The Historic Holly Hotel
(22 reviews)110 Battle Alley, Holly, MI 48442, USA 248-634-5208 Website Suggest Changes
Recent reviews
-
Sandy Kulbatsky
This was a wonderful place for high tea. Sadly, in 2021 it had a massive fire, which has happened more than once to this historic hotel. The owners are trying to rebuild but are running into problems.
-
Queeno Cats
Excellent food & tea ! The hotel is not only historic, it’s haunted ! Their Titanic Dinner is not to be missed !
-
TT
Sally Duquaine member
The advertisement said there were two different kinds of teas.....one with scones, sandwiches etc. and one with a meat course. Both had different prices. I would have preferred not to have the meat one (queen Ann?, but was not asked. I started to question it, but I didn't want to do so in front of my two guests.
-
TT
Mary
Have been to the Holly Hotel several times and have not been disappointed. The victorian decor and history surround you. The tea caddy contains a wide variety of tea bags from which to choose and the food is lovely. The waitstaff is attentive and knowledgeable. A great place to meet a friend or a group. A step back in time.
-
TT
Bea
Four of us recently attended a tea at the Holly Hotel and we all enjoyed the atmosphere, presentation, taste and service the Holly provided.
Although no loose tea was provided, there was a decent selectioin of bagged tea and our waiter always made sure the teapot water was hot, as it should be. Would definnitely recommend the Holly for an afternoon tea.
-
TT
Elona
My mother and I had a lovely afternoon tea at the Holly Hotel. The ambiance was wonderful and the food was delicious. Yes, their tea was in tea bags but it was still good and the food was artfully prepared and tasty.
I think if you are looking for a traditional Victorian tea, you might be disappointed, but this place is perfect for a lovely afternoon tea.
I think the previous review was overly harsh and/or the establishment has learned from their mistakes.
Although, they do still offer teabags they are a good quality and fresh.
-
TT
Katie
My family and I stopped in for afternoon tea during the Dickens Fest this past weekend. All three in my party had the Victorian Tea and all 3 of us were very disappointed.
The biggest problem, although there were multiple issues, was the tea service itself - we were presented with a box of.....eeek!....TEABAGS. I know, I know....not what one expects or looks forward to when paying for the privilege of afternoon tea.
Next, we were not even given individual teapots, only one smallish teapot (I guess to hold our hot water?). Since we each had chosen different teas, the single pot often ran out of water.
Also, other items like *sugar* and *milk* and *lemon* were missing from our table.
Lastly, the food was of sufficient quantity but mediocre quality at best. Some of the elements of the menu were questionable and clearly not chosen in regard to the flavors of the tea(bags) served with the food.
While the setting at the Holly Hotel was indeed nice, I will not bother to drive the distance or pay the price for afternoon tea there again.
If you know *anything* about tea service and quality afternoon tea presentation, it's best to avoid this place as it does a disservice to the concept of 'taking tea.'
-
TT
Linda Bigelow
What an absolute treasure! My friend and I enjoyed a 4 day vacation in October to take tea in 3 tearooms. This was our first stop and we found it to be more than we could have hoped for. The service was excellent and we chose the tea luncheon. We were served the traditional scones and tea while we waited for our prime rib, mashed potatoes and asparagus. Our desert was the typical tea sweets but very good. Overall, we loved it and we are both still telling people how much we like it.
-
TT
Ann B.
My mother and I went to the Holly Hotel to try out their afternoon tea. We were surprised at the poor quality of the tea, which was a selection of grocery store type teabags. The water for the tea was not warm enough, and we has to ask for a new pot. The antique teacups would have been a nice touch had they not been chipped. The food was okay, but nothing special. We were expecting a lot more from the Holly Hotel.
-
TT
Pauline
I will never go back to the Historic Holly Hotel for the afternoon tea. The packages of tea are what you receive in an average restaurant. We had to ask for cream and sweetener. The water in the teapot got cold and I had to ask for and wait for a hot refill. The waitress was not on top of things.
The first course consisting of a tiny berry muffin and scone was tasty along with the Devonshire cream and 1/4 teaspoon of jam.
The second course consisted of either your choice of the Victorian Tea or the luncheon Queen Anne tea. I was looking forward to the chicken strudel that was advertised in their flyer for the Queen Anne Luncheon. Instead, the poultry choice was turducken. This was the hotel's menu item on Saturday, the 17th of February and on Tuesday the 20th of February for their Mardi Gras special. I could not help but wonder if this was a 'leftover' from that special dinner?
I chose the Victorian Tea second course which consisted of a cucumber boat filled with mozzarella cheese and tomato salsa seasoned with fresh basil. When you think of 'boat' you probably think of the entire length of a cucumber. This piece of cucumber was less than 2 inches in length. The tea sandwich was about 1 inch by 2 inches with about a teaspoon of gorgonzola cheese on it and a sprinkle of candied walnuts on top. The sliver of sausage quiche was served lukewarm. BIG DISAPPOINTMENT!!!! The best (?) was yet to come. I had hoped that the third course dessert would save this utterly poor excuse for a special Victorian Tea. Alas, I was wrong. Can you imagine how shocked my guest and I were when our plates were brought to the table with a watery, sticky little macaroon, a tiny little pastry the size of a fifty-cent piece with about one tablespoon of some sort of cream filling in it (no whipped cream on top to finish it off), and a mint meringue cookie that was so obviously from a box bought at a store. Hopeless!!! Neither of us expected such a miserable experience having been there in the past. My daughter treated me and her mother-in-law to the tea at the hotel three years ago and we could not have had a finer experience. We had top notch service, top notch food (ample portions) -ALL HOMEMADE DESSERTS - SCRUMPTIOUS. I took several friends there a few months later and the whole tearoom experience was not at all what the three of us had just a short time previously. I took another chance on the 24th and lost. Whatever they were doing three years ago, they should go back to that menu and that chef. I think that a non-experienced person in the kitchen making peanut butter and jelly tea sandwiches could have done a ten times better job than what was done for us on Saturday, the 24th of February 2007. I would not go back, would not recommend this place to anyone and wonder how they can advertise the way they do to make people believe they will have a pleasant Victorian 'tearoom' experience. Unless they change something, don't put this place on your list of 'must go to' anytime soon.
-
TT
C. Mary
Charming Victorian Historic Building, elegant linens, antique tea cups, OUSTANDING SERVICE. The 3 course tea was only $12.00, and came with hot scones, flavored butters, and jams, second course was a delightful array of finger sandwiches, and the third course was a tasty selection of fruits, and wonderful chocolates! Make reservations,...get on the mailing list, many afternoon teas feature gifts and flowers!
-
TT
princessP
Overall, you can't help but love the Historic Holly Hotel...that said, they could use to step-up the quality a bit. There is a lack of charm with the tea bags brought out in a broken box and the room temperature water. A good cleaning may also help; the dust is not really all that quaint. However, the wonderful, handsome, thoughtful server, that looked the other way as my grandmother stashed a handful of tea bags into her purse, made an otherwise embarassing afternoon quite delightful. For whatever reason, we will continue to adore and frequent the Historic Holly Hotel for afternoon tea.
-
TT
d lane
What A pleasant Suprise. Not Only is The Holly Hotel Beautiful and such a great find if you havent been there, the service is superb, and the food is amazing. We attended tea recently and I had the pleasure of the Victorian Tea and My husband expierenced the Queen Ann Lunch. Where do I begin. The Muffins and scones were to die for. My raspberyy chicken salad was stunning in presentation in a basket made of fine dough and the orchid added to the eye appeal. My husband was offered beef onglay with some sort of root vegetable, he was extremely pleased. The final course dessert was splendid. Words cant really express how truly pleasant and refreshing The Hotel expierence was. Very classy. Bravo to the owners for keeping this gem true to its Name, Historic. Infact, I loved it so much i have planned to host my daughters baby shower there and the party coridanator Justin is so fun to work with we cant wait. I have a feeling the other ladies that commented are the type that could never be pleased. If you havent been there yet you dont know what you are missing.
-
TT
jean
how extremely sad. A place of history once a grand place now near ruins. The place is filthy and lacking in repairs. If you like fancy plates with little food, you might enjoy. We have visited a number of times. and each time it has gotten worse. We are done. We have gone away hungry and so disappointed. Word is preading very fast and I am so sorry to see This once wonderful extablishment fail. Don't waste your time until you hear of a new owner or major renovations.
-
TT
Joann Beste
I have been receiving emails from this establishment and I finally invited 8 friends to join me for afternoon tea because it sounded so wonderful. It was awful. First, three of the tea cups were chipped. A couple were cracked and dirty. One of the tea cups had never been washed! I was able to wipe the ring off from the inside of the cup with my finger! When I made the reservations, I asked if this was a non-smoking establishment. The woman I spoke with chuckled and said, 'of course it is'. She lied. There is a bar in the next room and plenty of people were smoking. One was even smoking a cigar. The bathrooms are in the basement and on the second floor. There is no elevator. My 83 year old mother could not make it up the two sets of stairs to go to the bathroom. We had to take her to the tea room across the street so she could use their bathroom! It gets worse: while I was getting ready to leave I heard the hostess tell an elderly woman in a wheelchair who had to use the bathroom that it was no problem getting her upstairs. They would have two men carry her!!! I couldn't believe what I was hearing, so I asked the woman standing next to me if she heard what I heard....she heard it too!!! I'm not sure, but I'm going to check - I believe our State has a law regarding handicap accessibility. I did make it up to the bathroom. It was dirty. The walls and even the ceiling tiles were moldy. There was a metal pitcher of semi-hot water and tea bags on the table. There was no lemon. There was no honey, just tea bags & packets of sugar. There was no one to serve the tea. The portions of food were very small. There was no butter. The restaurant was dirty, musty & smokey. It was a terrible experience. I will never go there again. I would never recommend this place to anyone. It was horrid.
-
TT
diamondelle
I went there with my red hat chapter in May 2006 and was terribly disappointed and disgusted! First before we even booked the tea I asked if they had handicap accessible restrooms and no smoking since we have handicap and asthmatic ladies in our chapter. We also asked if they would accomodate our vegatarian and diabetic ladies with a different menu choice. I was assured that is was no problem for all our concerns. When we got there they smoked and we found out that the restroom was 2 flights of stairs up! One of our ladies had to leave due to her asthmatic attack from the smoking. Adding insult to injury, they brought tea bags that you could buy in a grocery store out in a crate with tea pots on the table with luke warm water. We had to serve ourselves. My aunt got a soup spoon for her teacup. The portions were very small and they forgot about our menu arrangements for our vegatarian and diabetic lady. On top of everything else we had to wait 45 minutes before the first course was even served. They were short staffed and the staff had a very poor attitude. I was extremely disqusted with this tea room!
-
TT
Stephanie
Having been to many afternoon teas, this seemed like a nice place to try. Walking in I was thinking what a lovely place for tea. However, I was quickly disappointed(along with another reviewer)that the food portions were very scimpy. Also, I didn't like the tea served in the wooden box with tea varities that could be purchased in my local grocery store either. The waitress was hard to find when we wanted more water or tea bags. The atmosphere was lovely. But, that alone isn't enough to bring us back again. Sorry!
-
TT
Vesta L. DeRiso
Having dined at the hotel and enjoyed it, my husband and I paid for a 2-yr. membership to the Historic Holly Hotel. It entitles you to 2 'free' meals and a 20% discount. Imagine our shock, surprise and dismay when they 'lost' our membership and refused to give us our dinners. We had paid $118 for the privelege!!!
The hotel is quaint - but quaintness does not make up for a dishonest owner. I cannot recommend this dining establishment to anyone.
To add insult to injury, the water they served for the tea was cold.
-
TT
Marie Donnay
The Princess Tea Party at the Holly Hotel was and extrodinary demonstration of how little girls love to dress up in white glove, best party dresses,tiaras and and sip tea like ladies, even though milk seemed to be the preference. Our daughters were exposed to the fine china, cordial formal atomosphere and delightful grown up chatter that comes with the venue. A perfect afternoon for our young princesses and future ladies of Michigan.