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01-21-26 | Feature
Design Process
In 2019, the hotel was acquired by KSL Capital Partners. The new ownership made a commitment to invest in major restorations of the historic property to modernize the hotel and amenities. As part of improvements, they recognized an opportunity to update the pool and lounging areas to improve guest experience. Since Grand Hotel is a National Historic Landmark and on the National Register of Historic Places, it was a top priority of ownership and the design team to preserve the original character of the Esther Williams pool during renovation while appealing to today's resort-goers.
DTJ DESIGN was selected as the Landscape Architect to reimagine the resort pool, associated amenity features, and surrounding environment. The new resort amenity program called for additional family-friendly attractions to the pool while respecting its history. DTJ collaborated with Hopkins Burns Design Studio Architects, who have worked on other historic restoration projects at Grand Hotel. For the site furnishings and layout, DTJ collaborated with Vern Yip, Interior Designer, including the custom chaise lounge chairs with built in roll-up canopies. The team's work also involved the adjacent sitting lawn, retaining wall, wood fence, and pool house.
Resort Design
The over-100-year-old pool was unheated, deep, inaccessible to those needing accommodation, and prime for renovation. Though it showed evidence of leaking, the overall shell structure was sound. The pool area is on a slope between the hotel and the lake edge. The pool itself was aligned to traverse existing contours, so half of the pool was excavated into the hillside and half was shored up from below to balance cut and fill. On the uphill side, there was an imposing retaining wall only a few feet from the pool edge. The only protection from falling off the 6-foot-high wall was a heavy chain anchored by low columns that did not conform to modern safety code.
The adjacent lawn sitting area was elevated above the failing retaining wall and did not provide barrier-free access to the pool. Additionally, a tall, opaque, wood panel fence ran the entire length of the downhill side, blocking views from the pool deck to the lake and the surrounding panoramic views.
The New Hotel
DTJ took all this information into consideration when reimagining a concept design for the updated Esther Williams Pool. Overlook spots and places for photos with the hotel in the background are integrated into the overall site plan. To address construction limitations while preserving the overall feel of the pool, the interior pool wall was offset by enough space to incorporate the new pool shell and mechanical plumbing, making the new pool slightly narrower and not as deep. However, the 200-foot-long footprint shape was preserved, and additional elements were added adjacent to it or connected within. To incorporate a waterslide, an island was created at the east end of the pool along with a zero-entry and kids pop jet play area. The elevated slide platform was integrated into the side of the historic pool house fa??ade.
To bring the large lawn seating area into connection with the pool, a series of terraces were created between the pool and lawn to take up the slope. Each terrace was set at less than 30 inches high, alleviating the need for a guard rail and facilitating unobstructed views of both the pool and the lake beyond. The seating terraces are curved concentrically around the edge of the pool, which establishes an amphitheater effect stepping up from the pool to the open lawn. Integrated within the terrace system are ramps that provide ADA accessibility from the expanded and renovated pool house down to the water surface.
To meet the demand for a heated spa tub and an adult pool area, the hot tub was integrated next to the main pool so parents can observe their children while they relax. A small adult pool was positioned above the main pool with an infinity edge water cascade that flows over a mosaic tile wall featuring the resort name. The adult pool is elevated high enough above the main pool to allow for long panoramic views over the adjacent tree preserve to the Strait of Mackinac.
The Esther Williams Pool Renovation is the embodiment of bringing luxury to the experience at Grand Hotel without compromising on its glamorous, storied history.
Grand Hotel
Reimagination of the Esther Williams Resort Pool
In Mackinac Island, Michigan, DTJ DESIGN led the redesign of Grand Hotel. The project scope included the resort pool amenities, renovation of the pool-adjacent lawn areas, landscape enhancements surrounding the existing greenhouse, and native planting along the tree-covered slope below the pool deck. Approximately 6,700 square feet of lawn and planting areas were installed or restored.
A grand, precast concrete balustrade defines the central staircase with poured concrete steps and stone veneer walls. Retaining walls constructed from locally sourced stone form layers of lounge seating.
A 200-foot-long resort pool anchors the landscape with a 6,166-square-foot surface area. Custom-designed cabanas are positioned along the southern wall to provide wind protection and enhance comfort within the pool terrace. Chaise lounges feature integrated roll-up canopies, allowing individual shade control. The adult pool (left, overlooking the main pool) incorporates an infinity edge. Surrounding deck surfaces transition between colored concrete and wood decking.
A blue-tone mosaic wall composed of 1"x 1" tiles forms a backdrop and branding opportunity behind the adult pool. The wall measures approximately 4 feet by 20 feet. Plantings in the foreground combine seasonal annuals with perennials, including Hosta (Hosta spp.), Daylily (Hemerocallis spp.), Showy Stonecrop (Hylotelephium spectabile), Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), and Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea).
A partially enclosed waterslide measuring approximately 94.8 feet in length and 13.7 feet in height empties into the pool. Beneath the slide, a planted island of approximately 415 square feet is planted with perennials including Daylily (Hemerocallis spp.), Showy Stonecrop (Hylotelephium spectabile), and Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium).
A zero-entry children's splash area is located near the waterslide by the shallow end of the pool zone. The approximately 400-square-foot splash pad features slip-resistant surfacing and ten jets.
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Mackinac Island is located at the eastern end of the Straights of Mackinac, the connection point between Lakes Huron and Michigan. Situated between Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsulas, the island is accessible only by water or air. Before becoming a Michigan State Park in 1895, it was the second National Park in the United States. On Mackinac Island sits Grand Hotel, a 138-year-old retreat. Over its storied history, Grand Hotel has attracted millions of visitors to its iconic porch, intentionally styled guest rooms, and resort-style pool.
Pool History
The pool was constructed more than a century ago to provide an amenity for the hotel. According to local legend, the footprint shape of the pool was inspired by the folklore of Paul Bunyan: he stepped onto a spot near Traverse City, Michigan, and then onto Mackinac Island, both feet leaving deep imprints of more than 200 feet that then became swimming pools.
The large, linear, deep pool was enjoyed by hotel guests in the early twentieth century, but it became famous in the late-1940s when This Time for Keeps (Thorpe, 1947) was filmed on site. The film - starring competitive swimmer and Hollywood Star Esther Williams - elevated Grand Hotel's stature in popular American culture and the pool was then renamed in honor of her.
Design Process
In 2019, the hotel was acquired by KSL Capital Partners. The new ownership made a commitment to invest in major restorations of the historic property to modernize the hotel and amenities. As part of improvements, they recognized an opportunity to update the pool and lounging areas to improve guest experience. Since Grand Hotel is a National Historic Landmark and on the National Register of Historic Places, it was a top priority of ownership and the design team to preserve the original character of the Esther Williams pool during renovation while appealing to today's resort-goers.
DTJ DESIGN was selected as the Landscape Architect to reimagine the resort pool, associated amenity features, and surrounding environment. The new resort amenity program called for additional family-friendly attractions to the pool while respecting its history. DTJ collaborated with Hopkins Burns Design Studio Architects, who have worked on other historic restoration projects at Grand Hotel. For the site furnishings and layout, DTJ collaborated with Vern Yip, Interior Designer, including the custom chaise lounge chairs with built in roll-up canopies. The team's work also involved the adjacent sitting lawn, retaining wall, wood fence, and pool house.
Resort Design
The over-100-year-old pool was unheated, deep, inaccessible to those needing accommodation, and prime for renovation. Though it showed evidence of leaking, the overall shell structure was sound. The pool area is on a slope between the hotel and the lake edge. The pool itself was aligned to traverse existing contours, so half of the pool was excavated into the hillside and half was shored up from below to balance cut and fill. On the uphill side, there was an imposing retaining wall only a few feet from the pool edge. The only protection from falling off the 6-foot-high wall was a heavy chain anchored by low columns that did not conform to modern safety code.
The adjacent lawn sitting area was elevated above the failing retaining wall and did not provide barrier-free access to the pool. Additionally, a tall, opaque, wood panel fence ran the entire length of the downhill side, blocking views from the pool deck to the lake and the surrounding panoramic views.
The New Hotel
DTJ took all this information into consideration when reimagining a concept design for the updated Esther Williams Pool. Overlook spots and places for photos with the hotel in the background are integrated into the overall site plan. To address construction limitations while preserving the overall feel of the pool, the interior pool wall was offset by enough space to incorporate the new pool shell and mechanical plumbing, making the new pool slightly narrower and not as deep. However, the 200-foot-long footprint shape was preserved, and additional elements were added adjacent to it or connected within. To incorporate a waterslide, an island was created at the east end of the pool along with a zero-entry and kids pop jet play area. The elevated slide platform was integrated into the side of the historic pool house fa??ade.
To bring the large lawn seating area into connection with the pool, a series of terraces were created between the pool and lawn to take up the slope. Each terrace was set at less than 30 inches high, alleviating the need for a guard rail and facilitating unobstructed views of both the pool and the lake beyond. The seating terraces are curved concentrically around the edge of the pool, which establishes an amphitheater effect stepping up from the pool to the open lawn. Integrated within the terrace system are ramps that provide ADA accessibility from the expanded and renovated pool house down to the water surface.
To meet the demand for a heated spa tub and an adult pool area, the hot tub was integrated next to the main pool so parents can observe their children while they relax. A small adult pool was positioned above the main pool with an infinity edge water cascade that flows over a mosaic tile wall featuring the resort name. The adult pool is elevated high enough above the main pool to allow for long panoramic views over the adjacent tree preserve to the Strait of Mackinac.
The Esther Williams Pool Renovation is the embodiment of bringing luxury to the experience at Grand Hotel without compromising on its glamorous, storied history.
