DETROIT — More than 5,000 journalists and thousands of automotive industry officials are heading to the Motor City to cover the 2018 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) on January 15 and 16.
Hotels in downtown Detroit will be charging big bucks to stay at their properties over those two days. Some of the most popular hotels are cashing in by tripling their rates for media days, according to what we found on Hotels.com.
The newly-opened Detroit Foundation Hotel, located directly across from Cobo Center, is charging $649 for one night on Sunday, Jan. 14 and $709 on Jan. 15 and 16. On average, the hotel typically costs $219 per night when special events are not being held downtown. That is a 224-percent increase! The hotel formerly served as a Detroit Fire Department fire house.
The second highest rate we found for a one-night stay was $669 at the DoubleTree Suites – Fort Shelby in downtown Detroit. An average stay typically costs $219 when nothing is going on. That is a 205-percent increase over the standard daily rate.
Coming close behind in third place is the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center which is charging $660 for a single night. On average, the hotel typically costs $205 per night when special events are not being held downtown. That is a 221-percent increase! The hotel, known as the world’s tallest in the western hemisphere, will host the 2018 Automotive News World Congress as well as the 2018 WardsAuto 10 Best Engines ceremony.
Other pricey hotels include the Hilton Garden Inn Downtown Detroit at $499 per night, Aloft Detroit at The David Whitney at $484 per night, and $469 per night at MotorCity Casino Hotel. The Roberts Riverwalk Urban Resort Hotel, formerly known as the Omni Detroit Hotel, is charging $450 for one night.
Some of the hotels that are completely booked include the Crowne Plaza Detroit Downtown Riverfront, MGM Grand Detroit Casino Hotel, Greektown Casino Hotel, The Atheneum Suite Hotel, Courtyard by Marriott Downtown Detroit, Westin Book Cadillac Detroit and The Inn at Ferry Street.
Where are the last-minute deals?
Don’t fret…If you are coming to cover the 2018 NAIAS, there are still some great deals available. Here are some of the deals we found during our search on Hotels.com:
Comfort Inn Downtown is a great choice at just $192 per night. The Baymont Inn & Suites Downtown Detroit has rooms available for $220 per night. Both hotels are a short ride down Jefferson Avenue from Cobo Center.
There are some rooms available at the Hotel St. Regis for $286 per night. It is a four-mile drive from Cobo Center or a quick 20-minute ride on Detroit’s new QLINE streetcar.
If you don’t mind staying across the border in Windsor, there are plenty of rooms available. The Best Western Plus Waterfront Hotel is charging $103 per night followed by the Holiday Inn Express Windsor Waterfront at $123 per night and TownePlace Suites by Marriott Windsor at $142 per night. For those who want to gamble during their stay, Caesars Windsor costs $174 for a one-night stay.
The NAIAS will again offer out-of-town media, corporate and industry representatives with a convenient and complimentary round-trip shuttle service from designated major hotels in metro Detroit to Cobo Center during NAIAS Press Preview and Industry Preview.
Consider staying at a hotel in one of the surrounding suburbs such as Dearborn or Southfield. Then, ride the free shuttle from your hotel to Cobo Center for the auto show. Click here for the the 2018 Shuttle Schedule (PDF).
In Dearborn, rates are $259 per night at the Edward Hotel & Convention Center; $419 per night at The Henry, Autograph Collection; $329 per night at the Courtyard Dearborn Marriott; and $299 per night at the DoubleTree by Hilton Dearborn.
In Southfield, rates are $225 per night at the Courtyard Southfield Marriott; and $409 per night at the Westin Southfield Hotel.
For those who want to save even more, look into newly-built hotels in Livonia, a 20-minute drive from Cobo Center. The all-new Holiday Inn Express & Suites Livonia Hotel at 27451 Schoolcraft Road just opened for business a few weeks ago. It is charging $112.70 for a one-night stay during auto show press week.
The second new hotel built from the ground up in Livonia is the Hampton Inn at 28151 Schoolcraft Road. They are asking $169 for a one-night stay during the same week.
Wherever you decide to stay, we’ll see you at the 2018 NAIAS…
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