One of the main reasons I came to Detroit was the fantastic architecture that this city has to offer. Detroit celebrated its heyday in the early 20th century when the auto industry took off and car ownership became available to common people. Bearing witness to this boom are Detroit’s impressive historic skyscrapers, particularly from the 1920s, buildings that still define one of the world’s most recognizable skylines.
Of course, the Great Depression of the 1930s put an end to this exuberant construction activity, but to this day, Detroit boasts quite a collection of architectural treasures. One of the best-known landmarks is the former Book Cadillac Hotel, which at its opening in 1924 was the tallest building in Detroit and the tallest hotel in the world.
The Book Cadillac was developed by three brothers who intended to turn Washington Boulevard into the “Fifth Avenue of the West.” They commissioned prominent Detroit architect Louis Kamper to design their hotel property, which would be built on the site of the previous Cadillac Hotel, a property dating back to 1885. With much fanfare, this grand hotel opened in 1924 and boasts 1,136 state-of-the-art rooms. -art rooms. The Book Cadillac Hotel was Detroit’s most luxurious and venerable hotel property for many years. The first five floors of the original Book Cadillac had three ballrooms, a spacious lobby, and ground-floor retail stores. Even a radio station was located on the top floor.
Finally, in 1931, due to the financial crisis of the Great Depression, the Book Brothers lost control of this property, and it was managed by the National Hotel Management Company. In May 1939, Lou Gehrig, the famous New York Yankees first baseman, collapsed on the hotel’s grand staircase. He took himself out of the lineup that ended up breaking his streak of 2,130 consecutive games played. Later, of course, he was diagnosed with ALS, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, which also became known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
The script for Frank Capra’s 1947 film “State of the Union,” starring Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy, made several references to the Cadillac Book. Although filmed on a movie set, a shot of the hotel’s actual front entrance marquee appeared in the film. Over the years, many other celebrities have stayed at the hotel, including Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, and Sammy Davis Jr. Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Harry S. Truman, Ronald Reagan, and Herbert Hoover have spent nights in this emblematic place. property. Dr. Martin Luther King spent a night here in 1968, shortly before he was assassinated.
Beginning in the 1950s, the Book Cadillac was owned by the Sheraton chain, which eventually sold the hotel in 1975. This era was particularly cruel to this historic property, changing paint and furniture schemes and ripping out the grand marble staircase and was replaced by an escalator. . The hotel’s name changed to Sheraton Cadillac when the Book Brothers name disappeared entirely.
After the Detroit riots of 1967, tourism declined in the city, and many businesses closed. Many of Detroit’s grand historic hotels could not survive and were closed. This sad fate befell the Fort Shelby Hotel, the Statler Hotel, and the Tuller Hotel. The Cadillac briefly benefited because it ended up with some chandeliers and other pieces from the Statler Hotel. The cult film “Detroit 9000”, made in 1974, highlights this era of the hotel.
Sheraton eventually sold the hotel to Herbert Weissberg, a prominent New York hotel owner, who renamed it the Detroit Cadillac. After its foreclosure, the property was taken over by the Radisson chain, which also underwent a series of unsuccessful renovations. After several additional sales, the hotel was converted to a mixed-use property during the 1980s that included office space. In 1984 it finally closed its doors for renovations but it did not reopen as planned due to financial problems. Nearly all of the hotel’s contents were sold at clearance prices, including the original Book Cadillac china, beds, linens, and other items.
In fact, the Book Cadillac became an abandoned property and over time became a victim of vandalism and urban scavengers. Initially, a security guard protected the property from 1986 to 1997, but once the guard was removed, the once-splendid hotel was devastated and many of the architectural details were stolen or destroyed. Graffiti was sprayed throughout the property, historic plaster was destroyed, and the entire interior was left in ruins.
Detroit’s grande dame, the historic Book Cadillac was a former shadow of its own until Cleveland-based Ferchill Group decided to take over this historic hotel and renovate it from top to bottom. Costing around $200 million, the historic Book Cadillac has been converted into a Westin Hotel property that also features 67 condominium residences on the upper floors. The Westin Book Cadillac reopened in early October 2008 and a gala opening night on October 25, 2008 will officially celebrate the restoration of this historic landmark hotel. I was absolutely lucky to witness this stunning architectural renaissance just days after it was made accessible to the public.
On this sunny Monday morning I met with John Timko, the hotel’s sales manager, who began our tour with a trip to the hotel’s rooftop. The work crews were still working on the top notch luxury condos which gave us the opportunity to step out onto the hotel rooftop. At 31 stories tall and with no guardrails, this was a slightly creepy but exhilarating experience.
I was captivated by the ziggurats, the finishing touches to the hotel, which have been fully restored with a new copper cladding since the original copper pieces were stolen. The view of downtown Detroit and the Detroit River with Windsor on the other side of the Ambassador Bridge was just stunning. Even more surprising is that once the condos are finished, there will be no more access to the rooftop. I considered myself very lucky to have experienced the rooftop of the Westin Book Cadillac hotel.
John continued the tour with the historic ballroom level which includes three ballrooms, including the Venetian Ballroom which has been restored to its 1924 glory, the true pride and joy of this property. The Italian Garden Room and Crystal Ballroom complete the historic meeting spaces found on this level. We also take a look at a variety of corporate meeting rooms, as well as the Executive Center on the 19th floor. The Westin Executive Club floor with the concierge lounge is for use by hotel guests and offers a fabulous view. The Westin Book Cadillac Hotel certainly offers everything a business or leisure traveler would want.
We also take a look at the Boulevard Room restaurant on the second floor which will be joined by “Roast”, a restaurant helmed by celebrity chef Michael Symon. The Motor Bar on the second level offers cocktails and light refreshments in a beautifully restored high-ceilinged lounge. Another restaurant, 24grille, will open in late January 2009, and the WBC Grab & Go Cafe, also opening in January, will provide a casual bistro atmosphere.
After a tour of the all-new Woodward Grand Ballroom, which can be subdivided into three segments, we were able to take a look at the nearly completed pool and exercise area. Only the most modern training equipment awaits exercise-hungry hotel guests. We end our tour with a view of the hotel’s front facade on Washington Boulevard, illustrating the grandeur of this Art Deco beauty. The Westin Book Cadillac certainly presides majestically over this grand avenue.
We then headed to the Boulevard Room restaurant for a delicious sampling of dishes provided by the expert chefs at the Westin Book Cadillac Hotel.
Under the Westin Hotel & Resorts brand, the historic Book Cadillac Hotel has been fully resurrected in all its glory, successfully blending tasteful historic restoration with the most modern 21st century amenities. The two nights I spent at the hotel made me appreciate the ideal location of this iconic property that allows you to explore all the sights of downtown Detroit on foot.
The Westin Book Cadillac is a great example of the transformations Detroit and many of its buildings have undergone in the past. Despite Detroit’s checkered history and economic challenges, the restoration of the Westin Book Cadillac hotel is one of the finest examples of successful architectural preservation and rejuvenation in the entire United States. Now the grande dame of Detroit hotels reigns supreme on majestic Washington Boulevard.
