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Empire Lakeshore Inn

2.5 star property

Photo gallery for Empire Lakeshore Inn

Exterior
Point of interest
Exterior
Front of property
Deluxe, 2 Queen Beds

Reviews

8.8 out of 10
Excellent

Popular amenities

  • Parking included
  • Free Wi-Fi
  • Air-conditioning
  • Housekeeping

Explore the area

View map
11730 S. Lacore Rd, Empire, MI, 49630
  • Place, Philip A. Hart Visitor Center
    ‪5 min walk‬
  • Place, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
    ‪13 min walk‬
  • Place, Empire Bluff Trail
    ‪19 min walk‬
  • Airport, Traverse City, MI (TVC-Cherry Capital)
    ‪40 min drive‬

Room options

View all photos for King Bed Annex

King Bed Annex

King Bed Annex

9.4 out of 10
Exceptional
(46 reviews)
  • 28 sq m
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 King Bed

View all photos for 2 Double Beds Annex

2 Double Beds Annex

2 Double Beds Annex

8.8 out of 10
Excellent
(40 reviews)
  • 28 sq m
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Double Beds

View all photos for Deluxe, 2 Queen Beds

Deluxe, 2 Queen Beds

Deluxe, 2 Queen Beds

9.2 out of 10
Wonderful
(35 reviews)
  • 33 sq m
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Queen Beds

View all photos for Deluxe King Bed

Deluxe King Bed

Deluxe King Bed

9.6 out of 10
Exceptional
(18 reviews)
  • 33 sq m
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 King Bed

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About the area

Empire

Empire Lakeshore Inn is centrally located in Empire, a 3-minute walk from Philip A. Hart Visitor Center and 13 minutes by foot from Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. .This beach motel is 1.1 mi (1.7 km) from Empire Bluff Trail and 3.3 mi (5.4 km) from Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive.
View more Motels in EmpireOpens in a new window

What's nearby

  • Philip A. Hart Visitor Center - 5 min walk - 0.5 km
  • Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore - 13 min walk - 1.1 km
  • Empire Bluff Trail - 19 min walk - 1.7 km
  • Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive - 5 min drive - 6.9 km
  • Crystal Mountain - 35 min drive - 48.7 km

Getting around

  • Cherry Capital Airport (TVC) - 48 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Shipwreck Cafe - ‬1 min walk
  • ‪Joes Friendly Tavern - ‬5 min walk
  • ‪Trattoria Funistrada - ‬13 min drive
  • ‪Empire Village Pizza & Spirits - ‬3 min walk
  • ‪Food For Thought - ‬6 min drive

About this property

Empire Lakeshore Inn

Sandy fun near Philip A. Hart Visitor Center and Empire Bluff Trail
Empire Lakeshore Inn offers 12 air-conditioned accommodations with coffee/tea makers and designer toiletries. Rooms open to balconies or patios. A pillow menu is available. LCD televisions are featured in guestrooms. Bathrooms include shower/tub combinations and complimentary toiletries.

This Empire motel provides complimentary wireless Internet access. Business-friendly amenities include desks and phones; free local calls are provided (restrictions may apply). Housekeeping is provided daily.

The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.
Make yourself at home in one of the 12 air-conditioned rooms featuring refrigerators and LCD televisions. Rooms have private balconies or patios. Complimentary wireless internet access is available to keep you connected. Bathrooms have shower/tub combinations and designer toiletries.
Take in the views from a terrace and a garden and make use of amenities such as complimentary wireless internet access. This Colonial motel also features a picnic area and a vending machine.
Featured amenities include express check-in, express check-out, and a vending machine. Free self parking is available onsite.

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and transport

  • Free self parking on site
  • Limited on-site self parking
  • Onsite parking includes off-street options

Family friendly

  • In-room refrigerator

Conveniences

  • Vending machine

Guest services

  • Housekeeping (daily) (for a fee)

Outdoors

  • Garden
  • In a national park
  • Picnic area
  • Terrace

Accessibility

  • No lift

More

  • 1 building
  • 2 floors
  • Built in 1987
  • Colonial architecture
  • Designated smoking areas

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Bedsheets provided
  • Pillow menu

Bathroom

  • Designer toiletries
  • Private bathroom
  • Shampoo
  • Shower/bathtub combination
  • Soap
  • Toilet paper
  • Towels provided

Entertainment

  • LCD TV

Food and drink

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Refrigerator

More

  • Air conditioning
  • Desk
  • Free local calls
  • Phone

Policies

Check-in

Check-in time starts at 4:00 PM
Early check-in subject to availability
Contactless check-in available
Express check-in available
Minimum check-in age: 18

Check-out

Check-out before 11:00 AM
Contactless check-out available
Late check-out subject to availability
Express check-out available

Special check-in instructions

There is no front desk at this property
The check-in location differs from the property location; go to: [11626 S. Sunset Drive Michigan]
Guests planning to arrive outside of normal check-in hours must contact the property in advance for check-in instructions and key retrieval information; your host will greet you
To make arrangements for check-in please contact the property at least 24 hours before arrival using the information on the booking confirmation
Information provided by the property may be translated using automated translation tools

Access methods

Host will greet you, key retrieval

Pets

Pets not allowed (service animals are welcome, and are exempt from fees)

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome
4 children, up to the age of 18 years, can stay for free if using existing beds when occupying the parent or guardian's room

Payment types

Important information

Optional extras

  • Housekeeping fee: USD 25.00 per stay

The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts credit cards and cash
This property reserves the right to pre-authorize the guest's credit card prior to arrival.
Safety features at this property include a carbon monoxide detector, a fire extinguisher, a smoke detector, a security system, and a first aid kit
This property has outdoor spaces, such as balconies, patios, terraces which may not be suitable for children; if you have concerns, we recommend contacting the property prior to your arrival to confirm they can accommodate you in a suitable room

We should mention

This property does not have elevators

Property is also known as

Empire Lakeshore Inn
Empire Lakeshore
Empire Lakeshore Inn Motel
Empire Lakeshore Inn Empire
Empire Lakeshore Inn Motel Empire

Empire Lakeshore Inn Reviews

Reviews

8.8

Excellent

Rating 10 - Excellent. 590 out of 1002 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 255 out of 1002 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 88 out of 1002 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 34 out of 1002 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 35 out of 1002 reviews

9.4/10

Cleanliness

8.6/10

Staff & service

8.2/10

Amenities

9.0/10

Property conditions & facilities

8.8/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

6/10 Okay

William

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Ok
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2025

10/10 Excellent

Tina

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2025

10/10 Excellent

Ferenc

Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2025

10/10 Excellent

Jennifer

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2025

10/10 Excellent

Robin

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Rob K.

Great location for Sleeping Bear Dunes and surrounding area! Within walking distance of restaurants, beach, gas station, and National Park Visitor's Center. Hotel was very nice, quiet, clean, and comfortable. Empire is a nice little town. Empire Village Inn pizza is amazing! Catch the sunset at Empire beach or on Empire Bluffs Trail!
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2025

6/10 Okay

William

Liked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Acceptable motel

Overall, it was acceptable. The bed pillows were much better than average for a hotel; the bed was maybe a little above average for comfort. The bathroom was disappointing in three ways: first, the shower curtain smelled sour. I have run into that problem at a lot of hotels that still use shower curtains. Why can't housekeeping staffs carry a bottle of dilute bleach solution and spray the inside of the curtain? That would be really easy and would kill the sour smell (to which I am really sensitive). Second, the sink drain was very slow. Dirty water sat there a long time, which is pretty disgusting. I told the housekeeper about it; who knows if she passed the word to the owners. Third, I am glad I took my own soap, shampoo because the stuff they stocked the room with was pitiful. They owner left an envelope to encourage tipping of the housekeeping staff, which I find off-putting. And the housekeeping staff did nothing except take away used towels, at my request. Maybe I expect too much........
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2025

10/10 Excellent

Sydney

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Nice and clean! Check in was easy.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2025

8/10 Good

Daniel

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Beautiful property. Spacious and clean room. Just a few maintenance issues spoiled a perfect start. Bath tub stopper not working. Microwave shuts off after a few seconds. Slow drain in sink. All minor details. I’m sure they will take care of it all. Room is still a very good bargain for the area.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2025

6/10 Okay

Pamela, Ocala

Travelled with partner
Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities
We stayed in the annex and you had to drive or walk across the street through an EZ Mart parking lot to get ice in the main building and that wasn’t very convenient. Also there were no USB plugs in the room which seems below par in my travel experience. And a small roach in my bed one night. It was very convenient to Sleeping Bear Dunes.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2025

10/10 Excellent

Larry

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great quaint place to stay and very convenient to the Lake and Bear Dunes. We will be back for sure.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Jay

Travelled with family, Travelled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities
Very clean and cozy
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Jay, Grand Rapids

Stayed 1 night in Aug 2025

8/10 Good

kathleen

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
It is in an amazing location. Just a short walk to the lake & short drive to Empire Bluff Trail!
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Jennifer

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Great place.

Very comforting and clean. The area was quiet and workers were very nice.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Margaret

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Nice place.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Leah

Clean!!!!
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Christina, Irmo

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Nice hotel good value
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2025

8/10 Good

Sally

Travelled with partner
Disliked: Amenities
Stayed at the Annex facility. Office closed on morning of check ou.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2025

8/10 Good

Tina

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Good stay in Empire

Very clean Inn. The beds were very comfortable, A/c worked well. Nice refrigerator. The bathroom door didn’t completely close, but was ok. Would have like a box of tissues in the room. Staff were nice but not overly helpful.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2025

6/10 Okay

erin

Travelled with partner
Location was perfect. But the room was just ok. It was strange because the room was so humid eventhough outside was not. So everything was moist. Sheets. My clothes. That was a turn off. A dehumidifier would help that.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Adam

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The place was great! We were only a short walk to the beach at Lake Michigan. And there were shops and restaurants to walk to from our room. Also, our daughter left one of her favorite stuffed animals there, and they mailed it back to us, which was so nice of them! Definitely recommend!!!
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2025

8/10 Good

Amanda

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
New, was roomy and comfortable! Very clean. The only problem we had is there was something going on either in the next room or somewhere close, sounded like remodeling or something and lasted until after 11pm. But otherwise, a perfect place to stay to explore the dunes.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2025

8/10 Good

Mathilde

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness

Average place

Very nice location, nice room and bathroom, isolation not good, we could hear thé neighbors though
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Ronald

Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2025