9 Design-Forward Detroit Hotels

Detroit is undergoing an incredible renaissance and that upsurge is nowhere clearer than in an incredibly stylish new crop of hotels where old world and new beautifully collide.

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February 20, 2020

By: Felicia Feaster and Katie Friedman

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Photo By: The Siren Hotel

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Photo By: Aloft at The David Whitney

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Photo By: Hostel Detroit

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Photo By: Courtesy of Joe Vaughn, Detroit Foundation Hotel

Photo By: Joe Vaughn, Detroit Foundation Hotel

Photo By: Courtesy of Joe Vaughn, Detroit Foundation Hotel

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Photo By: Trumbull & Porter

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High-Style Shinola

Located in the city's historic shopping district, the 129-room boutique Shinola Hotel is the first of its kind from Shinola, the luxury watch and leather goods manufacturer. Needless to say, the whole property is dressed to impress; every room comes with a Shinola desk clock and a striped throw designed exclusively for the hotel. This hip new hotel was developed by Bedrock Detroit and designed by Gachot Studios and Kraemer Design Group.

BOOK NOW: Hotels.com, $268/per night

Lobby Just Like Home

Reflecting the new hotel trend of giving public spaces a more personality-infused feel with hang-out potential, the Shinola lobby boasts the feel of a very chic friend's living room with art curated by Library Street Collective. The Shinola also boasts a beer hall, an alleyway lined with specialty shops and San Morello, a new restaurant from James Beard Award-winning chef Andrew Carmellini.

Old School Fun

An array of new design trends are on view at Shinola Hotel and a bevy of Detroit hotels that celebrate the city's renaissance while also acknowledging its glorious past.

Pets Can Stay in Style

Like a growing number of American hotels, Shinola Hotel in Detroit is pet-friendly.

Siren Song

Cinephiles and interior design lovers will feel right at home in The Siren Hotel, which truly looks like something out of a Wes Anderson film. The second in an expanding collection of hotels by design development firm ASH NYC, this 106-room property quietly opened in April 2018 and continues to mesmerize visitors with its romantic, Old World-inspired aesthetic. In the lobby alone, you'll notice vintage furniture layered on a palette of soft white, pale pink, rich oxblood and crisp navy — not to mention a corner coffee bar from Populace Coffee.

BOOK NOW: Hotels.com, $164/per night

Scandi Pink and Oxblood

Talk about being ahead of the design curve. The new Siren Hotel extends its on-trend color palette of oxblood, millennial pink and white in its retro-cool public spaces to its equally stylish guest rooms.

The Candy Bar

Don't forget to pull back the pink velvet curtain and step inside The Candy Bar, the Siren Hotel's secret cocktail lounge accessorized with a candy pink ceiling.

Eye Candy

A delicious old-Hollywood elegance defines the pink-hued Candy Bar created by design firm ASH NYC. Candy Bar partner Matt Wang also nods to the space's classic Hollywood influences calling the particular hue that defines the bar "Jayne Mansfield pink" after the late movie star.

Aloft at the David Whitney

With its incredible skylight, stone columns and gold leafing, the David Whitney easily has one of the most spectacular lobbies in the entire city. The building was completed by legendary architectural firm Daniel H. Burnham & Co. in 1915, and today remains a symbol of grandeur and beauty. Choose from 136 guest rooms outfitted by Aloft at the David Whitney and enjoy the view, then head to the Detroit Opera House, Grand Circus Park or the city's sports stadiums, which are right across the street.

BOOK NOW: Hotels.com, $227/per night

Element Detroit

Design-savvy bleisure travelers alert: Element Detroit is an eco-focused, extended-stay hotel located inside the newly renovated Metropolitan Building, which once housed diamond-cutters and goldsmiths. In keeping with that dazzling history, at the Element Detroit you'll find an ornate vaulted ceiling in the lobby, decorative staircases and carefully preserved jewelry storefronts that have been repurposed into meeting rooms. The hotel also boasts eco-friendly amenities, like decor made from recycled materials, water filtration systems and low-flow faucets and toilets.

BOOK NOW: Hotels.com, $246/per night

Hostel Detroit

We're not sure what we love more about Hostel Detroit: its vibrant murals or its crazy-affordable rooms, perfect for travelers on a budget. Here, you'll have access to three kitchens, four bathrooms, various communal spaces, free-to-use computers and street parking. And though the hostel's location in historic Corktown makes it convenient to walk to restaurants and bars, you can also rent a bike for $20 and see the city like a local.

El Moore Lodge

Though the El Moore has stood at the corner of Second Avenue and West Alexandrine Street since 1898, this building is far from dated. The five-story structure has undergone a complete transformation, and now serves as a sustainable, residential apartment building and an urban lodge for out-of-towners. Choose from the cozy, Garden-Level Bunkrooms or take your pick of the Rooftop Cabins, which feature sleek, reclaimed wood walls and spectacular views of Midtown.

Detroit Foundation Hotel

If ever there were something to splurge on, it's a stay at the Detroit Foundation Hotel. Formerly home to the Detroit Fire Department. Inside, you'll still see many of the firehouse's original features, including bright red doors, architectural details and wood flooring. What really makes this place a showstopper, though, is the in-house restaurant, the Apparatus Room, already gaining a reputation for its combination of food and design-savvy.

Hot Stuff

The Detroit Foundation Hotel was purchased by Arpium Hotel Group and transformed into a 100-room boutique hotel in 2017.

Architectural Welcome

The former firetruck bay doors of the Detroit Foundation Hotel offer a view into the Apparatus Room where the walls are filled with work by local artists including a striking light installation by Alex Porbe.

Firm Foundation

Guest rooms at the Detroit Foundation Hotel include nods to Detroit’s automotive industry legacy with a color palette punctuated with metallics, reminiscent of the paint colors of 1960-era cars. Headboards are made with repurposed wood from Architectural Salvage Warehouse Detroit, adding homegrown craftsmanship and nostalgia.

Bright Idea

In the Apparatus Room at the Detroit Foundation Hotel, Edison bulbs create an enchanting ambience that's ideal for sipping cocktails.

Trumbull & Porter

We have to say it: Trumbull & Porter is the hipster hotel that dreams are made of. After a major renovation, the boutique hotel reopened to the public in 2018 and now features 144 guest rooms, a new restaurant and an outdoor space with a fire pit and a set up for live music.

BOOK NOW: Hotels.com, $144/per night

Art Throughout

But what really sets Trumbull & Porter in Detroit's Corktown neighborhood apart? The art. From the lobby to the exterior walls, the hotel showcases original works by more than 50 Detroit and Michigan-based artists, such as Ouiza, Ellen Rutt and Michelle Tanguay.

Hudson's Site

While there are many developments in the works for downtown Detroit, the one that's generating the most buzz is Hudson's Site. Expected to be an incredible 912-feet-tall and surpass the Renaissance Center as the tallest skyscraper in the city, this project by Bedrock Detroit promises to deliver a street-level market, retail shops, offices and event spaces, a hotel and an observation deck. If you're looking for an excuse to visit Detroit in 2022, this is it.