The Leland Hotel (Detroit) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Detroit-Leland Hotel
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 Location in Michigan
Location in the United States
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| Location | 400 Bagley St., Detroit, Michigan |
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| Built | 1927 |
| Architect | Rapp & Rapp |
| Architectural style | Renaissance |
| NRHP reference No. | 05000718 |
| Added to NRHP | July 20, 2005 |
The Detroit-Leland Hotel is a very old and important building in Downtown Detroit, Michigan. It is located at 400 Bagley Street. This hotel has been open longer than any other hotel in downtown Detroit! It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005 because of its special history. Today, the hotel is called The Leland. It no longer has rooms for overnight guests. Instead, its ballroom has been home to a popular nightclub called the City Club since 1983.
Contents
A Look Back: The Hotel's Story
In the early 1920s, two men named Edward A. Loveley and Harry A. Stormfeltz had a big idea. They wanted to build up Bagley Street in Detroit. Their company, Detroit Properties Corporation, started with the Michigan Building. This building opened in 1926.
Their next big project was the Detroit-Leland Hotel. Loveley and Stormfeltz chose the same architects, Rapp & Rapp, to design it. Construction began in 1926. The hotel cost about $4.5 million to build.
Opening and Early Years
The Detroit-Leland Hotel opened in April 1927. It was named after Henry M. Leland, who founded the Cadillac car company. The hotel had 800 air-conditioned rooms. It also had a dining room, a coffee shop, a ballroom, and 11 stores on the street level.
However, by 1929, the hotel owners faced big money problems. They had to declare bankruptcy, which means they couldn't pay their debts. The hotel kept running, even though it was in bankruptcy until 1936.
Changes Over Time
By the 1950s, new owners took over. These were Robert J. Sterling and his brothers. They updated the hotel in 1959 and 1960. This was because a new convention center, Cobo Hall, was opening nearby.
In 1964, the hotel was sold again to Robert K. and Donald Werbe. They changed some of the hotel rooms into 473 apartments. The hotel changed hands a few more times in the 1970s and 1980s.
The 1980s were a tough time for the hotel. In 1988, it became part of the Ramada hotel chain. In 2006, the hotel went back to its original name, the Detroit-Leland. The same company, Leland House Limited Partnership, still owns it today.
How the Hotel Was Built
The Detroit-Leland Hotel is a tall building with 22 floors. It is covered with brick, granite, and terra cotta, which is a type of baked clay. The roof is flat. The famous Chicago firm of Rapp & Rapp designed it in the Beaux-Arts style. This style often looks grand and classical.
Building Shape and Details
The bottom four floors of the hotel are shaped like a rectangle. The floors above them are shaped like a "U". The building looks like it has three main parts when you look up at it. There's a four-story base, a tall middle section, and a two-story top part.
The street level of the building is covered in marble. This was likely added in the 1960s. The part of the base above the street level has the original terra cotta. Large, round-arch windows let light into the second-floor areas. These areas include ballrooms, the lobby, and other public spaces.
The third and fourth floors have pairs of windows. These windows are separated by fancy terra cotta designs. Above the fourth floor, the building is covered in light-colored brick. A decorative band separates the main part of the building from the top section.
Inside the Hotel
The main entrance on Bagley Avenue has three doorways. One is a revolving door, with two glass doors on either side. These glass doors have side windows. All three doorways have smaller windows above them. Original metalwork divides the doors and windows.
Inside, the entrance leads to a hallway. This hallway connects to the shops on the ground floor. A set of six stairs leads up to a wide, curving staircase. This staircase still has its original wrought iron railings. The staircase takes you to the main lobby on the second floor.
The lobby is two stories tall. From the lobby, you can reach a ballroom, a conference room, and other facilities.
Rooms and Floors
On the upper floors are the hotel's guest rooms. These rooms have been changed over time. They now all have kitchens, sitting areas, and separate bedrooms. Floors 5 through 9 are used as rental apartments. Floors 10 through 17 are still used as hotel rooms. Floors 18 through 20 are also apartments. The basement has laundry rooms, repair shops, and a nightclub.
See also
In Spanish: The Leland Hotel para niños
