Detroit offers more than a mere glimpse into automobile history, as travelers exploring the city will find diverse museums, theater, music and innovative community programs addressing local challenges. So whether your time in Detroit is limited to a few days or you plan an extended stay, you can experience some of the reasons why soul singer Marvin Gaye praised his Detroit experience by saying, according to "Mi Estilo" magazine, "Detroit turned out to be heaven."
The Leland Hotel is a historic landmark that opened in 1927 as a hotel and restaurant combo, and it now serves as a 20-story accommdation that houses the City Club, an industrial, Goth-inspired nightclub. The hotel's 1920s Italian Renaissance theme, with its grandiose lobby and classic ballroom, gives visitors a peek into Detroit's cultural history. The building was named to the National Register of Historic Places in July 2005.
Located in downtown, the Leland caters to overnight or extended-stay travelers. A '50s style diner -- Lucy and Ethel's -- serves as an on-site eating option offering typical diner fare.
Notable historic buildings surrounding the hotel include the Michigan and United Artist theaters.
Detroit's Westin Book Cadillac Hotel has a lengthy history along with a current focus on the finer amenities. Stays at the Detroit Westin give guests access to nearby golf courses and Chandler Park's family aquatic center. In-room amenities include stone-finished bathrooms.
The hotel provides valet parking and a fully equipped business center. A bar, a Starbucks and three restaurants provide beverage and dining options, with the restaurants serving American cuisine in sophisticated- and smart-casual atmospheres.
Guests can also share in the hotel's Make a Green Choice program, which helps conserve national resources.
It's hard to ignore Detroit's deep automobile history. Those interested in seeing how some of Detroit's famed auto industry leaders lived have a few options. For example, Henry Ford's Fair Lane house, in nearby Dearborn, gives visitors a look at the personal bowling alley where Ford played with friend and inventor Thomas Edison.
Also in Dearborn, visitors can see the Henry Ford Museum and Greenwich Village, which Fodor's cites as America's largest indoor-outdoor museum. Here travelers can see not only the automobile history, but also bicycle history by viewing the shop where the Wright brothers built their first airplane.
Detroit's cultural destinations enliven its places to stay, with theater, art, museums and architecture. Visitors may enjoy the Detroit Institute of Arts on Woodward Avenue in midtown Detroit, wherein hangs "Portrait of Postman Roulin," painted by Vincent van Gogh.
Contemporary art movements highlight Detroit's 2011 urban housing crisis in ways that still allow for beauty. Examples of these movements include the Heidelberg Project and the DDD Project, as well as theater projects such as those found at the Bagley Street's Matrix Theater, where participants express social injustice through personal creative expression.
Detroit's Visitors Bureau lists metro Detroit's Fairlane Town Center as one of Michigan's largest shopping centers. Shoppers can browse through and dine at over 160 stores and restaurants, including retailers H&M and Macy's.
