Industrial decline has not been kind to Detroit, once a powerhouse of America’s economy. Mass layoffs and urban flight emptied swathes of the historic core, much of which crumbled for decades. Down but not out, Motor City’s renaissance has been under way for a while. The latest brick in that (rising) wall is the Detroit Foundation Hotel, a 100-room offering from the Aparium Hotel Group, which specialises in creating character-packed hotels in second-tier cities.
Occupying the neoclassical block that formerly housed the Fire Department, the makeover is a collaboration between the Simeone Deary Design Group and McIntosh Poris Associates and celebrates Detroit’s manufacturing past while casting a finely-crafted eye at its future. Decorated in an industrial-luxurious palette of chocolate browns, pastel metallics and wallpaper featuring photos of old Detroit, rooms conjure past into present, while down in the Apparatus Room, Michelin-starred Michigan native Thomas Lents showcases local flavour.
Add in the street-front Foundation Studio, a gallery dedicated to local art, which also decorates hotel walls, staff uniforms by the Detroit Denim Company, in-room tailoring courtesy of 1701 Bespoke and locally-made goods in the boutique and it’s clear that when it comes to buffing Detroit’s (rusted) star, this hotel has emerged swinging.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
250 Larned Street
-
At La Fondation hotel in Paris, minimalism has irresistible warmthOnce a parking lot, this 17th-arrondissement stay now offers rooftop city views, cocooning suites, and interiors by Roman & Williams
-
How LA's Terremoto brings 'historic architecture into its next era through revitalising the landscapes around them'Terremoto, the Los Angeles and San Francisco collective landscape architecture studio, shakes up the industry through openness and design passion
-
The anatomy of a Celine bag: inside the house’s idyllic Tuscan factoryWallpaper* visits the serene Italian factory where Celine crafts its celebrated ‘Triomphe’ handbags, which is set against an inspiring backdrop of lush Tuscan countryside
-
Why everyone in LA is talking about Café TondoHelmed by chef Valeria Velásquez and designed by Aunt Studio, this new spot delivers Latin American buzz all day long
-
Size doesn’t matter at Now Now, a micro-hotel for solo travellers in New YorkCan you pack style into 32 square feet? We find out
-
At this LA dining hotspot, go Spanish or Japanese as you pleaseA dual-concept dining destination designed by the Rockwell Group brings Mediterranean warmth and Japanese precision to Century City
-
The Benjamin’s chic new upstairs bar is Hollywood’s hottest hideawayAt Bar Benjamin, speakeasy mystique meets elevated snacks, cocktails and views
-
More is more at Bar Issi, a maximalist new dining destination in Palm SpringsFettle studio fuses eco-conscious materials with bold design gestures in this playful space inside the new Thompson Hotel
-
Do luxury hotels need a farmer-in-residence?From Ibiza to Indonesia, hospitality brands are cultivating a new travel experience, where wellness begins in the soil and ends at the table
-
A local’s guide to AtlantaDrawn by the city’s diversity and queer community, life coach and writer Cator Sparks returned to Atlanta after 25 years away. He shares his favourite haunts
-
Philadelphia’s ‘Grande Dame’ reopens with a dazzling French twistThe Bellevue Hotel has been restored to its former glory through a stylish renovation by design studio Ward + Gray
