Hello from Detroit: The Westin Book Cadillac
Hotel - The Legendary Grande Dame of Detroit Hotels Has Been Reborn
One of the main reasons I had come to Detroit was the fantastic
architecture that this city has to offer. Detroit celebrated its
heyday in the early 20th century when the automobile industry took
off, and car ownership became available to everyday people. Witnesses
to this boom are the many stunning historic skyscrapers in Detroit,
particularly from the 1920s, buildings that still define one of
the most recognizable skylines in the world.
Of course the Great Depression of the 1930s put an end to this exuberant
construction activity, but to this day Detroit features a great
collection of architectural treasures. One of the most well-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.
Great view of Detroit's historic skyscrapers from the Westin's roof
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 was to be built on the location of the
earlier Cadillac Hotel, a property dating back to 1885. With big
fanfare this grand hotel opened in 1924, featuring 1,136 state-of-the-art
guest 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 retail stores on the ground floor. Even a radio station was
located on the top floor.
The historically restored Venetian Ballroom
In 1931 finally, caused by the financial crisis of the Great Depression,
the Book Brothers lost control of this property, and it was then
run by the National Hotel Management Company. In May of 1939 Lou
Gehrig, the New York Yankees’ famous first baseman, collapsed
in the grand staircase of the hotel. He took himself out of the
lineup which ended up breaking his string 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 historically restored Italian Garden
The script to Frank Capra’s 1947 movie “State of the
Union” , starring Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy, made
several references to the Book Cadillac. Although filmed on a movie
set, a shot of the actual front entrance marquee of the hotel appeared
in the movie. Over the years, many other celebrities 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 all spent nights in this landmark
property. Dr. Martin Luther King spent a night here in 1968, shortly
before he was assassinated.
The Motor Bar
From the 1950s onwards the Book Cadillac was owned by the Sheraton
chain which finally sold the hotel in 1975. This era was particularly
unkind to this historic property as furniture and paint schemes
were changed and the grand marble staircase was ripped out and replaced
by an escalator. The hotel’s name changed to the Sheraton
Cadillac as the Book Brothers’ name disappeared altogether.
Following the 1967 Detroit riot, tourism declined in the city and
many businesses closed. Many of Detroit’s grand historic hotels
could not survive and were shuttered. This sad fate befell the Fort
Shelby Hotel, the Hotel Statler and the Hotel Tuller. The Cadillac
did briefly benefit 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.
State-of-the-art design
Sheraton finally sold the hotel to Herbert Weissberg, a prominent
New York Hotel owner, who renamed it the Detroit Cadillac. After
his foreclosure the property changed hands to the Radisson chain
which also implemented a number of unsuccessful renovations. After
several additional sales, the hotel was turned into a mixed-used
property during the 1980s that included office space. In 1984 it
finally closed its doors for renovations but did not reopen as planned
due to economic problems. Almost all the hotel’s contents
were sold at fire-sale prices, including original Book Cadillac
china, beds, linens and other items.
My spacious bedroom
As a matter of 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 formerly splendid hotel
was ravaged, and many of the architectural details were stolen or
destroyed. Graffiti was sprayed all over the property, the historic
plasterwork destroyed and the entire interior was in shambles.
The Westin Book Cadillac, beautifully illuminated at night
The historic Book Cadillac, the grande dame of Detroit, was a
former shadow of itself until the Cleveland-based Ferchill Group
decided to take on this historic hotel and renovate it from top
to bottom. With costs of around $200 million, the historic Book
Cadillac has become a Westin Hotel property that also features 67
condominiums residences on the higher floors. The Westin Book Cadillac
reopened its doors at the beginning of October of 2008 and a grand
opening gala evening on October 25, 2008 will officially celebrate
the restoration of this historic landmark hotel. I was absolutely
fortunate to witness this stunning architectural rebirth just a
few days after it became accessible to the public.
John Timko on the rooftop, in the background the Ambassador Bridge
On this sunny Monday morning I met with John Timko, the sales
manager of the hotel, who started our tour with a trip to the rooftop
of the hotel. Work crews were still working on the top level luxury
condos which gave us a chance to go out on the rooftop of the hotel.
31 stories up and without any protective railings, this was a slightly
hair-raising yet exhilarating experience.
One of the Westin's ziggurat's, framed by the historic Book Tower
I was enthralled by the ziggurats, the hotel’s crowning touches,
which have been completely restored with new copper cladding since
the original copper pieces had been stolen. The view of downtown
Detroit and the Detroit River with Windsor on the other side of
the Ambassador Bridge was simply breathtaking. Even more amazing
is that once the condos are finished, there will not be any further
access to the rooftop. I counted myself really lucky to have experienced
the rooftop of the Westin Book Cadillac Hotel.
The railings of the Venetian Ballroom are original
John continued the tour with the historic ballroom level which
includes three ballrooms, including the Venetian Ballroom that was
restored back to its 1924 glory, the true pride and joy of this
property. The Italian Garden Room and Crystal Ballroom round out
the historic meeting spaces that are located on this level. We also
had 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 the use of hotel guests and offers
a fabulous view. The Westin Book Cadillac Hotel certainly offers
everything a business or leisure traveler would ever want.
The Executive Center on the 19th floor
We also had a look at the Boulevard Room restaurant on the second
floor which will be joined by “Roast”, a restaurant
run by celebrity chef Michael Symon. The Motor Bar on the second
level features cocktails and snacks in a beautifully restored high-ceilinged
lounge area. Another restaurant, 24grille, will open in late January
of 2009, and the WBC Grab & Go coffee shop, due also to open
in January, will provide a casual bistro atmosphere.
Brand-new boardroom at the Westin Book Cadillac Hotel
After a visit to the large brand-new Woodward Ballroom which can
be subdivided into three segments, we had a sneak peek at the almost
completed exercise and pool area. Only the most modern workout equipment
awaits exercise-hungry hotel guests. We finished our tour with a
view of the front façade of the hotel on Washington Boulevard
which illustrates the grandeur of this Art Deco beauty. The Westin
Book Cadillac certainly presides again regally over this grand avenue.
The swimming pool in the new addition
Afterwards we headed into the Boulevard Room restaurant to enjoy
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 completely resurrected in all its glory, successfully
combining a tasteful historic restoration with the most modern 21st
century amenities. The two nights I spent in the hotel made me appreciate
the ideal location of this landmark property that lets you explore
all of Detroit’s downtown sights on foot.
My delicous grilled herb-marinated chicken breast
The Westin Book Cadillac
is a great example of the transformations that Detroit and many
of its buildings have experienced over the past. Despite Detroit’s
checkered history and economic challenges, the restoration of the
Westin Book Cadillac Hotel is one of the greatest examples of successful
architectural preservation and rejuvenation in the entire United
States. Now the grande dame of Detroit hotels reigns supreme again
on stately Washington Boulevard.
A scrumptious dessert in the Boulevard Room restaurant
