NewStyle Digital is proud to announce the launch of the fully redesigned and revamped online storefront for the Grand Hotel Gift Shop (shop.grandhotel.com), an immersive e-commerce platform that brings the timeless charm and heritage of Mackinac Island’s Grand Hotel directly to customers everywhere. This project underscores NewStyle Digital’s commitment to marrying aesthetic excellence with cutting-edge digital functionality. View the project here.
Heritage Meets Modern Commerce
The Grand Hotel, with its storied history and reputation for elegance, called for an online shopping experience that honors its legacy while delivering modern usability. NewStyle Digital worked closely with the Grand Hotel team to ensure that every visual, interactive, and technical element of the site reflects the warmth, tradition, and graciousness that guests associate with a stay at the Grand.
Design Philosophy & User Experience
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Visual Storytelling: The site’s design emphasizes high-quality imagery of signature Grand Hotel products — from apparel and accessories to home décor and bath & body items. Rich photographs, subtle animations, and carefully curated Collections (such as New Arrivals, Best Sellers, Front Porch, Home & Gifts) invite exploration and evoke the sense of wandering through the Grand Hotel’s celebrated porch or grand halls.
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Brand Consistency: Fonts, color palettes, iconography, and layout choices are rooted in Grand Hotel’s branding, integrating cues from the hotel’s architecture, interior décor, and historical signature motifs for continuity between the physical and digital experience.
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User-Centered Navigation: NewStyle Digital prioritized intuitive navigation: quick access to favorite categories (“Home & Gifts,” “Apparel & Accessories,” “Bath & Body,” etc.), a simplified search, curated featured products, and seamless transitions between browsing and purchasing.
Technology & Functionality
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Built on Shopify Platform: The site leverages Shopify’s robust platform for e-commerce reliability, security, payment processing, and administrative flexibility.
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Responsive Design: Fully responsive layout ensures that customers on mobile, tablet, or desktop enjoy a seamless experience. This includes optimized image loading, easy-to-tap buttons, and mobile-friendly menus.
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Speed & Performance Optimizations: To support the high expectations of modern shoppers, NewStyle Digital implemented optimizations including compressed and lazy-loaded images, streamlined code, and fast checkout flows.
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Secure Payment & Checkout Options: Multiple payment options are supported (credit cards, digital wallets, etc.), with attention to PCI compliance and data privacy.
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Inventory & Collections Management: The back-end system allows the Grand Hotel’s staff to easily update product offerings, feature collections (e.g. New Arrivals, Best Sellers), manage inventory, and track orders.
Features & Highlights
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Featured Collections: Highlighted categories such as New Arrivals, Best Sellers, Front Porch, Home & Gifts, Bath & Body, Apparel & Accessories, Holiday, and Auctions help customers discover both classic signature items and seasonal treasures.
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Signature Products Showcased: Items such as the “Grand Hotel Terry Shawl Collar Robe,” the “Front Porch Rocker,” “Somewhere In Time Replica Music Box,” and other unique offerings are given prominence.
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“Bring Home the Grand Experience” Messaging: Taglines like “Timeless Treasures. Grand Memories.” and “Where Grand Tradition Becomes a Gift.” reinforce the emotional connection customers have with the Grand Hotel, whether in person or online.
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User Engagement & Trust Features: Newsletter subscription, account creation/login, policy pages (privacy, terms, refund), contact information are all clearly accessible.
Collaboration & Process
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Discovery & Research: NewStyle Digital began with extensive stakeholder interviews, brand review, user persona identification, and competitive benchmarking of high-end hospitality retail sites.
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Wireframing & Prototyping: Early wireframes allowed the Grand Hotel to visualize product placement, category hierarchy, and navigation flow. Prototypes were tested for usability.
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Design Iterations: Visual mockups were refined in several rounds, ensuring that imagery, typography, color scheme, and layout aligned with Grand Hotel’s character and resonated emotionally.
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Development & Integration: After design approval, NewStyle Digital implemented the site on Shopify, configured payments, inventory syncs, responsive templates, and performance features.
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Quality Assurance & Launch: Extensive QA—including cross-browser, cross-device, accessibility checks—and load testing preceded launch. The site was rolled out with strategic timing and marketing coordination to maximize visibility.
Outcomes & Impacts
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Expanded Reach: The new site enables guests and Grand Hotel enthusiasts worldwide to access curated gift shop items — even those who cannot visit the island in person.
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Improved Conversion Potential: With better product visibility, optimized checkout paths, and clear trust signals, the site is expected to increase online sales, average order values, and repeat customer retention.
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Operational Efficiency: The Grand Hotel team now has greater agility to update the storefront: launching new collections, retiring products, adjusting pricing, and managing promotions.
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Brand Reinforcement: By aligning the online presence with the physical Grand Hotel experience, the site strengthens brand consistency and customer perception.
Quotes
“We wanted the Grand Hotel Gift Shop to feel as inviting online as stepping onto the porch at sunset,” said Jonathan Mattis, Marketing Director at Grand Hotel. “NewStyle Digital understood not just the aesthetics, but the emotional resonance of our heritage — and delivered an experience that feels both classic and fresh.”
“This project was especially gratifying for our team,” said Aaron Taylor, President at NewStyle Digital. “Balancing a rich historical brand with modern e-commerce expectations is always a challenge, but the result goes beyond a transactional website — it’s a digital showcase for everything the Grand Hotel stands for.”
About Grand Hotel Gift Shop
Located on Mackinac Island, the Grand Hotel has been a landmark of elegance since 1887. Its gift shop offers curated apparel, home goods, souvenirs, bath & body products, and more — each item imbued with the spirit of the island and the hotel’s century-spanning tradition. The newly launched online shop (shop.grandhotel.com) makes those offerings accessible to guests and fans everywhere.
About NewStyle Digital
NewStyle Digital is a full-service web design and digital agency specializing in custom design, user experience, and e-commerce solutions for clients who care deeply about aesthetics, storytelling, and performance. Our team brings together designers, developers, strategists, and UX experts to build online experiences that are beautiful, usable, and effective.
Availability
The new Grand Hotel Gift Shop website is live now at shop.grandhotel.com. Customers may browse collections, place orders, sign up for the newsletter, and explore signature Grand Hotel products from anywhere in the world.
