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The City of Detroit called upon The Ferchill Group in 2004 to provide a lifeline for the iconic Book–Cadillac Hotel, an important anchor of the city's downtown redevelopment strategy that had sat vacant through 25 years of decay — and several failed attempts at revival.

The Ferchill Group assembled $180 million in financing, through 22 different sources, to renovate the building into a 455–room luxury hotel. The four–star, full–service Westin Book–Cadillac Detroit Hotel will feature exceptional views of the downtown skyline and the Detroit River. Among its many first–class amenities, the hotel will offer flat screen televisions and high–speed cable and wireless Internet access in each room, a swimming pool, whirlpool and state–of–the–art fitness center, as well as onsite retail and fine dining.

The hotel will include three ballrooms, two of which — the Grand Ballroom and the Italian Garden — will be restored to their original grandeur. The third, an 11,000–square–foot ballroom with seating capacity for 1,000, will be added to the north side of the hotel. Overall, the convention hotel will offer more than 39,000–square–feet of event and conference space, making it the premier conference venue in the area. Guests and visitors can enjoy a nationally–known steakhouse, sports bar, coffee franchise and high–end retail, all with convenient access from the hotel lobby and street. Valet parking, an on–site concierge and doorman and 24–hour room service will also be available.

A vision of the Book brothers, J.B. Jr., Herbert and Frank, the Book–Cadillac Hotel was designed by architect Louis Kamper and first opened in 1924 as the tallest hotel in the world. The Italian–renaissance style building once hosted famous guests including U.S. Presidents Harry S Truman, Dwight Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy, actor Errol Flynn, and baseball stars Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams. The hotel's demise began in the decades following World War II until it closed in 1986.

The development promises to be the biggest and most significant renovation project in downtown Detroit since the opening of the Fox Theatre in 1988. The hotel will reopen in 2008 and accommodate 2,000 guests and employ 300 full– and part–time employees.

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Project Financing:

Assembling the sophisticated financing package was a daunting task that took more than a year to complete and includes an unprecedented 22 sources of funding. National City Bank, along with its Community Development Corporation, was a significant financing source for both the hotel and condominium components of the project by providing equity, construction financing, and its NCHAMP mortgage loan discount program for condo purchasers.