When the Ware family purchased Mission Point Resort in 2014, their goal was simple: to become stewards of the historic property, make improvements and renovations and provide an extraordinary experience for their guests.
Nearly a decade later, the family’s commitment to their goals remains evident at Mission Point Resort, the largest family-owned hotel on the island. Rooms and suites have been renovated. Amenities have been added. Family members are hands-on in the day-to-day operations and immersed in the island’s small community.
The latest renovation, unveiled in the spring, focused on the Main Lobby and Round Island Kitchen. The family is calling the revamped lobby “Mackinac Island’s newest living room,” a welcoming, open space with light colors and views through the restaurant of the expansive lawn
and the Straits of Mackinac.
“The reimagined lobby and Round Island restaurant were done with great care to maintain the building's integrity along with enhancing its location on the island,” says Tim Hygh, who is executive director of Mackinac Island Tourism. “The results are stunning. I see something new every time I'm there. The renovations are tremendous for Mission Point and the entire island.”
The Main Lobby, housed in a tipi-like structure, and Round Island Kitchen were largely decorated in the same manner as the 241 guest rooms and suites before those renovations occurred. Maroon and hunter-green were the dominant colors of furnishings and decor throughout the resort.
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Liz Ware helps with the construction of the new front desk.“What we wanted to do was to make Mackinac Island’s newest living room authentic and welcoming. That was our focus,” says Liz Ware, one of three Ware siblings involved in the resort’s operations and who led the redesign effort. Mark Ware is the resort CEO and D.J. Ware is vice president of strategic capital and technology.
“We didn’t want to look like just any hotel you walk into. We wanted to respect the architecture of the lobby, which is so unique, but bring in the colors of the island,” adds Liz Ware, who is vice president of sales and marketing.
That lobby was built with nine 50-foot trusses of Norway White Pine from nearby Bois Blanc Island. The integrity of the structure has been retained but changes have been made to the front desk, decor and furnishings to make the room light and open, reflecting, as Ware notes, the island’s colors.
“When you look around Mackinac, you don’t see maroons and hunter-greens,” Liz Ware says. “The beams in the lodge are beautiful. When you walk in, the big wood logs create this tipi-esque lobby. We left them as they were. Where there was paneling, we painted and lightened things up.”
The front desk is made from rocks collected on the island. The desktop is made from old bleachers from Mission Point’s college era. The custom carpeting was designed by Liz Ware and Keeley Householder at Shaw Carpeting, blanketing the floors with the blues of the Straits of Mackinac.
“There are blues in the carpet and the furniture – you see blues all around the island, in the sky, in the water. We’ve used the colors of flowers that are dominant on the island. You see flowers everywhere on Mackinac,” she says.
Other details reflect aspects of the island as well. Tulip-shaped lights celebrate the thousands of tulips in bloom at Mission Point Resort in the spring. Chandeliers are reminiscent of ferns that grow wild around the island. The legs of the cement tables (French Faux Bois) are shaped like small trees climbing out of island bluffs.
The chairs by the windows are original to the lobby, and have been restored by Eric Yelsma and his team at Detroit Denim. The tables and chairs in Round Island Kitchen were custom-made by the Grand Rapids Chair Company.
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The new front desk was built with rocks collected from the island. Mission Point Resort made a point to use Michigan companies for the renovation. Some 40 Michigan companies were involved.
“We are really proud of that,” Ware says.
For many returning visitors, one of the most noticeable new features of the redesigned Main Lobby is the openness and the ability to see through to the Round Island Kitchen, a view that was previously blocked.
“I love what they’ve done with Round Island Kitchen,” says Anne Gault, who, along with husband, John, operates MackinacRun Events, which include the Great Turtle Trail Race each October. “Change is never easy – the place looked the way it did for a lot of years and people got used to that. But people I know who live on the island go in now and say, ‘wow.’ ‘Wow’ is the word I hear almost all the time about the changes.”
The Gaults have been coming to Mission Point Resort for more than three decades, years before the Wares became owners. Their MackinacRun Events is headquartered at the resort. They’ve noticed many changes but the biggest has been the hands-on involvement of Ware family members, frequently seen lending a helping hand to staff with cleaning and other duties.
“During our many years of coming, there have been different management companies,” Anne Gault says. “It wasn’t until the Wares came along that it felt like family there. They go above and beyond all the time. They put so much effort into providing a quality experience. It’s not just an investment property to them. It’s important to them and to the whole family.”
The resort opened in 1987 after serving some years as a headquarters for an international moral and spiritual movement. The Wares began making improvements as soon as they purchased the property in 2014.
Initial efforts focused behind the scenes – on infrastructure, fire safety, internet, air conditioning – to improve the overall guest experience. Over the years, the family added the Lakeside Spa & Salon, refurbished the Conference Center and built the Promenade Deck outdoor pavilion event space, used for weddings and other events.
“We knew when we purchased that property that it had a lot of potential,” Liz Ware recalls. “There were maintenance issues - that was our first focus. These were things not visible to the public but important to the operation of the hotel. Then we started getting into public spaces, renovating rooms, and looking at our gardens.”
Liz Ware’s parents, Dennert and Suzanne Ware, purchased the resort after being approached by the previous owner. The family had been working on another island project and had gotten to know the resort owner. Dennert Ware, who worked for a medical devices company, had always dreamed of running a family business after retiring.
“The Ware family has taken island ownership very seriously. Their continuous reinvestment into their property is admirable,” Hygh says. “They never take shortcuts and they always have the island in mind. They are very generous...not only with their money but also with their time and talents.”
Long before this season ends, Mission Point Resort will have a plan in place for next winter’s projects, which will begin the day after closing in the fall. There is only a six-month window to complete improvement projects, requiring lots of planning to deal with the transportation of supplies, construction schedules, and ferry service, which ends, sometimes for weeks, when the Straits freeze over.
“My parents and we are stewards and caretakers of this property,” Liz Ware says. “ “On Mackinac island, it’s our duty to take care of Mission Point so people can come and create these wonderful memories. So many people return year after year. We see generations of families come back. When you hear their stories, it makes you want to do the right thing here. Sometimes it’s not always easy but it’s important. It’s the right thing to do.”