Grand Rapids | Photo by Dennis Gilmore

Cool City

Cool cities in Michigan where you can stay at an outstanding B&B



Somebody’s always coming out with a new list of cool cities in Michigan. What do they mean by that? In so many ways, it’s a matter of individual taste. After all, one person’s cool college town is another person’s loud and rowdy party city.

When you think about towns considered to be cool cities in Michigan, or any other place, what qualities are high on your list of desirability? Whatever your ranking factors, there is sure to be a cool Michigan town with at least one equally cool Michigan bed and breakfast in or near the town.

Some examples (and either scroll down or click the links to see some great B&Bs):

For its artsy vibe, foodie scene, water views, and walkable downtowns, Saugatuck and nearby Douglas are popular Midwest getaway towns year round.

Frankenmuth not only celebrates its Bavarian heritage in every way every day of the week, but also holds festivals almost every week of the year.

Detroit and the surrounding metro area offer major league sports,


live performance venues, first-class art and history attractions, and an ever-expanding roster of restaurants and craft beverage spots for which people don’t mind standing in line to get a seat.

Boosted by the popularity of diverse festivals celebrating independent filmmaking, cherries, music and microbrews and more, Traverse City is northern Lower Michigan’s gateway to the arts, shopping, farm-to-fork dining, wineries, winter sports, and adventures on the water, including two B&Bs that are sailboats.

With the University of Michigan as a magnet continually drawing people from all corners of the globe, Ann Arbor is a casually cosmopolitan town, as is Marquette on the Lake Superior shore.

No list of cool cities in Michigan would be complete without mentioning Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids. Both vie for supremacy in craft beer. Both offer arts, music and a variety of cultural activities plus rivers, trails and walkable downtowns.

Many other cities with welcoming, five-star bed and breakfasts are just waiting for you to discover that they are among the cool cities of Michigan.



Found 21 Bed and Breakfasts