tiered greens with plenty of mounds, bunkers, and roughs to keep the golfer in check. The Bear course runs through the forested wilderness of Northern Michigan and offers some relaxing views to take the edge off the game.

The Wolverine is a great course for any golfing level. With four different sets of tees, the course is very customizable for any guest. The first nine holes take advantage of the area’s natural wetlands and feature a variety of water hazards. The back nine move into the higher woodlands with a great view of the East Grand Transverse Bay. The course is the first to be Gary Player in the state of Michigan. The Spruce Run is the resort’s original golf course, though over the last few decades it has gone through a number of changes. The current name comes from the numerous spruce trees that the course runs through. These days, the Spruce Run serves as the resorts easier golf course with a Par 70. Don’t be fooled though, the course can still prove to be quite the challenge. The course features many rolling hills and 13 of the 18 holes feature a water hazard of some sort.

Grand Traverse Resort and Spa offers a golf academy offers a wide range of instruction at their 2,000 square foot facility. The academy boasts instructors with over 30 years of golfing and teaching experience that are ready to impart their knowledge to guests of any golfing level. Hands on instruction is booked on an hourly basis with a free fifth hour after booking four. The golf academy building features indoor/outdoor bays for practice swings and are equipped with motion-capture cameras so the academy experts can analyse a guest’s swing frame by frame. The building also features the GC2-powered Golf Simulator by Foresight Sports so that, even in winter, resort guests can fill their golfing cravings. The simulation five complete courses and can also help with club fitting.

 

Grand Traverse Resort and Spa is winner of many current spa awards, and the Spa Grand Transverse guests can rest assured that they are in good hands.

The Spa Grand Transverse offers a menu that is full to bursting with different massages, treatments, facials, nail care, make-up sessions, hair styling, and waxing. The Spa Grand Transverse also carries their own line of facial and body care products made from local products and only available at their location. Any spa treatment comes with a complimentary pass to the resort Health Club so guests can relax in the pool or hot tub after their massage.

 

Grand Transverse Spa and Resort is very family friendly and offers a wide variety of kid friendly activities. All restaurants come with kid menus. The Golf Academy and tennis courts offer specialized courses just for kids, including golf camps for an entire summer of golf lessons.

The Health Club’s indoor waterpark is a hit for any family, and an indoor pool is reserved for kid use during the afternoons. There is also a kid’s hot tub which features lower temperatures that are kid safe. The Health Club also offers sitting services for guests who need a little couple time.

Grand Traverse Resort and Spa boasts an impressive five indoor courts and four more outdoor courts. They are also recognized as one of the top 50 tennis resorts in all of America. Along with the courts, Grand Transverse Spa and Resort offers one on one instruction from tennis experts for guests of any level. They also offer a wide arrangement of classes throughout the week which focus on different aspects of tennis and level of tennis expertise so that there is a class for any guest.

Grand Traverse Resort and Spa offers a wide variety of pool options for any guests with two indoor pools, two outdoor pools, and an indoor water park. The outdoor pools are located next to the Spruce Run golf course and the Private Beach Club near the bay. There are also lots of hot tub options scattered throughout the resort and for those looking for something more natural, the bay is also open for swimming. Bikes are available for rent at the Health Club. Grand Transverse Spa and Resort uses ElliptiGo brand, which has won accolades for training and exercising. The resort roads and sidewalks are open for biking, but all golf cart paths are off limits.

The bay waters at the Private Beach Club are open for boat enthusiasts or any guest who wishes to spend the day on the lake. Guests can rent paddleboats, canoes, kayaks, jet skis, deck boats, and pontoons.

100 Grand Traverse Resort Blvd, Acme, MI 49610, Phone: 231-534-6000

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