Location
Mackinac Island, MI
Original Construction
1920
Completion Date
2021 Size
6,166 sqft

The Grand Hotel added a 200-foot-long pool in 1920 named after Esther Williams, the famous American swimmer and star of This Time for Keeps. Over the decades, the pool established itself as one of the hotel's most aesthetically significant features, offering generations of guests a memorable resort experience alongside views of the Straits of Mackinac.

HopkinsBurns Design Studio led a comprehensive renovation of the pool complex, maintaining its iconic hourglass shape and seating terraces that link the pool to the lawn and hotel porch beyond. Now complying with ADA standards, the pool’s terraces feature a system of ramps and a zero-depth entry to promote accessibility for all guests. The addition of a splashpad and waterslide expands amenities for families, while a separate pool and cabanas allow adults to enjoy the space comfortably as well. The firm preserved the historic entryway of the Pool House while expanding it to include a fitness center, meeting room, full kitchen, bar service, and an open-air pavilion with operable windows. Additionally, HopkinsBurns designed a Bath House off of the pool deck to provide modern restrooms, showers, and changing facilities, successfully blending rich history with modern functionality to ensure the Pool’s preservation for generations to come.