Curley's Paradise Motel

Not a luxury place but the staff are kind and helpful. It was clean and we felt safe being there. They were extremely kind and helpful when our truck wouldn't start at it -2 degrees. Good people.

Due to poor planning, my partner, our best friend, and I didn't have a place to stay arranged until the night we needed it. All the hotels, cabins, and campsites in the area seemed booked solid. We went to Curley's thinking it looked like the perfect setting for a slasher film. The lady at the desk was elderly but nice. The office smelled musty but fine - it's a rustic, very outdoorsy area and the building is older; the smell isn't due to neglect of cleanliness. The only available room with two beds was on the lake, and my partner was a bit put off by the price, but when we saw the view from our room he revisited his reaction. When we entered the room, yes it was definitely older furniture and everything was fairly dated, but the sheets were clean and there were plenty of clean towels in the bathroom. Was it the Hilton? Hell no, but it was a spot to sleep which is what we needed. The biggest drawback to the whole thing was that all the restaurants and stores within a 35 minute drive closed at 9 and we were starving. Being from metro Detroit, it didn't occur to us that there might not be a way to get food at 10 pm on a Saturday night. But that has nothing to do with the motel so it's not a factor in my rating. Also not important to the quality of the lodging is that there were insects and mosquitoes. You're in the UP. The insects and mosquitoes are notorious for the whole peninsula. If you didn't bring bug spray up there you were doomed from the start. The room was clean, no a/c but it had a fan and the weather wasn't too hot so it didn't really matter. There was free WiFi, no one seems to have mentioned that. The truth about this place is yeah it's dated, it of course has a great view, but the most important thing to know about Curley's Paradise Motel is IT IS MAGIC. We noticed a fire was going between our room and the lake, and that there were multiple fire pits and grills available. We didn't have "real" food, but we did have s'mores stuff so we set out to try to make a fire. Unfortunately, since everything closes so early, we had no wood. We approached the fire that was going, where a man with a top hat - who we recognized as someone we'd seen in the parking lot carrying a guitar - and another guy. The man in the top hat was named Andrew, and he and the other guy, another guest, happily shared their fire with us. Andrew turned out to be the cleaning/maintenance person for the motel. My partner and our friend are musicians so they of course hit it off. We very quickly learned that Andrew is an absolute character. He's very odd and eccentric (as are we), as well as kind, welcoming, considerate, and extremely intelligent. The motel is something he takes great pride in, and it shows. He took us down to the beach and showed us his kayak and sailboat, and told us stories of his adventure and the local area. We hung out with him all night and it was magical and enjoyable to the extent that it was surreal. The rooms weren't fancy or updated, no. The place may have smelled like an old building on a lake, but it wasn't strong enough for me to remember it the day after we left. It definitely looks kind of murdery from the street. But the experience of staying there was incredible and beautiful. It was worth every penny and then some. Oh, the lake was amazing too, and the sunrise was gorgeous. The water was cold but completely clear, the bottom was soft sand, and the beach was beautiful and clean. We will be back to the UP as soon as we can, and we will absolutely be staying at Curley's again. It's not about how new or fancy or state of the art the building is - this place is an experience. Staying at Curley's was like all the best parts of camping, but without the back pain. Feel free to be put off by aesthetic, superficial aspects and spend more for a cookie-cutter room and maybe some free wet eggs in the morning if you want. That just leaves more room for us to come back for another beautifully unforgettable experience. If you're lucky, we'll see you there. We'll be with the guy in the top hat.

Rooms are a little out of date but males up for customer service. Andrew and Linda were excellent and friendly. Andrew definitely helped find some cool spots in the area too.

This is the 3rd time I have stayed here. The second time, I stayed in the Lake Superior front room. The weather was not great, but it cleared at night so we could see freighters on the lake. The room was clean, and the bed was comfortable. There was a coffee maker, microwave, and refrigerator. They supplied one regular packet of coffee. I always carry coffee with me. I am guessing that they would have given me another for the second morning had I asked. I would stay here again.

Very nice place. The hospitality is outstanding. Price is very reasonable. They are right on the water and have a little park with grills and benches. The view is one of the best I have ever seen. I want to give a special thank and a most awesome person Andy the caretaker is just a vert helping and nice person. He has made the trip really nice. Will be back. Will only stay here.

Awesome place for travelers to stay. So accommodating to everyone. Would recommend all the time. Very friendly and great hospitality.

This is a tough one to review. So, the UP is rugged, wild and fairly untamed. If you like that kind of vibe, this is your jam. If you don’t, I cannot overstate how much this place will NOT be your jam. We had cabin 2. Cabin 2 and cabin 7 seem pretty decent. Some of the others and the rooms in general are pretty basic, have many vintage items and aging infrastructure. On the positive side it is literally right on Lake Superior. Much of the dock/ lookout features have slid off due to erosion but it in no way detracts from what is one of the best views anywhere on EARTH. It is so beautiful. So peaceful. Also, there is a great local vibe to the whole thing. Of particular note is Andrew, one of the staff. He is incredible. I would love to spend hours just talking with him. He shared his spy glass with us as well as stories and some magic tricks. I wish we had more time with him. A genuine soul you can only find in a rugged place like this where there is none of the pretense of modern city life. He is a gem . This place is a lovely locale with aging facilities that is worth the time to experience.

This place is wonderful! Beautifully placed on the lake and I was able to watch a gorgeous sunrise. Quiet and clean! They also have a really cool housekeeper!