Superior Triple Room | Lake view
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Reviews of The Shoreline Inn

2 out of 5
The Shoreline Inn
20 Broadway, Grand Marais, MN

Reviews

7.2

Good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 207 out of 826 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 255 out of 826 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 196 out of 826 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 123 out of 826 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 45 out of 826 reviews" "

7.4/10

Cleanliness

8.0/10

Staff & service

7.0/10

Amenities

6.2/10

Property conditions & facilities

7.4/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

6/10 Okay

Jillian

Business traveller, Travelled with partner
Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Building was very run down. I reserved a King bed room. What i got was a full and twin separated. My husband and i had to sleep in different beds.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2024
Response from Alison, Shoreline Inn Manager on 7 May 2024
We sincerely apologize for your room type error. Did you bring it to the attention of my front desk staff? I would like to discuss this further. Someone from the hotel will reach out within one business day.

4/10 Poor

Jeffrey

Travelled with group
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
They turned off the heat in the whole hotel on May 1. I guess being located <50 feet from the worlds coldest non-frozen body of water wasn’t clue enough for the owners. No phones in the rooms either. Stayed here many times, but not likely again.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2024
Response from Monica -Innkeeper on 6 May 2024
We are sorry to hear of your poor experience while staying with us. Had this been brought to our attention at the time of the stay, we would have gladly turned the system back on, or provided you with a space heater. Most of our complaints have been of it being too warm in the rooms. We didn't receive any other cold issue complaints over the time of your stay. I do apologize for the no phone in room and will correct that. Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Have a good day.

10/10 Excellent

Carolyn

Travelled with pets, Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Near the lake and good hiking. In the town itself which made everything walkable Very friendly and quiet. A great room with a wonderful view of the lake. A great breakfast and coffee. Bright and cheerful. We loved our stay
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2024
Response from Alison, Shoreline Inn Manager on 30 Apr 2024
We're so glad you enjoyed your stay and hope to see you again soon!

2/10 Terrible

Jospeh

Travelled with group
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Couldn't get into room. Due to bad batteries and they didnt know how to change them. Put me in another room. Same thing with the lock, i got food and beverages and the fridge didn't work , tv didnt work. Th3 person working crabbwd another tv from a different room. They did not have a streaming program. The staff used their account. This Was a awful experience! They didnt have staff to clean rooms at all while there. Want my money back !
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2024
Response from Monica on 21 Apr 2024
I'm sorry you had a bad experience. We weren't able to change the batteries to other issues and have since resolved them. We weren't told of the TV not working until 7:30 pm on the last night of the stay. 2 staff members earlier in day reported being told about only the remote. It was changed and tested, as working by the front desk agent. I swapped the tv's because they have built in Fire TV and we aren't able to put a Fire Stick in them to work. I signed into my own account and put on live TV for the troubles you had been having. Unfortunately, it's difficult to have 29 rooms, computer, phone, cell phones, guests on wi-fi. etc.. at the same time. The fridge issue: I apologize. I did offer to put items in our fridge, but was declined. We apologize you had a bad stay. My staff and I did all we could to accommodate you.

10/10 Excellent

Clay

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Monica was great!! Staff was cool! Hope to come and help out!!!
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2024
Response from Monica on 21 Apr 2024
Thank you so much! It was great to meet you guys, we loved having you. Come back and see us soon! Take Care

10/10 Excellent

kirk

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
beautiful location. friendly, helpful staff. perfect stay.
Stayed 5 nights in Apr 2024
Response from Alison, Shoreline Inn Manager on 20 Apr 2024
We're so glad you enjoyed your stay! Come see us again soon!

10/10 Excellent

Stephen

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
Staff made arrangements to acco.odate me during a heTing outage.
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2024
Response from Alison, Shoreline Inn Manager on 10 Apr 2024
We're so glad you enjoyed your stay. Please come again and visit soon!

10/10 Excellent

Wayne

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Monica and her crew at the Shoreline Inn are wonderful! The nightly rates and the view are the the best in town.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2024
Response from Alison, Shoreline Inn Manager on 8 Apr 2024
We're so glad you enjoyed your stay. I'll be sure to let my front desk staff, along with Monica, know that you had a fabulous time.

6/10 Okay

Big

Travelled with group
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
The staff was great but they need to upgrade and fix a lot of thing there. The view of the lake is not bad, but if you looked down from the second floor you can see where the hotel staff just throws things in a heap on the side of the hotel. In fact there were items blocking the fire escape route. The sink base in my bathroom was detached from the stand. The door look was jerry rigged and you can see where they used spray insulation to secure it. The room needs updating, its got a 80's vibe to it. The suspended ceiling is starting to discolor. You have to request maid service, which no one said anything about. They have the heat up to 900 degrees, and no way of turning it down. Shower head is positioned so low that you have to bend down to wash your hair. There are no screens in the window, and no way to lock the window, so watch the kids and anyone drunk. The rooms are clean and don't stink. You can hear the waves inside the room, which was cool. Staff was very friendly and talkative. At 150.00 a night which was the stated price on their website, I expected more. At 80-85 its worth it.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2024
Response from Alison, Shoreline Inn Manager on 18 Mar 2024
Our staff make us proud. We apologize for the alley way. We're in the process of building a new fence, which is why the lumber and building materials are stacked there. Things aren't just "thrown" there, but we understand it is a bit unsightly. Our hotel is heated by an old boiler system, which can be a challenge when regulating temperatures. Maintenance has been made aware of the issues with the room and will address them immediately.

10/10 Excellent

Heidi

Travelled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
The view is everything!! Very friendly helpful staff as well.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2024
Response from Alison, Shoreline Inn Manager on 17 Mar 2024
We're so glad you enjoyed your stay and hope that you come again soon!

4/10 Poor

Christopher

Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Very hot in room. Understaffed at desk. Left after ten minutes trying to check out. The building needs to be refurbished,old windows, heating system, low water temps and sink faucet sprays everywhere.
Stayed 7 nights in Feb 2024
Response from Alison, Shoreline Inn Manager on 29 Feb 2024
We're sorry that you didn't enjoy your stay. The Shoreline is an old hotel. However, had you brought these to our attention during your stay, management would have made sure to make it right. Please contact me at the hotel to discuss further.

2/10 Terrible

Angela

Travelled with family
Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
There was no one physically on the property for staff. Our door did not close properly. The Tv was a fire ring. Read the reviews after we checked in. Should have read before booking. We left. Did not stay the night.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2024
Response from Monica on 15 Feb 2024
We always have someone on property for emergencies, as was stated to you when you checked in. Our TV's are Fire Smart Tv's. We relocated your room, to give you 2 beds. No other issue was stated by you to allow us to fix it. We are sorry you didn't have a pleasant experience. Unfortunately, we can't fix issues if they are not brought to us at the time of the stay.

4/10 Poor

Robert

Stayed 1 night in Feb 2024
Response from Alison, Shoreline Inn Manager on 21 Mar 2024
Thank you for your review.

6/10 Okay

Marlin

Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2024
Response from Alison, Shoreline Inn Manager on 26 Feb 2024
Thank you!

10/10 Excellent

Angelina

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice, clean, simple hotel
Nice simple hotel. Beautiful views of the lake. Lots of snacks offered for guests. It's an older hotel, but its clean and comfortable. The staff is very nice and friendly. It's a walkable community. We went for a class at the North House Folk School. I would stay here again.
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2024
Response from Alison, Shoreline Inn Manager on 27 Jan 2024
Thank you for your kind review! We look forward to seeing you again!

4/10 Poor

Diedre

Business traveller
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2024
Response from Alison, Shoreline Inn Manager on 8 Mar 2024
We're sorry you didn't enjoy your stay. If you care to provide more context as to why you didn't enjoy your stay, please call us.

10/10 Excellent

Thomas, Elgin

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great Location, and their Staff were all professional and considerate, we will be back this summer.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2024
Response from Dani - Front Desk Associate on 8 Jan 2024
Hi Thomas! Thank you for your kind review! We are very happy you enjoyed your stay, and can't wait to see you again!

6/10 Okay

Susan

Travelled with family
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Response from Alison, Shoreline Inn Manager on 26 Feb 2024
Thank you for your review.

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Place has not been updated in decades. They have a boiler for heat and you need open the window to control the temperature in your room. Stained carpet and bedspread. Very old mattress. Unkept outside of building including broken shutters, huge dog/moose turds and cigarette buts on flower beds. We had a four night stay without a single house keeping visit and only one set of towels per person. I would not book this again.
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2023
Response from Monica -Front Desk Manager on 8 Jan 2024
You were moved 4 times in an effort to keep you happy. We do not have moose in town. We don't offer stay over service, but you were more than welcome to come to the desk and ask for extra towels, soap, etc. Stained carpet & bedspread was not brought to our attention during your stay.

4/10 Poor

Kyle

Travelled with family
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2023

2/10 Terrible

Randy

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2023

8/10 Good

THOMAS

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Stayed 5 nights in Dec 2023
Response from Alison, Shoreline Inn Manager on 27 Jan 2024
Thank you for your review!

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Oh boy
The thermostat must’ve been broken because it was 80 degrees in the room when I got there. Tried turning it off, but it just kept going. Tried the front desk to no avail. No wifi password given.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2023
Response from Alison Doughman, Shoreline Inn Manager on 27 Jan 2024
I apologize for my delayed response. The Wi-Fi password is permanently attached to the key fobs to our room and can’t be missed. However, we understand that everyone is human so we have it permanently displayed on a large ceramic plate at the front desk. Did front desk staff ignore your request for maintenance or could you not reach them? There’s someone available 24/7. Please reach out to discuss this further.

2/10 Terrible

Emily

Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

Sara

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2023
Response from Dani - Front Desk Associate on 5 Dec 2023
Hi Sara! Thank you so much for your kind review! We are happy you enjoyed your stay & hope you stay again!

10/10 Excellent

Jane

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
The staff were the friendlist hotel staff i have ever encountered. Helpful, made me feel at home. I would definitely stay here every time in Grand Marais.
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2023
Response from Monica on 30 Nov 2023
Thank you so much for the kind words! We hope you have a great holiday season and hope to see you again soon! Take Care!

10/10 Excellent

BreAnna

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Staff was great nice place to stay
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2023
Response from Monica on 30 Nov 2023
Thank you so much for the kind words! We hope you have a great holiday season! Look forward to seeing you again. :)

6/10 Okay

Jim

Business traveller, Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities
Lack of outlets for laptop, shaver, et al. The heat in the room was close to 80 degrees and was beyond regulating.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2023
Response from Monica on 30 Nov 2023
Thank you for your feedback. We are working on upgrading rooms to have more outlets. Regulating the heat has been difficult with the warm weather we've been having, I apologize for that. I hope you will come see us again. Take Care.

8/10 Good

Peter

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Clean room, lovely sound of waves
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2023
Response from Alison, Shoreline Inn Manager on 8 Nov 2023
We're glad you enjoyed your stay and hope you come again soon!

8/10 Good

LOUISE

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2023
Response from Alison, Shoreline Inn Manager on 8 Nov 2023
Thank you for your review!

10/10 Excellent

Dan

Stayed 1 night in Nov 2023
Response from Monica on 30 Nov 2023
Thank you!

10/10 Excellent

Sabrina

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We loved how friendly the staff were and how everything was already decorated for the holidays. This was our first time in Grand Marais. We loved it! There are so many unique gift stores nearby and there are so many trails and attractions. This inn is going to be our new weekend getaway sanctuary.
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2023
Response from Dani - Front Desk Associate on 6 Nov 2023
Hi Sabrina! It was lovely having you here! Thank you for your kind review and we hope to see you again soon :-)

10/10 Excellent

Deborah

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
This was the most cozy place ever! Stsff treated you like family! I loved it here. It was convenient snd my window looked tight out over the lake
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2023
Response from Dani - Front Desk Associate on 5 Nov 2023
Hi Deborah! Thank you so much for your kind review! We hope to see you again soon :)

8/10 Good

Margaret, Brooklyn

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Nice stay - very friendly staff. Love the 24/7 snacks and coffee/tea!! Most attractions within walking distance. Although building is in need of cosmetic overhaul - especially bathrooms.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023
Response from Dani - Front Desk Associate on 22 Oct 2023
Hi Margaret!Thank you so much for your kind review! We hope to see you again!

4/10 Poor

Thomas

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Dated and Dirty
This hotel is very dated and needs an update. The shower was disgusting, moldy tiles and mold in ceiling area. Million dollar view of Lake Superior was significanly compromised by a failed thermopane window that had a significant amount of discoloration right in the middle of the window. This property needs a significant update. We will not stay here again.
Door locks are sketchy
Mold in shower
Mold in shower
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023
Response from Dani - Front Desk Associate on 20 Oct 2023
Hi Thomas!We apologize that you did not enjoy your stay. Housekeeping issues has been addressed by staff. The door handles are brand new, and have not been beautified yet. We hope you give us another chance in the future!

4/10 Poor

Suzanne

Travelled with group
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
No!
So tired, so antiquated, so uncomfortable!
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023
Response from Alison, Shoreline Inn Manager on 30 Oct 2023
We hate to hear that you didn't enjoy your stay. The Shoreline has been here for many years. We are always trying to improve her, however we appreciate her retro feel. We hope that you will come again.

8/10 Good

Kathy

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very nice location, the Shoreline Inn is very dated but the staff are very nice. the room was clean and the beds were comfortable. nice for the price to rest for the night.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023
Response from Dani - Front Desk Associate on 20 Oct 2023
Hi Kathy!Thanks for your kind review! We hope to see you again on your next visit to Grand Marais. It was lovely having you here!

6/10 Okay

Julie

Travelled with family
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
This Place Needs a Makeover!
The employees were very friendly and very helpful, considering what they have to work with. We reserved a lakefront room but they sent us to one that wasn’t. We requested a change and they accommodated us. The bedding was (I assume) clean but old and in desperate need of being replaced. The mattresses were old and bouncy. Thankfully the pillows were comfortable. The carpet in the room was so stained and disgusting we couldn’t even walk on it with bare feet. The rooms have no AC and it was stuffy and miserable to sleep. There was a box fan in the closet which marginally helped. The door to our room was coming off the wall at the top and we had to lift the door to get it to close. My 84 year old mother would have been stuck in the room in an emergency if she were alone. The patio was a nice space right along the water but was not well kept with plastic chairs sitting in a pile and some chairs sitting broken. With a little effort it could have been an amazing space. They did have a nice coffee bar in the lounge area which looked relatively clean, just old. It was disappointing for as much as we paid but we were determined to not let it ruin our stay in beautiful Grand Marais.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023
Response from Alison, Shoreline Inn Manager on 10 Oct 2023
We hate to hear that your stay wasn't what you expected. During your stay, we had high winds, which required us to move the chairs closer to the building. They were stacked to keep them from blowing away. I had housekeeping address the cleanliness of the room.

10/10 Excellent

Vinny

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Room comfort
The staff were very nice, breakfast was ok, need eggs or some protein. The place is old with no AC just fans, need new mattress and pillow and towels for sure. Dirty windows so you cant see the Lake much.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2023
Response from Alison, Shoreline Inn Manager on 10 Oct 2023
Thank you for your review! We hope you come again soon!

10/10 Excellent

Janice

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2023
Response from Alison, Shoreline Inn Manager on 11 Oct 2023
We're so glad you enjoyed your stay and hope that you come back soon!

4/10 Poor

Eric

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023
Response from Alison, Shoreline Inn Manager on 10 Oct 2023
Thank you for your review.

8/10 Good

julia, Cottage Grove

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The staff, area and room were all wonderful, accomodating and just what I needed. It did feel safe, despite the lack of lack of door locks from the outside. the patio was right on the Lake and very soothing. I'd highly recommend this place for a "reboot" and a healing time.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2023
Response from Alison, Shoreline Inn Manager on 10 Oct 2023
Thank you for your kind review! We hope you come again soon!

8/10 Good

David

Liked: Staff & service, room comfort
Great location & Beautiful views
The front desk staff were friendly & helpful for any questions. The locks on the doors were being changed, and so we had to share our key with our friends who were also staying there. Kind of strange. The room was spacious and just fine for the amount of time we were in the room; basically just to sleep. The beds could really use an update, as could the carpet and the windows. It was nice to have the fridge in the room, and also a fan, since it was quite warm in Grand Marais when we were there. For the money, it was just fine, since reservations are very, very difficult to get at this time of year.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2023
Response from Alison, Shoreline Inn Manager on 10 Oct 2023
Thank you for your review. We hope you come again soon!

6/10 Okay

Joanne

The staff was very friendly. The facility is older and in need of updating.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023
Response from Alison, Shoreline Inn Manager on 10 Oct 2023
Thank you for your review!

8/10 Good

mack

Liked: Property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Staff & service
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023
Response from Alison, Shoreline Inn Manager on 28 Sept 2023
Thank you for your review!

8/10 Good

Richard

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Staff was super and location is great. Windows and lighting need work.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023
Response from Alison, Shoreline Inn Manager on 18 Sept 2023
Thank you for your kind review! We hope you come again soon!

8/10 Good

Heidi

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
A Mixed Bag. Perfect Location.
This hotel is a mixed bag. The good: really great breakfast selection. Not a hot breakfast, but something for everyone, which was much appreciated. It's on the water, a big positive. I asked for and was given a lake view room and the Lake Superior view did not disappoint. Friendly and helpful employees, a big plus! It's very convenient to the downtown area of Grand Marais. The bed was comfortable. The not-so-good: this is a tired, old hotel in need of refurbishing. Many small maintenance-type issues, such as a shower drain that does not stay in the open position, peeling wallpaper, non-functioning hair dryer, and that sort of thing. No extra pillows or blankets, a refrigerator in which the freezer compartment was not functional due to being completely iced up. No elevator. Worn out bathroom fixtures, etc. It's not for people that are picky about age and condition; that's for sure. But for me, I rated the hotel "good" simply because of the location on the lake and the helpful, friendly staff. I had a good experience here and it served my purpose, which was to spend most of my time out enjoying Grand Marais.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023
Response from Alison, Shoreline Inn Manager on 10 Sept 2023
We appreciate your kind review! We do have extra pillows and blankets available upon request. I will have housekeeping check the refrigerator. We typically take the winter to refurbish our rooms. We have several that were finished this past winter season. Please call to book again and ask staff about the refurbished rooms! We would love to host you again!

8/10 Good

Dave

Liked: Staff & service, room comfort
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2023
Response from Alison, Shoreline Inn Manager on 30 Aug 2023
Thank you for your review.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Disappointment
We have been staying here for years and it seems to have gone "downhill" We were disappointed and doubt we will be back.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2023
Response from Alison, Shoreline Inn Manager on 30 Aug 2023
I hate to hear that. I'm also a little surprised, as all of our regular guests have raved about the changes we have made so far this season. Perhaps give me a call or an email and tell me exactly what your issue was.

4/10 Poor

Patrick

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2023
Response from Alison, Shoreline Inn Manager on 30 Aug 2023
Thank you for your review.