Mackinac Island has garnered recognition as a top vacation destination. A place where motor vehicles are not allowed, the buildings and streets are steeped in history and horses and bikes are common. 

The east end of the island is known as Mission Point because it is where a Protestant minister established a mission for Native Americans in 1822 with an objective to train Native American youth as teachers of English and interpreters. The first school opened in 1823 with 12 Native American children.

Now the area is home to Mission Point Resort, an all-inclusive resort that is open from late April to the last weekend of October each year. Nestled between the two main buildings of the resort is the Lakeside Spa and Salon, the largest spa on the island with the most indulgent services. 

They offer massages, body treatments, facials, and a wide variety of salon services. They are a favorite destination of both couples and wedding parties. My husband and I spent a couple of days at the resort in early October and paid a visit to the Lakeside Spa and Salon.

Spa Profile: Lakeside Spa & Salon at Mission Point Resort

Here’s what you’ll love about Lakeside Spa & Salon at Mission Point Resort: 

• There are a variety of services to choose from, including those that are designed to help you experience Mackinac Island more deeply and that are tied to the place.

• The relaxation room contains leather-like loungers and stuffed chairs with ottomans, allowing for different ways to relax and experience the spa.

• You can reserve a room in the spa near the salon for group visits—whether a wedding party or a family reunion. There is a full-length mirror, couches and chairs, and the ability to cater in meals.

COVID-19 Safety Updates and Protocols:

• Hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, and spray will be readily accessible for use and placed at each station.

• Between each client, all tools and equipment are sanitized and disinfected.

• Masks are worn by all staff members and it is recommended (but not required) for guests. 

My husband, Richard, and I arrived at the Lakeside Spa & Salon on the second day of our stay at Mission Point Resort. It’s a beautiful walk to the spa, which is set across from a pavilion overlooking Lake Huron. 

Receptionists greet you upon entering and there are chairs evoking bygone eras on which to comfortably wait or one can peruse the retail offerings on the shelves. Most focus on hair products from Aveda, but there were also aromatherapy products.

We were given intake forms that were thorough and helpful—asking about different conditions we might have, whether we had any open sores or scratches, how we would like our massage or body treatment to go, whether we had any allergies and a picture of the body broken into parts where we were to shade in anywhere that hurt. It also asked about alcohol consumption with a warning that massages can make alcohol more effective in the blood stream.

Then we were escorted into the party room where a breakfast layout awaited us. The room is comfortable and bright, furnished with a couch and armchairs. There was a bottle of champagne on ice and mimosas along with pastries, juice, toast, cereal, and a wide selection of granola bars. 

The room is designed for people who want to experience a day at the spa with a group. It is most often used with bridal parties who can move back and forth from the salon getting their hair and makeup done to the room where they can snack, dress, and store all their things during the wedding. 

Other uses include people who are doing a girls or guys getaway weekend or a family reunion. People can move in and out of the room, keep their things there and have light meals catered in.

After enjoying our breakfast, the spa attendant fetched us and escorted us to our respective locker rooms. I was grateful that there was a locker marked as storing “plus size” robes so that I could find one that fit. The comfortable robes were lightweight which ensured we didn’t have to worry about overheating.

The locker room’s décor mixes a period look with modern amenities. White-painted paneling meets brown swirled floor tiling and richly painted walls. In the corridor leading from the lockers to the relaxation room is a sauna and a steam room.

The men’s locker room was similarly designed, according to my husband. He did not use the sauna, but did partake of the steam room, which he enjoyed greatly.

“I did raise the steam in the room higher,” he said. “After a few moments I was treated to a rather robust steaming—that was good.”

He did have one complaint in that one of the recessed lights had no light fixture in it and there were wires hanging.

“These wires had been safety capped off, but they just hung there,” he said. “It looked shabby and was jarring to the experience to know there was live electricity exposed in an area with an enormous amount of steam.”

The showers in both locker rooms had either hold-down seats or actual shower seats in them with both a wand and a rain shower fixture. My husband reported that they had a large area for shaving with sinks and shaving accoutrements and amenities.

“There was good lighting for shaving and nice wall-size mirrors,” he said. “If I’d been interested in shaving or trimming my beard, that would have been wonderfully workable.”

His locker room had a couple of masculine leather armchairs in the room and a side table up against the wall.

He took seriously the “take your time” direction in enjoying the locker room and his massage therapist had to send another male guest in to fetch him for his service. 

He received a hot and cold stone massage treatment called The Great Lakes Stone Massage and he described the service as very professional and first class. He lay on the table and after a gentle positioning, his therapist lay a warm cloth down his spine area and placed hot rocks there as she continued to work on his body.

“As certain areas of the massage progressed, beyond the deep-tissue tension working out that they do, she would take two of the stones in her hand with a quantity of massage oil and rub it on the area she had been working,” my husband said. “That included up and down your legs, on your feet, arms and neck. It was rather soothing.”

Once he flipped over, she placed chilled rocks on his forehead and sinus areas, and then between his toes.

“That had a surprising effect,” my husband said. “It felt very good, actually. With the amount of wear and tear our toes get crammed into our shoes, those felt very, very nice. Those were the only two places that cold rocks were used.”

He also had great appreciation for the therapist’s skill as she continued to work his body and said it was obvious she had been doing this work for some time.

“I felt very safe,” he said. “She was a good judge of what a body can take and she was also very responsive to any noises I might make. She had the courage to hold pressure until something gave.”

He described a moment when the left side of his hip resisted. He said it was obvious that something was wrong as when she started in the deep-pressure level, she found an area that immediately shot up to his pain tolerance level.

“She could tell something was going on and she stopped and inquired,” he said. “I said, yeah, that’s right on the edge. That’s right at a 9 and 10 and she held it, which was great. Eventually it did give way and I really appreciated that. I was walking different when I got out of this treatment. It was a relief of tension and quite an increase of flexibility.”

He returned to the relaxation room where I had spent some time before my service. It was a lovely quiet room with two options of seating—either a long waterproof leatherish recliner or overstuffed armchairs with pillows and ottomans. There was water in the room with plastic cups and art work featuring bodies of water and islands. 

My service was the Cherry Almond Body Scrub. My therapist was Shi Shi and she began with very purposeful touching, massaging me through the blankets, especially on my lower back which I had identified as being sore. 

She began with a cherry almond exfoliating treatment, one that pleasantly tickled the skin before she began rubbing it firmly into my entire back. She intermittently used hot, wet towels to both remove the exfoliant and to relax the muscles in my back.

I then heard rhythmic clicking noises as Shi Shi pulled out warm bamboo sticks to massage my back. It had a very similar feel to a hot stone massage, though the sticks are flatter and longer. I snuck a peek at them later and they were about 6 inches long. As they cooled off, she would grab another pair and continue working with them.

I also had the foot treatment add-on, which started and ended with Shi Shi wrapping my feet in hot towels. Once I turned onto my back, she placed a pillow under my neck. As she was working on my arms, I had a back spasm. She rotated my hips until the spasm stopped and then she taught me stretches that I could do if it happened again. 

She scrubbed and moisturized my legs and arms before doing my neck and decolletage. As she massaged my scalp, she said she could tell from the tension in my head that I hadn’t been sleeping well—which was very true. 

The treatment ended as it began, and I felt renewed and relaxed. I returned to the relaxation room where I reclined for awhile and met back up with my husband. We enjoyed the cold water and the lovely spa music that was piped into the room.

I spent some time enjoying the steam room and the sauna until it was time to leave for our picnic lunch. After consulting with the spa receptionists, they told me I could book a last-minute haircut at the salon, which I did. The stylist did an excellent job. They were having problems with the hot water heater, but I rather enjoyed having the cold water on my head for the shampoo.

Lakeside Spa & Salon has an island charm to it. The services are excellent and it retains the feel of a historic building that can tend to modern sensibilities.

Cost: Cherry Almond Body Scrub (75 minutes, $185); Bamboo Massage Enhancement (15 minutes, $30); Great Lakes Stone Massage (75 minutes, $185); Haircut ($50).

Insider Tip: Make the trip one centered on wellness by renting bikes to ride to the spa or around the island after a service.

Hours: Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Address: One Lakeshore Drive, Mackinac Island, MI 49757

Phone: 906-847-3043

For more information and to book a service, visit the website. Follow on Instagram: @missionpointresort

[Images by Bridgette Redman]

Bridgette Redman, who is a second-generation journalist, fell in love with spas and travel while working as a writer and editor for 16 years at the Educational Institute of the American Hotel & Lodging Association. As a freelancer for the International SPA Association, she co-wrote two textbooks, nine workbooks and numerous case studies on spas. Her freelance career began in the 80s and she has written for publications in Michigan, Arizona, California, and Texas along with several regional and national publications. She is a committed storyteller who loves sharing narratives which improve people's quality of life and build community. Born and raised in Michigan, she currently lives in Lansing with her husband and son. See more of her writing at www.bridgetteredman.com