Bay View Inn hosts meetings, private dinners, celebrations and weddings for groups of 14 to 130 guests in Petoskey, Michigan. It offers three event spaces, two indoors and one open-air deck, inside a Victorian inn on Little Traverse Bay. Catering and event coordination are handled on site.
Seminars and company events
The inn presents its corporate offer as an alternative to the usual conference hotel. Groups of 14 to 130 can meet here, and every booking comes with planning support and on-site catering. The Staffordshire Room is the most private space. It seats 14 in boardroom or U-shape layouts and 32 in theater or banquet layouts, and its windows face the Staffordshire Garden. The Howard Room is the largest room. It takes 130 people in theater layout, 96 at banquet tables and 80 in classroom layout, and it has a built-in dance floor. That suits a plenary session, an awards evening or a company party. The Lakeside Deck is open-air and holds 35 people, seasonally and Monday to Friday only.
Weddings and receptions
Weddings use the Howard Room together with the Lakeside Room and Deck, for up to 120 guests. A food and beverage minimum is agreed in advance. The Roselawn Dining Room, a dining-only space with a view of the water, takes up to 60 guests. For smaller weddings of 10 to 50 guests, the inn sells a micro wedding format with an on-site ceremony for up to 50 guests, and a full-venue buyout is possible. The wedding page also covers receptions, elopements and proposals. A wedding guide and catering menus are available from the inn.
Rooms and capacities
Staffordshire Room: banquet 32, theater 32, U-shape 14, boardroom 14.
Howard Room: banquet 96, theater 130, classroom 80, with a dance floor. For weddings the inn quotes 120 guests in the Howard Room with the Lakeside Room and Deck.
Lakeside Deck: 35 people, open air, seasonal.
Roselawn Dining Room: up to 60 guests, dining only.
Accommodation
The inn is a restored Victorian mansion with guest rooms and suites, each furnished differently. The official site does not give the number of bedrooms. Group room blocks are available for business retreats, reunions and weddings, so a team or a wedding party can stay together. Guests have complimentary bikes and EV charging stations, and a signature breakfast is served.
Catering
Catering is part of every booking and is prepared on site. The inn runs a full-service restaurant and bar, all-day coffee and tea service, and a seasonal Sunday brunch. A banquet menu is available for groups, and the wedding menus use produce and dairy from nearby Northern Michigan farms, served as plated courses or buffets. The inn also hosts seasonal holiday gatherings and works with tour operators on motorcoach itineraries that include breakfast and lunch.
History and setting
Bay View Inn is a grand Victorian country inn that has been family-owned and operated for more than 60 years. It stands in a residential community on the shore of Little Traverse Bay, on Lake Michigan. A partnership with the Bay View Association gives guests access to its live music programs, tennis and pickleball courts, private beach, paddleboards, Sunfish sailboats and hiking and biking trails.
Getting there
The inn is at 2011 Woodland Avenue, Petoskey, Michigan 49770. The official site does not list a train station or an airport. Motorcoach groups are welcome, and the inn builds multi-day tour itineraries around the region.
