Inside a former Singer sewing factory after it’s transformed into a stunning luxury hotel

A new luxury hotel has opened in Detroit as the city undergoes a $5.1 billion transformation.

Housed within five buildings, including a former hardware store and Singer sewing outlet, the complex, opened by accessories brand Shinola and real estate firm Bedrock, looks a world away from its once crumbling guise. 

Newly-released photos reveals how the towering Shinola hotel has a slick retro feel, with 60s-styled furnishings in the rooms.

The resort complex opened by accessories brand Shinola looks a world away from its once crumbling guise

A new luxury hotel has opened in Detroit as the city undergoes a $5.1 billion transformation. Housed within five buildings, including a former hardware store and Singer sewing outlet (seen left in 1996), the resort complex opened by accessories brand Shinola looks a world away from its once crumbling guise (a rendering of the exterior, right)

A photo of the construction project as workmen went about gutting the former hardware store and Singer outlet

A photo of the construction project as workmen went about gutting the former hardware store and Singer outlet

A shot of the slick finished hotel complex. The bedrooms boast high ceilings and large windows with views over the city

A shot of the slick finished hotel complex. The bedrooms boast high ceilings and large windows with views over the city

Shinola, best-known for its watches and leather goods, has filled the spaces with furniture crafted in its Detroit factory and guests can purchase various pieces that take their fancy.

Some of the pricier rooms are decked out with one of Shinola’s most popular products, its ‘Runwell’ DJ turntable, which regularly retails at $2,500. 

Meanwhile, standard rooms feature hardwood flooring, smart HDTVs with premium channels, and Shinola Bluetooth speaker systems.

On the art front, there’s a mix of contemporary pieces scattered around the hotel, with paintings and prints following the retro theme. 

The highly-anticipated Shinola Hotel has been under construction for two years and it will finally open its doors on January 2. 

Shinola, best-known for its watches and leather goods, has filled the spaces of its new hotel with furniture crafted in its Detroit factory and guests can purchase any pieces that take their fancy

Shinola, best-known for its watches and leather goods, has filled the spaces of its new hotel with furniture crafted in its Detroit factory and guests can purchase any pieces that take their fancy

Features in the rooms include Detroit-branded bath robes

The bathrooms include luxuriously deep marble-clad tubs

Features in the rooms include Detroit-branded bath robes (left) and luxuriously deep marble-clad tubs (right)

Some of the living room area feature roaring fires and plenty of space for guests to put their feet up

Some of the living room area feature roaring fires and plenty of space for guests to put their feet up

In total, there are 129 rooms spread over eight floors with rates starting from $195 for a queen-sized space and running to over $1,000 for a penthouse suite. 

There’s also 16,000 square feet of food, beverage and retail space, with delights ranging from fried chicken to luxury hand lotion. 

Some of the wallpapers in the hotel were apparently inspired by patterns found during the extensive renovation process.  

A history section on the Shinola Hotel website notes that in the early 1900s, ‘the dawn of the automotive industry put Detroit at the center of the world’ with Ford, Chrysler and General Motors among the big players. 

It adds that ‘downtown was bustling in a city that symbolized opportunity and the hope of the American dream’.  

Some of the wallpapers in the hotel were apparently inspired by patterns found during the extensive renovation process. Above, workers seen during the Shinola Hotel build, with old store signs still visible on the wall

Some of the wallpapers in the hotel were apparently inspired by patterns found during the extensive renovation process. Above, workers seen during the Shinola Hotel build, with old store signs still visible on the wall

On the art front, there's a mix of contemporary pieces scattered around the place, with images following a retro-inspired theme

On the art front, there’s a mix of contemporary pieces scattered around the place, with images following a retro-inspired theme

Some of the pricier rooms are decked out with one of Shinola's most popular products, its 'Runwell' DJ turntable, which regularly retails at $2,500

There are dressing areas so guests can get ready for a night on the town

Some of the pricier rooms are decked out with one of Shinola’s most popular products, its ‘Runwell’ DJ turntable, which regularly retails at $2,500 (seen left), and there are dressing areas so guests can get ready for a night on the town (right)

The highly-anticipated Shinola Hotel has been in the works for two years and it will open its doors on January 2

The highly-anticipated Shinola Hotel has been in the works for two years and it will open its doors on January 2

However, in the 1970s and 1980s the auto industry was hit by various setbacks including rising gas prices and international competition and there was a run of factory closures.

As a result the Michigan city suffered from a dramatically declining population, crumbling industries and homes and buildings abandoned.

The main Shinola Hotel structure at 1400 Woodward Avenue was built by the T.B. Rayl Company in 1915. 

Wirt Rowland was the architect behind the elaborate red-tiled façade on the hardware and sporting goods store.

Meanwhile the adjacent building, which has an understated, limestone-clad neoclassical exterior, was home to the Singer sewing machine company in 1936. 

In total, there are 129 rooms spread over eight floors with rates starting from $195 for a queen-sized space and running to over $1,000 for a penthouse suite. Above, one of the spacious living room areas

In total, there are 129 rooms spread over eight floors with rates starting from $195 for a queen-sized space and running to over $1,000 for a penthouse suite. Above, one of the spacious living room areas

There's 16,000 square feet of food, beverage and retail space in the hotel, with goods to suit all tastes

There’s 16,000 square feet of food, beverage and retail space in the hotel, with goods to suit all tastes

A history section on the Shinola Hotel website notes that in the early 1900s, 'the dawn of the automotive industry put Detroit at the center of the world'. However, in the 1970s and 1980s the auto industry was hit by various setbacks including rising gas prices and international competition and there was a run of factory closures

A history section on the Shinola Hotel website notes that in the early 1900s, ‘the dawn of the automotive industry put Detroit at the center of the world’. However, in the 1970s and 1980s the auto industry was hit by various setbacks including rising gas prices and international competition and there was a run of factory closures

The main structure that is now occupied by the Shinola Hotel at 1400 Woodward Avenue was built by the T.B. Rayl Company in 1915. Meanwhile the adjacent building was home to the Singer Sewing Machine Company in 1936. Above, one of the Shinola hotel bedrooms 

The main structure that is now occupied by the Shinola Hotel at 1400 Woodward Avenue was built by the T.B. Rayl Company in 1915. Meanwhile the adjacent building was home to the Singer Sewing Machine Company in 1936. Above, one of the Shinola hotel bedrooms 

Shinola and its parent company - Texas-based investment group Bedrock Brands - say they are 'honoring the era when quality craftsmanship and pride of work ruled the land'. It is not known how much was spent on the company's hotel but it has been described as a 'multi-million dollar' project

Shinola and its parent company – Texas-based investment group Bedrock Brands – say they are ‘honoring the era when quality craftsmanship and pride of work ruled the land’. It is not known how much was spent on the company’s hotel but it has been described as a ‘multi-million dollar’ project

The company sold sewing machines, fabric and patterns. 

It was designed by Detroit-based Smith, Hinchman and Grylls – now known as the SmithGroup – the nation’s oldest continuously operating architectural engineering planning firm. 

Both buildings lay dormant for years as Detroit was gripped by depression.  

Now, more than a century later, Shinola and Bedrock say they are ‘honoring the era when quality craftsmanship and pride of work ruled the land’.

It is not known how much was spent on the company’s hotel but it has been described as a ‘multi-million dollar’ project.  

It seems Detroit is slowly coming back to life and there is construction taking place all over the city. 

An article published by mlive.com in May, noted that there was an estimated $5.1 billion worth of new buildings in the pipeline, with developers focused on the downtown, midtown and central business districts. 

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