Detroit’s Westin Book Cadillac, Hotel Review

Detroit is having a bit of a renaissance. Business is moving in, wages are rising, and culture is returning to the city. Downtown is vibrant, and one of, if not the best, hotels to stay in is the Westin Book Cadillac.

The hotel is quite the imposing structure. Over 20 stories of a wonderfully restored building. Construction finally began in 1923, and the building, which bore part of the name of the old structure, was the tallest in the city and the tallest hotel in the world when it opened in December 1924. it went through many owners but in the early 2000’s it became the Westin Book Cadillac and Residences.

Check In and Room

Upon entry off the street level, head to the second floor to checkin. My check in process was quite fast and efficient, but as I was checking in late, they didn’t have my preferred type of room available.

I had booked a club level floor room with a King Bed, but when I checked in, there was only a room with two double beds available on the 9th floor. Definitely not what I had paid for.

two beds in a room

Westin Book Cadillac Double Room

Travel Hacking Tip: If you’ve got status with a hotel, and you know the hotel is overbooked or looks like it’s sold out, wait as long as possible to check in if you can. The chances of them not having your booked room type are quite high. When that happens, you can ask for compensation for being in a downgraded room. In this case, they were overly generous and offered 10,000 points for booking me in a substandard lower floor room.

Rooms

The rooms, as far as Westin’s go, were quite good. The space was large and there was plenty of room to stretch out. The large bathroom had both a shower and tub while for seating there was both an arm chair and a desk. The two double beds made the room look even larger. I ended up using the 2nd bed for a sort of catchall for my luggage and clothing.

The city view was nothing to be impressed with, especially from the 9th floor. While Detroit is improving, a view of the bus terminal at 11:30pm is not exciting.

a city at night with buildings and cars

a lamp next to a chair

Westin Book Cadillac Room

a bathroom with a white robe and a mirror

Westin Book Cadillac Room

a room with a television and a chair

Westin Book Cadillac Room

a shower head in a bathroom

Westin Book Cadillac Room

a bedroom with a mirror and a sink

Westin Book Cadillac Room

a desk with a chair and a mirror

Westin Book Cadillac Room

Club Lounge

This Westin does have an executive club and that’s where they offer you to take your breakfast. The breakfast on offer is modest, but complete enough for an early morning start.

The view from the room overlooks the Detroit River and into Windsor, Canada. Fairly standard options await you including such delicacies as: Bagels, White Bread, ‘Scrambled Eggs,’ and coffee. There was also a sliced fruit option with some yogurt for a lighter, healthier side.

a city with many tall buildings

Westin Book Cadillac Lounge View

a sign in a frame

Westin Book Cadillac Executive Lounge

a food in a glass case next to a microwave

Westin Book Cadillac Executive Lounge

a door with glass and a couple of people sitting at a table

Westin Book Cadillac Executive Lounge

a black pans on a marble counter

Westin Book Cadillac Executive Lounge

If you were feeling tipsy in the morning, you could get wine. It is quite expensive however. To pay, just put up your room card and the charges will automatically go on your bill. $11 for a glass of wine in an executive lounge? No thank you!

a coffee machine and a cooler

Westin Book Cadillac Executive Lounge Wine

a machine with several buttons and a display

Westin Book Cadillac Executive Lounge Wine

Breafast is from 6am-10am and evening hors d’ouevers are from 6pm-8pm. You are allowed access from 6am-10pm for water, soda, and mixed nuts, fresh fruit, etc, but only during those times are meals served.

Wrap Up

The downtown location is great as you’re in the center of it all. The rooms are fairly standard as far as Westins go, as I feel that maybe they were more luxurious a few years ago. The executive lounge has a free breakfast, but it’s nothing special. If your company is paying for the room, then go for it. If you’re paying for it, I think the better option is the Aloft David Whitney just two blocks to the north.

Have you been to downtown Detroit? Where do you like to stay?

Author: Jon Nickel-D'Andrea

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