The brick Victorian Hall and its columned sister house, the Laurium Manor Inn, are a pair of luxury bed and breakfasts in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Laurium is an old copper mining town, once home to many of the wealthy mine executives, and these two homes have been lovingly restored to the original early 1900s’ splendor.

Both buildings are opulent mansions with at least three floors. The rooms are renovated and outfitted in period furnishings and antiques, and all have an ensuite bathroom. Many of the rooms have fireplaces as well. Sitting areas are located on each floor, and on the first level, guests can use the dining room, kitchen, library, and parlor. Both houses have elegant wrap-around porches with ample seating as well. As for my room, it was the tiniest bit smaller than I would have liked—I believe it was the smallest in the house—but still had a comfortable king-size bed and plenty of room to move around and feel at home.

Breakfast was nothing shy of exceptional. Although I had to walk across the street to the dining room (I stayed in the Victorian Hall and breakfasts were served in the Manor), it was always well worth the effort. Everything was made from scratch by the owner and tasted the part. During my stay, I had salsa eggs, almond poppyseed pancakes, and herb and cheese eggs with ham slices. Other breakfast staples like yogurt and granola, cereal, and fruit were supplied to allow for a balanced breakfast. The other guests were friendly and sometimes prestigious. On my last morning there, I dined next to a Michigan senator.

 
Since 1937, this Ann Arbor boutique hotel has been owned by the same family. The grounds include the hotel, a pool, a lounge, banquet and conference rooms, and one of Ann Arbor’s highest-rated restaurants. Each floor is inspired by a different luxury hotel around the world. Nature is a big deal here and sustainable, natural materials are used whenever possible. Whether it’s the moose sculpture among potted grass in the lobby or the wooden artwork on the wall at every elevator, the outside easily finds its way inside at Weber’s.

The guestrooms are simple but luxurious and have pillow-soft beds. In the bathroom, guests can use their phones or MP3 players to link up via Bluetooth to a surround sound speaker system while bathing in a multi-sprayer rainfall shower. My room had a fridge, but it wasn’t too useful—it appeared to just be an emptied minibar fridge that was awkward to keep things in.

My favorite part of Weber’s is the pool. The hotel is in Michigan so obviously, outdoor pools are not always a benefit. Weber’s pool is indoors but on a four-season patio. The area is surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows and large skylights. Looking toward the main portion of the hotel, it appears to be outside—and rooms along the poolside have spiral staircases heading down to the deck right from the rooms. And the best part? There’s a poolside bar and snack shack.

 
The Landmark Inn is Marquette’s honored historic hotel. Construction began on the hotel in 1910, then named the Northland Hotel. The business was the height of Marquette’s social scene for decades until it fell into disrepair. Eventually it was bought and underwent a renovation, and now the hotel retains its original beauty in architecture, design, and service.

Nearly all of the light fixtures and surfaces of the hotel are original, and antiques are found throughout the lobby and in the guestrooms. A few of the rooms are named after celebrities who have stayed at the hotel during its long history: Amelia Earhart, Abbot and Costello, John Voelker, George Shiras, Bishop Baraga, Fred Rydholm, and more. I stayed in the William Austin Burt room. The decorations and wallpaper brought in a sense of luxury, topped off with the ornamental fireplace in the corner. Antique furnishings mixed with more modern pieces added to the old-world feel of the experience.

One of my favorite things about the hotel was that the lounge on the top floor allowed guests to order food from either of the hotel’s two restaurants and have it served up there. The menu had some unique items, like savory cheesecakes, but overall the food was a bit of a letdown and pretty expensive. But the view from the lounge is spectacular and definitely something worth seeing, as well as the hand-painted fresco on the ceiling in the banquet room across the hall.

 
Decisions are limited to just a few hotels in downtown Boise. Stay at the busy high rise or just down the street at The Modern Hotel and Bar in the chic, up and coming Linen District. I chose the Modern because it was small, just 39 rooms, its style and history spoke to me, plus I’m a lover of well made cocktails and locally sourced organic eats.

I’m not a huge fan of your average hotel where all the rooms look the same and the food is nothing to write home about. The Modern Hotel had colorful, hip decor that made me feel right at home, without all the clutter or sameness that some hotels offer. The Modern is simple, with that small boutique feel, Eames style desk, closet and bed. Our room had a beautifully tiled, rainfall shower with small frosted windows into our room. Japanese soaking tub suites were available as well, if you have some down time and aren’t spending it in the wonderful outdoor space or bar.

The Modern Hotel and Bar is known for their bar. They have cocktails that are known to the media of New York and food aficionados of local organic cuisine. The bartenders were knowledgeable and able to make you just about anything for your taste and it would be incredible. We enjoyed our food and cocktails on the patio. At night the space is transformed from shaded oasis to campfire fun. They even host live music and campfire stories on some nights throughout the year.

This place is hip and fun. A great place to “camp” for the weekend in downtown Boise. You’re a short walk to other bars and eateries if you can pry yourself away from the amazing food and cocktails that are served at Modern Hotel’s bar.

Another fun historical fact about this place is that it opened in 1960 as a TravelLodge. It’s come a long way. Today, I’d say book with a group of your friends and enjoy the juxtaposition of the fun campfire patio with the sophisticated cocktails and organic eats that will keep you happy and full into the night.