The Best New Hotels in the World: 2019 Hot List
"New independent hotels have played a vital part in Detroit’s regeneration. Though none embraces the city’s past, present and future as holistically as Shinola. Of course, there’s the fact that it sews together two old buildings on central Woodward Avenue: the brick-fronted, 1915 TB Rayl Co. department store and a former Singer sewing-machine factory (more recently, a wig shop). But there is also the fact that it uses contemporary elements to highlight the city’s history. Surrounding the check-in desk, floor-to-ceiling panels woven by local artist Margo Wolowiec represent important Detroit moments: graffiti, urban farms, Martin Luther King’s raised hand during his 1963 Walk to Freedom march. There’s a bustling living room instead of a lobby, where art, curated by the Library Street Collective, covers almost every square inch of wall, including a giant glittering sequined piece by Nick Cave. Interiors are chic yet relaxed, with plush velvet sofas, cool marble surfaces and curated help-yourself book shelves. Chef Andrew Carmellini shines in the tile-clad southern Italian restaurant San Morello, and the Evening Bar is moody and beguiling. This landscape-changing arrival from the eponymous Detroit-based watch brand lets people know that the city’s hotel game has been officially upped. FLASH POINT In every guest room there are Shinola products to make you a convert: a Runwell desk clock and turntable, and a beautiful striped alpaca throw, designed exclusively for the hotel. (313) 356-1401; shinolahotel.com. Doubles from $190." - CNT Editors
