3 Michigan hostels, hotels win top spots in national competition

For the third year in a row, a hotel or inn in a Michigan wine country has won first place in USA Today’s annual 10Best Wine Country Hotel competition.

Not only that, but, for the first time, three Michigan hostels or hotels won the top three places in USA Today’s annual Readers’ Choice Travel Awards competition.

Chateau Chantal Winery and Inn on Old Mission Peninsula, near Traverse City, was voted the best wine country hotel of 2021. Ranking second and third respectively, were the previous first place winners, the Walloon Hotel in Walloon Lake, near de Petoskey, and the Black Star Farms Inn near Suttons Bay, on the Leelanau Peninsula, outside of Traverse City.

The upscale properties – all located in northwestern lower Michigan – were in competition with hotels and inns in well-known wine regions such as Napa and the Willamette Valley.

The top 10 Readers’ Choice nominees were chosen by a panel of wine industry experts and voted on by the public. The nominees offer a “perfect place to relax with a glass of wine after a day of sightseeing and tasting in the wine regions of the country”. Hotels in California, Oregon, Virginia and Texas were also in the Top 10.

The 2021 competition marked the first nomination of Château Chantal.

“A wonderful moment of gratitude for us at Château Chantal to be ranked among the best in the country, and a real honor for us, Michigan companies, to be among the top three”, declared Marie-Chantal Dalese, President and CEO of the family. -property, 65 acre estate. “It is a joy to share our local beauty and delicious wines, as well as a well-deserved thank you to all of our staff who work diligently to make this business successful.”

Château Chantal, the editors note, “combines a vineyard and a cellar with a luxury B&B. All suites and rooms offer exceptional views of the vineyards or Grand Traverse Bay, most with private patios or balconies, and many rooms include bars and hot tubs. Amenities at the inn include fireplaces and seating areas, as well as an exceptional breakfast.

When Château Chantal opened in 1993, it was a three-bedroom B&B. An expansion was carried out in 2003, creating a dozen rooms and suites. Eleven of the suites are named after French artists; the well-appointed rooms evoke the style and spaciousness of a French chateau.

“My parents were looking to create a European-style wine experience, one where you could stay in the owners’ house, drink wine from the grapes grown outside your window and relax in the rural landscape,” said Dalese.

“Our B&B offers a unique experience as you are in the same building as the winery, the tasting room and the innkeeper’s residence,” she added. “It is still a family home, and we pride ourselves on making clients feel welcome and well taken care of… we have a high rate of return – many clients come back year round.”

The Hotel Wallon, a luxury boutique hotel located on the shores of Lake Wallonia in the Petoskey wine region, took second place. The 32-room hotel won top honors in 2019. The hotel offers guests free valet parking, free meals, a private bar, billiards room, fitness center and hot tub. heated outdoor whirlpool.

In third place, Inn at Black Star Farms, a Kentucky-style residence. Black Star won first place in 2020. The hostel has 10 classically furnished rooms, with touches of contemporary and equestrian style. Some rooms have a fireplace, hot tub or private patio. Each afternoon, guests enjoy a wine reception in the Pegasus Lounge, with a glass of award-winning Black Star wines and freshly prepared bites.

Chateau Chantal and the Inn at Black Star Farms are surrounded by vineyards and are part of the Traverse Wine Coast.

“We’ve been talking about the maturity of the Traverse Wine Coast for a long time,” said Trevor Tkach, president of Traverse City Tourism. “The more than 40 wineries produce award-winning wines. They have top notch facilities. They have become an important part of travel in Northwest Michigan. Making the properties stand out as the best in the country is remarkable… We’re thrilled to have them at the top of the list, and it highlights the whole Northwest Michigan wine experience.

More than 3.3 million people visit the Traverse City area each year and wine tours have become “an integral part of the Traverse City experience,” Tkach said. Visitors looking for information on the region’s 40 or so wineries are among the most frequently asked questions. “Guests often come here to sip wine with friends, relax and take in great views of Grand Traverse Bay. It is an essential part of the experience.

Best wine country hotel

Château Chantal Inn and Winery, Traverse City, 2021

Inn at Black Star Farms, Suttons Bay, 2020

Wallon Hotel, Walloon Lake, 2019