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Your one request: to get away from it all. No jam-packed itinerary. No small chat with the relatives. No driving around finding parking. But what you really don’t want is mediocre food (especially bad crabcakes). All we wanted was a luxury hotel experience where we would be pampered and have a sumptuous meal and great things to do during the day. We wanted to discover a new area. We found that and more at The H Hotel in Midland, Michigan. We were invited by The Hotel H to visit and experience a luxury stay at the hotel (part of the Dolce Hotels and Resorts by Wyndham®) and relax we did.
Discreetly sporting a AAA 4-Diamond Rating for the 7th year in a row, this boutique hotel in Michigan’s lower peninsula, was nothing short of a pleasant surprise. Is the AAA 4-Diamond rating a big deal? You bet it is, only 6% of AAA reviewed properties receive this prestigious designation. After our weekend stay, we can attest it deserved this award on customer service alone. The amenities ended up being a bonus.
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Update for 2021: Although we visited The H Hotel in 2019 a few things have changed at The H Hotel in Midland Michigan (not the least of which is a world pandemic). The H Hotel in Midland is accepting reservations and the eating facilities are also open. One notable change, the ‘Table’ restaurant has re-invented itself from fine dining to upscale American tavern.
Named after the 118 elements of the periodic table (and keeping with the chemistry theme), the new restaurant is called ONe eighteen – American Cuisine, Mid-century design. With seating for 110, the space features a new eat-in bar, two private dining rooms and a 40-seat outdoor patio in the courtyard. The menu focuses on American comfort food with a nod to handmade cocktails and craft beer.
The H Hotel has committed to a safe and clean environment with elevated cleaning and social distancing protocols. Masks must be worn in public areas. Guests are encouraged to use the courtyard and other outdoor spaces.
Crossing the border was a breeze with mainly, highway, driving it was an easy road trip drive. Midland is a small company town. The town may be small but the company isn’t. The Dow Chemical Company was founded in Midland in 1897 by Herbert H. Dow. The benefits to Midland are evident as you drive around and see the many parks, a baseball field and buildings with Dow name.
After a multi-million dollar renovation in 2008, The H Hotel was “introduced as a constant reminder that luxury is elemental and that the work of chemistry is the work of humanity.” The namesake can be tied to two primary sources, H.H. Dow, the founder of Dow Chemical Company and the Human Element, a value that has been important to Dow for many years. Few are aware the hotel complex, including the restaurants, is owned by Dow. An entire floor is dedicated to corporate stays and events.
Luxury Room with precise detail
We stayed in a regular room which was very comfortable and had a queen bed with a sitting area by the window that overlooked the park. Just in the distance was the Tridge (a three-way pedestrian bridge) and the Tittabawassee River. As our room faced the green space we found it to be very quiet. As a head’s up, there are only a few rooms with a king bed so be sure and request that when making your reservations if that is a personal preference.
Even the junior suite looked out onto the courtyard (and Main street beyond) was fairly quiet. On Saturday night there was a wedding and I can honestly say, we did not hear any of the music. I would see the appeal of holding a wedding reception at The H Hotel as the courtyard is was spacious and had comfortable seating with standing heaters in case the evening grew chilly.
Although we did not have time to use the fitness room or the indoor pool, we found both areas to be very clean. My only criticism of this property was that the pool was fairly small but it would still do very nicely if you had small children with you. The fitness centre has state-of-the-art equipment and was very well ventilated.
Below is a video of the H Hotel and a walk through of both our room and the Junior Suite that we asked to tour. There are also images of some of the activities and attractions in Midland.
The decadent dining experience
Main Street entices you to wander into quaint boutiques, sit at outdoor patios and enjoy a cocktail or indulge in a meal at any number of restaurants in the area. However, what you really want to do is enjoy a meal at any one of the three establishments offered by The H Hotel. Each has very unique menus and appeal.
The dining and meeting spaces are named with a common chemistry theme. For example, the Table restaurant is named for the Periodic Table, Oxygen (02) Lounge was named after the element that is synonymous with life and Café Zn or Café Zinc is modelled after a French bistro with zinc accents throughout this venue. All three are great restaurants in Midland Michigan and ooze style and comfortable. To top it off, the staff is A1 and could not have been kinder. Welcoming and friendly our bartender at Oxygen was funny a wealth of information about Midland and the Lower Peninsula region.
I’m not going to lie, I was seduced by the bread and pastries. Their French-trained pastry chef bakes croissants and French loaves of bread which easily rival any bakery in Paris. I lived in Paris for a year and can attest that this is no exaggeration. You may want to make your way to the Midland Farmer’s Market to sample some freshly baked goods as Cafe Zinc has a stand there. This was just one of the 15 reasons I loved visiting Midland, Michigan.
We started our weekend dinner at Cafe Zinc. A casual French bistro with an impeccable menu. I encourage you to try the Parmigiano-Reggiano Frites (fries with fresh thyme, rosemary, truffle aïoli) to start and then dip into either the Angus NY Strip Steak with potato espuma and romanesco & chimichurri or the Lobster Thermador over parmesan risotto. We were blown away at the quality of the dishes. Perfectly done and well presented. I wrote a full review of all of our meals at Cafe Zinc, Oxygen and Table.
The H Hotel – Quiet luxury in a small town
I cannot say enough about the quiet luxury that we felt when we visited the H Hotel for the first time. We were not familiar with the Dolce Hotels and Resorts by Wyndham® but we were impressed from the get-go. The check-in process was very easy, with free valet parking available with the parkade conveniently accessible. There was no need to take the car out as the H Hotel has a shuttle service available to visit the spectacular Dow Botanical Gardens and Canopy Walk.
Entry to the Botanical Gardens is free if you are a guest of the hotel so be sure and take advantage of this particular perk. The location of the hotel in downtown Midland means you have easy access to shopping, restaurants, micro-breweries and bars within easy walking distance. You will love the beautiful plants and trees throughout the city as they change them three times a year!
and artisanal bread
You also have the use of bicycles to ride the extensive bike paths and are in close proximity to the Tridge (a three-way pedestrian bridge). We loved the Farmer’s Market on Saturday morning (offering local produce, crafts and fresh food) and it us across the street from the H. Once again, the location was great!
Overall we would give our stay at the H Hotel in Midland Michigan 5 Stars!
Disclosure: #AD We were guests of The H Hotel in Midland Michigan and as such, we received complimentary accommodation and meals. As always, I write and review properties with integrity and without bias. All opinions are my own & truthful.
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“boutique hotel in the Upper Michigan peninsula”
Midland and the H Hotel are both in the LOWER peninsula, not there UP.
Thank you for the correction. I have made the changes in the post. Please accept my apologies as this was the first time I had visited the region.
I hope to return to your beautiful region.