As per a previous reviewer, there were things to like about the Lamplighter, but based on the reviews in TripAdvisor I was expecting more.

I stayed in the Garden room. The Garden Room consists of two rooms, one of which is a designated bedroom, the other is a bedroom/ living room. A Jack and Jill bathroom is between both rooms. The air conditioning unit is in the bedroom/ living room; that room gets VERY cold when the second bedroom is comfortable. The rooms were small and claustrophobic and the bathroom was even smaller. The room is sorely in need of an update and refurbishment. I've stayed in Theme room hotels, but the condition of this room looks like it was last decorated in the early 1980s (see pictures). It also has some maintenance issues: broken door frames, worn and beaten thresholds, tattered blinds and doors (see pictures). Overall the room was clean, if you don't look in the corners (dark with dust) or under the beds (Cobwebs. I'm NOT in the habit of looking, but my makeup rolled under the bed! ). I liked that the room had a small refrigerator and microwave.

Terry and Jennifer were very friendly and helpful. I saw Terry sitting and chatting with guests several times, and he called everyone by their first name, which I thought was a nice touch.

I liked the central location. I parked my car and didn't move it until I left. They also have bicycles to use at no additional cost, which I used several times. Wi fi was hot and cold.

This is certainly no fancy place, let's get that out of the way. It is a good place to save money on your stay (just plan on going out for breakfast, or stay in Granny's Cottage and bring your own food). My husband and I stayed in Granny's Cottage for a couple nights during our anniversary week. The room was clean, Terry was very friendly, and we felt pretty comfortable the whole time. If we come back, I will probably get a different room as realistically, we were not going to use the kitchen unit (which would be nice to have for a longer stay). Also, we visited in May and there were a number of bugs at night, so make sure to run into your room to keep the mosquitoes out!

Mackinaw City is a teeny place, and you can walk just about anywhere you need to go from the Lamplighter, so great location. Stay here!

My 10-year-old son and I stayed in "Granny's Cottage" for two nights at the midway point of our three week roadtrip in July, and couldn't have been happier with our accomodations. Terry and Jennifer, the owners, were the perfect hosts and made our stay so enjoyable!

Our unit had a full kitchen, so we were able to prepare breakfast in the morning. There was a queen bed and a separate area with a sleeper. The bathroom, like the entire unit, was immaculate, with oversized, fluffy towels. Free wi-fi worked great! The main street, with lots of shops and restaurants, was within walking distance, as was Shepler's Ferry.

I can't say enough about the hospitality extended by the owners...my son helped Terry build his evening bonfire, and then enjoyed chatting with all of the other guests. And he really got a kick out of the restored 1939 Buick...Terry even took us out in the car and we got a personalized tour of the area! We hope to return to the area again, and wouldn't think of staying anywhere else.

After reading reviews of some of the "big chain" hotels, we decided the make our reservations at the Lamplighter Motel. Terry, one of the owners, was very upfront about the style and size of the rooms. The rates were just right without braking the bank. Almost every review gave very good marks. The motel is located in a very quiet area, close to all the shopping and restaurants. Each room has a different theme. We stayed in the Garden room which consisted of two rooms, 1 queen bed and 1 double bed. The room was decorated just as one would expect, like a garden! The rooms and bathroom were small however very clean. A microwave, small refrig and coffee maker were supplied in our room. Our friends stayed in "somewhere in time" room with a queen poster bed. The guests staying at the motel were all repeats and had nothing but wonderful things to say about the property. Terry, the owner, plus other guests were sitting around a outdoor firepit just enjoying the weather and sharing stories. The gounds of the motel are beautiful, clean, plenty of parking and free internet. We only stayed one night however wished that we stayed an additional night. The motel is located close to the ferry service to Mackinaw Island. There are only 11 units for rent so besure to make your reservation early.
Terry and his wife, Jennifer were very helpful with information regarding ferry service, dining, shopping, etc. This was a great change from the big chains!