Port Austin Motel

Ok, it’s a little dated. But it’s dog friendly, clean, & cheap. Staff is easy going. It’s maybe 100 yds from the shore. In short, this place works.

We stayed there for our first anniversary and we loved it ! The room was awesome and the owners were very very nice !! Will be going there often for get aways ! We also got to check in early which was a plus !

I Love this little motel. Very clean, ive stayed here twice now and both times have been excellent. No complaints. Great hospitality from the owner.

This was a last minute trip, since we had either east coast or west coast plans that got mucked up by summer school. As we’ve done before, we picked an area, then got a travel guide. Also as usual, we knew, we didn’t know what we’d get til we got there. We were pleasantly surprised.
The place is old, no doubt, maybe one of the original motels in the area. We got a two-​bedroom unit. The rooms are small, the kitchen /​living area is adequate, the bathroom is small. It’s a MOTEL. If somebody stays here and complains about the space, then they aren’t terribly bright. For a classic motel, it was dandy.
The kitchen itself was great. We like making at least some meals on the road (so we do a lot of Residence Inns) because it beats having to eat out ALL the time, and especially having to scout out breakfast, which costs you lots of time when you have plans for the day. So this worked out well.
The PAM is maybe 300 feet from the public beach, which is a little hidden gem. most of the time there, we were the ONLY people on it. It’s a 10-​minute walk from Port Austin, which is a touristy little place with a number of businesses. PAM is also five minutes from the riding stables, and right off Route 25, which we used for getting to 90 percent of the area attractions.
Free wifi. Very helpful when planning out your week.
We came in the night a pair of storms wiped out the power for miles. The owner brought us candles and an electric lantern. We had a few other requests during the week, and all of them were taken care of without complaint. They were also helpful with advice on local stuff to do. It’s a family owned and operated place, and all of them are good people. Our last night there, the owner started a fire in their pit, and I hung out there with other guests.
I business-​travel a LOT, and I’m used to Marriotts and Hiltons and so on. But I know what these kinds of places are, and what to expect. I was more than happy with this place, the service, and the location. I would definitely visit again.
The price was also very reasonable.

I thought a lot about this– how many stars… it’s a strange place.
The positives:
1)staff seems nice if a little invisible
2)location is great– a short walk from Port Austin and half a block from the beach
3)this beach is incredible. Very shallow and calm to ¼ mile out or more (to my waist). Great rocks and driftwood and view. The kids and I loved it.
4)it was mostly clean
5)pretty cheap (though I didn’t think it was super cheap especially because of…)
The negatives:
1)We had a double room. It was two tiny rooms with tiny beds and tiny closets attached to a small living area, small kitchenette with a half-​size stove. Seriously, people must have been a foot shorter when the hotel was built, or maybe they were hobbits. Full-​size refrigerator though (?).
2)Did I mention the space was tiny? The double room layout described above was maybe the size a a normal hotel room with two queens, maybe. The teensy tiny bathroom had a tiny shower and a stool, from which you could brush your teeth in the sink without standing up. I am not a large man– 5’7″ and I could do this easily. My 11 year old son thought this was awesome– Alice in Wonderland-​ish. Please give the room the mushroom to make it grow larger.
3) The sheets and towels above were the thinnest, cheapest imaginable. Same with the shampoo and soap.
4) The décor was outdated– carpet to loveseat to furnishings, all 10+years old being charitable.
5) The room had a tv on the wall. We had no interest in watching tv, but my son, that lug, loved turning it on and changing from channel to channel just to see repeated blue screens.
So I don’t know– from the reviews I guess some people like this. But to be honest, I did not. I would not trust someone who gave this place any stars, so I won’t, because it did not meet my taste in lodging, at all, but maybe it does for some others.

Beware of room #4 — the jacuzzi or bridal room. My daughter’s dog came back to my home with fleas. Just that motel room. Of course, I had to pay to treat ALL of the dogs, in case either of the other 2 ended up with them… and I had to pay to buy a flea spray too. $ 178.00. Thanks again.

What a pleasant surprise when you have pets!!! It’s just a quick drive into town, but away from the summer crowds. There’s a public beach at the end of the street, with no parking, so the beach stays quiet! Rooms are clean and tidy, free of carpet and have everything you need at the beach. We will definitely be back!

Stayed the night on a Friday. Great deal on the off season. Had the 2 Queen beds and futon. Kids had fun. Very cute and retro. Clean, slept great. Smaller bathroom. The lake is right down the street to watch a sunset. We would definitely stay again.