Ho-hum :-) Another Downtown Boutique Hotel [Cambria Hotel] Announced

Another one! This will be across the street from the former Detroit News Building. Street View

"Downtown Detroit is getting yet another hotel, this time a 154-room Cambria Hotel at 600 W. Lafayette Blvd.

Choice Hotels International Inc. [[NYSE: CHH) signed an agreement with Troy-based Koucar Management to develop the new hotel, it said Thursday in a news release. The "upscale" hotel is expected to open next year in a redeveloped Walker-Roehrig Building.

The company cited the city's "bustling" downtown area and close proximity to Cobo Center and national corporate headquarters, including Ford Motor Co., General Motors Co. and Quicken Loans for choosing the location."

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https://www.crainsdetroit.com/real-e...-hotel-detroit

The rendering looks like the new building will be at 3rd and Howard, behind the Walker Roehrig Building. That site was formerly going to be The Ashton.

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Originally Posted by NSortzi

The rendering looks like the new building will be at 3rd and Howard, behind the Walker Roehrig Building. That site was formerly going to be The Ashton.

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600 W. Lafayette is the Walker Roehrig Building
Attachment 37801

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Originally Posted by NSortzi

The rendering looks like the new building will be at 3rd and Howard, behind the Walker Roehrig Building. That site was formerly going to be The Ashton.

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You're right. The rendering is facing south on 3rd Ave. Maybe the entire complex will be part of the new hotel, new construct and the Walker Roehrig Building.

Perhaps the WR Building will be where the conference rooms will be and the new part where the rooms and check in will be?

It's NOT Gilbert\Bedrock, from what I see, which is good, we need diversity. It also shows that other people see the opportunity.

Isn't a "boutique" hotel generally under 100 rooms?

Cambria never struck me as a boutique brand, but i guess it's considered 'upscale' in the choice hotels branding. At least the design is much better than the prototype.

https://choicehotelsdevelopment.com/...els/prototype/

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Originally Posted by rb336

Isn't a "boutique" hotel generally under 100 rooms?

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I think years ago boutique hotels were usually independent properties, often converted from small 4 or 5 floor walk-up apt. buildings. Then the chains took over and started converting larger buildings and building from the ground up. Generally I'd say they are up to 200 rooms these days.

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Originally Posted by gumby

600 W. Lafayette is the Walker Roehrig Building
Attachment 37801

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I’m aware. If you look at the rendering you can see the 3rd Street facade of the Walker Roehrig Building to the right of the new build. I’m sure they’re going to incorporate the WR Building into the new build and keep the address.

Edit: Upon looking at the rendering more closely, this does show the hotel on the parking lot [[the site of The Ashton at 659 Howard) as opposed to 600 West Lafayette. I guess this means they are going to incorporated the current historic buildings at 600 West Lafayette into the development.

I'd always thought The Ashton was probably too short for this section of downtown, so this definitely seems to be wasting potential. The size just strikes me as something more appropriate for outside the downtown core, and I think that's really going to become apparently rather quickly as development spreads west of the Financial District in the coming years.

Like, this looks nice for the base of a mixed-use tower if it's something in the downtown core. But a single-use hotel in this area should probably be more substantial. This would fit nicely on some mostly-residential side street in Midtown or Corktown or something.

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Originally Posted by NSortzi

I’m aware. If you look at the rendering you can see the 3rd Street facade of the Walker Roehrig Building to the right of the new build. I’m sure they’re going to incorporate the WR Building into the new build and keep the address.

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I hope that's the case, as I wouldn't want to lose the WR building's late art deco facade.

Free Press article confirming the new Cambria Hotel building will be located on the former site of The Ashton. The hotel is actually going to be called The Ashton at The Cambria, according to the article.

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Originally Posted by NSortzi

Free Press article confirming the new Cambria Hotel building will be located on the former site of The Ashton. The hotel is actually going to be called The Ashton at The Cambria, according to the article.

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The Ashton proposal was really dated looking, seemed like something more out of the 1980s than 2020s. It looked like a fortress with zero interaction with the street and the architecture itself looked cheap and would not age well. Not surprised they didn't make the pre-leasing benchmark.

hopefully renovations will start as soon as possible, with job opportunities for construction and the permanent jobs after that. I wonder if some of the rooms at the top levels will be set up as deluxe suites that can be semi-apartments for those willing to pay the fees.

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Originally Posted by casscorridor

The Ashton proposal was really dated looking, seemed like something more out of the 1980s than 2020s. It looked like a fortress with zero interaction with the street and the architecture itself looked cheap and would not age well. Not surprised they didn't make the pre-leasing benchmark.

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It was probably the weakest design proposed in the city. this midrise is a little better.

I would also add about this project is that will hopefully lead to more investment in the western part of downtown that could lead to a development like the Ashton happening.

Do you think these boutique hotels get announced if the Crown Plaza 2nd tower goes through? Personally I'd rather have 5-6 100 room hotels than 1 500 room hotel, especially when we're talking about quality infill rather than another tower on the Crown Plaza concrete podium.

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Originally Posted by JonWylie

Do you think these boutique hotels get announced if the Crown Plaza 2nd tower goes through? Personally I'd rather have 5-6 100 room hotels than 1 500 room hotel, especially when we're talking about quality infill rather than another tower on the Crown Plaza concrete podium.

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Take a look at the Crain's article today [[I can't access it to post). It discusses the need for a 500 room hotel for convention business but the prohibitive cost per sq. foot compared to smaller properties.

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Originally Posted by dtowncitylover

I would also add about this project is that will hopefully lead to more investment in the western part of downtown that could lead to a development like the Ashton happening.

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Infill is nice, but a lot of the big conferences want to be able to fit everything within one hotel; rooms, convention space, breakout rooms, on-site catering, etc. Not many hotels are capable of that right now, especially for the bigger conferences.

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Originally Posted by EGrant

Infill is nice, but a lot of the big conferences want to be able to fit everything within one hotel; rooms, convention space, breakout rooms, on-site catering, etc. Not many hotels are capable of that right now, especially for the bigger conferences.

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the JLA site really needs to be a large hotel specifically for this purpose

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Originally Posted by JonWylie

the JLA site really needs to be a large hotel specifically for this purpose

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I prefer that location for a few condo or apartment buildings.

It's just disconnected from downtown. If that were a large hotel...visitors would stay there, walk to Cobo, and never see actual downtown. Just think we'd miss a lot of the benefits of what a large hotel could bring downtown if it was in that spot.

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Originally Posted by stinkytofu

I prefer that location for a few condo or apartment buildings.

It's just disconnected from downtown. If that were a large hotel...visitors would stay there, walk to Cobo, and never see actual downtown. Just think we'd miss a lot of the benefits of what a large hotel could bring downtown if it was in that spot.

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Honestly that whole area needs to be reconfigured, along with a removal or capping of the Lodge south of 75, but I digress

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Originally Posted by stinkytofu

I prefer that location for a few condo or apartment buildings.

It's just disconnected from downtown. If that were a large hotel...visitors would stay there, walk to Cobo, and never see actual downtown. Just think we'd miss a lot of the benefits of what a large hotel could bring downtown if it was in that spot.

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What about having a hotel in the Joe Louis location with the 1st several floors parking. You could have a ground floor lounge area with access to the riverfront, the lobby on the 1st level above parking and a glass walkway similar to Millender/RenCen that would allow people to walk across the Cobo roof and take elevators/escalators directly into Cobo's main entrance or onto the street out front. The views would be better from the rooms both of the riverfront and toward downtown.

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Originally Posted by JonWylie

Honestly that whole area needs to be reconfigured, along with a removal or capping of the Lodge south of 75, but I digress

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Yeah this is extremely important to rectifying stinkytofu's concerns. If a better layout and large hotel were built there, the rest of downtown could accessible by the People Mover; it would have its own stop. Some sort of plaza over the Lodge between Jefferson and Congress to make Congress accessible to the hotel.

The PM stop at the JLA is not being demolished, BTW, and will be incorporated into whatever is built there [[almost assuredly something mixed-use). And I believe the city is already brainstorming what to do with the road infrastructure around there to de-clutter it.

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Originally Posted by dtowncitylover

Yeah this is extremely important to rectifying stinkytofu's concerns. If a better layout and large hotel were built there, the rest of downtown could accessible by the People Mover; it would have its own stop. Some sort of plaza over the Lodge between Jefferson and Congress to make Congress accessible to the hotel.

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Seattle and Vegas have good example of ways Detroit could get people from hotels over a busy freeway into thier downtown that Detroit could mimic for those who wish to walk instead of use the PM.

DetroitRises... welcome back... been a while.... :)

just remove the freeways entirely. problem solved.

Ending the Lodge south at Howard Street and continuing the road way up to Fort would open up the area south of Fort. Most of Jefferson could end at Washington Blvd. However one lane that connects Jefferson to the west could continue under Cobo, and a cap could go over that section on the west side of Cobo.

The Cambria site appears to have broken ground. I would attach a bigger picture, but this is as big as it will let me attach for some reason. Something about a disk attack or something...

Attachment 38708

The cranes are up at the Cambria worksite at Third and Howard.

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Update on this project as it heads towards completion. Via Crain's Detroit Business and Kurt Nagl


Things of note, the hotel and parking structure are 75% done.

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Caradonna said the hotel tower and parking deck is 75 percent complete and that the focus now is on the renovation of the historic Walker-Roehrig Building. He said he expects the project to be done by mid-2022, with all the businesses and amenities opening in unison.

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Shift from office space to commercial retail and restaurant.

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But the 50,000 square feet originally set aside for office space will now be less work and more play...There will be around 5,000 square feet left for office, but it is not being marketed for lease. Caradonna said his company plans to use it as flex workspace.

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Five Iron Golf is to be a tenant.

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Five Iron Golf will fill 24,000 square feet with 13 driving bays, a large putting green and a club fitting area. Additionally, the space will include a full-service bar, two bowling lanes, pool tables, shuffleboard and widescreen TVs, according to a news release from the company. The Trackman-enabled bays measure play stats such as distance, spin and strokes in real time and come equipped with simulations of well-known courses around the world.

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Other retail tenant.

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EOTech Gear Store will occupy around 8,000 square feet with an outdoor equipment retail store and an interactive firearms training simulator, Caradonna said. The shooting range won't be used for live firearms but will be used for training purposes and to demonstrate the company's technology.

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Restaurant, event space, etc.

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Additionally, some of the space previously planned for office will be claimed by an expanded hotel restaurant design that calls for a two-story ceiling and accordion windows...Other aspects of the project remain on target, including the hotel's banquet hall, meeting space, gym, bar and lounge, and first-floor food court concept that will include Detroit Taco Company and other restaurant stalls.

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Firearms, outdoor equipment and golf. Sounds like this will be the hottest hotel in Detroit for baby boomers.

I like the mix of tenants, can't hurt to bring new kinds of retailers to the area [[isn't there an active thread on this exact topic somewhere lol), I just hope they're able to make a go of it.

I work in the old Detroit News Building and can attest that the surrounding area feels like a ghost town most of the time.

Overbuilt parking in the area and no residential or office foot traffic will make it tough to thrive here.

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Originally Posted by K-slice

I like the mix of tenants, can't hurt to bring new kinds of retailers to the area [[isn't there an active thread on this exact topic somewhere lol), I just hope they're able to make a go of it.

I work in the old Detroit News Building and can attest that the surrounding area feels like a ghost town most of the time.

Overbuilt parking in the area and no residential or office foot traffic will make it tough to thrive here.

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All the more reason why the demolition of the Detroit Saturday Night Building was an egregious error. This hotel + the DoubleTree Fort Shelby Hotel + a redeveloped Saturday Night Building, could have been the start of a nice little area in the southwest corner of downtown.

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Originally Posted by masterblaster

All the more reason why the demolition of the Detroit Saturday Night Building was an egregious error. This hotel + the DoubleTree Fort Shelby Hotel + a redeveloped Saturday Night Building, could have been the start of a nice little area in the southwest corner of downtown.

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No doubt. Worst part was the building was in good shape. No collapsed roof or missing windows. Would have been an easy loft conversions since it already been divided into hotel suites previously.

Surface lots should be taxed out of existence in downtown.

12 parking spots!! Hope it was worth it.

The reality of Detroit is that it's a car city and that simply won't change anytime soon. Parking in Downtown needs to be easy for business the thrive, but tearing down buildings for 12 spots is stupid and self-defeating. New surface lots should be banned but garages should be cheap and accessible.

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Originally Posted by casscorridor

The reality of Detroit is that it's a car city and that simply won't change anytime soon. Parking in Downtown needs to be easy for business the thrive...

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Wrong, this is projection.

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Originally Posted by casscorridor

12 parking spots!! Hope it was worth it.

The reality of Detroit is that it's a car city and that simply won't change anytime soon. Parking in Downtown needs to be easy for business the thrive, but tearing down buildings for 12 spots is stupid and self-defeating. New surface lots should be banned but garages should be cheap and accessible.

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*Gif of Trump's face at the 2016 debate* ​Wrooongggg