We needed to get out of town fast! I only had one weekend before I was back to work and vacations would be for next summer, not this one. Where to go and what to do was the burning question. We had made a few mini-trips during the summer so we had run out of places nearby. However, with only a weekend (which in our case is a Sunday and a Monday because my husband doesn’t work on Mondays) it had to be close to home or all of the allotted time would be spent in traveling. We also wanted to get away from the house because whenever we try to “vacation” at home, we end up doing odd jobs and cleaning and cooking and…well you get the picture. It just isn’t a vacation unless someone else makes your bed, ya know?

One of my husband’s friends mentioned that he and his wife make a yearly trip (usually right after Christmas) to the Birch Run Outlet Mall located in Birch Run, Michigan. That is what they gave each other for Christmas each year, a trip to shop for the things each really needed and wanted. Since Birch Run is only about 45 minutes from our house, we usually make a day trip of it. But, this couple said they make a weekend of it and stay at the hotel that is located at Birch Run. It sounded like a plan to us. We figured we wouldn’t get the after Christmas sales (or the cold weather for that matter) but that there may be a few sales for back to school. And, to be honest, we wanted to get away from it all more than we wanted to shop anyway.

I got online and checked out the Country Inns & Suites Hotel for vacancies. There were many but we decided not to book a room online but to wait until we got there. Since it was a last minute trip and we were close enough to home to come back if we had a problem booking a room when we got there, we figured we’d take our chances. I did print out the coupon they offered for online bookings. It offered ten dollars off the regular room rate (which was discounted as a shopping and overnight stay special). We packed an overnight bag and were on our way.

The Birch Run Outlet is visible from I-75 and is located just north of Flint and south of Saginaw/Bay City/Frankenmuth. So is this hotel. In fact, you turn into Birch Run Outlet and the hotel is located just to your right and on the entrance road. It is the only hotel that is located in the Birch Run complex. (A review will follow on the Birch Run Outlet.)

We went to the check-in desk to check on availability. They had many rooms to choose from. The desk clerk stated that this was the slowest they’d been all summer. This was a Sunday but she said they are usually very busy on Sundays. We booked a room and by the time we talked to her again, later in the evening, they had booked up. So our timing was good for arrival. We had gotten there about noon. Before checking in we had stopped at a famous local restaurant located across the street from the Birch Run Outlets called Tony’s. Tony’s is known for the quantity of the meals they serve. The restaurant is medium sized and totally not fancy but their prices are reasonable and the quantity of food served has to be seen to be believed! I kid you not when I say that an order of bacon is at least a pound. Anyhow, we stopped there first and then booked into the Comfort Inn.

While checking in, I asked if she had any specials. She mentioned that they give AAA discounts and asked if we were members. I said yes, but asked about the Shop/Sleep special that I’d seen online. I pulled the sheet I’d printed out of my purse to show her and she gave us that special plus the discount we would have received if we had booked online. So we ended up getting the night for about $60.00. She did state that she was out of shopping store coupons that usually are included with the special, but that didn’t bother me too much. We’d saved twenty dollars for the room and that was nice enough for me. The hotel desk clerks and workers were efficient, nice and very helpful.

The Hotel

LOCATION As stated above, the hotel has a great location. Since parking at the outlet mall is often very crowded and leads to long walks from your car, this location makes the mall accessible by foot. It is a bit of a walk but there’s no guarantee you won’t walk as far even if you drive.

It is easy to reach when traveling through the state because it is a block off of I-75 and somewhat visible from the expressway itself.

The location is also great because you are within walking distance to various fast food restaurants. There are four that are right next door to the hotel and one across the street. These include Dairy Queen, Arby’s, A&W, and a deli.

Hotel Amenities The hotel has both rooms and suites. The hotel is a 3-story hotel with lovely winding stairs that start in a common room with fireplace near the front desk or you can access the floors via an elevator. We were on the second floor and I used both.

Just up a short hallway (and visible) from the front desk is a nice sized pool. I did not use it, but checked it out and it was well maintained, smelled clean, and towels were provided for guests.

The front desk provides pamphlets and information for local events and a nearby movie theater.

A common room with a gas fireplace and couches and chairs is located at the entrance and near the front desk. Next to that room is a room where Continental breakfast is served daily. The online information says that the hotel has a restaurant, but none was operating when we were there. They do, however, offer free coffee, tea, and juices all day and night. This was a nice feature. There is also a bin of cookies that sits out and is free to guests.

Other amenities listed by the online site (but not used by us) are fax machine, safe-deposit boxes at the front desk, rollaway beds, cribs, wheelchair accessible, wake-up calls, conference rooms, and photocopy machines. There are both smoking and non-smoking rooms available.

The Rooms
We had a room with double queen beds. The room was nicely decorated and the beds were comfortable. There were extra pillows in the closet.

The heating cooling was adjustable and worked well. We were able to adjust the setting so I wasn’t too hot (I’m always too warm) and my husband wasn’t too cold (he’s always too cool.) Just like the Goldilocks story, we were “just right.” This is not always an easy feat at many hotels.

We requested a room that faced the front. There are woods in the back so that might be lovely, but we like to watch the traffic and gloat that we weren’t lined up to get into and out of the mall. Lol There was actually two small windows that could be opened for fresh air.

The room was a nice size. Although the bathroom was small, there was an outside sink and counter. We had a television that worked and carried cable channels. Next to each bed was an alarm clock. Each room also had its own refrigerator. I found this helpful for keeping drinks we purchased cold. In the closet was an ironing board and an iron. Inside the bathroom was a hair dryer. These amenities are often taken for granted but I really appreciate them because when they aren’t there, it can be a shock. I like not having to cart from home many of these items. There was also a chair, a table and a dresser.

So What Didn’t I Like?
Nothing!

So What Was The Best Part Of Staying At This Hotel?
I could shorten my reply and say everything but there was one thing that stood out for me.

There is a front porch with wicker couches and chairs located along the front of the hotel. This was such a nice place for my husband and myself to sit, watch traffic and talk. We really enjoyed this “extra” because all too often, life around our house is too hectic to just sit and talk. This mini-vacation actually seemed much longer because of all of the opportunities to spend quality time together.

So, if you’d like to shop the Birch Run Outlets, or visit nearby Frankenmuth, or just would like to get away, I suggest that you check the availability of this fine hotel.




Recommended: Yes