Aloft Detroit at the David Whitney

This is a clean, well-​designed hotel with helpful staff and good-​sized rooms. A pleasant surprise was that the hotel wasn’t huge, like the Bonaventure across the way. I actually felt like I was in a boutique hotel.

LOVED THIS PLACE. It was beautiful!!! Very modern, very clean, a hip, trendy place to be. We will stay here again as our primary place to stay when in Detroit.

I stayed at the Aloft once when it first opened. The building is beautiful and the first stay was alright, there was some water pressure issue that made an alarm go off for quite some time so that was annoying. I booked the night for new year’s eve and got a suite. I guess I assumed the suite would be really nice based on the price but I guess they just jack up the rate on their rooms like 350% and give you subpar service.
My friend and I had both had kind of a crazy year so I thought we’d go party at the Fillmore and I’d surprise her with a really nice suite at Aloft. I paid the same price as what a corner suite at the MGM would cost. Have you seen those rooms? They are amazing. This room… it was pathetic. Yeah, I said it.
The living area was an uncomfortable couch with some scratchy ass wool pillows and two neon orange uncomfortable retro chairs. The bathroom was tiny, just as tiny as the regular rooms. There wasn’t any hot water either. The sleeping area was just a larger version of the regular room. There were barely any towels and only one bottle of water. I’m a gold elite member at both SPG and Marriot (which recently acquired SPG) and I’m a Delta rewards member. I’m not trying to be snooty but seriously, I stay at your hotels a lot. At least pretend like you give a shit. Overall, the most bogus ‘suite’ I have ever stayed in.
The only good things about the stay were the friendly front desk staff and the prompt valet. I would never stay here again.

Cool modern and chic hotel with just enough amenities to keep me happy. Good quality bathroom soaps, shampoos and nice towels. The beds are comfy and clean. The rooms are cozy with a nice view of Comerica Park. Would come back when I come to Detroit. Staff was very helpful and took care of all needs, fast.

The location is superb, especially if you’re going to a show or a Lions/​Tigers game. Lots of restaurants in walking distance, plus the gorgeous Christmas lights up and down Woodward during the holidays.
The front desk staff was friendly, happy, helpful (even when we checked in at 11:45 pm!).
The room itself was small… Felt almost European. But nicely appointed and clean. The rooms feel much more modern than the lobby would suggest. Big windows overlooking Woodward helped with the slightly small feeling.
The 24-​hour reFuel convenience store in the lobby was helpful. Free coffee and tea at any time comes in handy when one of you (out of a group of four) gets up four hours before everyone else.
I would stay here again with friends, but I definitely would opt for The Book if you’re looking for a romantic destination.

My friends and I spent the night at the Aloft Downtown Detroit for our annual Christmas party. The hotel is in the Historic David Whitney building. Let me tell you, it is a beautiful piece of architecture. We valeted our vehicles which is $ 30 per night. I think that is about the norm for downtown hotels. A bellman, Christopher, helped us bring our bags up on a luggage cart. He was very friendly and hospitable. Later there was some confusion about our tipping as he was overheard stating he was only given $ 1 tip. hmmm. We tipped him $ 8, and guests in our party in an adjacent room said they tipped him a $ 10 bill so??? I thought it was kind of gauche that we would’ve been in a position to over hear that.
Back to the rooms. Nice. Contemporary. We had a great view of Comerica Park and Ford Field. The rooms have thick walls too and we had been concerned about making too much noise and disturbing others (there were 10 ladies in 4 rooms, but we all congregated in one suite)
The employees were friendly and knowledgeable. I would definitely go back.

Impeccable service, comfy beds, beautiful building in an up and coming area. New restaurants and stores on Woodward, people mover adjacent to hotel, attached bar (didn’t open until 4pm on the Saturday of our stay) and everything one needs to be comfortable, feel safe and have fun. I couldn’t figure out the heating/​act so I just turned it off so the unit didn’t run continuously and the area and hotel became very loud at 2am when the bars closed. It was short lived. Wonderful stay, I will be back!

We had a great stay here… The building is absolutely beautiful. The room was very comfortable and well appointed, and the staff particularly friendly and helpful.
…and that atrium!
It seems like the #1 topic talked about in Detroit is… Detroit. It’s a resurgent city. People who want to make art … music… food… can afford to feed their creativity with the money they aren’t spending on rent. On one hand it’s shocking/​depressing seeing near-​empty downtown streets on a weekday, but on the other hand there’s an energy there… something is happening in Detroit… and as an outsider you can kind of feel it, or at least look out on it, in this hotel.

We were surprised how great this hotel was!
Pros:
— Location! Located in the dead center of Downtown Detroit and very close to Ford Field!
— Rooms are very large and very nice! They seem recently renovated. Décor is on the modern side.
— Staff: Very helpful.
— The building is historic and is just beautiful. White and gold interior. Beautiful.
Cons:
— Lots of traffic during game day. Our recommendation is not take your car anywhere on game day. It took us 20 minutes to go around the loop just to get on the right street.
Overall: Great hotel. It is on the expensive side but you wont be disappointed.

I have stayed at the Book Cadillac so have something to compare Aloft to. They are very similar in feeling, stately old buildings gloriously restored and repurposed as hotels. The David Whitney is worth a look even if you aren’t staying here. The lobby especially the ceiling is beautiful.
A cheery valet took my car at the door. One can access one’s car as many times as needed without additional charge, I did not need it though. The check in was professional and easy. The room is very large and nicely appointed with Bliss soaps. The towels and linens are typical of SPG and very nice. The bed is great, the bathroom clean. The bar was pleasant for a martini. Good location. Overall an excellent choice. The reason I gave 3 stars, is because competition is stiff and it wasn’t a bargain and there was one glaring fault. The A/​C unit is so loud it is unusable. Now it was late August, but not sweltering night and I was alone, had I been a couple on a hot night without A/​C it would have been a disaster. When I asked about it at during check out, The front desk attendant lamented that they Knew about it, and that the building was old and the unit was really loud. Further, that if I had complained in the middle of the night I could have switched rooms… huh? I said, that sounds really inconvenient, why would you use that room in summer at all if any other was available to avoid that scenario. To which she had no answer. Well that sure didn’t make a strong positive impression. The hotel was definitely not fully booked. I don’t understand that at all. That was the only fault and I wasn’t looking for one. just felt it necessary to point out. Rest of stay was fine.

Nice place to stay slightly at the edge of downtown. Like most of Detroit, the outside is dodgy, but the inside was nice and the ambience is different than a regular big box hotel. Room was comfy.

This hotel is outstanding. From the moment you arrive, Valet is attentive, courteous and friendly.
As we migrated through the gorgeous lobby (it’s worth walking in — even if you’re not staying there) and the wonderful Concierge helped us. I believe her name was Shannon. She provided not only hotel information, but some general information about the city and the area. She was pleasant and cheerful and made us eager to stay at this hotel.
The rooms are nice — albeit not my ideal layout. There is a large living room area, smaller bathroom and large bedroom. I guess the living room is useful for longer stays — but with a 1 – 2 night visit I would have preferred more bathroom space.
The furniture is modern. A bit art deco in that 1950s way. Our view faced East — and we woke with the bright sun. My companion hated this — I LOVED it.
My biggest shout out goes to the XYZ bartender Shannon. She is hands down the bees knees. This chick can make ANY cocktail and she does it RIGHT. Delicious martinis, perfect margarita, Moscow Mules — you name it! She is friendly, attentive and DAMN good at her job. As a former bartender I have insanely high standards for a cocktail and Shannon gets it right every time.
I frequent the Book usually when I stay downtown — but quickly added Aloft to my list. It’s a better venue. location, service and price — you can’t lose!

This is a beautiful hotel! The people are friendly, but the bar patrons can be too friendly (loud) at night. Your door leads to the lobby which houses the bar. The room is outright gorgeous! Modern and cool, with plenty of room. We had a single suite. There was a pull out couch, lots of seating, and two TVs. The bed was comfortable. It was centrally located and a five minute walk to Comerica Park.
On a separate note, we drive a highly modified van for a wheelchair user and the parking for that was a huge struggle throughout. We were told multiple times it would be no problem and when we arrived were told there was nowhere to park it. At 11pm. After about an hour we got a plan settled only to be told the next day it wouldn’t work again. Again, more discussion and problem eventually solved (although we were told this time we might get a ticket.) Ultimately it worked out but not without a lot of struggle. Several of the valet staff tried very hard to help us. A four star rating for the hotel had we not had such issues.

There are a few specific individuals that you rarely wouldn’t recognize but are part of a «big picture» mind like view atypical to certain people but needs recognized and is the reason for this rare review.
Edgar, employed by Starwood aka Aloft Hotel front desk was so kind, genuine and focused on his job, but went over and beyond not interfering with policy or job guideline. He is our future and I want to publicly say I would hire him in a minute.
He has the values, integrity and authenticity we need in Corporate America now, the future without all the Applicant Tracking, Psychology, Behavioral Testing «so called» to retain employee turnover and recruit the best candidate.
I hope he gets the recognition well deserved as a Gold Member with Starwoods and Marriott… I’m loyal to people, my family, friends Employer and most of all my Country.

My review is for the WXYZ Bar inside the David Whitney on the first floor.
This is a great new bar/​lounge with quality people. The music on the nights I have been there is chill dance electro and everyone is dressed to the tee. They have couches bordering the inside, which are open to any of the patrons as long as there isn’t a reserved party. It is a small place, so if it is too stuffy for you, you can take your drink in the lobby of the David Whitney.
They have a seasonal drink list, but be prepared to pay the prices. I can’t speak on behalf of happy hour prices, but drinks will run you around $ 8-​$ 10 on a Saturday night.
If you’re looking for an interesting night of mixing and mingling I would hands down direct you to the WXYZ.

My wife and I live in Detroit and we wanted to get away for a night to celebrate our anniversary. This hotel is amazing.
The David Whitney building is absolutely gorgeous. Built in 1915 and newly restored in 2014, it is a space like none other in the city. You will spend time hanging out in the lobby because of how breathtaking it is.
The room was very spacious with high ceilings and fantastic views of the city. The in room décor is vintage/​modern and very cool. The staff are extremely accommodating and friendly, and made our stay extra special.
The bar in the lobby pours delicious «and large» cocktails, and has a great selection of local spirits. Aloft is walkable to many great restaurants, bars, Comerica Park and The State & Fox Theaters.
I am so excited that a place like this exists in Detroit, and we will be back!

Pros:
–Friendly and attentive staff.
–I was impressed that the beauty of the original building was still very much intact.
–Spacious room (Upgraded as a Platinum perk)
–Close to local attractions.
–Great price, especially in comparison to the nearby Westin.
–Very hip/​millennial friendly.
Cons:
–Room was right next to the People Mover tracks, which runs until midnight on weeknights. It was really loud.
–It would be nice if they had a light room service menu. I know it’s not custom for all Alofts to offer room service (they do have a reFuel section to buy snacks and serve food in their bar). I think for this particular area, someone traveling alone may not feel as comfortable walking to grab dinner at night. Making the XYZ bar menu available for room service would be a simple fix.

Two stars for rooms that weren’t fully operational. Five stars for the hotel’s response to the issues and for the overall concept of the hotel. Absolutely breath-​taking building and artistic décor, but it wasn’t enough to cover up the functionality flaws we experienced.
We choose this place for a Valentine’s day overnight. We drove in on what will probably go down in the history books as the day h*ll froze over; It was very cold outside. But the valet was friendly and the front desk individual greeted us warmly. Taken by the marble and glass of the atrium, I looked forward to seeing what was in store design-​wise for our initial room, 403. I was not disappointed! We had a large seating area and bedroom designed with a minimalistic eye. The bathroom was tiny, given the size of the other two rooms, but was adequate for our overnight stay.
The first of several incidents with the hotel happened when we went to take a shower. There was very little hot water and our showers were on the luke-​warm side. Figuring it was maybe our preference for scolding hot water, we brushed it off. It’s when the door wouldn’t lock that we made our first call to the front desk. The deadbolt didn’t line up to the door jam. Generally, your hotel door should lock.
Quickly, we were transferred to a room on the 7^th floor. Good news– the door lock worked in this room. Our 7^th-​floor room was smaller but had superior, sweeping views of the city with an especially good view of Comerica Park. The décor was just as nice and unique as our first room. We noticed that the room was chilly but since we were leaving for dinner, we didn’t think much of it. Hindsight being what it is, we should’ve thought about it more. Because generally, you want your hotel to have heat.
It’s when we woke up to ice covered windows and a thermostat at 58 that the hot shower was nice. And yes, this room had actual hot water.
If you’re keeping track, Room 1: little hot water, broken door, has heat. Room 2: hot water, door works, no heat.
We complained about the lack of heat to the front desk and they graciously comped our room. Another guest was arguing with the front desk in her coat and hat, saying she has to wear full outdoor gear in her room. So it wasn’t just our room that was dealing with this.
I’ve heard great things about the Aloft Hotel brand so I’m still willing to go to another hotel in this brand. Will I come back to his hotel — Maybe in the summer when we don’t need heat.

I am so glad Aloft came to Detroit. It’s a great hotel chain, the likes of what you would see in Chicago or some other swanky downtown neighborhood. The building, David Whitney, has been restored beautifully. Honestly, it caught my breath when I walked in. Pulling up we were greeted by the valet. We walked in with the bell hop (who chatted with us about how things had been going at the hotel since its opening a few weeks ago). He was very nice and even though we had one small bag for our overnight stay he helped with it and made pleasant conversation. Upon check-​in I signed up for the Starwood rewards program. When asked the reason for our stay I said it was our anniversary and we were upgraded to a suite. Wow… was the room gorgeous! Very modern, fun colors in the living room. Walk in shower for 2, great décor, king bed, and great city view. Got some very cool pics of the people mover right outside our window.
The hotel goes up to the 9^th floor, and beyond that is residential apartments. What a fabulous place to live! One small con was the fact that the windows aren’t soundproofed very well and we could hear the train rolling by. Luckily we had a late night and it wasn’t too long after returning to our room that the people mover stops (it runs until 2:00 am). So, it wasn’t terrible, however if you’re a light sleeper or have to be up early in the morning it might cause a problem. Check out is noon and they gave us late check out so we had the room until 2:00 pm. That was nice because I just wanted to sit and soak up the atmosphere of the lobby. They have complimentary coffee and tea as well as other snacks, beverages, etc available for purchase in the ²⁴⁄₇ store in the lobby. We grabbed a newspaper, some tea and coffee and relaxed before we checked out.
Take a look around the city — new stores and restaurants are opening on a regular basis. This hotel is an obvious choice for Detroit and a very welcome addition.

Absolutely a great place to stay in Detroit.
The place is new yet old. Meaning, the building is a historic building built about 100 years ago. The architecture is just remarkable particularly the grand lobby. Now it’s somewhat new because the building has been converted to a hip hotel after being abandoned for years.
Their standard king sized room is beyond standard. Plenty of space to run around. The bathroom is modern and efficient. The ceiling is probably 12 ft high. Free wifi too for spg members.
They have a pantry place in the lobby that is stocked with essentials. From frozen packages, Cheerios, cookies, snacks, iced cream and emergency «stuff», this place is just so convenient.
Their valet is very attentive too. I was trying to check out in the lobby and they quickly helped me with my luggage and placed it in my car without even me asking them to do so.
The xyz is bar is stocked and there’s a DJ spinning on weekends.
Overall, it’s truly a great place to stay. It’s now my mainstay hotel each time I’m in Detroit.