Bicycle Street Inn Mackinac Island: Worth It for Kids?
Mackinac Island is a small island in northern Michigan that does not allow cars. You can only get there by boat or plane, and even your Amazon packages arrive by horse. That quaint, time-warp charm comes with a short list of hotels and a long list of prices. The Bicycle Street Inn & Suites and Waterfront Collection sits right in the middle of the action on Main Street. So is it a good choice for a family trip with kids? Mostly yes, with a few honest caveats.
What Do You Need to Know About Bicycle Street Inn on Mackinac Island?
1. Location
2. How Can You Get There?
3. How Big Is the Bicycle Street Inn?
4. Room Choices
5. Pack ‘N Plays Are Available
6. Bicycle Street Inn Check in
7. Wi-Fi is Included
8. There is No Bicycle Street Inn Pool
9. Breakfast is No Longer Free
10. Ways to Save at Bicycle Street Inn
11. Nearby Dining Options
12. There is a Fitness Center at Bicycle Street Inn
13. There are Laundry Facilities Onsite
14. You Don’t Need a Bike
15. You Can Store Your Bikes in the Basement
16. No Pets Allowed
17. No Smoking at Bicycle Street Inn
18. Checkout Procedure
19. Cancellation Policy
20. Nearby Activities
21. Another Mackinac Island Hotel to Consider
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Quick Verdict: Is Bicycle Street Inn Worth It for Families?
Short answer: it is a solid, location-first pick that has grown up since we first wrote about it. What used to be a tiny boutique inn has expanded into a roughly 84-room complex across three connected buildings, and it has quietly added a couple of things kids actually like. Here is the bare-bones version before you scroll:
- Best for: couples, grandparents, and families who want to be steps from the ferry dock, fudge, and Main Street.
- Address: 7416 Main Street, Mackinac Island, MI 49757. Reservations: (855) 560-8005.
- Kid factor: no pool, but there is now an on-site arcade (Carousel Arcade) and an ice cream parlor (Sadie’s), which buys you some goodwill.
- Season: open seasonally, roughly spring through fall, and open for the 2026 season. Confirm exact dates before you book far ahead.
- The catch: it is expensive, there is no on-site parking to worry about (there are no cars), and the cancellation policy is strict.
Bicycle Street Inn on Mackinac Island
1. Where Is the Bicycle Street Inn Located?
Bicycle Street Inn is located at 7416 Main Street, right in the downtown core. The road in front of the hotel is packed with senior citizens people and horses day and night, which is part of the charm and part of the noise. You cannot beat this address for getting on and off the island quickly.
2. How Do You Get to Bicycle Street Inn?
There are no cars on the island, so it is a ferry or a plane. Planes cost a small fortune. Go for the boat.
Two companies run the passenger ferries: Arnold Transit Company (the operator formerly known as Star Line / Mackinac Island Ferry Company, which rebranded in 2024) and Shepler’s Ferry. Both are now owned by the same parent company, so service is fairly comparable. The dock porters will deliver your luggage straight to your hotel.
Pro tip: For the 2026 summer season, Arnold Transit lists round-trip fares of about $37 for adults and $25 for kids ages 5 to 12. Winter crossings run higher. Always check current fares and schedules before you go, since rates and run times shift with the season.
Bonus pro tip: Shepler’s terminal sits directly in front of Bicycle Street Inn. Arnold Transit’s dock is a little farther but still an easy walk.
Extra bonus pro tip: Dress for the weather. The docks and the boat ride are windy and unforgiving when it is chilly, which is most of the season that is not July.
Yet another bonus pro tip: If you are booking a 2027 trip well in advance, keep one eye on the news. The two ferry operators and the City of Mackinac Island have been tangled in a contract dispute, and both companies have signaled they could halt service for 2027 if it is not resolved. It will probably get sorted out, but do not be the family that finds out the hard way.
3. How Big Is the Bicycle Street Inn?
Here is the biggest update since the original review. The Bicycle Street Inn used to be tiny. It has since expanded into a combined property of about 84 air-conditioned guest rooms and suites spread across three connected buildings: Bicycle Street Inn & Suites, Waterfront Collection North, and Waterfront Collection South. So scratch the old “really small” line. It is now a mid-size boutique complex, not a sleepy little inn.
It is still on the quiet, grown-up side compared to a resort built around a water slide. If your kids are hoping to meet a hallway full of other kids and form a temporary vacation gang, this is not that. But the growth means more room types, more availability, and a couple of on-site additions worth knowing about (more on the arcade and ice cream shop below).
Note: The hotel is only open seasonally. Mackinac Island runs as a roughly May-through-October destination, and Bicycle Street Inn is open for the 2026 season. Confirm exact opening and closing dates before booking shoulder-season travel.
4. What Are the Bicycle Street Inn Rooms Like?
The rooms are decently sized. Many come with a bedroom and a separate sitting area, which buys you some privacy and breathing room when you are trapped indoors with small humans during a Lake Huron rainstorm.
Pro tip: Rooms include a refrigerator, microwave, and coffee maker, plus walk-in glass showers, premium bedding, and flat-panel TVs (roughly 42 to 50 inches). The larger suites run up to about 700 square feet and sleep up to six.
Bonus pro tip: None of the rooms are particularly special, and the smell of horses that do not use toilets may deter you from lingering on a balcony. Go for the cheapest room that fits your family size. The view is not what you came for.
Since the expansion, the property groups its rooms more loosely across the three buildings, generally as balcony rooms and balcony suites. The exact room-type names have shifted over the years, so check the current options when you book. Historically, the menu has looked something like this:
Premium Waterview Balcony Suite
These rooms have a private bedroom with either a king or two queen beds, a separate area with a queen sleeper sofa, and a balcony overlooking Main Street. You will be able to see the water from these rooms. They typically sleep up to six.
Mezzanine Guestroom
The Mezzanine Guestrooms sit on a lower floor. You can choose between a king or two queen beds. The view is of the interior of the building, which is to say there is no view, which is to say it is cheaper. They typically sleep up to four.
Atrium Suite
The Atrium Suites come with a king or two queen beds plus a separate area with a single sleeper sofa, generally sleeping up to five. If the exact configuration matters for your group, confirm the current layout and maximum occupancy with the hotel directly.
5. Pack ‘n Plays Are Available
Pack ‘n Plays have been available on request. Contact the hotel before arrival to have one placed in your room, and confirm availability when you call, since these things come and go.
6. What Time Is Bicycle Street Inn Check In?
Check in is at 3:00 p.m. If your room is ready early, they will let you in.
Pro tip: The hotel has offered a guaranteed early check-in for an extra fee that you can add when you reserve. In our experience this is unnecessary. The hotel will store your luggage, you will be out exploring the island anyway, and a guaranteed early room is rarely worth the upcharge. Save your money. Confirm the current fee if you decide you want it.
7. Is Wi-Fi Included?
Yes. Complimentary Wi-Fi is included with your stay. It is not going to win any speed awards, but it will handle the bedtime cartoon and the obligatory fudge selfie upload.
8. Does Bicycle Street Inn Have a Pool?
No, the hotel does not have a pool. If a pool is a hard requirement for your kids, you will want a different property (see the Grand Hotel note below, which is one of the very few on the island that has one). For what it is worth, you are on a small island in a cold lake; nobody is here for the swimming.
9. Is Bicycle Street Inn Breakfast Free?
No. The hotel used to deliver free breakfast bags to your door. That perk is gone. These days there is a daily on-the-go breakfast available for a fee (roughly $10 to $22 per person, so confirm the current price), and the property runs Winchester’s Donut Counter on-site, which has generally been open mornings from about 7:00 to 11:00. If you still see an old review praising the “free breakfast” floating around online, ignore it. It is not free.
Pro tip: A donut counter steps from your room is dangerous in the best way. Budget accordingly.
10. Ways to Save at Bicycle Street Inn
Given the limited season and the captive-island pricing, discounts are hard to come by. Nightly rates swing widely depending on dates and how far ahead you book, so shop around rather than trusting any single number. There are still a few real ways to save.
Bicycle Street Inn Booking Discounts
Third Party Bookings
Compare prices across third-party sites before you book direct. Bicycle Street Inn shows up on Hotels.com, Travelocity, Tripadvisor, and Expedia.
AAA Discounts
A AAA discount may be available. It never hurts to ask when you book, and if you carry a membership for the roadside towing alone, you may as well squeeze a few dollars out of it here.
Use Miles and Points
Miles and points are a great way to knock a real chunk off an expensive island stay. If you are new to this game, our guide to earning travel points and our best beginner points cards are a good place to start before you book.
American Express
Bicycle Street Inn can be booked through American Express’ travel portal using Membership Rewards points. These can be earned with several different credit cards.
Capital One
The Venture cards from Capital One let you erase travel expenses from your statement. Book the hotel directly, then wipe out the charge with your miles.
Chase
The hotel can be booked using Ultimate Rewards points on Chase’s travel portal. You can earn these points with several different cards.
Citibank
You can book the hotel using ThankYou points from Citi on its travel portal. These points can be earned with multiple credit cards. Not sure which card to chase? Our rundown on managing multiple credit cards without losing your mind can help you keep it all straight.
Discounts at Nearby Businesses
Show your room key around the island and you can pick up discounts at partner businesses. The current partner list has shifted over the years, so confirm what is active during your stay, but it has recently included spots like these:
Attractions & Activities
Carousel Arcade (conveniently on-property) and the Original Butterfly House & Insect World have appeared on the room-key discount list. Confirm current partners at check-in.
Dining & Treats
Winchester’s Whiskey & Bourbon Room has offered a room-key discount (typically around 10%, excluding alcohol), and gluten-free items are marked on the menu. Sadie’s Ice Cream Parlor, also on-property, is an easy after-dinner win with the kids.
Kilwins sits right by the hotel and makes great fudge and desserts, and Great Turtle Brewery & Distillery has gluten-free buns. These have come and gone from the discount list, so ask before you assume a deal.
Bicycle Rentals
Mackinac Island Bike Shop has consistently offered a room-key discount, which is the one to use if you actually want to rent a bike.
11. Where Should You Eat Nearby?
Beyond the room-key partners above, there are a few more spots worth knowing, especially if you need gluten-free options.
Pink Pony has gluten-free bread and decent food, and a deck that is a fine place to waste an afternoon.
The Good Day Cafe has some of the best ice cream I have ever had. Do not miss it.
For quick service, Island Slice Pizzeria has gluten-free crust. That said, I cannot recommend the dine-in experience in good conscience. The seating area was dirty when we visited, the kind of chunks-of-cheese-and-mystery-puddle-under-your-table dirty, and the pizza was average at best. Get it to go.
12. Is There a Fitness Center?
Yes, there is a small fitness center for guests. Given that you are on an island made for hiking with bikes to rent on every corner, you may never set foot in it, and that is fine.
Pro tip: In our experience you needed a separate key from the front desk to get into the fitness center, and the room key would not work. Worth a quick ask at check-in if you plan to use it.
13. Are There Laundry Facilities?
Yes. The hotel has guest laundry available, which is a genuine perk on a multi-day trip with kids who treat every meal as a contact sport.
14. Do You Need to Rent a Bike?
Bike rental is the hot commodity on Mackinac Island. There are no cars, the loop road around the island is famously bike-friendly, and most adults rent. But if you have little kids, you really do not need one. You can walk and take horse taxis to nearly everything that will interest them.
On top of that, rentals are not cheap, especially once you add kid bikes, trailers, or tag-alongs. If you are not going to get a full day of value, skip them or bring your own.
Pro tip: If you do want to rent, the Mackinac Island Bike Shop has offered a room-key discount. Use it.
15. You Can Store Your Bikes in the Basement
Bike storage is an afterthought at most hotels, but on a car-free island it is a real amenity. The Bicycle Street Inn offers indoor bike storage, so you can keep your rentals or your own bikes downstairs instead of cluttering up your room.
16. No Pets Allowed at Bicycle Street Inn
You will see a lot of dogs on the island, but you will not see them at this hotel. If you want to bring your pet, you will need to stay somewhere else.
17. No Smoking
Smoking is not allowed anywhere on the property.
18. What Is the Checkout Procedure?
Checkout is at 11:00 a.m. You can request a late checkout, which is granted based on availability.
Pro tip: The hotel porters will take your bags to your ferry for you, which is a small luxury that feels enormous when you are wrangling tired kids toward a boat.
19. What Is the Cancellation Policy?
The cancellation policy is annoying and draconian. In our experience it involved a cancellation fee, a window of at least 72 hours before arrival, and canceling by phone only. Policies change, so read the fine print in your confirmation and confirm the current terms when you book.
If you miss the deadline, you can lose more than your deposit; the hotel may charge you for the rest of the stay. This is not the place to gamble on a maybe trip.
Pro tip: Double-check the cancellation date in your confirmation. The window is sometimes longer than 72 hours depending on your travel dates and how busy the season is.
20. What Is There to Do Nearby with Kids?
There is not a ton aimed squarely at kids on the island, but you can absolutely fill a couple of days. You will stumble onto free public playgrounds that are a reliable hit. For the stuff you cannot find at home, consider:
Fort Mackinac
Fort Mackinac has several buildings to explore, costumed interpreters, and regular cannon and rifle firings that kids love. It will easily fill a few hours. We break down whether it is worth the ticket in our full Fort Mackinac review.
Horse Taxis
The horse taxis are both a mode of transportation and a tourist attraction in their own right.
Pro tip: They have been cash only, so bring bills.
Bonus pro tip: You have to call for a ride. You cannot hail one on the street.
Extra bonus pro tip: Reserving a taxi does not buy you a private ride. It does not. They pack in as many people as possible along the way. On one trip the driver asked me to put my (paying) son on my lap to squeeze in another passenger who had clearly visited the fudge shops a few times that day. Know that going in.
Mackinac Island Haunted Theatre
The Haunted Theatre has been running since the early 1970s, now in its fifties, and it shows its age. It has some scary-ish displays, but nothing jumps out at you. Admission has been about $10 per person, open daily during the season.
Pro tip: The owner is great. My son wanted to quit about halfway through because he was scared, and the owner walked us through the whole building with a flashlight, telling us the history of every exhibit. That is the kind of small-business service you do not forget.
Mini Golf
There is a mini golf course at Mission Point Resort. It is not special, and it is pricey, but it will entertain your kids in a pinch on a slow afternoon.
Hike to Arch Rock
If your kids can handle a walk, hike out to Arch Rock, a natural limestone arch towering over Lake Huron. You can skip rocks in the water along the way to keep little legs motivated.
Pro tip: The final climb has a lot of stairs. It is rough with a stroller, so consider a carrier for the littlest ones.
21. Another Mackinac Island Hotel to Consider
Mackinac Island knows it is unique, so most hotels do not need a pool to draw crowds. The Grand Hotel is one of the very few that has one (the Esther Williams Swimming Pool), and it is generally limited to hotel guests.
Is the Grand a better option? It depends on what you want. The Grand Hotel is a giant historic estate and the first thing your eye lands on as the ferry approaches the island. It has an old-world vibe you will either love or find stuffy, and it is incredibly expensive (non-guests even pay admission just to walk the grounds). It can be worth it if you plan to spend real time at the resort. If you mostly want to be downtown near the ferry and the fudge, Bicycle Street Inn wins on location.
If you are weighing other Michigan stays for the same trip, we have honest takes on the Homestead Resort, Crystal Mountain Resort & Spa, and a day trip to Sleeping Bear Dunes.
Frequently Asked Questions About Bicycle Street Inn
Is Bicycle Street Inn good for families with kids?
It is fine for families, with caveats. There is no pool and no kids’ club, and you will not find a hallway full of other children. But it is now a larger property with an on-site arcade (Carousel Arcade) and ice cream parlor (Sadie’s), and the location puts you steps from the ferry, fudge shops, and Main Street. For a two-day island trip, it works.
How many rooms does Bicycle Street Inn have?
The combined property now has roughly 84 air-conditioned guest rooms and suites across three connected buildings: Bicycle Street Inn & Suites, Waterfront Collection North, and Waterfront Collection South. It used to be much smaller, so older reviews calling it tiny are out of date.
Does Bicycle Street Inn have a pool?
No. There is no pool. Very few Mackinac Island hotels have one; the Grand Hotel is the notable exception, and its pool is generally for hotel guests only.
How do you get to the hotel without a car?
You take a passenger ferry from Mackinaw City or St. Ignace. The two operators are Arnold Transit Company (formerly Star Line) and Shepler’s Ferry. Porters deliver your luggage to the hotel, and from the dock it is a short walk to Main Street.
How many days do you need on Mackinac Island?
Two days is plenty for most families, regardless of where you stay. You can see the fort, hike to Arch Rock, eat your weight in fudge, and do a horse-taxi tour in that time without feeling rushed or running out of things to do.
Final Thoughts – The Bicycle Street Inn Mackinac Island Michigan
Bicycle Street Inn on Mackinac Island is a genuinely good location-first hotel, and it has grown into a larger, slightly more kid-friendly property than it used to be, with an on-site arcade and ice cream parlor in its corner. It still is not built around kids: there is no pool, no kids’ programming, and the crowd skews quiet. But the address cannot be beat, and two days is about right at Mackinac Island regardless of where you stay. If you book here, it will not be a topic at your kids’ future therapy sessions. It might even rate a fond donut-counter mention.
??? I love the last line: “it won’t be a topic of conversation at future therapy sessions.” Family trips are always such an ordeal. Sounds like a peaceful place to visit though for some low key fun… my son would love the haunted house. I, on the other hand, would probably be the one screaming and crying to leave.
Thank you for the post! I wasn’t aware there is a place called Bicycle Street inn on Mackinac island. Sounds like an interesting place.
I’ve never heard of this place before. How unique! It sounds like such a fun vacation.
I love travelling to exotic places, the last two years(almost) i have not gone anywhere but you`re given me a good idea of where to go.
I love boutique hotels and this one looks really fun! Being on a car-free island with bikes and horses is an attractive get-away 🙂
This is cool! Would definitely consider a boat if I’m going there. It looks amazing island. It looks like a place must visit.
Mackinac island looks interesting. No dogs at the hotel sounds great, since I’m afraid of dogs.
Mackinac Island looks so cool and I love that there are no cars. But good to know about the hotel properties and what will be best for families with younger kids.
Wow, Mackinac Island looks like a fascinating place! That’s amazing that no cars are allowed on the island; I love the picture with the horse carriage. It looks like a nice and peaceful location for a getaway.
This looks like such an adorable and charming place to visit! We do have young kids though, so maybe my husband and I will have to try to take a trip just the two of us!