HotelChatter

We won't bore you with a full overview of each and every nook and cranny serving up bites and beverages here, as that's all on their website. We will, however, detail what gave us the sweet shivers:

· Walking into the Woods restaurant. You must come here, to this Bavarian-theme restaurant and bar that's literally out in the woods of the island, reachable by horse carriage from the hotel. It's quaint, from the carriage to the reception parlor with its antler decorations and single-lane bowling alley, until your name is called and you proceed into the vaulted main hall, flanked by towering fireplaces. Get the spaetzle.

· Ordering wine in the Main Dining room. The menu is excellent, the wine list is excellent and the sommelier is excellent. So everything is excellent, right? Blah—something's got to really stand out, and we found that in the last pages of the wine list, with two pages dedicated to local wines. Get the Cherry Cerise dessert wine. Treat yo'self.

· Lunching in the sun at The Jockey Club. In our opinion, The Jockey Club conveys the best sense of luxury of all the dining venues at The Grand. It's not just being outside, having a leisurely lunch on a weekday that does it, but the atmosphere. It's a mix of 1960s St. Tropez quayside resort glamor and Ralph Lauren-style classic Americana prepster. Wear your most expensive sunglasses and order anything on the pretzel bread.

Tomorrow: The grounds, the pool and more.

Inside The Woods restaurant, which is actually in the woods of the island

Disclosure: We were at the Grand Hotel as a guest of Pure Michigan while on assignment for Jaunted, but rest assured that all photos and opinions are completely our own.

[Photos & video: Cynthia Drescher/HotelChatter]