OT: Detroit Group Lodging Options
It's OT season and with the Tigers opener, Wings Playoffs, and NFL draft approaching I hope a few people could benefit from this thread. I don't know Detroit super well and am looking for some advice on lodging options for a group of 8. Will be spending time downtown catching a game, enjoying night life and restaurants, etc.
Usually when I'm in Detroit for a game I stay at Greektown or MGM Grand, which are still options, but was curious if anybody had other suggestions since I'll be with a little bigger group than normal. An Airbnb/Vrbo seems ideal for our group to have a larger space and keep costs down. We'd be open to staying somewhere outside of downtown if the logistics are easy to get back and forth, but not sure which areas are safe/unsafe as none of us have spent much time in Metro Detroit in years. We talked about maybe getting a house in Royal Oak but I have some buddies who live there that have had lots of of vehicles stolen from their neighborhoods very recently so has me re-thinking what I really know about the area.
Thank you in advance!
Because of the Midwest Regional for the NCAA Tournament and the NFL Draft next month, groups of any size might be a bit tricky depending on the weekend you'll be here, but you might give it a go at least and see what's available if it won't be around those two weekends.
If you get an AirBnB or Vrbo and don't want to be in the city, then suburbs with superb freeway access are probably going to be your best area of focus. Dearborn is near I-94 and M-39 and has a pretty cool restaurant / entertainment scene all to its own if you want to grab a meal closer to your accommodations. Livonia might be a good bet if you want something fairly close along the I-96 corridor, and if you want to be north or south of downtown along I-75, then Royal Oak (probably the northern end of it, which is typically a bit nicer), or going south, anything in the Woodhaven / Brownstown area, which is safe but kind of far from the city (30 minutes in good traffic).
The Inn on Ferry Street hosted our family reunion and did a spectacular job.
Friend stayed in a pretty slick hipster pad in downtown Detroit over the holidays. Looked pretty fantastic. Can't find the listing. Be sure to go to the DIA and Third Man Records while you're there.
March 19th, 2024 at 10:46 AM ^
Yeah there are some decent rental properties downtown/newcenter/midtown area. Probably on the pricier side for the draft or gone by now.
We live in Birmingham and have seen the same issues with cars. In the older neighborhoods along Woodward, most houses have detached or small garages...and also have narrow driveways due to the narrow lots. As a result, many people thus park in their driveway or on the street. Most of the cars being stolen or broken in to are unlocked(!) and many people even leave their keys in their car(!). The crime section of the local newspaper we get in Birmingham is like a hall of fame of bad decisions regarding unlocked car doors, valuables left in clear sight, and keys left in the car. I’m not “blaming the victim,” but there are simple steps one can take to reduce the chance of having one’s car stolen.
I’d look for an Airbnb downtown, in Midtown, or in Corktown. Any of those areas are safe and convenient for getting to sporting events and restaurants and bars.
I live in Sherwood Forest in Detroit and people have stayed in this neighborhood or an adjoining one because the Detroit Golf Club is a quick walk. It's a two minute drive from Woodward which will get you downtown in 10-15 minutes and to all the great eats in Royal Oak/Birmingham in the same amount of time.
My family lived on Muirland near Clarita many years ago. Occasionally I drive by the old neighborhood and marvel at the beautiful Tudor homes in Sherwood Forrest/Palmer Woods/ University District (and see that the Bishops residence / John Salley home is for sale). The first great athlete I saw was when Pershing's Spencer Haywood played at Mumford, where my Mom taught.
March 19th, 2024 at 10:24 AM ^
Totally unrelated to the topic at hand, but Spencer Haywood's fascinating, and somewhat tragic story, plays a central role in Theresa Runstedler's excellent recent book Black Ball, which is about the transformation of the NBA in the 1970s.
https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/theresa-runstedtler/black-ball/9781645036951/?lens=bold-type-books
We're coming up for the NFL Draft, but we decided to stay in Ann Arbor after looking at prices for downtown Detroit. We'll do the fun AA stuff during the day and head over to the draft in the evenings.
March 19th, 2024 at 11:02 AM ^
How do you plan to head over. I plan on staying at a relative's in sterling heights. Traveling in and finding parking seems annoying. The city's visit site isn't great either. I thought there would be a lot more public info on parking than I've found.
March 19th, 2024 at 11:10 AM ^
ParkWhiz shows booking availability at a few lots within about a 10-ish minute walk of the main venues for the Draft, but it looked like most of the closest parking is now more or less booked. There are public lots, and some of the larger businesses occasionally allow paid parking, but it is a limited number of spots. You MIGHT sneak into the casino garages, but they are all a bit of a walk regardless then. If you find a spot, walk through the casino first just in case the person watching the cameras is actually paying attention.
D2A2 bus is your friend if you need transit between Ann Arbor and Detroit. Leaves on the hour from the Blake Bus terminal in downtown Ann Arbor and arrives in Detroit about 45 minutes later (an hour in traffic, which I expect during the draft). Drops folks off near the David Whitney/Aloft hotel, not too far from Comerica Park and a short walk to the draft festivities. Costs for each way about $8 a person/less if you book online. Last bus back to Ann Arbor leaves Detroit at 11pm.
honestly - I hadn't even thought about the parking. we plan to get there early. I just figured there would be parking lots or buildings for like $20 to $40. I'll have to check ahead of time I guess
March 19th, 2024 at 10:42 AM ^
You will be fine in Royal Oak and Troy.
March 19th, 2024 at 11:29 AM ^
So there are a ton of hotels off Stephenson Hwy between 13 & 15 mile in Madison Heights/Troy. There are entrances to I-75 right at both 14 &12 mile off of Stephenson. You can hop right on the highway and be downtown in 20 minutes no problem.
Big money saver compared to looking for hotels in Detroit when events are going down.