Just a few months ago, Mary Beth Bennett found herself poring over dozens of paint swatches. All of them were a shade of white. “There are a million whites!” exclaims the owner of the historic Terrace Inn in Petoskey. And although she was challenged to find just the right white, you can be sure the Bay View community innkeeper was committed to finding the perfect swatch to echo the inn’s historic exterior shade when it was built 113 years ago. “We started painting the front with Benjamin Moore’s Dove White, but it was too creamy,” Bennett says, “so we switched to Simply White (Benjamin Moore). It was a very hard decision.”
As of press time, the inn — which most recently sported different tones of pink, mauve, and green — should be entirely ensconced in its new white. The hue features the slightest hint of warmth, but is clean and crisp.
Bennett, who purchased the inn in 2023, decided that painting the building would be the major undertaking in her first year of ownership. “The color is like the original design.
It’s very classic, very stately,” says Bennett, who lives in downtown Petoskey with her husband and their 3-year-old daughter. “I have a thousand dreams for the inn, which is open throughout the year, but for now we’re making sure the structure is in good shape. We did some things you don’t see,” she says. “And we also did some soft updates in the dining room, like installing light fixtures that are more period-appropriate and design-focused.”
The building was constructed in 1911 by a banker from Indiana whose goal was to have his wife and daughters run it as a hotel. It’s been operating as an inn nonstop since then, except for when it served as a recovery hospital during WWII.
Bennett first knocked on the inn’s front door in January of 2023. “I had heard the owners were retiring,” she recalls. “I knew it was something I’d really love.” At the time, Bennett was the general manager at the chic Siren Hotel in Detroit. “I gave the manager my business card and the owners, Mo Rave and Patty Rasmussen, called me and set up a meeting for the next week. We came to a quick agreement.”
Bennett kept the staff that was in place and is grateful for all of them, including the efficient operations manager and executive chef.
On a recent evening at the inn’s 1911 Restaurant, many guests were savoring its renowned Great Lakes walleye and planked whitefish. Sitting in the dining room, replete with its original wood floors, or on the terrace looking out to expansive lawns, diners can also enjoy bone-in porkchops, lasagna, and other divine treats. In warmer weather, many visitors enjoy their cocktail hour beverage on the front porch. Bennett says special events are popular at the inn, thanks to the alluring terrace. “My mom got married here last September,” she shares. “We accommodated 40 people on the terrace; it was beautiful.”
The 38 guest rooms range from standard and charming queen and twin 200-squarefoot spaces to king rooms and super-roomy king suites with fireplaces. Some rooms have jet tubs and whirlpools. Whether guests need just 200 square feet, a full garden apartment (dog-friendly), or a family suite with separate rooms and a kitchenette, they’re bound to find the right fit. Every room has its own bathroom, which isn’t always typical of inns of this age and size.
The Victorian and early Edwardian vibe is alive and well, and history buffs love relaxing in the inn’s gathering spots. Wrought-iron beds, lace curtains, chandeliers, wicker and cottage-style furnishings, hemlock wood beams, vintage wallpaper, and original art throughout put the accent on vintage. A lot of the tables and chairs on the terrace are original. “We’ve had to replace some, and some have been rebuilt,” Bennett says. As for the somewhat-slanted flooring, she adds with a laugh: “It’s a little wonky, I’m not going to lie. But that happens with time.”
Bennett, who grew up in Harbor Springs and Rochester Hills, has always wanted to return to the area. “We moved to Harbor Springs when I was in high school; that was an amazing experience.”
After high school it was off to Boston University, where she received a degree in hospitality administration. She worked in hotel management in Boston, and then moved to Chicago where she managed boutique hotels. Soon after, she managed a resort in Scottsdale, Ariz., until Miami Beach, Fla., called her name. Once Bennett and her husband moved to the Detroit area, they found they were spending more time Up North. “The end game was always to own a place up here,” Bennett says, sitting at one of the inn’s original tables on the large terrace. “We have long ties to this area. My grandmother still has a cottage here about a half-mile away.”
ABOUT THE BAY VIEW ASSOCIATION
The Bay View Association started in 1875, when a group of Michigan Methodists organized a meeting site for intellectual and scientific culture, and the promotion of morality. They wanted a wonderful summer climate and a beautiful location with access to railroads and lake steamers.
Today, the association is made up of members who live in many of the quaint cottages in the neighborhood, most of which are famous for their Victorian “gingerbread” decorations. Arts and cultural presentations and performances are de rigueur here, although many Michigan residents are still unaware that Bay View’s musical programs, Sunday morning worship services, and weekday religion and life lectures featuring nationally known speakers are available to the public.
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