Ponchartrain Bought; Will Re-Open!

**narnarnar** · April-03-12, 06:31 AM

Some think that this place is an ugly duckling but I have always thought that it is a cool representation of its early 60s architectural era. The location is great and I'm happy it looks like it will re renovated rather than torn down like so many other landmarks in Detroit have been.

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2...text|FRONTPAGE

**AGinthe313** · April-03-12, 07:34 AM

Originally Posted by narnarnar

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2...text|FRONTPAGE

Some think that this place is an ugly duckling but I have always thought that it is a cool representation of its early 60s architectural era. The location is great and I'm happy it looks like it will re renovated rather than torn down like so many other landmarks in Detroit have been.

Agree, I’ve always liked this building – it provides a nice contrast to the skyline. I stayed there about 20 years ago, and I remember the view was spectacular.

**401don** · April-03-12, 07:38 AM

Good to see it reopen with its prominent location. Hopefully a renovated Cobo will lead to a lot more conventions requiring a few thousand rooms. In Detroit, you always worry about the ripple effect. In this case the weakest sister looks like the Holiday Inn Express. Interesting the two hotels will share the HI reservation system.

**Scottathew** · April-03-12, 07:41 AM

This is great news!

I hope they decorate it right, otherwise this board may revolt against them!

**kryptonite** · April-03-12, 07:51 AM

Super news! I saw this on the morning news just as I was getting ready to walk out of the house this morning. It will be SO encouraging to see the Pontch open again.

**Lowell** · April-03-12, 08:07 AM

Great news indeed. Projected hotel occupancy improvement combined with the dramatic improvements coming to Cobo, thus removing questions about its long term viability, had to be factors in that decision.

The lack of success of the Ponchartrain has always been a puzzle to me. It has great location, dramatic views, easy People Mover access and right across the street from a major convention center and event site [Hart Plaza]. Bad management is my only conclusion.

It is as perplexing as the property on the corner SW corner of Woodward and Alexandrine, the former Agave / Stewart's / Alexander's / Gregory's… great vibrant location, plenty of fenced parking in the rear, nice outdoor patio and indoor space and yet it has likewise seen a string of failures.

**southen** · April-03-12, 08:12 AM

if they are somehow able to get some linkage to cobo i hope they upgrade the place and how it interacts with the street.

**Gannon** · April-03-12, 09:47 AM

Is it too early to wish for the second tower?!

That could have the connection to the Cobo upgrade.

Perfect spot for an aero-hub to Metro and City and Pontiac airports, too.

**Hypestyles** · April-03-12, 10:04 AM

interesting. so all of it will still be a hotel? Will they convert some suites into penthouses/residential?

what infrastructure needs to be upgraded?

**canuck** · April-03-12, 10:32 AM

Excellent string of news in development for the city. This will probably be very good for the extensive mandate to make the Riverfront a destination for detroiters and tourists alike. I really like the ideas that went into the Cobo renovations. The Pontchartrain is ideally located, and with the right amenities, it will certainly get good business. Rather a hotel and restaurants than a casino for my taste.

**wolverine** · April-03-12, 12:17 PM

Very good news!

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · April-03-12, 03:39 PM

There was recently a lot of speculation on here about why the Ponch had not been being renovated, especially given its great location across from a renovated Cobo. A well run and nice hotel at that location should certainly have built in success.

Like one of the other posters, I stayed there once myself many years ago. I loved the triangular windows, although its not the most efficient use of space. I am a fan of the architecture. I would hate to see it lost before its had the chance to become a classic.

**Motor City Sam** · April-03-12, 04:32 PM

Really happy to see the possibility of the Pontch reopening. As Lowell said above, the lack of success there has been a mystery to me, given it's location.

Had to shake my head at the obligatory shot at the unions included in the quote about non casino hotels having trouble due to the high wages they have to pay their unionized staff.

I hope for a glorious re-opening of the hotel and the return of Jazz at the Pontch.

**401don** · April-03-12, 04:48 PM

Again, news of the renovation is great if for no other reason than it keeps the building in good condition. The rooms however are still very small and there's plenty of space in better properties for the limited corporate travel that comes downtown. I still believe its sucess, and that of some of the other downtown hotels, hinges on booking a lot more conventions that require thousands of room nights. Take a look at what is booked for Cobo this year. There are very few large conventions, especially from corporate types. It's mostly grads, teacher unions, gov't organizations, etc. and mostly local.

**mikeg19** · April-03-12, 04:52 PM

I guess that plan for the casino there is out

On a serious note, I'm not sure what justifies the Ponch being renovated. Obviously it's some damn valuable real estate with it's proximity to Cobo, The Ren Cen, Joe Louis, etc. But with Detroit hotel occupancy rates at their current levels [[most below the break even point: hello Book Cadillac), is this just adding to the glut that's already downtown? Add in the Whitney being redeveloped and coming along at the same projected time, how will these hotels survive? I know some of you will point to recent projected reports that Detroit's hotel market is bound to gain quite a bit in the next 3-5 years, but those are only projections. I'm just wondering, is this project even viable? I just don't wanna see it open and put 2 other hotels out of business. Doesn't make too much sense.

**401don** · April-03-12, 04:58 PM

Looks like we posted about the same time mikeg. Glad someone else agrees. If proximity to Cobo meant a guarantee of success it wouldn't have gone under several times when there were half as many hotels downtown. We can only hope the increased number of quality hotels along with the Cobo renovation creates a synergy that leads to a lot more conventions.

**313WX** · April-03-12, 05:10 PM

FWIW, the plan to turn the Ponch into a Crowne Plaza [[again) was already in the works before it went into foreclosure [[it was in a Crain's article only available to subscribed readers).

**douglasm** · April-03-12, 05:55 PM

Questions I hate to ask.....

With the recent news reports of financial problems at the Book Cadillac and Doubletree Fort Shelby, at this point in time, what is the state of downtown hotels? Is there a current lack of quality rooms that is hindering bookings at Cobo?

**401don** · April-03-12, 09:03 PM

Originally Posted by douglasm

Questions I hate to ask.....

With the recent news reports of financial problems at the Book Cadillac and Doubletree Fort Shelby, at this point in time, what is the state of downtown hotels? Is there a current lack of quality rooms that is hindering bookings at Cobo?

I would say the state of Cobo has been more of a problem than the state of the hotel rooms. The competition is fierce as well. Every major city now has a state-of-the-art venue competing for the mid-size conventions.

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · April-03-12, 10:29 PM

I'm cautiously optimistic that the Cobo renovations will generate enough conventions to sustain the hotels, and the existence of the additional hotel space will enable the conventions to be booked. Perhaps the chicken and the egg are both coming online?

**canuck** · April-03-12, 10:57 PM

Well, the Pontch's new owner said that he aimed for 419 rooms. If the downtown hotel situation can handle a bulky convention with 2500 to 5000 folks on top of the regular attendance, then it's OK. A big thing like the Auto Show is like Xmas season to the hotel trade. You definitely want to attract as many as you can to add gravy to their revenue. There is a biggie coming to Montreal on Polar Scientific research with 4000 visitors to the city in mid april. You need a lot of hotel room availability in the downtown for sure, the suburbs or the airport hotels are a no-go for conventioneers. The Book Cadillac has 453, the Greektown Casino; 400, and the Marriott at Ren Cen has 1246 rooms. 2000 for those three alone.

The Pontchartrain was just waiting to be picked up it seems.

20 years ago, I used to work for the signage dept of an exhibition company that rented equipment and kiosks for shows, and the really big shows through the years apart from the auto show, were medical conventions on special issues like AIDS. A lot of people showed up for those ones. Logistically, they need to be booked one or two years in advance. The hotels need to be coordinated for availability, etc...

**grumpyoldlady** · April-04-12, 02:11 AM

Well, if you stay there, particularly on the upper floors...keep your drapes closed. I used to work at One Woodward on the 19th floor, and some of the guys who had offices facing the Pontch, had binoculars on their credenzas and would scan the windows of the Pontch looking for anything "interesting".

**Gistok** · April-04-12, 02:28 AM

When they rebuilt Cobo [[with the "Tetris" facade) during the CAY era... they did design it for a catwalk between the Ponchartrain and Cobo. I know that some on this forum find that appalling, but really is there that much retail between the 2 locations that someone may miss out on??

**canuck** · April-04-12, 07:41 AM

Originally Posted by grumpyoldlady

Well, if you stay there, particularly on the upper floors...keep your drapes closed. I used to work at One Woodward on the 19th floor, and some of the guys who had offices facing the Pontch, had binoculars on their credenzas and would scan the windows of the Pontch looking for anything "interesting".

Like leaking faucets and overturned jugs?