{"id":2389,"date":"2019-05-28T11:22:07","date_gmt":"2019-05-28T18:22:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theaposition.com\/traveltattler\/?p=2389"},"modified":"2019-05-28T11:22:07","modified_gmt":"2019-05-28T18:22:07","slug":"detroit-fire-station-turned-hotel-is-a-destination-itself","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/traveltattler\/travel\/2389\/detroit-fire-station-turned-hotel-is-a-destination-itself","title":{"rendered":"Detroit Fire Station Turned Hotel is a Destination Itself"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Detroit

Detroit Foundation Hotel sizzles in the former Fire Station Headquarters. (Photo by Harrison Shiels)<\/p><\/div>\n

Rock group The Eagles sang about \u201cHotel California\u201d and that hit songs lyric stated: \u201cYou can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave.\u201d<\/p>\n

Imagine, conversely, a hotel at which \u201cyou don\u2019t even have to check in but you can always stay.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the unofficial motto of Detroit Foundation Hotel, one of the Motor City\u2019s newest and most stylish lodging options.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want people to be able to come and hang out whether they\u2019re staying in the hotel or not. Just be there,\u201d insists General Manager Bob Lambert. \u201cAt Detroit Foundation Hotel our lobby and lounge is an extension of our restaurant and bar. It\u2019s a place to connect and be seen. We love for people to come in and work on their laptops. They don\u2019t have to buy anything. Just being a part of what we\u2019re doing makes it a lot of fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is obvious Lambert means what he says. Step into The Foundation Hotel\u2019s open lobby, bar, and vintage Apparatus Room restaurant and you will see one, large, high-ceilinged, great room with big windows, lots of natural light, an indoor\/outdoor patio. There are large communal tables with power outlets and wireless internet and comfortable chairs surrounding coffee tables.<\/p>\n

Lambert has also recruited a staff of enthusiastic valets who keep things hopping out front and provide guests with rides to concerts and sporting events, like this weekend\u2019s Movement electronic music festival in Hart Plaza.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur group of associates is so proud of what we\u2019re contributing so right away when you walk in the door you\u2019re going to be greeted and welcomed into our space. You\u2019ll see we have some retail space and the art, items and apparel we carry has a Detroit theme. We want to provide local makers an opportunity to sell their goods,\u201d explains Lambert. Guestroom mini bars also offer Michigan-made spirits, snacks, treats and even a \u201cFoundation Smoke\u201d candle \u2013 one of many crafty references to the building\u2019s history. \u201cIt was originally Detroit\u2019s fire headquarters – an iconic, 1929 building with big, red fire truck doors that are impactful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chicago-based Aparium Hotel Group bought the building in 2013 and, after delicate repurposing and renovations Lambert reopened the hotel, with all its urban, industrial chic, in 2017. \u201cWe brought all the modern conveniences into the building but we also respected and preserved the history that was there. It\u2019s been an amazing thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lambert also created a storefront radio\/podcast studio visible from the sidewalk \u2013 a definite big city, old school move. That studio and The Foundation Hotel\u2019s corner location are right across the street from busy Cobo Center.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are a great spot to stop in and hang out instead of just coming into the city, going to an event at Cobo, and leaving,\u201d says Lambert, who considers the hotel and its team of staffers to be ambassadors in Detroit\u2019s post-bankruptcy comeback.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wholeheartedly believe in Detroit\u2019s renaissance and the Foundation\u2019s contribution is about helping propel the momentum. What I see happening downtown is amazing, and at a pace that is incredible. I am just so privileged to be a part of what is happening downtown.\u201d<\/p>\n

Contact<\/em> Travel Writer Michael Patrick Shiels at MShiels@aol.com<\/a>\u00a0 His radio program may be heard weekdays at MiBigShow.com or in Lansing on WJIM am 1240 from 9-noon.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Rock group The Eagles sang about \u201cHotel California\u201d and that hit songs lyric stated: \u201cYou can check out anytime you… Read more »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":2390,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[1023638,1023642,1023643,1044570,4998],"class_list":["post-2389","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel","tag-motor-city","tag-detroit-foundation-hotel","tag-fire-station","tag-detroit","tag-michael-patrick-shiels"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/traveltattler\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2019\/05\/Foundation.jpeg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/traveltattler\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2389","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/traveltattler\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/traveltattler\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/traveltattler\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/43"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/traveltattler\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2389"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/traveltattler\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2389\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2391,"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/traveltattler\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2389\/revisions\/2391"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/traveltattler\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2390"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/traveltattler\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2389"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/traveltattler\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2389"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/traveltattler\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2389"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}