The tale of Detroit’s continuing rejuvenation is well known – this once down-and-out industrial city has recaptured the spotlight with an influx of young creatives, affordable, high quality real estate and good dose of American heritage. Of all the city’s supporters and proponents, watches and accessories brand Shinola is amongst its most vocal. Since setting up its manufacturing base in the city in 2011, the company has gone on to establish standalone boutiques in Detroit and other cities in Michigan.
The latest extension of the brand’s impact on the city, is the opening of the Shinola Hotel, a stylishly curated destination (developed by Bedrock Detroit) located on Detroit’s main shopping street, Woodward Avenue. Located within three historic buildings, including a former Singer sewing machine store and the former T.B. Rayl & Co department store, the hotel’s premises have been carefully restored and revamped for contemporary use by Kraemer Design Group. Each of its elegant 129 guestrooms, designed by Gachot Studios, feature Shinola goods exclusively made for the hotel, such as a desk clock version of its signature Runwell watch, a striped alpaca throw blanket and a candle.
Conceived as the city’s living room, Shinola Hotel brings together several new eateries and bars overseen by chef Andrew Carmellini and Noho Hospitality Group, together with retail spaces for brands like Le Labo, Shinola and several hometown favourites. Beautifully outfitted by Gachot Studios (who also designed all the food and beverage spaces) with colourful artwork, neutrally-toned furniture and nostalgic touches that hark back to the city’s rich history, the result is an inviting, convivial atmosphere that strikes a chord with both visitors and locals alike.
Whether its enjoying a quiet drink at the Evening Bar, taking in the views from the hotel’s rooftop conservatory, or taking a more festive track at The Brakeman – a well-heeled spin on the American beer hall, Shinola Hotel has all the bearings of being a celebrated meeting point for the Detroit community. Throw in hearty Italian fare from its restaurant San Morello, along with fried chicken and other comforts doled out at the more casual Penny Red's, and it might be possible that you just won’t ever leave.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
1400 Woodward Ave
PHOTOGRAPHY
Nicole Franzen
-
Kohler unveils ‘Pearlized,’ an iridescent new finish with an under-the-sea backstoryArtist David Franklin was inspired by glimmering fish scales and sunsets for this mesmerising debut
-
The Met reveals its 2026 Costume Institute show along with another major milestoneThe First Monday in May just became a much bigger deal...
-
MillerKnoll's renovated flagship in New York opens doors to design experiencesThe new MillerKnoll New York gallery space makes its debut with Keiji Takeuchi’s ‘Walking Sticks & Canes’ exhibition, supported by Triennale Milano
-
Dior’s new Beverly Hills dining salon raises the bar for couture cuisineFrom Peter Marino’s onyx bar and faceted mirrored walls to Nicole Wittenberg’s vast, immersive botanical canvas, Dior’s first restaurant outside Paris is here
-
This new Los Angeles restaurant is a mischievous blend of dive bar and 'psychedelic honky tonk'At Marvito, small-batch tequila and a classic rock soundtrack create a delightfully nostalgic night out
-
Fantasy – and incredible seafood – await at Carbone Riviera, now open at the Bellagio in Las VegasInterior design powerhouse Martin Brudnizki drew on the Côte d'Azur and Picasso’s ceramics for Major Food Group’s latest Sin City outpost
-
Welcome to Polymath Park, where you can spend the night in a Frank Lloyd Wright masterpieceA pair of determined Wright devotees have turned four endangered modernist houses into an overnight design retreat
-
Faena New York just landed in the Big Apple – and it's an excuse for a good timeArgentine hotelier Alan Faena’s first New York address serves up high-octane hospitality with a dash of leopard print
-
These vintage American motels will have you longing for the open road‘Vintage Motels’ documents how the humble roadside stopover has evolved into a design-led destination for a new generation of travellers
-
At Duryea’s Sunset Cottages in The Hamptons, it’s all about stillness and open horizonsA beloved Hampton restaurant becomes a tucked-away retreat set on a windswept bluff above Fort Pond Bay in Montauk
-
The return of Genghis Cohen: LA’s cult Chinese diner lives onThe 1980s Chinese-American landmark returns with red booths, neon nostalgia, and a fresh dose of Hollywood eccentricity
