Detroit Hotel Guide

Detroit is the country's pre-eminent factory town. Even its best-known museum, Greenfield Village, celebrates the rise of industry as a cultural factor second to none in changing the way we live.

There are people who come to the city to gamble in the casinos of nearby Windsor, Ontario, and a newer one in center-city Detroit. And there are plenty of sports fans who drive to the area to watch the Tigers, the Lions, the Red Wings and top-notch auto racing. There are also aficionados of the Motown music scene, which holds on to its roots while keeping up with all that is new and good.

But most people who fly into Metro Detroit Airport or drive in on Interstate 75 do so because business has brought them here. And chances are good that their business has something to do with the manufacture of autos or automotive products.

The regions of the city can almost be divided based on which of the big three auto plants is nearby. General Motors' headquarters is in the Renaissance Center on the Detroit River in the center of town. Windsor, with its casinos and active nightlife, can be seen just across the water. The Ren Center, an architectural experiment that some have judged to be a failure, is all-encompassing, including several hotels and many restaurants.

Those who stay there complain that finding things in the maze-like design is a challenge. The center does keep guests off the streets -- not a bad idea in a city whose murder and car theft rates continue to confound law enforcement. If you choose to stay in one of the hotels outside of the Ren Center, take a cab. Although nearby Greek Town, which houses the city's police and municipal headquarters, hosts plenty of restaurants, a couple of good hotels and is notably safe.

For sports fans, the Red Wings play downtown in the Joe Louis Arena; the Cobo Center hosts the annual Detroit International Auto Show; the Montreax Jazz Festival is held every summer on the river front and the Detroit Grand Prix is on Belle Isle, two miles east of downtown.

Those who come to Detroit to visit the Ford World Headquarters are headed for the suburb of Dearborn, which is also home to the Henry Ford Museum, Greenfield Village, and Henry Ford's home, Fairlane. If you're bringing the family, this might be an area in which to consider staying. It's a comfortable but not fancy suburb, and kids as well as adults can spend days in Greenfield Village. The area is about 20 miles from downtown; getting around requires a car. This is the Motor City and there is virtually no public transportation.

The young and trendy might consider staying about 20 miles farther west in Ann Arbor, which hosts the University of Michigan. The city is the ultimate college town with lots of clubs, trendy shops and great restaurants. It's a fun place to be, and the commute to Dearborn isn't punishing.

Daimler-Chrysler calls Auburn Hills home, as do the Detroit Lions football team and the Pistons NBA team. Auburn Hills, which is about 30 miles north of Detroit, straight up Interstate 75, has a host of mid-price chain motels and plenty of fast food and family restaurants located next to the dozens of industrial parks that dot the area. This is a pretty good part of town if you're a music lover. Downtown Pontiac is only about five miles away and it boasts an array of rock 'n' roll, country and swing clubs. The Palace, the Pistons' arena, books top-of-the-line entertainment and during the summer, two nearby outdoor venues, Meadowbrook Music Fair and Pine Knob, also bring in big names.

If none of this sounds sufficiently sophisticated for you, try one of the hotels in Birmingham, a charming enclave in the center of Oakland County, on the edge of Bloomfield Hills, one of the nation's most exclusive zip codes. It's an easy and attractive commute to Auburn Hills. Birmingham's elegant shopping and gourmet restaurants attract a Mercedes crowd, a car that's suddenly much more acceptable in this Buy-American city since Daimler and Chrysler merged.

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