The Siren Hotel is the second in an expanding collection of hotels from ASH NYC, following on from the firm’s $7.4m historic renovation of a former strip club in downtown Providence, Rhode Island, to create chic 60-key hotel, The Dean.
The Siren Hotel is housed within the iconic Wurlitzer building, which was designed by architect and Detroit native, Robert Finn, in 1926. The property was originally commissioned by famed musical instrument maker and dealer, Rudolph Wurlitzer, to house his thriving business, but had lain vacant for decades before its recent transformation.
Standing tall and narrow, this landmark Renaissance Revival building required careful and skilled restoration, for which ASH NYC enlisted the help of Quinn Evans Architects. Many of the property’s original features have been preserved and restored to their former glory, including the travertine floors, original terra-cotta signs, and the plaster detailing on the historic ceilings that subtly inform the display of 18th and 19th century Italian antiques in the lobby.
There is a sense, too, of ASH’s traditional aesthetic – warm and clean with a palette of soft whites, pale and fleshy pinks, deep, rich oxblood, and crisp navy. A blend of custom and vintage furniture, including design pieces from ASH’s own collection – has been incorporated to striking effect.
“The Siren Hotel was conceived as a love letter to Detroit and a reinterpretation of the city’s legacy of elegant hotels which once served as social institutions and community anchors,” explains ASH NYC.
“Harkening back to a time when Detroit was considered the ‘Paris of the Midwest’, The Siren Hotel connects to an era of grand dame hotels, infused with the energy, irreverence and resilience of modern Detroit.”
The Siren Hotel offers 106 guest rooms, six food & beverage spaces, a rooftop with panoramic views, and two retail shops, spread across 55,000ft2.
The guest accommodation ranges from a stylish bunkbed set-up in ‘The Hideout’, through to The Penthouse – a lofted duplex with a full living room and dining room on the lower level and sleeping area on the upper floor, a private bathroom clad in colourful custom terrazzo tiles, and double-height windows with expansive views over Comerica Park and downtown Detroit.
The off-white walls within the accommodation are complemented by navy blue upholstery, custom woven blankets designed by Cranbrook Academy of Art graduate students and custom Italian linens.
In terms of dining, the hotel’s lobby coffee bar, ‘Populace Coffee’, serves up fresh roasted coffees and delicious pastries baked at ‘Karl’s’ – the 85-seat, all-day restaurant on the second floor. Helmed by Chef Kate Williams of Lady of The House fame, Karl’s will serve American classics to the backdrop of DJs, performers, and the in-house Wurlitzer jukebox.
For a more intimate experience, an eight-seat tasting counter by James Beard nominee chef, Garrett Lipar, can be found at ‘Albena’. Hidden in plain sight in the building’s rear alley, Albena offers a tasting menu inspired by the Great Lakes.
The hotel is not short of evening entertainment, either, with a sumptuous candy-pink cocktail lounge, a piano karaoke bar and a rooftop bar with panoramic views over Detroit.
Meeting guests’ retail needs, meanwhile, The Siren Shop located off the lobby features an exclusive collection of keepsakes, alongside a curated assortment of small goods and vintage pieces. Local brands, from Detroit’s preeminent floral design studio, Pot & Box, to limited edition photographs by Bill Rauhauser, will feature alongside national and international brands.
Using the mythological song of the Sirens as a playful metaphor, ASH NYC has restored the vibrancy and soul the building once exuded as an integral part of Detroit’s cultural scene, creating a unique hospitality destination that will appeal to locals and visitors alike.
Imagery © Christian Harder
