Oldest hotel in National Park, Sleeping Bear Inn gets new lease on life

From staff reports

On a blustery, cold April 8, with approximately 400 bundled, enthusiastic citizens as witnesses, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore superintendent Scott Tucker handed the keys of the Sleeping Bear Inn and Garage to Maggie Kato, executive director of the nonprofit Balancing Environment and Rehabilitation (BEAR), which now has a 40-year lease to rehab the historic Glen Haven inn and re-open it as a bed and breakfast as soon as Spring 2023.

Following remarks by Tucker and Kato, she joked to the crowd, “Let’s go see if the key works!” then invited guests to walk through the inn, absorb the history, and enjoy the beautiful views of Sleeping Bear Bay from its porch windows. Nearly 500 people attended a second public open house the following day.

Watch a video below of the key hand-off and a tour of the Sleeping Bear Inn.

Once resurrected, the Sleeping Bear Inn will be the oldest hotel in the National Park System where one can spend the night—even older than Yellowstone, the nation’s first national park, which was established in 1872. “Sleeping Bear Inn is older than Yellowstone,” said Tucker, prompting cheers from the crowd.

Originally built between 1865-1867, the inn served as a frontier hotel for business travelers and local workers. It continued in operation throughout the next century, evolving into a tourist hotel. It has been closed since the mid-1970s.

“Our founding documents state that a goal for Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and for the preservation of the historic story we tell should be putting the Sleeping Bear Inn back into a historic leasing program and putting that living museum back in the public access,” said Tucker.

“The historic fabric of Glen Haven and the maritime story are critical to preserving who we are and where we’re going. One of the ways we preserve the historic moment is to let people live them and enjoy them.”

BEAR submitted a proposal to the National Lakeshore in 2018 to rehabilitate the Sleeping Bear Inn and operate it as a bed and breakfast. The signing of the lease is the culmination of negotiations that included approvals from the State Historic Preservation Office and the commercial services branch of the National Park Service. The lease allows a bed and breakfast inn with approximately nine guest rooms, a commercial kitchen, and dining areas.

“Our vision is this belongs to all of us,” said Kato. “We could not be more grateful to this community and this park who have welcomed us so graciously into your homes and hearts.” Since her group applied to rehabilitate the inn, Kato has met locals who worked as servers and dishwashers there and have stepped forward to help with the project. “We are grateful for the welcoming support of the community and the many folks with history and ties to the Sleeping Bear Inn, and it is our hope to weave those threads throughout its renovation and operation.”

Kato worked for the past 15 years as executive director of Genesee County Habitat for Humanity before retiring in 2020. During her tenure, the group completed nearly 500 home builds and owner-occupied repair projects. Her husband, Jeff Kato, has extensive restaurant management experience and will work alongside her on the Sleeping Bear Inn operation.

“We are thrilled to see this project come to fruition. We have been working closely with the BEAR team and have full confidence in their abilities. The lease will preserve the two buildings and provide a wonderful visitor experience in the historic Glen Haven village,” Tucker said.