Take a look inside the Grand Hotel’s famous Cupola Bar after its glamorous renovation

MACKINAC ISLAND, MI — Mackinac Island’s Grand Hotel is a landmark in its own right. But it’s also something of a traveling doll, as some of the locations within it have iconic status of their own.

The Cupola Bar is one of them. It is a popular spot for new and returning guests alike. From its high position on the historic resort, it offers breathtaking views of the Straits of Mackinac, the Mackinac Bridge, and passing cargo ships and ferries.

It’s a beautiful destination by day, but at night – as the sun sets and the skies turn velvety – the old-school glamour factor really comes into its own.

Guests can enjoy this feeling of luxury even more this season after the Cupola Bar area was refreshed off-season with new furniture, new fabrics and special design elements.

The renovation was overseen by Dorothy Draper & Company, one of the oldest interior design firms in the United States. Their team has a long history of working with the Grand Hotel, tackling not only the design of the guest suites, but also the hotel’s colorful and patterned public spaces.

Grand Hotel and the design team share photos of the newly redesigned Cupola Bar with MLive readers. During the day, the new furniture and design elements give the bar the feel of a chic garden party. In the evening, it is a glamorous place to have a drink and listen to music.

Here are some design highlights from Rudy Saunders, design director of Dorothy Draper & Company.

“This room transforms from day to night and offers one of the best views on Mackinac Island,” wrote Saunders. “At the top of the Grand Hotel, this two-story bar feels like you’re in the clouds with 270-degree views.”

• The wallpaper is completely made to measure. The metallic, moiré quality in deep navy blue gives the room a glamorous flair.
• The carpets throughout the building were also individually designed and manufactured in Ireland by Ulster Carpets. The oversized swirl pattern in shades of blue is intended to create a dreamy feeling and evoke movement.
• On the lower level is the large white lattice bar – appropriate for a summer resort with a white marble counter. Along the bar are brass lamps with emerald green shades.
• A black and white checkerboard dance floor on the lower level allows for dancing at night.
• Above the dance floor hangs an incredible Murano chandelier designed by Carleton Varney (Dorothy Draper’s protégé and late president of Dorothy Draper & Co.) for the Cupola Bar in 1987. Matching Murano wall sconces have been installed on the upper floor for a bit of sparkle.
• The ceilings of both floors feature a fabric with a stylized cloud pattern, giving a tent feel.
• Surrounding the two levels is a large banquette upholstered in a bespoke Carleton V Ltd. fabric in rich navy blue. The banquette features Carleton V High Garden bolsters with chartreuse leather piping from Samuel & Sons.
• The chairs are classic iron garden furniture. They are in bright green and feature Carleton V Ltd. High Garden cushions.
• The tables in the room are dressed with tablecloths that transform the space from day to night. During the day, guests will find the classic Carleton V Boca Grand lattice pattern. They switch to Carleton V Pinwheel, embellished with silver ribbon by Samuel & Sons, for a glittering evening feel.

A GREAT VIEWPOINT

The hotel’s distinctive dome was built along with the rest of the hotel in 1887. For the first century it was an open-air structure. And in the early years of the hotel, it served a very important purpose.

On days when visitors were expected, an employee stationed at that post could see a steamboat on the island or a train pulling into Mackinaw City Station on the mainland. That was the signal for resort staff to organize a proper welcoming party, Bob Tagatz, the Grand Hotel’s resident historian, told MLive in a previous interview. It was the first of many pomp-and-circle flourishes aimed at impressing the Grand Hotel’s arriving guests.

“They were standing on the porch,” he said of the employees. “The managers were standing at the bottom of the stairs and … preparing for the arrival of the guests.”

The officer assigned to this task was watching for two things: steamships approaching a dock on the island, possibly carrying hotel guests, and trains chugging toward a stop in Mackinaw City—the mainland railroad station located about 7 miles across the strait from the island.

Unlike today, where people board a ferry or a small plane and arrive on the island for a few days, most guests back then at the turn of the century came to spend the summer.

“Our guests were coming to stay the whole season, and our season was only two months,” Tagatz said. “We had to be prepared for them.”

As soon as a ship or train was spotted, the staff member stationed in the dome would run down the hotel’s main staircase and alert people that guests were coming. That was the signal everyone needed to be ready to welcome them. Staff members lined up to properly greet each one. Guests were greeted by name and ushered in with much fanfare, Tagatz said.

Old photographs show that in those early years, guests found their own way to the dome. They probably found it a great vantage point to watch the parties down in the tea garden outside the hotel. Or maybe they watched sunsets or occasionally saw the dancing Northern Lights.

“There is no better view than up there,” said Tagatz.

A bar with a million dollar view

A century after its construction, the dome was closed for the 100th anniversary of the Grand Hotel in 1987 and its two floors were transformed into the Cupola Bar, which is now a popular destination for guests. Its highlights include an art glass chandelier and breathtaking views that make guests feel like they are standing on the top of the island.

Tagatz says he advises people to check out the square during the day. You can see the ships in the straits – where Lake Michigan and Lake Huron meet – and get a bird’s eye view of island life below. And then come back in the evening, he tells them. Enjoy live music from the pianist. Settle into a window seat, sip a cocktail and see the night lights on the Mackinac Bridge. As the sun sinks below the horizon, toast to island life.

“This is the place to watch the sunset.”

Do you like the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island? Read more about its fascinating history here:

A Hollywood star in a swimming pool helped save the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island

The theater of a mansion on Mackinac Island became the showpiece of the Grand Hotel’s upscale gastronomy

Jane Seymour chats about love on Mackinac Island during her “Somewhere in Time” weekend