DETROIT – The Motor City is experiencing a surge in hotel development, highlighted by the construction of the new JW Marriott Detroit Water Square and a critical need for more rooms near major convention centers in Metro Detroit.
Claude Molinari, president and CEO of Visit Detroit, said the region has over 46,000 hotel rooms in southeast Michigan, so the overall supply is not lacking.
However, he emphasized a critical shortage of rooms directly adjacent to the downtown Detroit and Novi convention centers.
“In those two particular areas, we are woefully inadequate to support major venues that could support major events,” Molinari said. “We can’t get the biggest events we could because we don’t have the hotel rooms to support.”
Molinari explained that the biggest challenge is the lack of enough hotel rooms within walking distance or connected to the convention centers.
“If someone needs 10,000 rooms right next to the convention center, we can only offer 5,000. They bring 10,000 to another city,” he said.
The Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi attracts two million visitors annually and ranks as the 50th largest exhibit space in the U.S., though it is smaller compared to Detroit’s convention center, which ranks 16th.
Major sporting events and conventions often require additional state funding to cover rights fees and costs. Molinari noted that Detroit has received some support in the past but lacks a long-term funding plan.
“We need the state to help us with a long-term plan so we can feel comfortable hosting these events,” he said. “So, we’re always afraid, if we get something – we’re afraid we won’t get it, and we’re terrified we will, because then we have to pay for it. So, we need the state to help us, to give us a long-term plan that says, all right, we’ll support these events so that you can now feel comfortable that if you get them, you can afford to pay.”
The new JW Marriott Detroit Water Square will add 600 rooms, including 44 suites, but Molinari warned that even after completion, Detroit will still lag behind competitors like Indianapolis, which is building an 800-room hotel.
“It’s an arms race to attract these events,” he said.
Scott Stinebaugh, director of sales and marketing for the JW Marriott Detroit Water Square, highlighted the hotel’s features, including a 17,000-square-foot grand ballroom accommodating over 2,000 guests, 53,000 square feet of meeting space, a 15,000-square-foot wellness area with spa, indoor lap pool, and multiple event spaces.
The hotel will connect directly to the Detroit convention center via a sky bridge, a feature Stinebaugh called a “game-changer.”
“Many groups will not consider your destination unless you have a convention hotel attached to the convention center, especially a luxury hotel like the JW,” he said.
Located on Detroit’s west riverfront, the JW Marriott will serve as a catalyst for the area’s development, linking new parks, residential projects, and major landmarks along nearly five miles of waterfront.
Stinebaugh described the hotel as an urban oasis with pedestrian-friendly access, bike rentals, and public art, including a plaza named Joe Louis Park on the site of the former Joe Louis Arena.
The hotel’s design maximizes its waterfront location with multiple outdoor terraces overlooking the river, offering panoramic views of Belle Isle, the Ambassador Bridge, and neighboring Canada.
The boom in development comes at a time as more out-of-towners explore the city for fun and work.
“I think it’s a very lovely city, even though I didn’t have much time to experience out of town of Detroit, but up to now I must say that it’s very lovely,” said Abdul Owusu, a visitor.
Tanya Gulde, a first-time visitor, praised her experience during a recent business trip.
I think we’ll do this every year. Everybody was really, really happy. The conference room was really easy to have together and everyone in the same room and lots of fun space,” Gulde said. “It was a great time.”
It’s the sort of sentiment Molinari likes to hear.
He’s hoping the Motor City moves vertically, and quickly.
We need the Big Ten Football Championship game here, he said. Indianapolis has hosted the major sporting event for 15 years.
“We have two Big Ten teams in Michigan and a great stadium to host it,” Molinari said. “That’s the biggest one I’m chasing.”