Anchor Inn on the Bay

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Traverse City, MI
Anchor Inn on the Bay

A family owned and operated resort on beautiful West Grand Traverse Bay in Traverse City, MI. Message us with any questions or reservation requests!
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We look forward to hearing from you! Located in picturesque Leelanau County, the Anchor Inn on West Bay provides a quaint, quiet, and beautiful environment for people and families looking for a great summer experience. Contact us with questions or reservations!

05/31/2026

No stay is complete without a bonfire at the Anchor Inn 🔥 Although the beachfront and sauna get a lot of use, the fire circles are the communal hub in every season.

Firewood is stacked between the row of pine trees and available anytime for late night laughter and fun. Lighters, matches, fire starters, roasting sticks, etc are in the grilling and games shed outside the office. You can also add a s'mores kit to your booking!

We don't keep track of how much firewood guests burn through each year, but trust me, IT'S A LOT 🔥🔥
We believe this special time together is so important that we'll always keep it free ❤️

We get our firewood from a sweet local couple, Melissa and Jason who collect the cast off wood from the tree service that Jason works for. They split, season it, and set it aside for us to pickup by the truckload.

Lots of great photographers to tag here 📸 shay

(all the non-professional pics at the end lol)

05/28/2026

Every day couples are speaking with us to plan their wedding stays at the Anchor Inn! It's such an exciting part of what we do!!
Yesterday we gave a tour and got to hear the vision for their perfect wedding stay including a welcome party on the lawn and late night beach bonfires.
Our 3 acre property & beachfront are all yours to dream and plan the perfect wedding stay. We've seen everything: top chef plated dinners on the lawn, BBQ food trucks, mobile bars, tailgate parties, 5 piece bands, tiki after parties at the beach and pizza delivered to the fire pit.

We love feeling the energy these couples bring to the Anchor Inn. Weddings become so special when you're surrounded with the people you love. Reach out if you want more information. Our website's wedding page is the best place to start

05/22/2026

SPRING50 - SPRING SALE! Stay before the summer crowds, when the weather is fine and Northern Michigan is freshly green with new life 💚

Here's how to get $50 off your stay:
Book a stay of 2 nights or more checking in anytime from now till June 7, 2026. Use the code SPRING50.

This special offer provides $50 off the final room rate before taxes and fees for any stay of two or more consecutive nights. The discount is exclusively valid for new online reservations booked between May 22, 2026 and June 6, 2026. This promotion cannot be combined with any other offer, package, or discounted rate, and is limited to one $50 discount per household. The offer does not apply to pre-existing bookings, wedding stays, or group bookings. Guests must use the designated promo code at the time of booking. Standard cancellation and change policies apply, and the discount holds no cash value if the reservation is canceled.

05/19/2026

More days like this

05/10/2026

If you only have time for one hike - this is our top recommendation in Sleeping Bear Dunes. Empire Bluff Trail has it all: amazing views, beautiful forest scenery and the option to explore beyond the basic trail.

Round trip is a varied 1.5miles that is pet friendly and family approved. A vault toilet and picnic tables are at the trailhead parking.

If you've done this before and want to get creative, continue on the trail past the far lookout. You'll be rewarded with more bluffs and views that few see. The narrow sandy trail hugs the high coastline as you venture further into this untouched wild landscape.

04/26/2026

BEFORE & AFTER! The Lake House bathroom renovation wrapped up earlier this month, and we are so happy with the results!!
This renovation has been on our list for the past 3 years and this winter it was finally time. We worked tirelessly for 1.5 months to transform this space into a beautiful custom bathroom with timeless design features. Demo started Feb 25th and the first guests were welcomed on April 10th. That's a tight turnaround while also juggling other projects and keeping up normal operations. We're so thankful for our amazing team pulling off this challenging job.

04/22/2026

Earth Day at the Anchor Inn! 🌎 We don't mention these highlights often because it feels so normal to us! But whenever we travel, we're reminded of how many disposable items and single use plastics are part of everyday hotel operations.

We work against these norms. It means purchasing differently, hand washing dishes, sorting recycling, and thinking before buying something new.

Restoring something old and putting it to use gives us such a good feeling and is the best form of recycling. We also think it makes for a memorable stay. This week we'll be planting a couple quaking aspens and bushes on the grounds.

Happy Earth Day 🌎 ❤️

"

04/17/2026

A little tour around cottage number 14 captured by ❤️

We love designing, restoring, collecting and decorating. This cottage is an excellent example of all of the things we love coming together.

Inventory/items of note:
- Vintage scrabble
- 1950s ViewMaster w/ reels
- 5 original paintings
- Tartan wool blanket (Buchanan)
- Salvaged brass ship lights
- 1 antique local map
- 2 antique handmade rugs
- Antique weather station
- Books from our personal library
- 4 ice fishing rods
- 3 antique mirrors
- Ice fishing sled upcycled as coffee table (not shown)
- hand made model motor boat (not shown)

That's a lot! That's a lot to dust and keep clean too! But we love it. To us it feels like a special kind of home. We hope it feels peaceful, freeing, and joyful for everyone who stays.

04/11/2026

First Kayaking of the Season!!! Yes, the kayas are back on the beach and the water is crystal clear! This paddle session ended in finding a Petoskey stone! (and a mild sunburn - but only on dad)

Petoskey Stones are fossilized coral and Michigan's state stone. You'll spot them by their six-sided honeycomb/starburst pattern created by ancient coral polyps. They're easier to spot when wet.... but we've obviously built up our rock hunting skills to find them when dry. If you walk around the Anchor Inn beach with a keen eye, you're almost guaranteed to find one.

Kayaks are always free to guests and available anytime. Lifejackets are in the shed on the beach.

04/07/2026

THE SAUNA - come reset yourself in this little wood fired oasis in the cedar trees! 🔥
We also have some news about this weekend... it's the 2nd annual Michigan Sauna Fest right here in Traverse City!! We're sponsoring the event and hosting all of the sauna folks who are bringing the fun. That sadly means we don't have any space for anyone else to stay this weekend, but still get a ticket and come experience the festival!

We'll be at the festival wearing Anchor Inn gear so stop us and say hello! Follow for more information with tickets. We would love to see you there!

Our sauna is open year round and free for guests to use. It's a completely diy wood fired sauna that is open anytime. We split and restock wood almost daily because our guests love it so much.
shay always with the amazing pictures! ❤️ (Check out her book)

Address

12068 S West Bay Shore Drive
Traverse City, MI
49684

Telephone

+12317144484

Website

http://anchorinn.net/

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