$900+ for 3 nights at the Book-Cadillac, seriously!?

**Bcscott** · November-21-10, 04:09 AM

I've been a huge fan and supporter of the B-C since it reopened as well as turning others onto it, but no longer

. I show my vehicles at Autorama every year so I'm in Detroit for four days and that's the place I like to stay.

Unfortunately this year the price for a three night stay in February crept up to almost $600 so we decided for the show we would try the Fort Shelby which was really nice. I took my girlfriend to Detroit for her birthday this September and a Sunday night at the B-C was $329+ tax, and valet. Almost $400 for one night in the off season in downtown Detroit? Are you kidding me? Luckilly the Fort Shelby had rooms for less than half that price.

Now, its time to start looking for Autorama rooms, the show is Feb 25-27. I decided to give the B-C one more chance and my jaw hit the floor when the price came up, $824 for a 3 night stay! Add valet, tips, etc and we're talking just south of a grand for a three night, off season stay. Forget it, I'm done.

That's almost what I pay for airfare and a nice hotel on the strip for a two person weekender in Vegas, or half of price for the all inclusive trip to Cozumel I just bought. What the Hell are they thinking? Is the recession over in Detroit and everything is cool? Sorry about the rant but this makes me really mad. I don't know who's going to keep the place afloat with prices like that? The price I got was from Expedia and maybe others would have a slightly better deal, who knows? I doubt the others will be much better. Is there any reason on earth for this kind of price hike?

**rooms222** · November-21-10, 05:06 AM

Perhaps all the film and TV people in town [[and the indirect subsidy of the film credit of around 40% of the rate charged for the room).

The one time I went to Tampa and the hotel rates at all the nicer hotels were elevated was the week before the Super Bowl there, because all the people working at the game were there setting up and cheap [[normal rate) rooms were only found at lesser hotels.

**CLAUDE G** · November-21-10, 05:29 AM

Call up Motor City Casino and ask for their Stay and Play package. Its $160 per night and includes a $40 casino voucher.

Take the casino voucher to the cashier and you got $40 cash back so the room runs about $120.

**Bcscott** · November-21-10, 05:34 AM

The only thing is, we're set up at Cobo for four days so its nice to have a hotel within walking distance. That kind of puts Motor City out of the equation. I guess there's always the Holiday Inn Express but its going to be hard to go back to that after being spoiled by the B-C and the Fort Shelby.

**Meddle** · November-21-10, 05:51 AM

Yeah, ya gotta remember that Auto Show and AutoRama are not 'off-season'. They may even be higher than normal rates because of the Special Event status.

**Islandman** · November-21-10, 06:08 AM

The same thing happens at every hotel downtown for DEMF. Rooms at the RenRen that are usually around $100 go up to about $300.

**CLAUDE G** · November-21-10, 06:42 AM

You would probably be better off renting a car for 4 days so you can stay away from downtown at a cheaper hotel.

I don't know if I would want to walk from Cobo to the Book Cadillac. I could see doing that for the Ponchtran [[Now Closed) or even the RenCen.

**Bcscott** · November-21-10, 07:25 AM

Well we walked back and forth to the Fort Shelby this year, its only two or three blocks. The two previous years we took the people mover from Cobo to the station near the B-C. I can see jacking the prices up a little but c'mon. I don't think I spent $400 on our stay in 2008 right after it reopened and I think I spent $450 last year. But $600 this year and over $900 for 2011 is over double what it was two short years ago. And like I mentioned that $400 Sunday night in mid September, really? Its a great place but that's just way too much money.

**gnome** · November-21-10, 07:30 AM

Agreed, a grand is far too much for anyplace in Detroit. One could buy a house for that, of course it wouldn't have water, a roof or furnace, but ...

**Meddle** · November-21-10, 07:36 AM

Rent an RV for those days and park it on top of Cobo.

**Bcscott** · November-21-10, 07:48 AM

I've stayed at the Milner before as well. Lack of parking and abundance of mildew will keep me from ever staying there again even if it is $99 a night.

**Huggybear** · November-21-10, 08:10 AM

That the prices are that high is a good thing - both of these hotels have serious debt to pay off. The low everyday specials just contribute to the fixed costs.

Sorry that everything can't be bargain-basement all the time. The Fort Shelby is a nice place, though it doesn't have Roast.

Assuming that everything in Detroit should be cheap is kind of like assuming that you could come to Detroit and do anything you want because no one enforces any laws.

lilpup · November-21-10, 08:55 AM

All the whining when something around here works the way it's supposed to is pretty amazing isn't it? Hotel rates, parking and traffic tickets, code violation enforcement...

**oldredfordette** · November-21-10, 09:15 AM

Why wouldn't anyone walk from the BC to Cobo? It's a nice walk, not long at all.

**East Detroit** · November-21-10, 09:22 AM

Hotels charge what the demand will support. So, these prices are a great indicator for downtown!

I just stayed at a Marriott in Boston and it was more than $300 a night for a tiny room in the theatre district. Didn't even have a room safe and the neighborhood wasn't that great, so I hid my laptop under the mattress and put the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door while we were out.

Hopefully, most of the high charges here are for people from out of town, which means influx of money to Detroit.

Why would someone be angry that it is working and expect Holiday Inn prices at the Book Cadillac?

**Mind field** · November-21-10, 10:14 AM

Yeah, i was thinking along the lines of East Detroit, that very high prices indicate high demand. Luxury hotels in other cities easily run 300 dollars a night, it's not really that uncommon.

**Hermod** · November-21-10, 10:21 AM

Go to Ft Lauderdale during the Oct boat show and try a $40 a night flea bag motel and pay $150 a night. Same with Louisville during Derby week.

**stinkytofu** · November-21-10, 10:26 AM

Originally Posted by East Detroit

Hotels charge what the demand will support.

This is very true. The BC is doing exceptionally well right now. Not only are they filling up, but their other big money maker - events - has been doing tremendous. As much as it sucks the prices are going up for the common folk, I'd so much rather that be happening than them struggling and having to lower prices to survive.

That said, I hope this will help spread some of the BC's demand to other hotels downtown or at least encourage other hotels to offer the same experience as the BC.

**Lowell** · November-21-10, 10:45 AM

I'm sorry for BcScott and understand the the inconvenience, but I have to agree with East Detroit that this is a good indicator. It is kind of like parking being a problem downtown. If it isn't a problem, it is an indicator of larger problems.

**Pcm** · November-21-10, 11:06 AM

Priceline has rooms at the B-C [[Feb 25-27) at $219/night. That's only $657.

**Pcm** · November-21-10, 11:07 AM

Wait, just realized that rate is only for two nights. Nevermind my previous post.

**Pcm** · November-21-10, 11:08 AM

No, no no. That is three nights.

I'm hung over. It's time for coffee.

**East Detroit** · November-21-10, 11:20 AM

Says two nights...

**EastsideAl** · November-21-10, 11:28 AM

Originally Posted by oldredfordette

Why wouldn't anyone walk from the BC to Cobo? It's a nice walk, not long at all.

Indeed, it's only, what? 4 blocks?

My first thought upon reading that post about the walk from the B-C to Cobo was "Have we really become that sedentary around here?" But then came the second thought "Ohhhhh..."