The Island House, Port Clinton

When we come to the lakeside Catawba area, we usually stay with my wife's folks. On one occasion there was too much company and we sought refuge at the Island House. We've never stayed overnight with the folks since then. For the last two years this serene vintage hotel has been our home in Port Clinton and we really look forward to our time here. The service is personal and so friendly... sheets are crisp, rooms always fresh and impeccably clean. The rooms retain the high ceilings while the heating/cooling and bathroom facilities are new and modern. WiFi is fast and free. I'm an early riser and always have a book to take downstairs to read, settling in on one of the soft leather couches by the fireplace. The coffee pot is always on and a nice selection of breakfast munchies await each morning. The appropriate period carpeting on the stair treads can't completely muffle the pleasantly creaking noises, acquired from years of service. To be fair, my wife and I are nearing retirement age and the Island House suits us well. The best part of the art of living is to know how to grow old gracefully. The Island House is one graceful lady. Room Tip: If you're looking for more than just a bedroom and bath, ask to see the Port or Starboard suites. They are great! See more room tips

We visited for a weekend getaway! Cant wait to do it again, Our room was perfect. The staff was so friendly and attentive! Highly recommended

We had a great time at the Island House for New Year's Eve. The staff and manager were very friendly and made us feel welcome. Some of the rooms were a bit small, but all were clean, comfortable, and cozy. The restaurant and bar were not open, but the location is right across the street from many good places. Our suite was big and had a kitchenette, so it gave a great meeting place for the group. We stayed an extra day (at a substantially lower rate), because we had such a good time. Thanks to Jeff and the staff for the great service.

This was our second visit this summer and both times the food was excellent. Everything was spotless. Service was top notch. Menu had a variety of dishes and prices.

What a great place to stay. We did not have reservations so we just walked in to check the place out. We were greeted with such hospitality we dicided to stay and thankfully they had a very nice room at a great price. They have a restaurant and bar right there so everything was very convenient. It is such a charming warm place to stay and the rooms were nicely decorated and very clean. When we come to the area we will definitely stay here and recommend it to our friends.

My boyfriend & I were visiting for Labor Day weekend and we're really looking forward to our stay at the hotel. When we arrived everything appeared very nice & cozy. We had 2 queen beds in our room on the second floor, and I will agree, its not luxury like the website states but its not uncomfortably small either. The only thing I will say about this hotel is that we lucked out with having a parking space because the lot out back only holds about 20 spots. So make sure to ask about that at check in so you know what the options are in advance. Just fyi. We didnt need to but it did cross our minds that day when we were making plans to drive to nearby attractions and come back that night. That is the other thing I would say as well. We were from out of town and not knowing the area I would say Port Clinton is a pretty uneventful place. Other than a nearby mexican restaurant, there are only about 2-3 bars on the main strip of town which provide pub food. Everything else is fast food places and a 15-20 min drive away to anything better. The Mon Ami winery is probably the best stop we made through our whole trip. After we got back to our hotel on the 1st night's stay we were realizing the room had some problems. The first thing was we didnt have hot water, so we had to call down to the front desk. After being told they had been working on the bioler earlier that day, we were told to run the water for a few mins. We ran it for 10 and it finally worked. The only down side was that the following morning it was scolding hot. I'm sure not all the rooms are that way but its something to maybe check once you get settled in. And lastly, do not stay on the 2nd floor anywhere near the hotel bar. From 10:30pm-2am we heard nothing but karaokee singers word for word. Mind you, this is over the T.V. and the air conditioning. We opened the door to our room and could also hear it throughout the hallway. When we called downstairs they apologized but told us it was a normal thing for a Saturday night but that they would make a note to the Manager to see if we could get a discount for our stay. Although they did offer to move us it was so late at night that we were just frustrated to even have to do that, and more importantly, it was so loud I dont think it really wouldve mattered what room they put us in. The next morning we went downstairs & stated that we would be leaving & would like to have our account credited for Saturdays stay since we werent staying both nights. The GM then came downstairs & told us since it was 11:30am we didnt give her enough notice that we would be cancelling. Once we explained the situation & what happened she then said she would credit us & even upgrade us to a suite room at our next stay, She also shared with us that they usually get complaints on those few rooms located near ours ( we were 2223), and the one room directly next to us...but never our room. Thats when we explained that the room next to us had at least 10 ppl in their room bc we heard guys & girls coming and going through the night & next morning. Mind you, we're a young couple who are in their mid twenties. I understand the need to have a good time but this place was obnoxious & we probably wont be staying again. Instead of turning the music, etc down in the hotel bar after receiving complaints from numerous guests you'd think they wouldnt even book ppl in those rooms, or quite frankly...they would fix the whole bar situation & its volumes. But they wont, bc keeping that open all night is making them business. I wouldnt recommend staying at this place. We were scheduled to stay Sat-Mon and instead left Saturday morning fter one night. Don't waste your time or money.

We thoroughally enjoyed our recent stay at the Island House. The room was quaint and cozy and the staff was very attentive. The hotel was perfectly located in the center of everything. After having stayed at the local chains I will only stay at the Island House from now on. The decor and history on the main floor as you walk in is unlike anything I have ever seen before. There are pictures and historical documents on the walls some of which were over 100 years old. We spent over half an hour in the main lobby looking at paintings and reading old government proclamations related to the history of the hotel. We also ate in the dining room which was richly decorated with numerous old historical photos of the area whch added to the historical ambience of the hotel. The lobster was also teriffic. This hotel was so much more than we expected that we can't wait to visit again.

We had the buffet at the Island House and the price is $39.95 per person. This was the worst food I have ever eaten. I am very upset that we had to pay for food we could not even eat. I recommend that you do not eat their buffet.

The Island House is cozy and charming. Our room was clean and comfortable although quite a bit smaller than the big chain hotels. The restaurant was wonderful. The food was perfectly prepared and the ambience was lovely and romantic. Our server (Amy) was as good as they get, and we eat out a lot. The front desk attenant (Kathy), and manager (Linda) were friendly and efficient. We enjoyed our stay and would definitely recommend this place to anyone visiting Port Clinton. What a beautiful historic old hotel!

Do not stay here. It is overpriced and they will charge you card after you leave for "excessive cleaning" fees. I was charged $150 extra for my room and they only had to clean beer bottles off the table. My friend was charged the same and he left nothing in the room. I have never had a worse hotel experience in my life. STAY AWAY.