Packed hotels making for a busier downtown

The hope is to fill the hotels and downtown fill flourish. Recently, with all the events in town, Detroit's 2,000 hotel rooms were nearly filled and finding a room was difficult. Although a no vacancy sign may be an inconvenience to a visitor, it's good news for the city.

Excerpt:

With at least four conventions in town, and the Lions home opener against the Green Bay Packers, it could be hard to find a room downtown.

Visitors found themselves in a similar state two weekends ago, as Detroit welcomed the Grand Prix, the Jazz Festival and Tigers fans, along with attendees for cultural, music and gaming offerings.

MGM Grand Detroit and MotorCity Casino have worked together on several occasions to accommodate large groups between the two's combined 800 rooms, officials say.

The successes show the potential for the city to generate enough business to support the nearly 2,000 hotel rooms that, by the end of this year, will have been added since 2004, even while opening during tough economic times, convention and hospitality leaders say. The long-anticipated Westin Book Cadillac hotel and the Fort Shelby Doubletree Guest Suites will join newly opened hotels like the MGM Grand and MotorCity Casino in trying to attract conventions. The 367-room Detroit Riverside Hotel, across from Cobo Hall, also underwent a $35-million face-lift this year.

Read the entire article here.
Enjoy this story? Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.