Vacation packages
Stays
Cars
Flights
Support
AARP Member Savings
My Trips
AARP.org
Join
Renew

The Blue Anchor at Houghton Lake

2.0 star property
Motel in Houghton Lake with free parking

Choose dates to view prices

Photo gallery for The Blue Anchor at Houghton Lake

Individually decorated, individually furnished, free WiFi, bed sheets
Individually decorated, individually furnished, free WiFi, bed sheets
Individually decorated, individually furnished, free WiFi, bed sheets
Front of property
Basic Quadruple Room, Multiple Beds, Non Smoking, Private Bathroom | Individually decorated, individually furnished, free WiFi, bed sheets
The Blue Anchor welcomes travelers with practical comforts that make coming and going hassle-free. Guests appreciate the free WiFi throughout the property, extended parking options for longer stays, and time-saving features like luggage storage and express check-out.

Reviews

8.8 out of 10
Excellent

Popular amenities

  • Air conditioning
  • Free WiFi
  • Parking included

Room options

Available filters for rooms
Showing 10 of 10 rooms

View all photos for Classic Room, 1 King Bed, Non Smoking, Private Bathroom

Individually decorated, individually furnished, free WiFi, bed sheets

Classic Room, 1 King Bed, Non Smoking, Private Bathroom

Highlights

Individually furnished
Individually decorated
Air conditioning
Mini-fridge
Smart TV
Private bathroom
Microwave
Coffee/tea maker
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

View all photos for Classic Room, 1 King Bed, Non Smoking, Private Bathroom

Individually decorated, individually furnished, free WiFi, bed sheets

Classic Room, 1 King Bed, Non Smoking, Private Bathroom

Highlights

Individually furnished
Individually decorated
Air conditioning
Mini-fridge
Smart TV
Private bathroom
Microwave
Coffee/tea maker
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

View all photos for Classic Room, 1 King Bed, Non Smoking, Private Bathroom

Individually decorated, individually furnished, free WiFi, bed sheets

Classic Room, 1 King Bed, Non Smoking, Private Bathroom

8.8 out of 10
Excellent
(8 reviews)

Highlights

Individually furnished
Individually decorated
Air conditioning
Mini-fridge
Smart TV
Private bathroom
Microwave
Coffee/tea maker
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

View all photos for Classic Room, 1 King Bed, Non Smoking, Private Bathroom

Individually decorated, individually furnished, free WiFi, bed sheets

Classic Room, 1 King Bed, Non Smoking, Private Bathroom

Highlights

Individually furnished
Individually decorated
Air conditioning
Mini-fridge
Smart TV
Private bathroom
Microwave
Coffee/tea maker
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

View all photos for Classic Room, 1 King Bed, Non Smoking, Private Bathroom

Individually decorated, individually furnished, free WiFi, bed sheets

Classic Room, 1 King Bed, Non Smoking, Private Bathroom

Highlights

Individually furnished
Individually decorated
Air conditioning
Mini-fridge
Smart TV
Private bathroom
Microwave
Coffee/tea maker
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

View all photos for Classic Double Room, 2 Queen Beds, Non Smoking, Private Bathroom

Individually decorated, individually furnished, free WiFi, bed sheets

Classic Double Room, 2 Queen Beds, Non Smoking, Private Bathroom

Highlights

Individually furnished
Individually decorated
Air conditioning
Mini-fridge
Smart TV
Private bathroom
Microwave
Coffee/tea maker
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Queen Beds

View all photos for Classic Double Room, 2 Queen Beds, Non Smoking, Private Bathroom

Individually decorated, individually furnished, free WiFi, bed sheets

Classic Double Room, 2 Queen Beds, Non Smoking, Private Bathroom

8.0 out of 10
Very good
(2 reviews)

Highlights

Individually furnished
Individually decorated
Air conditioning
Mini-fridge
Smart TV
Private bathroom
Microwave
Coffee/tea maker
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Queen Beds

View all photos for Classic Double Room, 2 Queen Beds, Non Smoking, Private Bathroom

Individually decorated, individually furnished, free WiFi, bed sheets

Classic Double Room, 2 Queen Beds, Non Smoking, Private Bathroom

10.0 out of 10
Exceptional
(1 review)

Highlights

Individually furnished
Individually decorated
Air conditioning
Mini-fridge
Smart TV
Private bathroom
Microwave
Coffee/tea maker
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Queen Beds

View all photos for Classic Double Room, 2 Queen Beds, Non Smoking, Private Bathroom

Individually decorated, individually furnished, free WiFi, bed sheets

Classic Double Room, 2 Queen Beds, Non Smoking, Private Bathroom

Highlights

Individually furnished
Individually decorated
Air conditioning
Mini-fridge
Smart TV
Private bathroom
Microwave
Coffee/tea maker
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Queen Beds

View all photos for Basic Quadruple Room, Multiple Beds, Non Smoking, Private Bathroom

Basic Quadruple Room, Multiple Beds, Non Smoking, Private Bathroom | Individually decorated, individually furnished, free WiFi, bed sheets

Basic Quadruple Room, Multiple Beds, Non Smoking, Private Bathroom

Highlights

Individually furnished
Individually decorated
Air conditioning
Mini-fridge
Smart TV
Private bathroom
Microwave
Coffee/tea maker
  • Sleeps 4
  • 4 Twin Bunk Beds

About the neighborhood

Map
5131 W Houghton Lake Dr, Houghton Lake, MI, 48629

What's nearby

  • Houghton Lake - 2 min walk - 0.1 miles
  • Pineview Highlands Golf Course - 10 min walk - 0.6 miles
  • Houghton Lake Public Library - 18 min walk - 1.0 mile
  • Brian's Lakeside Marina - 5 min drive - 4.3 miles
  • Roscommon Township Hall - 6 min drive - 4.5 miles

Getting around

  • Cherry Capital Airport (TVC) - 82 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪McDonald's - ‬5 min drive
  • ‪McDonald's - ‬6 min drive
  • ‪Taco Bell - ‬3 min drive
  • ‪MJ's Eatery - ‬5 min drive
  • ‪Mj’s Burritos - ‬6 min drive

About this property

The Blue Anchor at Houghton Lake

Property highlights
The Blue Anchor at Houghton Lake provides everything you need. Stay connected with free in-room WiFi.
Other perks at this motel include:
  • Free self parking and extended parking
  • Express check-out, express check-in, and luggage storage
  • Smoke-free premises
Room features
All guestrooms are individually furnished, and offer comforts such as air conditioning, as well as amenities like free WiFi.
Other amenities include:
  • Bathrooms with showers and free toiletries
  • 42-inch Smart TVs with digital channels
  • Wardrobes/closets, mini fridges, and microwaves

Similar properties

Lobby

Beachfront Hotel

  • On private beach
  • Pool
  • Breakfast included
  • Pet friendly
9.2 out of 10, Wonderful, 1,042 reviews
Beachfront Hotel

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and transportation

  • Free uncovered self parking on site
  • Free uncovered extended parking on site

Family friendly

  • In-room microwave
  • Mini-fridge

Conveniences

  • Luggage storage

Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • Hardwood flooring in room
  • No elevator
  • Smooth flooring in room
  • Stair-free path to entrance
  • Well-lit path to entrance

More

  • Smoking not allowed

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Bedsheets provided

Bathroom

  • Free toiletries
  • Private bathroom
  • Shampoo
  • Shower
  • Soap
  • Toilet paper
  • Towels provided

Entertainment

  • 42-inch smart TV with digital channels

Food and drink

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Microwave
  • Mini-fridge

More

  • Air conditioning (climate-controlled)
  • Heating (climate-controlled)
  • Individual decor
  • Individual furnishings
  • Mobile key entry

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 4:00 PM; Check-in end time: anytime
Contactless check-in available
Express check-in available
Minimum check-in age: 21

Check-out

Check-out before 11:00 AM
Contactless check-out available
Express check-out available

Special check-in instructions

There is no front desk at this property
Guests will receive an email within 72 hours before arrival with check-in instructions and an access code; access will be through a private entrance
Prior to arrival, you must complete online registration via a secure link
You will be asked to provide the property with a copy of your government-issued photo ID after booking

Access methods

Access code, private entrance

Pets

Pets not allowed

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome
Rollaway/extra beds are not available
Cribs (infant beds) are not available

Property payment types

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts credit cards; cash is not accepted
Cashless transactions are available

We should mention

This property does not have elevators

Property is also known as

The Blue Anchor At Houghton
The Blue Anchor at Houghton Lake Motel
The Blue Anchor at Houghton Lake Houghton Lake
The Blue Anchor at Houghton Lake Motel Houghton Lake

Frequently asked questions

Is The Blue Anchor at Houghton Lake pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

How much is parking at The Blue Anchor at Houghton Lake?

Self parking and extended parking are free at this property.

What time is check-in at The Blue Anchor at Houghton Lake?

Check-in start time: 4:00 PM; Check-in end time: anytime.

What time is check-out at The Blue Anchor at Houghton Lake?

Check-out is at 11:00 AM.

Where is The Blue Anchor at Houghton Lake located?

Situated in Houghton Lake, this motel is within a 10-minute walk of Houghton Lake and Pineview Highlands Golf Course. Houghton Lake Public Library and Heights Marina are also within 3 mi (5 km).

Have a question?

AI iconBeta

Get instant answers with AI powered search of property information and reviews.

Reviews

The Blue Anchor at Houghton Lake Reviews

8.8

Excellent

9.6

Cleanliness

8.0

Amenities

9.0

Staff & service

8.8

Eco-friendliness

8.8

Property conditions & facilities
Rating 10 - Excellent. 50 out of 96 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 31 out of 96 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 11 out of 96 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 4 out of 96 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 96 reviews

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Nancy

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Newly renovated and very nice and clean rooms. Pleasantly surprised! Good size fridge in room and microwave! Very quiet! Great stay and great price!!
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2025

8/10 Good

Randy

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Great room with the exception of the very small bathroom. Toilet was too close to the wall, everything else was fantastic.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2025

8/10 Good

Stacey

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Good location, clean
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2025

8/10 Good

jill

Clean
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2025

10/10 Excellent

Jason

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Love this property, we stay here everytime we come into town
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Charla

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Pleasantly surprised with the cleanliness. The bed was very comfortable
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2025

10/10 Excellent

TRACY

The Blue Anchor was very clean, quiet, accommodating, and just what we needed for our visit to Houghton Lake. Instructions for accessing room upon arrival, etc. were simple. The entire experience ran smoothly. Would stay there again.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2025

10/10 Excellent

Donna

Liked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The rooms are gorgeous!!!! A convenient location to get to the beach, mini golf, go carts and dining! Would definitely stay here again!
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

joseph

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Great stay, great value.

Great stay. Clean and comfortable. Updated rooms. Will stay again.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Connie

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Perfect place for a getaway!

Very cute place and would stay again! Everything looks and smells new. Beds were comfortable. Loved the walkway to the rooms. Good location across the street from the water and next door is a gas station with all the things you may need. Would stay again!
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2024

8/10 Good

Kelly

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Clean, had been renovated, nothing fancy. Check-in was easy and didn't involve any interaction
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2024

10/10 Excellent

Christine

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The accommodations were exceptionally clean and tastefully renovated. The bedding was not to our preference, we are not a fan of memory foam.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Keith

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Very clean. Easy in easy out.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2024

8/10 Good

Kyle

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities

Good For a Weekend at the Lake

The location was great, and the room was a good size for a small hotel. We could tell the place was newly renovated, and it was nice all around. We had issues with our bathroom door not being able to close, and the air fresheners all over the place and in the room were overpowering, and we were left wondering why so many air fresheners were needed. Otherwise, it's a good place to stay for a couple nights.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Stephanie

My family and I enjoyed our overnight stay at The Blue Anchor at Houghton Lake. We weren’t familiar with this hotel prior to the renovations that were done but we were pleased with the nice updates. Our room was very clean. The mattress was extremely comfortable. We had booked through Expedia and the check-in process was easy. We had trouble closing the bathroom door and contacted management, they were quick to respond and accommodating.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Jason

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
My girlfriend and I stayed at this hotel and we were going to stay another night and the hotel actually went out of the way to help us keep our room we unfortunately had something come up and we had to leave promptly we still feel bad that we were not able to do the second night as they were very very helpful this is a great property easily somewhere I would love to stay I'm sure my girlfriend as well we will be planning on going back to Houghton lake and this hotel is one of the reasons. Quiet property so quiet and amazing view of the Stars!
Stayed 1 night in May 2024

6/10 Okay

Kimberly

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
The floors were so slanted and uneven.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2024

6/10 Okay

Michael

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Amenities
Property should provide either indoor or outdoor seating… we literally had to sit in the back of our work van or on the beds in the room.. other than that it’s a nice property. We travel for work a lot and will be staying at a different location due to this inconvenience…
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Room good, bathroom not

The room (#8) was clean and there was plenty of space in the room itself. The bathroom, however, was a different story. The right side of the toilet was less than 3” from the wall making it impossible to sit on correctly. The shower took several minutes to warm up then only had enough hot water to wash and condition my hair and wash my body. I do not shower long, between 5-7 minutes, and the water went cold just as I got the soap washed off. This part was very disappointing.
Stayed 1 night in May 2024

8/10 Good

Melissa

Entire building smells moldy. Could not stay 2nd night. Bugs & spider webs in room. Dirty water left in sink. No soap & no staff. Completely self service. Floor was also dirty, had to wear shoes. Shower extremely tiny. Felt like I was lucky to have one, although there was no soap. Constant texts asking me to turn off air & lights if I left, telling me WiFi was down, etc. Very disappointed.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2024

6/10 Okay

Dave

Liked: Cleanliness
If you are a motel person, then this property is for you. One issue we had were that the photos of the rooms were a little bit deceiving. When we looked at the two queen bed rooms they appears to be very spacious and bright. But upon entry the total opposite. They were small and dark only one dim overhead light and a small lamp in between the queen beds. The natural light was lacking. You could open the curtains and let sunshine in but, being a motel that is difficult because then your privacy is absent because of other guests walking by and being able to see right into your room. It is a very clean and well decorated motel. Beds are pretty comfortable. The bathrooms are on the small side but clean. The faucet was wonderful. We really liked the lightning feature on it when you went to wash your hands. Overall for a motel its not too bad the property is well maintained. And we liked the self check in aspect, very convenient. Because of our personal preference we would not stay again. We prefer cabins to motels but thought we would try it.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2024

10/10 Excellent

Nellie

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This place looks like a wonderful work in progress. Very clean room with a comfortable bed. Nicely decorated. We stayed in a king room that worked wonderful for us. There is no signage, but I’ve read that that’s soon to be put in place. The grounds and parking area are a bit rustic however, I’m guessing that will be changing soon. The bathroom is extremely small with a quite small older shower. Fortunately, my husband and myself are not large people so it worked out fine for us. Once the hot water finally made it to the shower. It lasted longer than my husband‘s long showers. I would absolutely stay here again in the future. What a wonderful price for all that you get. We have stayed in a lot of hotels this summer and I will say unless we paid pay $175 or more we were getting rooms that I would never return to, this however is a huge exception. Good job proprietors keep up the great work renovating this old building. I might add that finding a room arrangement that would allow you to see the television from the sofa would be a great improvement.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Megan

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
It was very cute and Quiet
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2025

4/10 Poor

John

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
I didn’t like the vinyl hardwood flooring as it’s not comfortable compared to carpeting. There was no comfortable place to sit and the chair to table heights didn’t work together…..table too high for the chairs. The coffee cups didn’t fit the lids provided. The privacy curtain would blow open when the ac/heat fan was blowing and they were not room darkening type. The water pressure was insufficient to take a proper shower. When I was given a door code to open my door I wasn’t told to use it to lock it so when I left to do things I was unaware anyone could open my door…..another guest informed me on my last nights stay. On the upside management seemed to be very attentive and reached out to me several times to see if I needed anything. I will not return.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2025

8/10 Good

Gloria

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Paarking not paved shower not updated but very comfortable bed and quiet
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2025

  • † More information about the $50 gift card with flight package benefit may be found at: https://www.expedia-aarp.com/lp/b/vacationpackages50prepaid

  • English Copyright 1995 – 2025. All rights reserved. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of the Expedia User Agreement and Privacy Policy. Expedia pays a royalty fee to AARP for the use of AARP’s intellectual property. These fees are used for the general purpose of AARP. All goods or services and discounts offered via the AARP® Travel Center powered by Expedia ®, are provided by third-party suppliers. AARP and its affiliates do not endorse and are not responsible for the goods or services and discounts made available on this site. Offers are subject to change and may have restrictions. Please contact the AARP® Travel Center powered by Expedia® directly for full details. AARP and its affiliates are not insurers.