kavok

Having stayed in all 5 Bonvoy downtown Detroit hotels, my review would be as follows (comparing the Detroit hotel to other “typical” USA hotels of that same chain):

Westin Book Cadillac- On par with most other Westin hotels. Located in a nicely restored historic building. It has a nice lounge, indoor pool/spa, and excellent attached restaurant (Roast) that non-hotel guests also come eat at (aka, you may need reservations to eat dinner there). But in general, very much a standard Westin with the differences mentioned.

Marriott RenCen- Very large Marriott (1200 rooms I think?). Upper floor (floors 50-70) rooms have amazing views. Room sizes are a bit small. Otherwise very standard Marriott. With 1200 rooms, don’t expect any personal touches as there are hundreds of Titanium members there on any given night. No pool, but nice fitness room. Also surprised this hotel hasn’t been branded as a Marriott Marquis, as it has that type of feel.

Courtyard Millender Center- Even though I have nothing bad to say, this is my least favorite of the five hotels. Most of that is due to myself not being a fan of the Courtyard brand (and this hotel is pretty much a standard courtyard in all facets). The attached restaurant is an Applebees/IHOP. Like all Courtyards, don’t expect to get any good Bonvoy benefits. It is well connected to the People Mover, and has small indoor pool and hot tub.

Aloft (Whitney Bldg) - The building and lobby are breathtaking architecturally. Great location, well connected to People Mover. Really surprised Aloft was chosen as the brand for this location, as this is arguably the most beautiful hotel in the city. The rooms themselves are very much renovated to resemble your standard Aloft rooms, and the breakfast store and bar area are of the same format as any other Aloft. But the beautifully restored historical building makes you wonder why they didn’t go for a more upscale brand (or at least a W). Most Alofts are typically dark and exposed concrete, which is the exact opposite of this historical gem.

Element (Metropolitan Bldg) - This is basically your typical Element hotel placed in a beautifully restored old building. It has the best location of the 5 hotels in terms of surrounding shops and restaurants, and amazing views from the rooftop bar. Being in a weirdly shaped building, some of the rooms are unique in shape but are still plenty spacious. Most of the rooms themselves do not have great city views, but have the extra features and kitchenettes. Overall, a very nice Element hotel.


As far as Bonvoy Elite perks, all 5 basically give you what you would expect for that particular chain. All had good customer service. I would gladly stay at any of them again, but there are obviously differences depending on what aspects you value most.