Westin Detroit Metropolitan

The Westin is located at Detroit Wayne County Metropolitan Airport, adjacent to the newly constructed Edward H. McNamara terminal. The hotel has 400 guest rooms, fully-equipped meeting rooms, a fitness centre and executive club lounge.

One of the hotel's special features is an eight-story atrium with bamboo trees, a Zen garden, 5,000ft² serene reflecting pool, a jet lounge overlooking the apron and runway areas, glass elevators and a gourmet restaurant and bar overlooking the atrium and reflecting pool.

The hotel has around 25,000ft² of meeting space including 28 meeting rooms and a 7,600ft² ballroom with separate banquet kitchen. A separate lounge with fireplace is located in the executive concierge facility, located on the hotel's top floor.

The concrete structure with double-pane windows is largely soundproof and equipped with a filtration system to prevent the smell of fuel entering the building. The Westin Detroit Metropolitan Airport hotel welcomed its first guests on 1 January 2003.

The new, $85.1 million Westin Detroit Metropolitan Airport, located adjacent to the Edward H. McNamara terminal at Detroit’s Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, opened officially on 1 January 2003 under the management of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. to cater for both leisure guests and business travellers with 400 guest rooms, 28 fully-equipped meeting rooms and a fitness centre, while giving direct access to the airport’s new terminal and ticketing facilities.

THE WESTIN DETROIT METROPOLITAN AIRPORT HOTEL

The hotel is located next to the Edward H. McNamara Terminal, more commonly known as the Midfield Terminal at Detroit Metropolitan Airport. Part of a recent expansion programme, the $1.2 billion Edward H. McNamara terminal at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport features 97 gates, 18 luggage claim carousels, two 200-passenger trams and a 11,500-space parking garage.

A concrete structure with double-pane windows, the Westin hotel building is soundproof and equipped with a filtration system to prevent the smell of fuel entering the building. A deluge system has been fitted, capable of continuously flooding the entire exterior of the building in the case of a fire emergency. The hotel further offers direct entrance to airport ticketing facilities as well as security screening exclusive to the hotel.

HOTEL LOBBY AND ATRIUM

The Westin Hotel’s lobby is an eight story atrium featuring 50ft bamboo trees that is capped by a skylight creating leaf patterns to create a dense forest atmosphere. The atrium further includes a Zen garden, a 5,000ft² serene reflecting pool, a jet lounge overlooking the apron and runway areas, four glass elevators and working desks fitted with Internet connections. Throughout the atrium, extensive use is made of granite and anigre, an African wood especially imported for this project. The tables at DEMA, a gourmet restaurant and bar, overlook the atrium and reflecting pool.

GUEST ROOMS AND BATHS

The Westin Detroit Metropolitan Airport Hotel has 400 guest rooms, ten of which are designed as luxury suites. All the guest rooms are air conditioned, feature Westin’s Heavenly Bed and are equipped with two-line phones including one cordless phone, voicemail, high-speed Internet access and 27in television. The bathrooms include custom-designed showerheads with a range of spray options including light mist and massage needles. Supplements offered include velour bathrobes, Brazilian combed cotton bath sheets and outward curved shower rods to free up extra room.

FITNESS CENTER

The hotel’s fitness center includes a heated indoor pool, whirlpool, weight machines and state-of-the-art cardiovascular equipment that measures heart rates through grip handles. Each piece of equipment features a TV monitor. The fitness centre is open 24 hours/day.

MEETING FACILITIES

A total of around 25,000ft² of meeting space includes 28 meeting rooms, all equipped with high-speed Internet access and sound systems. Up to 850 guests can be accommodated in a 7,600ft² ballroom with separate banquet kitchen. A lounge with fireplace is located in the executive club floor, or concierge facility, located on the hotel’s top floor. The Westin hotel also offers video conferencing facilities.

ARCHITECTURE AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY

The hotel is designed with a number of energy saving measures, including an energy recovery unit on the roof that recirculates trapped heat. All guestrooms have natural light and lighting in the hotel offices is automatically switched off when motion detectors signal that someone leaves a room. Two lower floors house meeting facilities that lie below ground and hence have lower energy requirements through using the earth’s insulating qualities.

LEAD CONTRACTORS

The hotel’s owner is Wayne County with Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. operating the hotel under the Westin brand name. The project manager is Northwest Airlines, project developer is Darryl Berger Companies, Inc. and PFVS served as architects. Interior designer is Ai Group. Lead construction contractor is Walbridge Aldinger. MBM Fabricators was awarded a structural steel contract.