Places to stay / Bear Lake (Manistee County)
Motel Bear Lake
A woman-run, queer-owned retro-modern motel in Northern Michigan, across from the Bear Lake beach, where your dog can stay too.
01 / The story of this place
Make time for these
Marta Turnbull, a co-founder of Up North Pride, owns the place and runs it with an all-woman team. The rooms keep their original 1960s bathroom tile and add organic mattresses, smart TVs, mini fridges, microwaves and coffee makers. Pick from the Signature King, the Classic with two queens, or the bigger Social Suite with a couch. Bear Lake Beach is across the street, Lake Michigan's Pierport Beach is five minutes away, Sleeping Bear Dunes is 45 minutes and Traverse City an hour. Nov. 13–15, 2026 brings the Queer Art Retreat: two nights of shared meals, mosaic tile making, a crystal-bowl sound bath, embroidery and a Lake Michigan walk, at $350, $400 or $500 depending on the room.
- Queer-owned and woman-powered
- Original 1960s tile bathrooms
- Pet-friendly: up to two pets per room, $40 per pet per stay
- Nov. 13–15, 2026: Queer Art Retreat
- Across from Bear Lake Beach, five minutes to Lake Michigan
A closer look
Photos were taken at different times; images are resized and cropped on cards.
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Sources & fact check · Checked: 2026-10-23
An independently written bilingual guide. This collection is not an attendance-based ranking.
03 / Events
Events at this place
Published events automatically linked from our event guide. Times are local to the venue.
Nov 13, 2026, 3:00 PMQueer (and Adjacent) Art Retreat
Motel Bear Lake hosts a weekend art retreat for queer and queer-adjacent guests from Friday, November 13, 2026, at 3 p.m. to Sunday, November 15, at 11 a.m.: two nights’ lodging, five guided art sessions and local meals. Book with the organizer.