For centuries, the beauty and serenity of Walloon Lake has enchanted all who have come to its shores.

The area was first inhabited by native settlers, and in the 19th century, a small village formed on the southeast banks of the lake.

- So our owner has always wanted to own a hotel.

He grew up on the lake until sixth grade, moved down to Grand Rapids, but they kept their house here and he kind of saw the deterioration of the village and really wanted to revitalize that.

The hotel, the restaurants, everything kinda was the beginning of it, and just kinda bringing life back to the village and owning a hotel where we could serve our guests.

- [Stefanie] Ernest Hemingway, whose family still owns a cottage in the village, credits the surroundings as helping shape him into the writer he became.

This quaint community serves as a backdrop of Hotel Walloon.

The 32 room hotel that looks like it's been here since forever.

- A lot of people come in thinking that we're a refurbished hotel and are really surprised when they find out, nope, we're only nine years old.

There's 32 rooms.

So that's the nice thing is again, it's luxury boutiques, it's small, so it's really intimate.

So going back to the service, what I love is I came from a 280 room hotel where you were just another face in the crowd.

Here with 32 rooms, you get to know our guests.

We can really personalize their stay and their service and their detail.

- [Stefanie] Strolling through the halls and lobby gives you a feel of the rich history of the area's past.

There are of course nods to Hemingway, the outdoors, and overall beauty of Northern Michigan.

Hidden among the vintage vibes are touches of modern technology and style.

- So one of our taglines is unlimited adventure, so we really kind of hone in on that of you can come and relax at the hotel and really enjoy your stay here if you want.

We've got a billiards room, we've got a fitness room, we've got our outdoor heated hot tub, we've got a bar.

So a lot of our guests at this beach and patio area, a lot of people will just come and just sit out and relax because they're on vacation.

But for those people who do wanna get out and about, we've got so many surrounding towns, Point City, Petoskey, Harbor Springs, all of these different places around us that they can go, and shop, and walk, and do all these adventures.

- [Stefanie] As more people make Northern Michigan their vacation destination, Walloon Lake is proud to retain its classic small town charm and character.

- We have an event center across the street.

We've got all the little shops and the general store so we really send our guests to the various areas of the village, and again, with the events, you have so many options that you can pick and choose from that really just helps the, you know, community thrive.

- [Stefanie] Summer is the busiest season for the hotel, but each season offers something different for visitors.

But regardless of the season you choose to visit, their mission remains the same.

- This is home, we're a family, and again, coming from a 280 room hotel where you didn't get to know people, it is amazing to really get to know our guests.

Guests will come in and they'll hug us because they know us, and so we've kind of started with our repeat guests giving gifts.

I always say that's why I'm here, that's why I do the job that I do is to create memories and experience for our guests.

- I really loved our visit with Hotel Walloon