When Detroit-based real estate and investment firm The Roxbury Group acquired the historic David Whitney Building in 2011, it did so with bold plans for a nearly $90 million adaptive-use renovation that would include a Marriot Aloft hotel and upscale apartments. The project was completed three years later.
As with many other buildings in the city, the David Whitney Building had fallen into disrepair and had been empty for more than a decade before being given new life. Its success helped usher in the now-vibrant market for high-end and boutique hotels in downtown Detroit that began in 2008 with the renovation of The Westin Book Cadillac Detroit hotel.
“This is such a cherished building in Detroit,” says David Di Rita, principal of The Roxbury Group. “We wanted to invite the public in through hospitality. We knew this incredible building was always meant to be a hotel.”
The David Whitney Building has been an elegant part of Detroit’s historic Grand Circus Park since it was completed in 1915. The stately 18-story building was commissioned by David C. Whitney to honor his father, David Whitney Jr., a successful lumber, shipping, and real estate baron, whose iconic Detroit residence, The David Whitney House, is now a Midtown restaurant simply called The Whitney.
The Whitney Building was designed by D.H. Burnham & Co. of Chicago in the Neo-Renaissance style, which was favored by wealthy Americans at the time. The mixed-use structure included retail and medical offices, and was one of the city’s most visited properties.
This past spring, The Roxbury Group completed a second significant renovation of the historic building and relaunched Hotel David Whitney as a premium-branded Marriott Autograph Collection hotel. The number of hotel rooms was increased to 160 by converting two dozen former apartments into full-size hotel suites. Eighty apartments remain in the building.
The Roxbury Group worked with Patrick Thompson Design, Influz Architects, and O’Brien Construction to realize its vision. Patrick Thompson, principal of Detroit-based Patrick Thompson Design, explains: “The goal was to create spaces that look like they were always there and honor the Neo-Renaissance architecture. Rich leathers, brass fixtures, marble, and mahogany were all incorporated to match existing architecture. The concept for the hotel was like getting a personal invitation from the Hotel David Whitney to be a guest in their home.”
Because the hotel remained open during the two-year construction process, ensuring its guests had a positive experience was paramount — and it was also the main challenge of the project.
The building’s enhanced interior includes event space as well as Presley’s Kitchen + Bar, the Library Bar, and Capper & Capper, a coffee shop and market named for the former men’s clothing store that was a fixture in the building for nearly eight decades.
Furnishings and appointments in the stunning four-story atrium lobby were reimagined to incorporate smaller, more intimate groupings while preserving historic materials including the abundance of marble and terracotta.
Thompson describes how the renovation paid homage to the building’s rich history: “The atrium lobby and the library were inspired by the lavish living rooms and parlors of the grandest residences of the 1910s. Furniture, millwork, and finishes were all inspired by the period of the building. The artwork and curiosities are inspired by the adventures and travels of the lumber barons.”
According to Di Rita, to further honor the Whitney family’s legacy, current family members donated artifacts and photographs for display in the building.
Thompson reveals his best-loved part of the renovation is the use of color in the guest rooms. “The guest rooms are special to me. They’re fresh and sophisticated, while feeling like they’ve always been there. Everything in the rooms is custom. The beds, reading lamps, and artwork all have a story, and you can feel it when you’re in the rooms.”
Di Rita adds, “We set out to finish the job we started a decade ago by creating a quintessential Detroit hotel with a grand residential feel. The degree to which it has been so completely and effortlessly embraced is like it has always been here.”
MORE INFORMATION
patrickthompsondesign.com, hoteldavidwhitney.com
Text by Tracy Donohue. Photography by John D’Angelo.
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