Edward Hotel, Former Hyatt Regency Dearborn, Closes Abruptly

[Gistok]

Perhaps this begs the question... is Hyatt abandoning the Detroit market altogether? Or are they looking at another existing location for their signage?

I realize that Hyatt's trademark has been soaring lobbies and that besides the RenCen, no other Detroit area hotel fits the bill.

I had always hoped that the David Whitney Building would be converted to a hotel... but by moving the skylight above the 4 story lobby to the top of the 18th floor, and had the [[weather enclosed) skywell opened up with railings enclosing the hallways of each floor looking down the 18 story skywell.... in a Hyatt like way.

The Denver Brown Palace Hotel comes close to what I'm describing...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Brownpalace2.JPG
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:20...lace_Hotel.jpg

What they're currently planning for the Whitney doesn't come close to what I would like to see... the skywell will remain a skywell.

[cmubryan]

Perhaps this begs the question... is Hyatt abandoning the Detroit market altogether? Or are they looking at another existing location for their signage?

I realize that Hyatt's trademark has been soaring lobbies and that besides the RenCen, no other Detroit area hotel fits the bill.

I had always hoped that the David Whitney Building would be converted to a hotel... but by moving the skylight above the 4 story lobby to the top of the 18th floor, and had the [[weather enclosed) skywell opened up with railings enclosing the hallways of each floor looking down the 18 story skywell.... in a Hyatt like way.

The Denver Brown Palace Hotel comes close to what I'm describing...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Brownpalace2.JPG
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:20...lace_Hotel.jpg

What they're currently planning for the Whitney doesn't come close to what I would like to see... the skywell will remain a skywell.

I don't think they are abandoning the market. There will always be Hyatt Places [[former Amerisuites).

[Trumpeteer]

I realize that Hyatt's trademark has been soaring lobbies and that besides the RenCen, no other Detroit area hotel fits the bill.

Actually there are numerous Hyatts withoput soaring lobbies, i.e. Fisherman's Wharf and in Santa Rosa. However, none in MI that I know of.

[Don K]

I remember when I interviewed with Ford in 1978. I stayed at the Hyatt the night before the interviews, and I recall being really stunned coming up the Southfield in the taxi from Metro, seeing the hotel dead ahead, wondering if that's where I'd be staying.

So there's nostalgia hearing of the Hyatt name coming down, but the world moves on...

[XDetroitr]

The Hyatt/Fairlane in it's heyday.

[Don K]

The Hyatt/Fairlane in it's heyday.

'Twas a pretty cool idea, but unless you were staying at the hotel and wanted to hop over to Fairlane for dinner, it was kind of pointless. I think I rode it once just for the experience.

IIRC, it was a one-off, and was shut down and the track removed when maintenance got too expensive for Ford Land to justify [[i.e., they had to special order parts for repairs, which cost a mint).

[cmubryan]

Actually there are numerous Hyatts withoput soaring lobbies, i.e. Fisherman's Wharf and in Santa Rosa. However, none in MI that I know of.

Hyatt Regency Deaborn is the only Hyatt Regency in the state.

The "Regency" brand hotels are typically the Hyatts that contain the open atrium lobbys. The new hotels that become branded as Regencys are not containing the atriums any more. I get the feeling that the open atrium lobby concept is becoming dated in terms of hotel design. I personally love them and am in awe every time I go to a Hyatt that contains one. Hyatt Regency Atlanta was the first atrium hotel in the world and is still a Hyatt Regency today.

[CLAUDE G]

I realized there was something wrong several months ago when I was able to book a room there on Hotwire for $69.00

I think the main issue is that in downtown Detroit we got [[4) 4 star hotels, that we didn't have several years ago...

Book Cadillac
MGM Grand
Motor City
Greek Town

Between those [[4) Hotels downtown there is atleast 1500 rooms. For the exception of the MGM Grand, you can usually book a room at any of these hotels for around $100 per night. There is simply not enough people visiting Detroit to fill a convention center like the Hyatt.

But the hotel will survive, it just won't be named the Hyatt.

[DetroitPlanner]

'Twas a pretty cool idea, but unless you were staying at the hotel and wanted to hop over to Fairlane for dinner, it was kind of pointless. I think I rode it once just for the experience.

IIRC, it was a one-off, and was shut down and the track removed when maintenance got too expensive for Ford Land to justify [[i.e., they had to special order parts for repairs, which cost a mint).

This is off topic, but the original plan was to expand the PM and have several additional stations linking Ford HQ, the Washer/Dryer, U of M and several other current and future facilities. This would have taken a lot of the traffic that you see bouncing from a to b off the streets. this could also explain why the area was developed devoid of sidewalks.

[Don K]

This is off topic, but the original plan was to expand the PM and have several additional stations linking Ford HQ, the Washer/Dryer, U of M and several other current and future facilities. This would have taken a lot of the traffic that you see bouncing from a to b off the streets. this could also explain why the area was developed devoid of sidewalks.

I hadn't known that [[or if I had heard it at one time I had forgotten it). An extension to Ford WHQ/Ford Credit would have been packed at lunch hours.

[canuck]

This is off topic, but the original plan was to expand the PM and have several additional stations linking Ford HQ, the Washer/Dryer, U of M and several other current and future facilities. This would have taken a lot of the traffic that you see bouncing from a to b off the streets. this could also explain why the area was developed devoid of sidewalks.

Whassda Washer/Dryer?

[Neilr]

Whassda Washer/Dryer?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stylurus/2155147761/

[Trumpeteer]

Hyatt Regency Atlanta was the first atrium hotel in the world and is still a Hyatt Regency today.

and the restaurant, Polaris, is still open and doing quite well. That blue dome USED to be the tallest structure in DT Atlanta.

[Whitehouse]

It reminds me a bit of the U2 Pop Mart stage from when I saw them in the Rotterdam Feyenoord Stadium.

[fastcarsandfreedom]

The Polaris in Atlanta has been closed for several years - closed around '04. In addition there are some good examples of big, Atrium-style Hyatts losing their flag...Downtown Nashville did years ago and was subsequently a Holiday Inn, a Crowne Plaza and is now. Sheraton...it's revolving restaurant has also been closed for years...one of the real "showpiece" Hyatts from the heyday [[and an infamous one), at the Crown Center in Kansas City was reflagged as a Sheraton last year - it's 'revolver' called Skies closed last year.

[fastcarsandfreedom]

On the downside of the history would be the Flint Hyatt Regency - didn't end so well in that case.

[DetroitPlanner]

On the downside of the history would be the Flint Hyatt Regency - didn't end so well in that case.

That hotel was dependant on assumed traffic from the short-lived Autoworld. Flint put a lot of thier eggs into the Autoworld basket only to see it, the Hyatt, and the Water Street Pavillion bite the dust. They should have bet on U of M Flint instead and saved all of that money.

[fastcarsandfreedom]

definitely agree planner - Flint was an unusual case...just mentioning a handful of deflagged/reflagged Hyatts.. Revolving restaurants are closing up everywhere however...guessing most aren't worth fixing from a cost perspective. While I mentioned Polaris being closed in ATL - I should mention that Sundial in the Weston is still going strong.

[cmubryan]

Say hello to the new Radisson Hotel and Conference Center-Dearborn.

I am just happy they found a decent chain and aren't becoming a rundown independent hotel and naming themselves The Dearborn Regency or something.

[DetroitPlanner]

Is it me or is Radisson becoming like Ramada, Days Inn, or HoJo's, a brand that hotels become on their way down. Whats next Motel 6?

One example I can think of right off the Bat is the Ponchartrain.

Incidentally, the Pontch work is going strong they have a row of windows out in the NE corner, my assumption is that they use that for getting rid of major old junk.

[cmubryan]

Is it me or is Radisson becoming like Ramada, Days Inn, or HoJo's, a brand that hotels become on their way down. Whats next Motel 6?

One example I can think of right off the Bat is the Ponchartrain.

Incidentally, the Pontch work is going strong they have a row of windows out in the NE corner, my assumption is that they use that for getting rid of major old junk.

I think Radisson used to be more of a "downward spiral" chain but in my opinion they have improved their facilities and reputation. There was a beautiful Radisson Blu hotel opening up in downtown Chicago when I was there last year. Also the Radisson Hotel on Woodward Ave in Bloomfield Hills is a pretty decent place from what I know. This used to be the Kingsley Hotel.

Back in the day, the Book Cadillac was a Radisson after Sheraton dumped the hotel in the late 1970s. Also, ironically the Hyatt Regency Flint became the Radisson Riverfront Hotel circa 1990 after Hyatt dumped the hotel. Once again, I think things have changed and Radisson no longer just managed "the leftovers" of the higher end chain hotels once they don't want to manage them any more.

[stasu1213]

This is off topic, but the original plan was to expand the PM and have several additional stations linking Ford HQ, the Washer/Dryer, U of M and several other current and future facilities. This would have taken a lot of the traffic that you see bouncing from a to b off the streets. this could also explain why the area was developed devoid of sidewalks.

Too bad this idea didnt get off the ground. The commute from downtown to fairlane would had been much more convenient especially going to the airport. This is off the topic. Some guy who work at a theatre downtown had claimed that there were suppose to be moving sidewalks going up and down Woodward. He claim that he had saw the blueprints while he was working as a construction worker at the RenCen in 1976. I had never heard anything of such.

[DetroitPlanner]

Too bad this idea didnt get off the ground. The commute from downtown to fairlane would had been much more convenient especially going to the airport. This is off the topic. Some guy who work at a theatre downtown had claimed that there were suppose to be moving sidewalks going up and down Woodward. He claim that he had saw the blueprints while he was working as a construction worker at the RenCen in 1976. I had never heard anything of such.

The moving sidewalks concept eventually became the people mover.

[downtownguy]

Too bad this idea didnt get off the ground. The commute from downtown to fairlane would had been much more convenient especially going to the airport.

DP, were you referring the PM downtown or the one that ran from the Hyatt to Fairlane Shopping Center?

[DetroitPlanner]

DP, were you referring the PM downtown or the one that ran from the Hyatt to Fairlane Shopping Center?

I am not sure which you are referencing. The downtown moving sidewalks was one of the alternatives considered when developing the downtown circulator. It was dropped in favor of the People Mover. Does that help?