"It's Detroit that will emerge the biggest winner" Hotel Occupancy to Boom

**Lowell** · October-31-11, 04:55 PM

Hotel industry expects check-ins to rise in 2012

Link

It's Detroit, however, that TravelClick predicts will emerge the biggest winner during this period, with an expected 22% increase in occupancy.

"We're well ahead of the curve from a national improvement standpoint," says Thomas Conran, principal of Greenwood Hospitality Group, owner of The Henry hotel in Dearborn, Mich., a Detroit suburb.

Conran credits Detroit's recent recovery to the state's efforts to lure more leisure travelers via its Michigan.org website, as well as the success of Detroit's resurgent sports teams, which has helped lure weekend visitors.

Finally, Conran says, the Detroit area is seeing "significant" year-over-year gains in business travel thanks to the recovering auto industry.

"We can't underestimate the fact that the health of the auto industry has improved dramatically," Conran says.

**MikeyinBrooklyn** · October-31-11, 05:25 PM

Awesome. Occupancy rates up, AND we have more hotel rooms than 10 years ago.

**Detroitnerd** · October-31-11, 05:32 PM

Yeah, that way, speculation can drive us to the next bust, where we have redundant occupancy and a flagging economy. Yay! A minimum of momentary prosperity translates into a MAXIMUM OF THE OLD WAY OF DOING THINGS! YAY!

**Meddle** · October-31-11, 05:41 PM

AND we have more hotel rooms than 10 years ago

Where? Haven't they closed the Westin, the Ponch and a few others?

**DetroitPlanner** · October-31-11, 05:44 PM

Originally Posted by Meddle

AND we have more hotel rooms than 10 years ago

Where? Haven't they closed the Westin, the Ponch and a few others?

No.
Yes.
No.

**MikeyinBrooklyn** · October-31-11, 06:08 PM

Originally Posted by Meddle

AND we have more hotel rooms than 10 years ago

Where? Haven't they closed the Westin, the Ponch and a few others?

3 casino hotels. Book Cadillac. Hilton Garden Inn. I am only aware of losing the Potch, in terms of hotels that were actively operating. The Westin became a Marriott, of course, and got a substantial upgrade. And that was like about 1996, if I recall correctly.

And I am not worried too much about the future. Downtown Detroit, for all the problems we have, is fundamentally differnt than recent decades: its growing, and people are visiting. More people are working here and living here. Visiting, working, and living all lead to more demand for hotel rooms, beyond the auto show. I am decidedly optimistic about what downtown will look like in the future. Before I moved back, visits I would pay during the 2000's were pathetic: I would pass NO ONE on the street. It was like my own private Motor City. That doesn't really happen now. I see people out all the time.

**Lowell** · October-31-11, 06:19 PM

Fort Shelby Hotel has come online since then too.

The Omni has dropped out. Too bad. It has a great setting.

**313WX** · October-31-11, 06:56 PM

Originally Posted by Lowell

The Omni has dropped out. Too bad. It has a great setting.

Last I heard however it's still operating as an independent hotel.

**gthomas** · October-31-11, 07:01 PM

Originally Posted by Lowell

Fort Shelby Hotel has come online since then too.The Omni has dropped out. Too bad. It has a great setting.

Omni Hotel is now called Roberts Riverfront Hotel & Residence. I work there. Its doing great and this summer was overwhelm with events. Frequent visitor Allen Iverson, Mayor Bing, Jesse Jackson, John Conyers..many more. Plenty of Weddings and Private parties. Beautiful Hotel and location, especially this past summer.

**Lowell** · October-31-11, 11:17 PM

Originally Posted by gthomas

Omni Hotel is now called Roberts Riverfront Hotel & Residence. I work there. Its doing great and this summer was overwhelm with events. Frequent visitor Allen Iverson, Mayor Bing, Jesse Jackson, John Conyers..many more. Plenty of Weddings and Private parties. Beautiful Hotel and location, especially this past summer.

I stand happily corrected! Thanks. It is a beautiful and peaceful setting.

**animatedmartian** · October-31-11, 06:36 PM

Isn't there also rumors of the W hotel chain redeveloping some building or looking to build something in Detroit?

Seems like there's more hotels than anything...

**Detroitnerd** · November-01-11, 10:12 AM

Originally Posted by animatedmartian

Isn't there also rumors of the W hotel chain redeveloping some building or looking to build something in Detroit?

Seems like there's more hotels than anything...

I heard that too, but it could just be a rumor.

I love the way W goes into old, old skyscrapers and turns them into super-high-end hotels. For years, the old Guardian Life building sat at the northeast corner of Union Square in New York. Nobody wanted that outdated building, with a sloping top with 19th century dormers in it. Then they did a great job with it; it's now very swanky.

The Book Tower would be, perhaps, a good candidate for them.

Of course, our local lights know that nobody will every want anything but brand-new Class A space, so they'll probably knock down the Book Tower before any redevelopers can get at it.

**Bham1982** · November-01-11, 07:16 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

I love the way W goes into old, old skyscrapers and turns them into super-high-end hotels. For years, the old Guardian Life building sat at the northeast corner of Union Square in New York. Nobody wanted that outdated building, with a sloping top with 19th century dormers in it. Then they did a great job with it; it's now very swanky.

That project was developed by Related Cos., one of the largest developers in the U.S.

The building was hardly unwanted. It was the World HQ of Guardian Life. They moved to more cost-effective digs, and Related planned a condo-hotel development, which eventually became the W.

**Detroitnerd** · November-02-11, 12:43 PM

Originally Posted by Bham1982

The W hotel division [[part of Starwood) doesn't develop anything. They have management contracts with developers.

Oooooh! Picky, picky picky. Feel like splitting hairs today? [[Tell Starwood that they're not in the "Global Hotel Development" business. That's their tagline, yes.) Are you saying that just because they're a hotel management company that they didn't sink tons of money into that deal? What is development to you: Spending money to build a development or actually building it? What a pedantic response that strives to miss the point!

Originally Posted by Bham1982

The building was hardly unwanted. It was the World HQ of Guardian Life. They moved to more cost-effective digs, and Related planned a condo-hotel development, which eventually became the W.

Um, they finished their downtown headquarters in the early 1980s. So if they had any presence at all in that building, it must have been minuscule. It looked largely abandoned for many years.

The point, which, in your usual fashion, you leap handsprings to avoid, is that, W, along with many savvy developers, see creative uses even for Beaux Arts buildings long considered outdated -- at least considered outdated by Detroit-style minds, which demand that everything must be brand-new, Class A office construction.

And, seeing as W has turned a 1911 skyscraper into a handsome asset, Detroit's Beaux Arts towers may be a good fit.

**JROLLA** · November-02-11, 01:46 PM

The info on the Roberts Hotel was helpful. I always came across it when it was the Omni but never stayed. Maybe I will check it out now.

**downtownguy** · November-01-11, 12:38 PM

Originally Posted by animatedmartian

Isn't there also rumors of the W hotel chain redeveloping some building or looking to build something in Detroit?

You're thinking of the David Whitney Building. Some people have speculated it may become a W, but there's been no formal announcement as far as I know.

New hotel plan emerges for the David Whitney building
By Daniel Duggan

A new downtown hotel is planned as part of a mixed-use development for the historic David Whitney building.

The 19-story building will be split between apartments and hotel rooms.

It was purchased in March by Whitney Partners LLC, an evenly-split joint venture between Detroit-based developer The Roxbury Group and Farmington Hills-based hotel investment firm Trans Inns Management Inc.

full story

**Bham1982** · November-01-11, 07:14 PM

Originally Posted by animatedmartian

Isn't there also rumors of the W hotel chain redeveloping some building or looking to build something in Detroit?

The W hotel division [[part of Starwood) doesn't develop anything. They have management contracts with developers.

**gthomas** · November-01-11, 12:55 AM

Jazz on the river every wednesday in the summer, right on the riverfront outside the hotel. Beautiful location for outdoor summer dining.

**DetroitPlanner** · November-01-11, 07:32 AM

Add to that 10-12 years ago the hotel next to the Westin was closed now it is open as a Holiday Inn.

Now if we can only get classy establishments like Motel 6 or Knights Inn downtown!

**MikeyinBrooklyn** · November-01-11, 12:53 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

Add to that 10-12 years ago the hotel next to the Westin was closed now it is open as a Holiday Inn.

Now if we can only get classy establishments like Motel 6 or Knights Inn downtown!

Hey, I have stayed at many a motel over the years! They serve a purpose, and should constitute a "second wave" of hotels outside of downtown, by interstate exits, and by destinations [[like colleges, for example) where the average traveller is looking for a "clean, comfortable room" at a much lower rate than the big boys downtown. It is largely a different crowd that is using a motel outside of downtown than is using a class-A hotel downtown, so there is not too much cannibalism. And service sector jobs at hotels [[and restaurants) are perfect for unskilled workers to enter the workforce, with a good shot for talent and hard work to advance [[most higher paid hospitality positions are filled by people who worked their way up). That's how I started [[disherwasher, age 14), The more motels in Detroit, the merrier.

**401don** · November-01-11, 07:42 AM

I think several of us on this board were skeptical of how well the Roberts Riverfront would operate as a hotel, especially since the plan was for half the property to be seniors residences. However the reviews on Tripadvisor, Hotels.com, etc. are much better than the former Omni was receiving.

**Danny** · November-01-11, 09:14 AM

The Westin Hotel is assisting NHL travel team players, too. That would help them stay in business for a many years to come.

**gthomas** · November-01-11, 05:31 PM

Originally Posted by 401don

I think several of us on this board were skeptical of how well the Roberts Riverfront would operate as a hotel, especially since the plan was for half the property to be seniors residences. However the reviews on Tripadvisor, Hotels.com, etc. are much better than the former Omni was receiving.

Yes, I suggest everybody to check it out. Great friendly staff [[including me) and very reasonable rates for the location and amenities. Mr. Robert's is a great guy and love talking with visitors..very welcoming. He has about 8 chains throughout the nation. Great investment going on in Detroit.

**gthomas** · November-01-11, 05:48 PM

Occupancy rates in office, residential, and hotels are soon to be all up in the Downtown\Midtown area. All on board or in planning by 2012-3. W Hotel and Residence [[David Whitney Building), Broderick Tower Apartment, Cornerstone Estates near Motor City Casino, Quicken Loans Woodward block" Residential/Retail Coming Soon and other building accuisation for office. The Auburn Apartments in Midtown on Cass and Canfield, Book building ?? Apartments? ...many more in planning I'm sure.

**swingline** · November-02-11, 02:17 PM

Originally Posted by gthomas

Yes, I suggest everybody to check it out. Great friendly staff [[including me) and very reasonable rates for the location and amenities. Mr. Robert's is a great guy and love talking with visitors..very welcoming. He has about 8 chains throughout the nation. Great investment going on in Detroit.

That is all very good news, gthomas. One suggestion for Mr. Roberts though. His new Detroit property badly needs a name upgrade to generate some branding equity. Roberts Riverfront Hotel and Residence is really an unwieldy mouthful that generates an SRO impression rather than anything upscale. How about The Robert or simply The Riverfront Inn?