A Guide to Detroit’s Biggest Hotel Restaurant and Bar Developments

In assessing the journey to Detroit’s recent dining scene, there’s no denying the significance of hotel restaurants. From Michael Symon’s Roast to the 2017 debut of the Apparatus Room and Red Dunn Kitchen, some of the city’s splashiest restaurant openings have served as anchor amenities to Detroit hotels.

Today, the core downtown neighborhoods are teeming with new developments including multiple significant hotel projects. In fact, hotels were one of the major highlights of Curbed Detroit’s recent 2018 development forecast. With so many new spots for guests booking an overnight stay in Detroit, hotels are making an effort to differentiate themselves and entice customers with attributes beyond a firm bed and free HBO.

Below, find a guide to some of the latest updates in food and beverage from Detroit’s present hotel boom ranging from locally-owned cocktail bars to the incoming projects from NoHo Hospitality.

For even more updates on the biggest developments in the city’s real estate don’t forget to head over to Curbed Detroit.

Michelle and Chris Gerard

The Siren Hotel

Location: 1509 Broadway St.
Developers: ASH NYC
Opening Timeline: March 17 (businesses will be phased in throughout the year)

For several decades the historic Wurlitzer Building sat vacant in downtown Detroit falling into increasingly more dilapidated conditions. But in March the building will once again welcome visitors with the debut of the Siren Hotel. Developers ASH NYC have gathered together a promising lineup of locally-owned restaurants, bars, cafes, and stores that will help anchor the hotel firmly in the spirit of Detroit. Among those partners are Kate Williams and Matt Wang heading up cocktail lounge Candy Bar and forthcoming second-floor diner Karl’s. Those spaces will be joined by a Populace Coffee bar; an eight-seat, tasting menu restaurant from chef Garrett Lipar called Albena; a rooftop bar; and a piano karaoke bar called Sid Gold’s Request Room.

Bedrock via Curbed Detroit [Official image]

The Shinola Hotel

Location: 1400 Woodward Ave.
Developers: Bedrock Detroit, Shinola
Opening Timeline: Fall 2018

Detroit-branded company Shinola will gain its very own downtown Detroit hotel in 2018. The project includes the redevelopment of several buildings on the 1400 block of Woodward with designs by Gachot Studios and Kraemer Design Group. One significant and intriguing feature of the Shinola Hotel’s is its 16,000-square-feet of food, beverage, and retail space. At the head of the food and beverage programming will be New York-based restaurant hitmakers NoHo Hospitality. Owned by chef Andrew Carmellini, Luke Ostrom, and Josh Pickard, NoHo is known for spots like the Dutch and Lafayette. What exactly the group is plotting for Detroit is still unclear. Representatives from Bedrock tell Eater that more details will likely be revealed this summer.

Michelle and Chris Gerard

The Element Detroit

Location: 33 John R St.
Developers: The Roxbury Group
Opening Timeline: December 2018

Detroit’s 14-story, neo-gothic Metropolitan Building is in the midst of a $32 million transformation into an extended-stay hotel with help from the Roxbury Group (also developers of Aloft Detroit at the David Whitney). Plans for the project call for 110 hotel rooms and 2,000-square-feet of ground floor retail space. Early on, developers also suggested the possibility of bringing on an in-house grocer and a breakfast restaurant. The hotel will also be taking advantage of its height with the addition of a rooftop bar and patio.

Scott Roberts/Boulevard Hostel [Official photo]

Boulevard Hostel

Location: 2929 Second Ave.
Developers: Scott Roberts and Oliver Lewis
Opening Timeline: 2018/2019

A new 60-room hostel is set to fill the former Boulevard Hotel in Cass Corridor that had a colorful history during in Detroit during Prohibition. In addition to providing affordable lodging geared towards younger travelers, the hostel will feature a roughly 2,500-square-foot restaurant and bar space and a 1,000-square-foot events space. Co-owner Scott Roberts tells Eater that Boulevard Hostel has found an operator for the food and beverage operation but is still finalizing details of the project.

Hotel St. Regis/Facebook

Hotel St. Regis

Location: 3071 W Grand Blvd.
Developers: Invictus Equity Group
Renovation Timeline: estimated completion date sometime in 2019

In mid-February, local investment company Invictus Equity Group bought out New Center’s Hotel St. Regis will plans to invest $6 million in the property. Among the updates, Invictus is considering opening a new bar in the lobby and giving the La Musique restaurant a facelift and a patio.

JACK Casino-Hotel [Official image]

JACK Casino-Hotel

Location: 555 E Lafayette St.
Developers: Jack Entertainment LLC
Renovation Timeline: opening in May 2018

The Greektown Casino is currently undergoing a rebrand as JACK Casino-Hotel. As part of the transition, the casino’s former Market District area is being redubbed Monroe Market. That space is expected to feature seven restaurant spaces including a sushi and ramen spot and a bar featuring cocktails, Michigan wines, and a mixture of imported and Detroit-brewed beers. Specifics on the new dining area and its accompanying restaurants are expected to be released in the coming weeks ahead of the May opening.

Also Tracking:

• A building at 640 Temple St. in Cass Corridor could transform into apartments and a boutique hotel with a live music venue, bank vault lounge, and first-floor restaurant.
• La Dulce abruptly vacated the Crown Plaza Hotel last fall and a replacement restaurant hasn’t been confirmed. Meanwhile, the owners of the hotel are planning to build a second tower.
• A 30-story hotel could replace the Joe Louis Arena or it might not.
• Little Caesars’ Arena district developer Olympia is rumored to be bringing two hotels to the area around the stadiums.
• Furniture maker West Elm is expected to open a hotel near the juncture of Cass Avenue and Canfield Street in Cass Corridor, though there are still no details available on the timeline for that project. West Elm Hotels are expected to reflect the cities in which they’re located “through locally-inspired design, cuisine, and services,” according to a release.

• 10 Detroit Developments Set to Debut in 2018 [CDET]
• 5 Detroit Development Stories to Watch in 2018 [CDET]
• All Development Coverage [CDET]
• All Developments Coverage [ED]