A stay with a view: Bookings at the Inn at Marysville Park begin in June

The Marysville Historical Museum is no more on the south edge of Marysville City Park.

But the building still stands — its outdated, out-of-use interior now affixed as curated short-term rental suites and its faded white exterior replaced with a new chalk blue siding and stone wrap-around porch.

Work on the Inn at Marysville Park first began roughly a year ago at 887 Huron Blvd. after developer Korey Eagen, who also has a residential project in the works off of Ravenswood Road, picked up a lease for the structure from the city to help create a space for visitors to stay in town.

Now, the finishing details have been put on five new suites over three levels with a view of the city park and the St. Clair River, as well as a quick jump next door to event space in the city’s recreation center.

Eagen said he was pleased with how everything turned out, calling it a “labor of love.”

“My biggest thing was, and I always felt like — I’ve told you before — it belongs to the city still,” he said on Wednesday. “The whole feel of everything. It sits in the park. I feel like everybody is very pleased in the city. In fact, I go through Meijer, people stop me and say, ‘I can’t believe what you’ve done with the place.’ … (It would’ve been) knocked down. And then, what do we have? From the perspective of standing here?”

Eagen and a few others had just walked through the building and were briefly gathered on the top floor, where the inn’s one-bedroom penthouse with an open-lit center cupola has doors that open out to a balcony and gives visitors a birds-eye view of the park’s greenery and the blue of the St. Clair River.

“When you can see the whole waterfront from here, it just really adds to it,” he said.

Eagen said bookings would officially begin after June 1, though he expected a joint ribbon cutting later in the season once the nearby city amphitheater construction is complete.

In all, there are four one-bedroom units, as well as one two-bedroom, with one handicapped-accessible unit where, Sharon Torello, who’s handling bookings and operations at the inn, said a ramp is slated to be installed at ground level.

Each suite contains a living space and kitchen area and is named for a contemporary Marysville theme, including the Will, Morton, Viking, and Chrysler.

“Right now, we have a lot of interest, but not many solid bookings at this point. Most things are open,” Torello said. “I would say pretty open for availability. Also, we’re pretty ready.”

Details on how to stay at the site

Torello said there’s a two-night minimum for stays at the inn, and rates are broken down with separate weekend and weekday rates as follows:

• $209 weekends and $189 weekdays at the one-bedrooms, the Morton and Will, suites 101 and 102, on the first floor, as well as the Viking, suite 201, on the second floor

• $309 and $289 at the two-bedoom unit, the Chrysler, suite 202, on the second floor

• $329 and $299 for the penthouse, suite 300

All of them, except the penthouse, were listed with Airbnb, Torello said, as they were working on the inn’s website to better coordinate booking with the short-term rental service.

Dogs are allowed with a stay, though there are also listed cleaning fees.

Torello said they were still putting some placemaking details around the inn, including some outdoor furniture. They’re also considering getting a side-by-side vehicle for visitors who don’t take advantage of the city’s bicycle program nextdoor.

Each suite is setup with a punch-in lock, where the codes can be changed per stay for safety. Torello said they’re also looking at getting an outdoor grill and working with a local historical group that took many of the old pictures and items formerly in the museum building to help make a gallery wall near the inn’s entrance.

Those looking for more information or to book a stay can call (810) 434-5695, email themarysvilleinn@gmail.com, or visit https://marysvilleinn.com.

Benefits of the inn's park-side presence, according to local leaders

Marysville City Manager Randy Fernandez, who was on site Wednesday, said the key for the city in hosting the inn was the community’s lack of hotel space.

Looking over the park, he pointed to the amphitheater construction that “will be up by the end of July,” the pickleball court, and several ballfields located within the park that’ll help give visitors a reason to stay overnight.

“Two weeks ago, the college brought in 16 college teams from across the different states. Last week, they brought in 12 high school teams through St. Clair and Macomb County. So, when this opens up, I know if I had a kid play over there, I would stay here,” Fernandez said. “That’s the partnership with the college. Little League has tournaments throughout the year, so people can stay here. But again, as an age, my class reunion, I went to Central, we’re booking it here. Bottom line, where am I telling people to stay? Right next door.”

On the latter example, the city manager referenced the recreation center, where rec coordinator Stephanie Schneider said they’re increasingly booked for weddings, reunions, and other events.

St. Clair County Board Chairman Jeff Bohm joked he thought it’d be “wedding central USA” around the inn.

“That thing’s full all the time. So, now you have this for a housing opportunity,” he said of the rec center. And weddings? “That’s just my gut, right? And what I mean by that (is) let’s face it, you could come in, rent this place. In-laws, out-laws, whomever, but if you want to (do) a wedding, you rent that facility as a backup. You do an outdoor wedding. I think it just really lends itself.”

Contact Jackie Smith at (810) 989-6270 or jssmith@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: A stay with a view: Bookings at the Inn at Marysville Park begin in June