A Brief History Of The Leland Building

From its luxurious hotel beginnings to its steady decline and now its exciting redevelopment, the history of the Leland is a perfect analogy for that of Detroit. Its long and interesting life has included mobsters, banjo and German nightclubs, and several name changes – now this iconic building will live on as part of downtown Detroit’s renaissance.

The Leland was built in 1926 in area of the city that was on the up thanks to developments including the Michigan Theater. It opened in April 1927 as the Detroit-Leland Hotel, named for Henry M. Leland, the founder of Cadillac. Designed by Chicago architectural firm Rapp & Rapp, its Beaux-Arts style featured a terracotta and brick exterior, and 800 rooms with air conditioning – a rare luxury for the time.

Despite being a four-star hotel, almost from its opening it had a seedy reputation as a favorite haunt of the city’s mobsters, from notorious bootleggers the Purple Gang in the 1930s to infamous union leader Jimmy Hoffa – legend has it that when Hoffa went missing in 1975, the Leland was the first place the police looked for him. It also suffered a series of financial problems, being bankrupt throughout much of the 1930s and changing ownership a number of times. In 1966, the owners converted much of the hotel into apartments.

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After spending some time as a Ramada, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005 and returned to being the Leland when the city hosted the Super Bowl in 2006. Though it had become a budget hotel and eventually only catered to long-term guests, its lobby was restored to its original grandeur around this time.

In 2018, as part of a wave of projects in the area, plans for a $120 million renovation of the Leland were unveiled, with the hotel finally being converted into 339 apartments. The project is set to commence in 2018 and be finished in 2020.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.