Eric Member Username: Eric
Post Number: 972 Registered: 11-2004
| Posted on Saturday, November 03, 2007 - 1:12 pm: | |
While I would've preferred they try restoring the Pontch's good name, instead of abandoning it. Still it's great to see so much investment going into existing downtown hotel space. DETROIT'S NEW INN CROWD: Hotel Pontchartrain is upgraded to a Sheraton November 3, 2007 BY JOHN GALLAGHER FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER Downtown Detroit's rapidly evolving hotel market has welcomed a new player. This week, the former Hotel Pontchartrain unveiled its new identity as the Sheraton Detroit Riverside. Renovated top to bottom in a two-year, $35-million makeover, the Sheraton offers 367 rooms, including 61 suites. http://freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071103/BUSINESS04/711030344 (Message edited by eric on November 03, 2007) (Message edited by eric on November 03, 2007) |
Detroitrise Member Username: Detroitrise
Post Number: 411 Registered: 09-2007
| Posted on Saturday, November 03, 2007 - 1:20 pm: | |
Wasn't the Pontch originally a Crowne Plaza Hotel? It's interesting too because the biggest names in Hotel/Inns abandoned downtown 5 years ago to welcome in new names. |
Rbdetsport Member Username: Rbdetsport
Post Number: 400 Registered: 11-2005
| Posted on Saturday, November 03, 2007 - 1:29 pm: | |
WOOHOO DETROIT! I think that our doubled hotel stock is going to bring in a lot more conventions and maybe even create a larger push for an expanded Cobo. Our Downtown is going to be booming in 3 years. |
Detroitrise Member Username: Detroitrise
Post Number: 413 Registered: 09-2007
| Posted on Saturday, November 03, 2007 - 1:37 pm: | |
^^^Hate to down on the topic, but I don't think our downtown will start booming until corporate employers look at our city as a good investment. That still hasn't happened yet. |
Thejesus Member Username: Thejesus
Post Number: 2603 Registered: 06-2006
| Posted on Saturday, November 03, 2007 - 1:42 pm: | |
Here's some photos http://freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll /gallery?Avis=C4&Dato=20071102 &Kategori=BUSINESS&Lopenr=7110 20803&Ref=PH |
Viziondetroit Member Username: Viziondetroit
Post Number: 1274 Registered: 11-2003
| Posted on Saturday, November 03, 2007 - 1:43 pm: | |
I stayed there last week and it was an upgrade but the fit and finish was cheaply made. The elevators are spray painted silver on the inside for a "stainless steel" look and the room doors are industrial steel doors with a 1/4 to 1/2 gap at the bottom at the floor. Nice upgrade, but it needs to be tightened up. |
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw
Post Number: 3923 Registered: 02-2005
| Posted on Saturday, November 03, 2007 - 1:44 pm: | |
I found the mention of a pedestrian bridge to Cobo rather disturbing. It's really unneccesary. It would really only serve convention visitors who stay there (largely auto show), but isn't it enough of an asset for the hotel to be able to market itself as "right across the street from Cobo." In other words: you might have to walk out in the cold for 30 seconds. It would be sad to see another pedestrian bridge. |
Eric Member Username: Eric
Post Number: 973 Registered: 11-2004
| Posted on Saturday, November 03, 2007 - 2:12 pm: | |
If anything this is overdue with the Sheraton being so close. If it wasn't an asset there wouldn't be so many hotel/convetion centers with similar setups (Message edited by eric on November 03, 2007) |
Detroit313 Member Username: Detroit313
Post Number: 531 Registered: 02-2006
| Posted on Saturday, November 03, 2007 - 3:14 pm: | |
Downtown will boom again when a major department store returns. I would really like to see the Monroe Block developed into a medium-rise residential building, and the Hudson Block developed into a major retail chain. But, seeing the hotel renovated is a sign pointing toward tourist dollars being spent in the region. <313> |
Kslice Member Username: Kslice
Post Number: 198 Registered: 04-2007
| Posted on Saturday, November 03, 2007 - 3:36 pm: | |
It would be GREAT to see a Chicago style Macy's or something open up on the old Hudson block. Too bad Detroit lost K-Mart, they might have considered a store there.;) I just worry these hotels will be for nothing. Like now there's all these hotel rooms and no one to fill them (can you say, Hyatt Flint). I guess these big chains know what their doing and would bother with the D if they thought they would just lose money. In a New York Minute- Don Henley |
Kslice Member Username: Kslice
Post Number: 199 Registered: 04-2007
| Posted on Saturday, November 03, 2007 - 3:41 pm: | |
It would be GREAT to see a Chicago style Macy's or something open up on the old Hudson block. Too bad Detroit lost K-Mart, they might have considered a store there.;) I just worry these hotels will be for nothing. Like now there's all these hotel rooms and no one to fill them (can you say, Hyatt Flint). I guess these big chains know what their doing and would bother with the D if they thought they would just lose money. In a New York Minute- Don Henley |
Detroitrise Member Username: Detroitrise
Post Number: 415 Registered: 09-2007
| Posted on Saturday, November 03, 2007 - 3:45 pm: | |
I agree with K-Slice. I always use Wal-Mart and Target as an example of how K-Mart could have done better with Detroit. And yes, At this point with all the major convention renovations only occuring in the suburbs and exburbs that these hotels downtown will be for nothing (especially when you consider the nationwide xenophobia of crime in Downtown). (Message edited by DetroitRise on November 03, 2007) |
Gistok Member Username: Gistok
Post Number: 5645 Registered: 08-2004
| Posted on Saturday, November 03, 2007 - 4:03 pm: | |
Eric I agree that it's a shame that Sheraton didn't keep the Ponchartrain name. But interestingly enough, the Ponchartrain name as a Detroit Hostelry only ever involved 2 hotels... the 1907-20 hotel on Campus Martius, and the 1963-2007 current hotel. The 2 hotels were unrelated, except for the Ponchartrain name. Detroit's greatest 19th century hotel was the Russell House Hotel (located on the former 1907-20 Ponchartrain site, today the First National Building). |
Rhymeswithrawk Member Username: Rhymeswithrawk
Post Number: 1003 Registered: 11-2005
| Posted on Saturday, November 03, 2007 - 4:28 pm: | |
While I would've preferred they try restoring the Pontch's good name, instead of abandoning it. Still it's great to see so much investment going into existing downtown hotel space. My sentiments exactly. |
Granmontrules Member Username: Granmontrules
Post Number: 248 Registered: 01-2007
| Posted on Saturday, November 03, 2007 - 5:01 pm: | |
Detroitrise. For such a positive name you are one of the most negative people on here about the City. You never say anything positive! |
Detroitrise Member Username: Detroitrise
Post Number: 416 Registered: 09-2007
| Posted on Saturday, November 03, 2007 - 5:02 pm: | |
Actually, I do. I'm just telling the truth about the situation. |
Charlottepaul Member Username: Charlottepaul
Post Number: 1943 Registered: 10-2006
| Posted on Saturday, November 03, 2007 - 5:18 pm: | |
"the room doors are industrial steel doors with a 1/4 to 1/2 gap at the bottom at the floor." That is required I believe by code so as to provide a fresh air intake into the rooms because no one opens windows anymore in high rises. |
Monahan568 Member Username: Monahan568
Post Number: 245 Registered: 04-2004
| Posted on Saturday, November 03, 2007 - 7:43 pm: | |
have any of the big hotel chaines really made any investment in detroit? the answer is no they put their flags on properties but the independant hotel owners invest all the money. so i don't think the big hotel companies care or don't care about the future of the city they have just found another market or source of revenue. |
Rrl Member Username: Rrl
Post Number: 926 Registered: 12-2003
| Posted on Monday, November 05, 2007 - 6:48 pm: | |
Monahan- Very few hotel companies actually own much property anymore. They are all primarily hotel Operators, not real estate owners. It's the way the hospitality industry has moved over the last decade or so. |
Ramcharger Member Username: Ramcharger
Post Number: 491 Registered: 05-2006
| Posted on Wednesday, November 14, 2007 - 1:49 pm: | |
That yellow color they chose to paint the base of the hotel is hideous! It just screams cheap. I hope they soon realize how bad it makes the building look and repaint it a nice beige or off-white. |
Charlottepaul Member Username: Charlottepaul
Post Number: 2069 Registered: 10-2006
| Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 7:14 pm: | |
"or don't care about the future of the city, they have just found another market or source of revenue." Whatever the case, the fact that there is a 'market' in Detroit that is good enough for national hotel chains to move in, is a good sign! So wherever the investment money comes from, how much does that matter? |
Renfirst Member Username: Renfirst
Post Number: 140 Registered: 12-2006
| Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 8:20 pm: | |
"It would be GREAT to see a Chicago style Macy's or something open up on the old Hudson block. Too bad Detroit lost K-Mart, they might have considered a store there." Does anyone seriously think that there's any realistic chance of this happening? Honestly, I think you've got to be a little more realistic in terms of retail downtown. The only chance I see of a large retail chain coming downtown is the old MGM building... there's parking, easy access to the highways, and a top-notch security system in place. I think this is the most viable chance for retail coming downtown, unfortunately it will be in the form of a "shopping mall"... |
Charlottepaul Member Username: Charlottepaul
Post Number: 2073 Registered: 10-2006
| Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 8:30 pm: | |
"unfortunately it will be in the form of a 'shopping mall'..." Don't be too pessimistic. For the generation Y, that loves the more urban lifestyle, large national retailers are bending to this new generation. There is an 'urban' Lowes home improvement here in Charlotte that is not being built in a sprawling parking lot for example! http://www.bizjournals.com/cha rlotte/stories/2005/05/09/dail y14.html |
Burnsie Member Username: Burnsie
Post Number: 1214 Registered: 11-2003
| Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 11:22 pm: | |
Detroitrise asked, "Wasn't the Pontch originally a Crowne Plaza Hotel?" Originally, it was an independent hotel and had no chain affiliation. |
Cmubryan Member Username: Cmubryan
Post Number: 484 Registered: 11-2003
| Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 11:47 pm: | |
I think circa 1990 it became a Radisson for a little bit, then was a Crowne Plaza in the early or mid 90s, lost it's Crowne Plaza affiliation a couple years later, then got it back for less than a year (maybe around 2000) and it was dropped again by 2001 where it resorted back to "Hotel Pontchartain" but kept the "Pontchartain" letters on the building from it's Crowne Plaza days up until a couple months ago. |
Craig Member Username: Craig
Post Number: 523 Registered: 02-2007
| Posted on Friday, November 30, 2007 - 10:02 am: | |
re: Pedestrian footbridge... why not? That can be a cold, cold walk. Others on/around Jefferson are heavily used in the winter. |
Rob_in_warren Member Username: Rob_in_warren
Post Number: 29 Registered: 11-2007
| Posted on Friday, November 30, 2007 - 10:15 am: | |
Good news. All of those business travelers who religiously collect "Sheraton Miles" will not have to stay in the suburbs and commute to do business in the city. |
Craig Member Username: Craig
Post Number: 527 Registered: 02-2007
| Posted on Friday, November 30, 2007 - 10:19 am: | |
Rob - I'm thinking the same way. Don't underestimate the power of "frequent flier" -like programs upon the decisions of business travelers. |
J32885 Member Username: J32885
Post Number: 53 Registered: 11-2005
| Posted on Wednesday, December 05, 2007 - 1:09 am: | |
Nice to see that the Pontchartrain is back up and running with a new chain, especially now that they are with Sheraton. Again, the more hotels that in downtown Detroit the better. |
Ramcharger Member Username: Ramcharger
Post Number: 501 Registered: 05-2006
| Posted on Friday, December 07, 2007 - 10:07 am: | |
Tax liens, cost overruns threaten new Sheraton's opening |
Charlottepaul Member Username: Charlottepaul
Post Number: 2101 Registered: 10-2006
| Posted on Friday, December 07, 2007 - 11:23 am: | |
"The owners, Shubh Hotels Detroit, LLC, paid the property taxes a month ago after the city misplaced the original check, city spokesman James Canning said Thursday. But the city has not notified the Wayne County Treasurer's Office, which had filed notice that the property would be foreclosed in April 2008 if taxes remained unpaid." Sounds like a non-event event. |
Rb336 Member Username: Rb336
Post Number: 3949 Registered: 02-2007
| Posted on Friday, December 07, 2007 - 12:38 pm: | |
From what I understand, it took some major concessions for Chicago to keep the Macy's store downtown. it hasn't turned a profit for a long time |
Eric Member Username: Eric
Post Number: 1026 Registered: 11-2004
| Posted on Saturday, December 08, 2007 - 12:47 am: | |
Cost overrun is an understatement, the original reported cost was $12 million it ended up being $26 million. I wonder what happened to cause the price to double? |