Element Hotel Detroit / Monarch Club

elainetravels

Oct 24

My first trip by plane since Covid 19, was to Detroit for a wedding It was a city I had never visited before and it was fun to explore the downtown area from my home base at the Element Hotel. The renovation of this beautiful structure that was abandoned for 40 years, is documented here.

The extended stay focus of this hotel makes it an especially good choice if you are staying more than a night or two. Having a full refrigerator with freezer, 2 burners, microwave, dishwasher, dishes and silverware for 4, as well as utensils and pans for cooking, was very convenient for reheating and eating leftovers.

I missed the usual hotel extras of bathrobes, slippers, hairdryer, and a full length mirror, but the full kitchen was a great trade off. They offer a complimentary breakfast on the Mezzanine level (only one of the elevators goes to that floor, so ask at the front desk which one if you don't want to take the stairs), and it offers the standard American eggs, sausage, toast, but also yogurt, granola, and fresh fruit.

The citywide people mover stops literally a block away, so for $0.75 a ride, you can tour the city from the rail.

Having the rooftop Monarch Club with panoramic city views was a nice in house option, but it is only open at the end of the week and closes at 11pm. I went there one night for a drink and snack, and noticed they had charged me 30% MORE for my VSOP cognac than the price listed on the menu. Once I told the waitress, they corrected it, but make sure you double check you bill before paying for your drinks.

The lamb meatballs were a bit dry and dense, but nicely seasoned, and definitely a large enough portion to share. It's a hearty enough appetizer to make a meal if you did not get a chance to eat dinner elsewhere.