DETROIT (WXYZ) — The Book-Cadillac Hotel is turning 100 years old this year.
To celebrate the milestone, the hotel is taking their guests a step back in time with an exhibition to explore the hotel's rich history.
“Everybody’s got a story about the Westin Book Cadillac,” said Scott Stinebaugh, the hotel's director of sales and marketing. “I had my senior prom here. It was in the 80s and it looked vastly different as it did when it first opened and as it does today."
We look at some of the artifacts in the video player below:
The Book-Cadillac Hotel first opened its doors in 1924.
“It operated as one of the finest luxury hotels in North America for some 50 years,” Stinebaugh said. “It went through various evolutions of different brands and it ultimately closed in 1984.”
According to Stinebaugh, the hotel remained closed for over 20 years and reopened after extensive renovation as the Westin Book Cadillac in 2008.
“This is an iconic building,” he said. “It means a lot to the city of Detroit, and we’re just excited to celebrate our 100th birthday this December.”
The Detroit Historical Society is offering free tours where guides will share the historical significance of artifacts that have been collected over the years.
Judith Fankle, who visited the exhibit Thursday, said she was drawn to the fine china that was used at the hotel.
“The director of this exhibit was nice enough to give me his card so I could call and I can find out who the maker of the china is,” Fankle said.
Fankle says the china is exquisite, but the most alluring part of the exhibit is learning about the hotel’s history.
"I’ve always heard of the Book-Cadillac,” she said. “I never had the opportunity to be here or stay here. So, when this opportunity came up and I heard there was going to be an exhibit, I was like, I gotta go.”
Stinebaugh agrees, adding that one of the pieces of history that the hotel has is its name.
“The little soaps when they originally opened the hotel, teeny-tiny soaps that look like a book and they were in a little sleeve,” he said.
Starting on Thursday, the free exhibition will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the hotel lobby.
