Earlier this year, I celebrated my birthday at The Shinola Hotel in Downtown Detroit, Michigan. I had been wanting to stay there since they opened and I figured my birthday was the best excuse to splurge on a room. Although I live in New York City now, almost all of my family lives right outside of Detroit, so I never have the need to get a hotel while I’m there. But whether you live in the area or you’re going for a visit, let me tell you… The Shinola is worth it! I even did my whole birthday photoshoot in the room, so be sure to check that out in my post, “27 Things To Do While I’m 27”.
The Shinola Hotel
For those unfamiliar with the brand Shinola, it’s actually a Detroit-based accessory company. They’re popular for their high-quality watches, belts, bags and other leather goods. The company opened its first boutique hotel in January 2019 and it has quickly become one of the nicest places to stay in Detroit. The hotel Is located at 1400 Woodward Ave., right in the Downtown area.
As soon as you arrive, you’re greeted by valet and bellhops to help you with your car and your luggage. I even had an obnoxious balloon bouquet with me and they were super nice and helpful. When you enter, the lobby is incredibly chic and modern. Everything looks luxurious from the art to the front desk to the elevators.
They have several style rooms and suites to choose from. I wanted something middle ground — basically I wanted to splurge, but I also didn’t want to go too crazy. So I decided on the Gallery Suite, which is priced around $500 per night. It was honestly the perfect choice for me. Two friends stayed in the room with me and we were very comfortable. I would have liked to entertain more guests in the room, which is totally aloud, but because of Covid restrictions they had a hard rule on how many people can be in your room.
I believe it was six people max for my room, which was completely understandable. However, my guest list was a bit longer than that, so we ended up getting together at my friend’s house instead. Although I wish I could have shown off the beautiful suite to more of my friends, I really appreciated the fact that they were taking Covid precautions seriously. And it worked out well because my two friends and I got to have a very relaxing stay.
The gorgeous cupcakes above were made by Little Baker Lady, based in the Detroit area.
The Gallery Suite
The main reasons I chose the Gallery Suite were the large windows, the lovely sitting area, and the incredible bath tub! So let’s break it down.
When you walk into the room, there is a sitting area with a cozy velvet couch, a table, and a TV. This is where we ate cupcakes at night and breakfast the next morning. The couch is gorgeous and everything is in sophisticated warm tones that really complement the natural hues of the surrounding buildings when you look out the window. And speaking of the windows, you can effortlessly raise the shades with a button on the wall. It’s little details like that that really make a hotel feel luxurious. The windows take up the whole wall of the room, letting in tons of natural light during the day and a lovely city view at night.
Behind the sitting area is a king-sized bed. My friend Julia and I shared the bed and both slept amazing! It was so huge and comfy. They also had Shinola brand outlets (with USB plugs) on each bedside so I didn’t have to hunt down a place to charge my phone. My other friend, Kymo, slept on the couch and they brought up extra blankets and pillows for him.
The bathroom was, as I mentioned above, a big seller for me. It has a waterfall shower, LED-lit mirrors, and a super deep, gorgeous tub with a view of city right next to it. The closets even have fuzzy robes in them to put on after your bath or shower. The robes are embroidered with the word “Detroit” on the back — they make a great photo opp.
Amenities
The hotel had all the amenities you would expect a nice hotel to have. As I mentioned above, there are custom Shinola bathrobes in the room, which I thought was such a cool touch. The bathtub and city views were amazing. The room had a Bluetooth speaker system and a record player, although we didn’t use them. There’s a fully stocked mini bar, free wifi, and so much attention to detail throughout the room. They have pet-friendly rooms as well! We ordered room service for breakfast and it was very lovely. Everything tasted great and was presented very nicely.
The Downtown Detroit Area
After we checked out of the hotel, we did a little shopping in the area. There is a very cute alleyway right next to the hotel with some great shops. I specifically wanted to go to The Lip Bar, which is a Black woman-owned business that’s also based in Detroit. FYI, they have incredible liquid matte lipsticks! I also stopped in the Shinola store and got my first Shinola handbag. I must say, the hotel did a really great job of selling their brand!
Would you stay at the Shinola Hotel in Detroit?
