Detroit: Executive Lounge on 23rd Floor of Westin Book Cadillac Hotel

One of the main reasons I had come to Detroit was the fantastic architecture that this city has to offer. So on October 20, 2008 I embarked on a private guided tour of one of Detroit's most well-known historic landmarks: the Westin Book Cadillac Hotel.
Detroit celebrated its heyday in the early 20th century when the automobile industry took off, and car ownership became available to the everyday people. Witnesses to this boom are the many stunning historic skyscrapers in Detroit, particularly from the 1920s, buildings that define one of the most recognizable skylines in the world.
Of course the Great Depression of the 1930s put an end to this exuberant construction activity, but to this day Detroit features a great collection of architectural treasures. One of the crowning touches of this golden era was the original Book Cadillac Hotel, which at its opening in 1924, was the tallest building in Detroit and the tallest hotel in the world.
The Book Cadillac was developed by three brothers who intended to turn Washington Boulevard into the Fifth Avenue of the West. They commissioned prominent Detroit architect Louis Kamper to design their hotel property which opened in 1924 with 1,136 guest rooms. The first five floors of the original Book Cadillac had three ballrooms, a spacious lobby and retail stores on the ground floor. Even a radio station was located on the top floor.
From the Great Depression onwards, the Book Cadillac experienced a long decline until it finally closed its doors altogether in 1984. After that it became abandoned and a victim of vandalism and urban scavengers. Finally, the Cleveland-based Ferchill Group purchased the hotel in 2006 and decided to renovate it from top to bottom. After an investment of about $180 million this historic hotel reopened in early October of 2008 as the Westin Book Cadillac Hotel.
Today the Westin Book Cadillac Hotel features 455 upscale hotel rooms and 67 condominium units on the top floors of the 31-storey building. The historic Venetian Ball Room, the Italian Garden and Crystal Ballroom have been completely restored to reflect their original glory. The humongous Woodward Ballroom is housed in a new addition and can be divided up into 12 different configurations.
Several dining options also exist at the at the Westin Book Cadillac Hotel: Roast, a fine dining restaurant; the Motor Bar which serves cocktails and snacks; the WBC Coffee Shop; the Boulevard Room restaurant and the 24 Grille restaurant. A pool, hot tub, fitness centre, spa and various amenities for business travelers round out the offering at the Westin Book Cadillac Hotel.

As a real architecture buff, I was elated to see that this stunning 1920s grande dame of hotels has been brought back in full splendour and will be preserved for future admirers and architectural enthusiasts.

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