Shinola Hotel — Hotel in Detroit

This message is directed to the top leadership at the Shinola Hotel including Mark O' Brien and Allison. The management team from the top to the bottom needs to take a refresher course in how to be in management 101, customer service, communication, diversity training, sensitivity training and any other courses that deal with how to behave and like a manager and professionalism. The only bright spot during our stay was from Nick in Engineering and the support staff who went out of their way to do all they could to make our stay comfortable

Checked into the Shinola Hotel with my wife for our 14 year wedding anniversary; so you can gather that it was an important night and we were meeting with another group for support counseling and education.

Checked in to a room, where the thermostat read 80 degrees in the middle of summer, dealt with engineering for close to 5 hours coming back in forth to the room, trying to correct the issue, ordered ice to stay cool, waited 45 minutes then when I called down to check on the status of the delivery, I was in disbelief to find out that the ice bucket was left outside of my door on the floor during a pandemic without receiving any notice that the ice had even been delivered. And on top of that when I was checking out I requested a small bag that I could have to bring some of my clothes back home in as I checked out. They sent up two large hefty black trash bags.

My wife and I felt disrespected, humiliated and we felt like the young staff that is heading up the management team at the Shinola Hotel is out of touch with how to deal with African Americans nor do they care or even act as if your dollar is important. (#BLACKLIVESDON'TMATTER@THESHINOLAHOTEL)

While we were going through our issues, Allison the night manager gave me her cell phone and we agreed to followup later with all the issue that my wife and I were having on the upcoming Monday as we were now well into the evening.

Monday had started to come and go and we were getting well into the afternoon. So I decided to follow backup with Allison, when I followed back up with her on Monday via text, she then tells me to send her an email with my issues. Now she is there all night and was fully aware of all the inconveniences that my wife and I went through, so now instead of just trying to bring closure to an issue she's asking me to reopen a wound to bring backup and rehash how terrible my entire ordeal was.

I then called her and she said how can I help. Now she know's why I am calling, she was rude and told her frankly, that I don't believe that she valued me as a customer due to the fact that I was African American. She then got all flustered and said that I need to talk to Mark O'Brien and he could further assist me.

I said fine no problems talked to Mark O'Brien and he said that he was very troubled by all that he had heard and said that he had wanted to make it up to us by comping us a room for another night on a different date. We said ok and thanks, my wife and I both called Mark O'Brien over the course of several weeks to followup and not once after leaving several messages did Mark O'Brien ever call us back.

This is a warning to all minorities, that if you stay our buy items from the Shinola Organization, the Shinola Organization only cares about collecting and profiting off you as a consumer. Obtaining your money is their ultimate goal and if you have any issues best believe that your issues will be addressed with empty promises and...

I went to my hometown (The D) for a concert at Little Caesar’s arena, so I wanted a room in close proximity. It’s been a while, since I’ve been home, but I was pleasantly surprised to find this gem of a hotel. I love boutique hotels, and The Shinola Hotel did not disappoint! If you don’t know the history of Shinola, it’s worth checking out. In short, this company prides itself on creating curated, quality products (from timepieces and leather goods to hotel experiences). I stayed in a second floor suite, facing Woodward Ave. I’ll admit that I wasn’t crazy about the idea of staying on the second floor (because of the lack of a view). I was pleased to find that, not only was the suite a unique, beautiful, thoughtfully curated mid- century modern loft, but my room was directly in the center of the hotel, offering me the exact view of the city that I needed, during my stay. It was a gift, for me to experience my city again, as its redevelopment is underway. I had an up- close perspective of the beauty, history and nostalgia of Detroit that I’d long since forgotten. The website photos of this hotel do it no justice. Upon entering the room (which has beautiful hardwood flooring throughout), there is a landing with a mirror, which leads to a wide staircase, complete with a book nook with unique, interesting books, relevant to the culture of Detroit city. The bottom of the short staircase opens to the expansive loft, adorned with beautiful, handcrafted wood, leather and velvet furniture pieces and floor-to-ceiling windows, just close enough to the street, to feel the heartbeat of the city. A wood-framed television is mounted above a credenza/dresser/shelving unit (with more books) and two nice- sized Bluetooth speakers. There’s a whole vanity area, with a velvet stool and folding three-paneled mirror, just outside of the bathroom and water closet, ample closet space, and a mini bar with coffee, tea and snacks as well. The ceilings are at least 10’ tall, so my room felt even more spacious. The staff is extremely friendly, helpful and accommodating. While there is no separate concierge, the staff is more than happy to offer concierge services. The hotel also offers a complimentary glass of sparkling juice or champagne, upon arrival, a huge, beautifully decorated lobby, with lots of seating and interesting art to enjoy. There’s an Italian restaurant (San Marino), separate bar/lounge and Shinola watch, jewelry and accessories store on the main level. Valet service was expedient and professional, and there are several specialty eateries attached to (and I think affiliated with) the hotel. The new Hudson’s building neighbors the hotel, along with shopping and restaurant options within a short walking distance. Buddy’s Pizza (one of my personal favorites) is located right around the corner and Little Caesar’s Arena is only an 8 minute walk from the hotel. If you’re searching for a unique, luxury boutique hotel experience, in the heart of Detroit, I would highly recommend The Shinola Hotel. I’m looking forward to staying there during...

I hate that I have to sit here trying to figure out how to write this review, but here we go.

Let me start by saying I’ve had numerous great stays at the Shinola Hotel in the past. Unfortunately, those experiences were over a year ago. Since then, the hotel has undergone significant staff changes and other operational shifts. My last three stays have been increasingly frustrating, but I’ll focus this review on my most recent visit.

I made my reservation back in July for a stay from January 17th to January 19th. The average room rate was $399 per night, totaling $798 before taxes and fees (photos attached). On January 13th, I called to modify my reservation, adding an additional night for January 16th. I was told the rate for January 16th was $572, so I agreed to add the night. However, when I received the updated confirmation, my new average rate jumped to $625.67 per night for the entire stay.

How does $798 plus $572 turn into $1877? The hotel’s system recalculates your entire reservation at the current rates when you modify it, refusing to honor the original rates if prices have gone up. After multiple frustrating phone calls with the reservations staff, they acknowledged the issue with their system and agreed to honor my original rates for Saturday and Sunday.

The hotel manager, Shaun, called me directly. He was polite, acknowledged my frustration, and assured me they would learn from this experience to make my stay stress-free moving forward. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.

Here’s where things got worse: • I was charged twice for my stay, totaling over $2500. • I was hit with a $125 pet fee despite traveling with a service animal for health reasons. Charging for service animals is not only unethical but also illegal under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Service animals are not pets; they are essential companions for individuals with disabilities. Hotels are prohibited from charging fees for service animals or discriminating against their handlers.

When I called on January 20th to dispute the charges, the front desk staff claimed they charge for service animals “as far as they know.” Clearly, the staff is not properly trained on ADA laws. I spoke to another employee named “Q” (unsure of the spelling), who told me the hotel doesn’t charge for service animals but couldn’t reverse the fee. Instead, I was told to wait for management.

Q even suggested I file a complaint against Shinola for violating our civil rights. This situation has been handled with carelessness and a lack of accountability. It feels like they don’t take this issue—or our rights—seriously.

We will be filing formal complaints to ensure our rights, and the rights of others,...