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Empire Lakeshore Inn

2.5 star property

Photo gallery for Empire Lakeshore Inn

Exterior
Exterior
Point of interest
Deluxe, 2 Queen Beds
Exterior

Reviews

8.8 out of 10
Excellent

Popular amenities

  • Housekeeping
  • Air conditioning
  • Parking included
  • Free WiFi

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)
    ‪39 min drive‬

Room options

View all photos for King Bed Annex

King Bed Annex

King Bed Annex

9.4 out of 10
Exceptional
(45 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

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.
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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
  • Little Glen Lake - 6 min drive - 9.0 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

Colonial motel in Empire with free parking
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
  • Onsite parking includes off-street options

Family friendly

  • In-room refrigerator

Conveniences

  • Vending machine

Guest services

  • Housekeeping (daily)

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

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. 597 out of 1029 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 269 out of 1029 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 93 out of 1029 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 35 out of 1029 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 35 out of 1029 reviews

9.2/10

Cleanliness

8.6/10

Staff & service

8.2/10

Amenities

8.8/10

Property conditions & facilities

8.8/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Marc

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stay next-door to the sleeping bear fell apart visitor center. This location is very convenient. Small quiet tile. Was able to get a good meal at the village Inn, which I could walk to and in the morning I got up and rode my bike to empire Bluff Trail Before heading up to sleeping Barry to ride the Heritage Trail
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Maria

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Better than I expected! Owner left key in mailbox for easy access. Updated room and so quiet!
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2025

8/10 Good

Kristen

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Staff & service
It was a lovely and clean space and had very easy access to Sleeping Bear Dunes and the beach. Also close to all the cute towns surrounding Sleeping Bear Dunes. The bed and shower were nice. The owner was not personable and said about 6 words between the check in and check out process. He did not seem very interested in interaction.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2025

6/10 Okay

Earla

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
We decide to pay at check in but were told bytext that we needed to pay over the phone by noon or the room would be forfeited check-in was at 4.00
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Peg

Clean. Good size frig. Microwave. Keirig. 8 min walk to public beach.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Erin, Grand Rapids

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great location! We could easily walk to the beach, shops, ice cream, and breakfast the next day. Close to everything we wanted to explore!
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Sunniva

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Clean, modern facilities and a great location for exploring the area around Sleeping Bear Dunes.
Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Jill

Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Tanya

Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Jen

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very nice property with a convenient location.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

William, Mt. Pleasant

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Good location, we enjoyed our stay here.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Kendall

Travelled with family, Travelled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very clean and rooms seemed newly renovated. Late check in was very convenient. Highly recommend.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2025

2/10 Terrible

Tim

Travelled with family
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
The shower wouldn’t turn hot. And the facet I. The sink blew off.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Ernst

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very nice, easy access, good location.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2025

6/10 Okay

Lewis

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Amenities
Nice location, tight parking area, knew no food even though knew in advance, noisy, no clocks and no employees to voice information, but was clean and comfortable.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Moe

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

Perfect

Shocked by how clean the room was last year, and they did it again this year. Out of all the hotels and air bnbs I've been too, this is easily the cleanest. Towels were replaced while we were out for lunch as well so we didn't even have to ask. Looking forward to next year
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2025

8/10 Good

Yaoyao

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2025

6/10 Okay

Amy

Travelled with family, Travelled with family and small children, Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
So it’s a pretty nice place, but the $300 per night rate is definitely for location—it’s a relatively short walk to Empire Beach which is usually a difficult place to find parking otherwise. Also, it’s close to Sleeping Bear Dunes. We were REALLY disappointed with the wifi since cell service is spotty at best. The only ice machine is in a different building across the street…and traffic is super loud. The main intersection in Empire is directly outside your window. Also..be aware that Empire has very limited food/grocery options and everything is SO expensive ($30 for a 12 in pizza). This place may not be the best if you’re looking for budget friendly, or things to do other than the beach/SBD. We spent way more money than we planned here. Take your vacation budget…triple it…and you’ll have a great time.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2025

8/10 Good

Riley

Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Chris

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Clean comfortable room and so convenient. Great location for everything at the Sleeping Bear Dunes area. The Beach, restaurants, the National Park Service visitors center, convenient store and unique shopping experiences are all within walking distance. Not to far from Traverse City and Crystal Lake also.
Stayed 5 nights in Jun 2025

10/10 Excellent

Andrea

Travelled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Check in was vey easy even though we arrived after hours the staff was very friendly and helpful throughout the process! Check out was easy too!
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Amit

Stayed 1 night in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Dany

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Nice place very comfortable.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Paulette

Travelled with family
Liked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great location for visiting Sleeping Bear Dunes and other "up north" experiences. The room was clean and well stocked. Highly recommend.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2025

8/10 Good

Cory

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We stayed in the original building. It was very nice except there wasn't sound proofing. We heard every word, footstep, and snoring from the neighbors. The staff were great! The building and grounds are very well taken care of
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2025