Southgate Hotels

"Close to the Big Three automakers" in Dearborn, this hotel with a "science fiction"–style curved exterior and glass elevators in the "impressive" atrium caters to convention and business crowds; it has "decent rooms" and a "helpful staff", but it's so "huge" and filled with "noisy, crazy" "men in suits" that you should venture here "only if you're working with Ford or attending a conference."

Service is always "top-notch" at this "grand", "historic" Colonial (a Marriott-affiliated property) built in 1931 on the grounds of the Ford Motor Company a few minutes from Downtown Detroit and "close to the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village"; while "the history is great", the restaurants "consistently good" and the staff "pleasant", unimpressed guests say the accommodations and public facilities "could use some spiffing up" (luckily, it recently completed a multimillion-dollar renovation of the main inn, two lodges and five Colonial guest homes).

"Beautiful rooms, delicious food" and a staff with "smiles that will warm you even during Detroit's crazy-cold winters" distinguish this "conveniently located", "classic, personal and reliable" Dearborn hotel; a recently completed $3-million renovation of the main lobby, meeting space and ballrooms should allay complaints about the need for an "upgrade."

"If I have to spend a night at the airport, this is where I want to be" admit admirers of this "trendy", "affordable" property in the Midfield Terminal that offers "a respite from travel"; "updated rooms", "hip lobby dining", an "accommodating staff", flight monitors and a "special security entrance that puts you right on the concourse with no wait" ensure a "Zen-like ambiance" – and the "perfect antidote to the adjacent terminal"; P.S. try cocktails at the "exceptional bar."

You may "never need to see the light of day" when you stay at this 72-story complex where there's a "courteous staff" (though the service is "inconsistent") and everything you'll need "for business in Downtown Detroit"; there are "beautiful views" over the city, but acrophobes shudder it's "not for those with a fear of heights"; at least if you're afraid of water, you're fine since there's "no pool – what's up with that?"

The "enormous" contemporary rooms with marble baths and complimentary shuttle service win points for this Downtown "Vegas"-style tower that also offers a decent Cajun restaurant; but critics cringe over "tacky" decor, particularly in the public areas where "it looks like the Sistine Chapel – painted by a fourth grader."