The Grand Hotel

The Grand Hotel Golf Resort & Spa sits on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay in Point Clear, just south of Fairhope. Locals usually just call it the Grand Hotel. It has been welcoming guests in some form since 1847, and today it is part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, with golf, a big spa, pools and a marina spread across a bayfront property.

The history is a real part of the experience. The first hotel was a two-story building with 40 rooms. During the Civil War it housed soldiers recovering after the Siege of Vicksburg, and the 1906 hurricane destroyed the building, which was then rebuilt. In 1944 the property served as headquarters for Operation Ivory Soap, a U.S. Army program that trained about 5,000 soldiers. It is listed with Historic Hotels of America.

Rooms and Amenities

There are 405 rooms and suites across several buildings. Categories include Deluxe, Bayside and Spa Resort View rooms, plus specialty suites such as the Honeymoon, Governor’s and Presidential suites.

• Golf: Lakewood Golf Club has two championship courses, 36 holes in all, on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.
• Spa: a 20,000 square foot spa with massages, body scrubs, facials and a steam room. The fitness center is in the spa building.
• Pools: a heated indoor pool and a feature outdoor pool with a water slide, plus a whirlpool.
• Marina: a marina with boat slips on the bay.
• Lawn and court games: tennis, pickleball and croquet.

Dining

There are several restaurants and bars on property, enough that many guests rarely leave for meals. Southern Roots is the main restaurant, Bayside Grill sits on the water, Grand Hall is the classic lobby gathering spot, Local Market covers grab-and-go and coffee, and Jubilee Poolside Grill feeds the pool crowd. Golfers can also eat at the Lakewood Club restaurant.

Location

Point Clear is a quiet stretch of bayfront on Scenic Highway 98, and the hotel is the anchor of it. Downtown Fairhope, with its shops, restaurants and bayfront park, is a short drive north and makes an easy outing for an afternoon or dinner. The Gulf Coast beaches at Gulf Shores and Orange Beach are within driving distance for a day trip.

• Mobile Regional Airport: about 39 miles
• Pensacola International Airport: about 61 miles

Good to Know Before You Book

Check-in is at 4 p.m. and checkout is at 11 a.m. Self-parking is free, and valet is available for a fee. Pets are not allowed. Bayside rooms are the ones to ask for if you want to watch the sun go down over Mobile Bay, which is one of the best parts of staying here.

The resort is a popular wedding and meeting venue, so spring and fall weekends can fill up early. Golfers should reserve tee times at Lakewood when they book, and spa appointments are worth setting up in advance as well.

Photo: Carol M. Highsmith, Library of Congress (public domain), via Wikimedia Commons.