Dearborn loses Ritz-Carlton

[Don K]

Most of the teams now stay at the Townsend in Birmingham. The traveling secretary for the White Sox said there is more to do out there.
Please, no jokes about getting Cabrera drunk.

Yeah, at least in B'ham the players can stroll downtown to unwind the day after a game. WTF can you do in Dearborn from the Ritz unless you have a car [[and no, walking across the parking lot to the mall doesn't count)?

I'd say the loss of the brand is a disappointment, but IMHO the hotel wasn't that hot. I stayed there once [[working for Ford out of the country, back here for meetings) in 1994 [[five years after the place opened), and already the furnishings looked tired and shabby, not up to the standards of a Holiday Inn, let alone the best hotel chain in the country. Yes, the people were well-schooled in service, polite, and eager to help, but I expect the physical surroundings to match. After that, I asked the admin in my home office in Dearborn to book me into the Hyatt.

Also, there was only one restaurant, very stuffy and very expensive. The money didn't bother me at the time [[Ford was paying, after all), but having just come off a 12-hour flight I really just wanted a casual sandwich, not a $70 dinner.

Anyway, I wish the new owners well.

[REL]

Most of the teams now stay at the Townsend in Birmingham. The traveling secretary for the White Sox said there is more to do out there.
Please, no jokes about getting Cabrera drunk.

Note to Ritz: buy the Townsend.

[DetroitDad]

Wow!

I remember a behind the scenes tour.... there service hallways for the maids, so you never had to actually see the cleaning carts. These would later be romanticized as secret passageways in popular culture.

[Gistok]

I believe that a lot of visiting Baseball and Hockey sports teams now stay at MotorCity Casino Hotel. The Ilitch's have likely been promoting this [[for obvious reasons). An acquantance is a blackjack dealer at MotorCity, and he's always seeing sports teams staying there.

Back when the Book Cadillac, Fort Shelby and 3 hotel casinos opened up... some here were predicting the demise of some of the other downtown hotels [[the Ponchartrain and Ramada were already having other issues).

I mentioned that the demise of hotels didn't necessarily mean that other downtown hotels would be affected, but it could also affect higher end suburban hotels. I wonder if this is a sign of that... [[Note: I don't think the Red Roof Inn type suburban hotels are in any trouble competing with the downtown hotels.)

[Hermod]

Also, there was only one restaurant, very stuffy and very expensive. The money didn't bother me at the time [[Ford was paying, after all), but having just come off a 12-hour flight I really just wanted a casual sandwich, not a $70 dinner.

Lesson learned [[after 25 years of being a "road warrior"):

"Never eat in the hotel restaurant!"

[1KielsonDrive]

Actually, Ford is not "green" so much as "greenwashed." It's just a major PR push, as I believe they are still the No. 1 most polluting automaker, or some such thing. Can't recall right now.

You hit the nail on the head, Detroitnerd.

[WALD0123]

Heard today that the Hilton-Garden Inn downtown's loan has been transferred to a special servicer, indicating eminent default. 2009 occupancy of 61% which seems relatively decent but was not able to produce enough income to service the debt [[0.95 DCR).

The future is uncertain, hopefully it is able to avoid default and foreclosure via a cash infusion, refinance or sale.

[iheartthed]

There are still a lot of prestigious hotel brands out there: W for instance.

No chance in hell that place will become a W.

[Detroitnerd]

No chance in hell that place will become a W.

The W chain actually does its best work when it refurbishes 1910s and 1920s properties into sleek modern hotels. [[You know, the ones that are obsolete, dangerous and must be knocked down immediately?)

[iheartthed]

The W chain actually does its best work when it refurbishes 1910s and 1920s properties into sleek modern hotels. [[You know, the ones that are obsolete, dangerous and must be knocked down immediately?)

Yeah, I could see something like the Book Tower becoming a W someday. Not the soon to be former Ritz though.

[bailey]

The W chain actually does its best work when it refurbishes 1910s and 1920s properties into sleek modern hotels. [[You know, the ones that are obsolete, dangerous and must be knocked down immediately?)

Well gosh, if that is true, why doesn't Detroit have a W ?

[iheartthed]

Well gosh, if that is true, why doesn't Detroit have a W ?

Same reason that Michigan doesn't have one.

[Detroitnerd]

Yeah, I could see something like the Book Tower becoming a W someday. Not the soon to be former Ritz though.

Yup and yup.

[detroitbob]

A friend who is a long time waiter at the Hyatt in Dearborn says the Hyatt has been sold but will continue to operate as Hyatt with no planned layoff's or major changes.

[angela80]

Many older hotels are really struggling right now, the competition is getting quite tough. All the new hotel casinos that have theatres and clubs included are just one step ahead of the old ones. I have to admit that it's nice to have a bricks-and-mortar casino in the hotel, you just can go down in the evening and do some gambling or listen to a live band in the club, that's what I call comfort. You don't even have to leave the hotel to have fun.

[Hermod]

Also, there was only one restaurant, very stuffy and very expensive. The money didn't bother me at the time [[Ford was paying, after all), but having just come off a 12-hour flight I really just wanted a casual sandwich, not a $70 dinner.
.

HERMOD'S LAW: NEVER, EVER, eat in a hotel restaurant!

[[based on 25 years of business travel).

[ejames01]

Why not? Not even for breakfast?

HERMOD'S LAW: NEVER, EVER, eat in a hotel restaurant!

[[based on 25 years of business travel).

[DetroitPlanner]

Many older hotels are really struggling right now, the competition is getting quite tough. All the new hotel casinos that have theatres and clubs included are just one step ahead of the old ones. I have to admit that it's nice to have a bricks-and-mortar casino in the hotel, you just can go down in the evening and do some gambling or listen to a live band in the club, that's what I call comfort. You don't even have to leave the hotel to have fun.

Conversely this is also why Carl's is closed in spite of having thousands of visitors across the street, or why many Greektown Restraunts are having a hard go at it these days. Casinos are truely a double edge sword for economic development. Sure they are great for the owners/operators, but for neighborhing businesses or spin-offs? Not so much.

[pkbroch]

Guess you don't go on travel sites much. Here is the hotel and it is going to be slightly revamped, not so stuffy. Been on Marriott honors site for over two months.

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/trave...ph-collection/

Personally went to the Ritz the for dinner on several occasions too overpriced for what you get.
Not a big fan of Ritz Carlton.

As for the W read some reviews on the Trip Adviser web site for the W in Atlanta and Fort Lauderdale. Some interesting comments.