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Detroit

Detroit Foundation Hotel

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The Detroit Foundation Hotel is set in the cities old fire department headquarters. It is an industrial, modern blend with an electric touch of creativity. The entire hotel is a well thought out piece of art, and provides an unmatched stay in Motor City. 

OUR ARTICLE

BY: Alex Temblador Contributing writer

Back in the day, Detroit smelled of grease, oil, and sweat, and sounded like the cranking of machines, the welding of metal, and the grunts of labor. Today, the Motor City may not be as industrially-focused as it once was, but that’s not to say the people are no longer industrious. The spirit of creation can still be found in every corner of the city and one of these places is among our favorite: the Detroit Foundation Hotel.

Arrive at the Detroit Foundation Hotel, and it’s pretty apparent from the red front doors that this was once a fire station. Inside, the design is utterly masculine with exposed brick walls, wooden floors, and neutral-toned furniture accented by stellar lamps and installations of art and sculpture. The rooms are similar in design – stylish without overwhelming – but it’s only through taking a closer look that you can see how Detroiters are still using their hands to create, make, and share.

The Detroit Foundation Hotel is a beacon of creativity in a city that’s famous for iron-will work.

It’s in the iron-welded door handles made by Smith Shop, the leather trays from Douglas & Co., and the bottle openers from Woodward Throwbacks. You see it in the locally-made denim vests of the bartenders and the city-made drinks they make and sale. The drive of Detroiters appear in the stocked minibars with whiskey from Journeyman Distillery, beer from Founder’s Brewing, and vodka from Our/Detroit.

And it doesn’t stop there.

Detroit Foundation Hotel brings creation to life through one of the hottest mediums right now – podcasts. They have their very own podcast studio, a brag not many hotels can make. With their studio decked out with a turntable and Wallace Detroit Guitar, you can be among inspiring folks, game shakers, moguls, and hustlers who all record words for today and tomorrow.

Among all the amazing details of design, podcast studio, and cool events the hotel puts on, you’ll need something to fuel your own muse and creative mind. Have dinner and a drink at The Apparatus Room, the hotel’s stylish eatery. The American eats created by two-Michelin star Chef Thomas Lents is enough to seal the deal for any guests’ stay.

The Detroit Foundation Hotel is a beacon of creativity in a city that’s famous for iron-will work. This property calls to locals with events, podcasters with a great studio, male travelers with top-notch service and rooms, and even celebrities. We saw Jack White during our visit. If it calls to White’s creative genius, just think what the Detroit Foundation Hotel can do for you.

FIELD TIPS

Grab a cocktail and a meal at the Apparatus Room. You never know who you might see… cough, cough (Jack White)

Pay close attention to the hanging lights in the hotel bar/restaurant. Some of them are purposely turned off, reminiscing on a time not too long ago when the street lamps in downtown Detroit would go off and unchanged

Great walkable options for cocktail bars including: The Keep, Bad Luck Bar, and The Whisky Parlor

Check out their in-house Podcast recording center