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

**Bcscott** · November-22-10, 02:00 AM

Originally Posted by checkraisej

No, if you're stupid enough to pay $900 to stay at the Book Cadillac, you should be punished.

Ummm yeah, that was kind of the whole point of this thread. Why would anyone be dumb enough to pay that much to stay three nights in Detroit no matter what hotel it was?

It was your "if you can afford to do X, then you can afford Y, and Z as well" argument that I don't agree with.

**CLAUDE G** · November-22-10, 02:51 AM

The crazy thing is that the high end places will sell out first and be the most expensive to book, and some of the hole in the wall places will try to raise their rates, but you can't give them away.

Try going to the Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas in January, to stay on the strip your looking at easy $400 per night. With all the taxes and extras, I remember 4 nights cost me almost $2500.

Its the same when you go to any professional sporting event. Everyone is willing to pay top dollar to sit in the first row, yet the further back you get you end up finding that there is no a demand.

**sumas** · November-22-10, 08:10 AM

Stick to your guns, Bc. Nothing wrong with wanting reasonable rates.

You have been offered some sensible advice so do explore other options. Ignore trolls!

**DetroitPlanner** · November-22-10, 08:18 AM

Originally Posted by Gistok

Duh! Yes, I forgot about that one....

I know that Southfield is no longer in the high end hotel league... bu is there anything on Big Beaver in Troy that comes close??

And how does the Botsford Inn compare?

The Botsford Inn has been closed for at least a dozen years. Much of the wings added on over the years were torn away and it now operates as an outpatient cancer clinic for the hospital. You must live on the east side! Quietly, the Dearborn Inn however runs smoothly and under the radar. While it is not a super-luxury hotel, it is still one of the nicest hotels that flies the Marriot flag.

**iheartthed** · November-22-10, 08:59 AM

Just be glad that there are apparently people coming to Detroit who aren't as broke/cheap as you.

**DetroitArmy** · November-22-10, 09:08 AM

Just FYI, my fiance and I went on a "staycation" at the Book Cadillac this month and with a AAA discount it was 179 a night plus tax and valet for Friday and Saturday night.

**Bcscott** · November-22-10, 09:21 AM

Originally Posted by iheartthed

Just be glad that there are apparently people coming to Detroit who aren't as broke/cheap as you.

Wow, what an incredibly stupid thing to say. Guess you missed the guy on the first page calling me a rich asshole for going to Vegas, Cozumel, and then Autorama. I'll be debuting my third vehicle in four years at Autorama in a few months. Know many cheap/broke people who can say that?

**bailey** · November-22-10, 09:24 AM

Originally Posted by Bcscott

Wow, what an incredibly stupid thing to say. Guess you missed the guy on the first page calling me a rich asshole for going to Vegas, Cozumel, and then Autorama. I'll be debuting my third vehicle in four years at Autorama in a few months. Know many cheap/broke people who can say that?

It's all relative though isn't it?. Clearly the BC is out of your price range..regardless of what you spent on your hot rod.

Paddington · November-22-10, 09:36 AM

I have absolutely zero fucking use for a hotel room in Detroit, given that I rent a place right outside the city and know several people who live here in whose homes I could stay if I needed to.

However, if they are charging $300 for a hotel room in Detroit then good for them. This is one of the shittiest real estate markets in the country, and not exactly a New York or Miami-esque tourist destination that people dream of going to someday. If they can charge a premium price for a hotel room in Detroit and make money off it [[while generating jobs/tax revenues, etc.) then good for them.

**rjk** · November-22-10, 09:40 AM

Looking at the photos on their website they look like really nice rooms so $300 doesn't seem out of line.
If they can get $300 that's what a room is worth at the BC.

**hhockey** · November-22-10, 01:47 PM

BC apparently you have never checked the prices for a 4 star place in Chicago? Per Travelocity a night stay at Book Cadilac is 219.00 a night. That isn't $900.00

**hhockey** · November-22-10, 01:50 PM

I think your opinion has more to do with it being Detroit than anything else. If you have destain for the city then stay out of the city.

**Gistok** · November-22-10, 02:23 PM

Originally Posted by Paddington

I have absolutely zero fucking use for a hotel room in Detroit, given that I rent a place right outside the city and know several people who live here in whose homes I could stay if I needed to.

If anyone here cares.... you'll be the first to know....

Originally Posted by Paddington

However, if they are charging $300 for a hotel room in Detroit then good for them. This is one of the shittiest real estate markets in the country, and not exactly a New York or Miami-esque tourist destination that people dream of going to someday. If they can charge a premium price for a hotel room in Detroit and make money off it [[while generating jobs/tax revenues, etc.) then good for them.

...glad the Florida Condo market is doing so nicely now...

Dabirch · November-22-10, 02:33 PM

I stay at the Book 3-4 times a year for 2 or 3 nights at a time. I never pay over $129 and usually pay right around $100.

Hotwire and Priceline. I stayed 3 nights in the middle of October and paid $89/night.

Right now if you go to Hotwire, you can get a 4 star hotel downtown for $109/night for Feb 25-28. It will, most assuredly, be the Book.

checkraisej · November-22-10, 02:35 PM

Originally Posted by Bcscott

Wow, what an incredibly stupid thing to say. Guess you missed the guy on the first page calling me a rich asshole for going to Vegas, Cozumel, and then Autorama. I'll be debuting my third vehicle in four years at Autorama in a few months. Know many cheap/broke people who can say that?

I didn't call you an asshole. Maybe you are, but I didn't say that. I was just pointing out the fact that it sounds like someone is bragging about how they can spend weekends in Vegas, go to Cozumel on vacation, come to Detroit for Autorama every year, afford to have a hot rod, and afford to have a motorcycle yet bitch and moan about paying a couple hundred dollars extra for a hotel room. Do you see the juxtaposition?

I never said you were rich. You were the one that brought up the term "rich". Of course, in the same breath of telling us that you are not rich, you felt the need to tell everyone how much overtime you work, the numerous places you go on vacation, and all the expensive toys you have. I guess the term "rich" is relative, now isn't it?

**Bcscott** · November-22-10, 04:24 PM

Originally Posted by checkraisej

I didn't call you an asshole. Maybe you are, but I didn't say that. I was just pointing out the fact that it sounds like someone is bragging about how they can spend weekends in Vegas, go to Cozumel on vacation, come to Detroit for Autorama every year, afford to have a hot rod, and afford to have a motorcycle yet bitch and moan about paying a couple hundred dollars extra for a hotel room. Do you see the juxtaposition?

I never said you were rich. You were the one that brought up the term "rich". Of course, in the same breath of telling us that you are not rich, you felt the need to tell everyone how much overtime you work, the numerous places you go on vacation, and all the expensive toys you have. I guess the term "rich" is relative, now isn't it?

Okay, this is getting ridiculous. As I stated before, the only reason I brought up the other places I go was to illustrate what you could do with the money compared to what the B-C was charging. And truthfully, I had about $3500 tied up in both vacations including airfare and a week long stay at an all inclusive. I don't think that's very opulent or out of most people's price range. The whole "if you can afford this, then you can afford....." attitude just bugged me because implies I make too much money to have a legitimate complaint.

I guess I really didn't need defend myself here. I just wanted to make it clear I wasn't some wealthy jet setter. I work my ass off so I can afford to build/buy vehicles to take to Autorama and take a vacation or two a year. Now I'm getting it from the other end of the spectrum telling me I'm broke, cheap, whatever. Fine, I'm not going to win this argument, but what's funny is I wasn't looking to argue, just looking for an answer as to why Westin thought that was a fair price?

I checked one site and the price was $824 plus 3 nights of valet which comes out to over $900. I think that's ludicrous as do a couple of other sane posters here. Everyone else thinks its perfectly acceptable and that's fine. But I'm probably not going to stay there again even if the prices come down. Shaking people down just because "they can afford it" isn't right whether its taxing the "rich" or overcharging for a room. So, I get it. Either pay out the ass and keep this landmark open or STFU and stay someplace else. Cool, will do.

Blarf · November-22-10, 05:13 PM

What's the deal with people paying for valet? How hard is it to park your own car? I'd rather park my car and keep the extra money.

Dabirch · November-22-10, 05:22 PM

It's funny. Somebody was looking for a solution for staying at the Book and not spending nearly a grand for the weekend.

I gave a solution that basically cut that in a third.

Yet folks would rather continue to complain, bitch, and argue - creating class warfare or some such thing - then look at a constructive solution and get on with whatever it is you have to do.

I guess I should not have wasted the 4 minutes it took me to go to hotwire, find that rate, and then post it.

Lesson learned.

**East Detroit** · November-22-10, 05:25 PM

Originally Posted by Bcscott

Ummm yeah, that was kind of the whole point of this thread. Why would anyone be dumb enough to pay that much to stay three nights in Detroit no matter what hotel it was?

Could see that coming a mile away. You felt that lowly Detroit should be happy to take your cheap fare for a luxury hotel. Thankfully, it apparently doesn't have to.

**Jimaz** · November-22-10, 06:36 PM

I paid $958.38

about a year ago for two nights but that was at the Westin Diplomat in Florida.

I was reimbursed for the entire sum.

**kraig** · November-23-10, 09:34 AM

Check with the Convention Bureau. They may be able to get you a discounted rate since you're a presenter.

I think that a lot of people are missing the point as far as the high rates go. When convention organizers are looking for locations to hold conventions, they're looking at the prices that exist when they start looking. For example, if I'm looking to organize a dentists convention for March 3-6 [[just some dates I'm throwing out for example purposes) and there's nothing scheduled for those dates, the rooms are moderately priced, which is good. But then, due to my convention being scheduled, the rates shoot up to premium prices, that's not good. There's a number of reasons why Detroit doesn't get as many conventions as it should and high prices that aren't competitive is one of them. Who's going to stay in Detroit when they can get better deals in Los Angeles, Vegas, Miami, New York, Phoenix and Chicago?

By the way. The Book Cadillac is in trouble, serious trouble. Sadly, Ferchill is on the path of becoming to the Detroit hotel scene what Frank Turner has been to the restaurant scene.

**Supersport** · November-23-10, 09:51 AM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

You can always stay at the Viking!

Since the Viking's debut on Detroit 187, prices have risen to the $160 a night range, $200+ for the "homicide room."

**Packman41** · November-23-10, 10:13 AM

Originally Posted by kraig

By the way. The Book Cadillac is in trouble, serious trouble. Sadly, Ferchill is on the path of becoming to the Detroit hotel scene what Frank Turner has been to the restaurant scene.

I read the newspaper reports that Ferchill's lost his Hilton Garden Inn to foreclose and the lender was suing him. And there is the report that Detroit has one of the poorest hotel markets in the country:

An AMAZING 49% of the hotels are delinquent in their loan payments
Occupancy is at 55% - where 70% is required for breakeven operations

http://detnews.com/article/20101006/...%80%99s-hotels

Do you have anything more definitive than he is in "trouble" ?

**kraig** · November-23-10, 10:26 AM

Originally Posted by Packman41

I read the newspaper reports that Ferchill's lost his Hilton Garden Inn to foreclose and the lender was suing him. And there is the report that Detroit has one of the poorest hotel markets in the country:

An AMAZING 49% of the hotels are delinquent in their loan payments
Occupancy is at 55% - where 70% is required for breakeven operations

http://detnews.com/article/20101006/...%80%99s-hotels

Do you have anything more definitive than he is in "trouble" ?

Did you pay attention to what you just posted? The Hilton Garden Inn didn't get foreclosed on because things are going great. What's more definitive than losing a hotel for someone in the hotel business?

Unlike most hotels, the BC has to pay for all of those luxury condos that haven't sold.

**bailey** · November-23-10, 10:38 AM

Originally Posted by kraig

Did you pay attention to what you just posted? The Hilton Garden Inn didn't get foreclosed on because things are going great. What's more definitive than losing a hotel for someone in the hotel business?

Unlike most hotels, the BC has to pay for all of those luxury condos that haven't sold.

IIRC, I thought I read that Ferchill himself had some pretty large personal guarantees on that Garden Inn debt. [[which I thought was kinda strange). But he had very little of his own [[or the business') money in on the Book renovation.