OT: Ford Field/Downtown Detroit

[Thunder Muscle]

Looking for some advise/information from your brilliant minds. I recently got 2 tickets for the thanksgiving game for a good deal off of eBay, and I'm debating whether to sell or not. So far no dice selling them, but just curious if anybody has any recommendations/advise for Detroit as far as hotels, the downtown area, etc? I've never been to Detroit and have heard horror stories, but I think I heard downtown isn't quite as bad.

I stopped at Packer Fan Tours in Green Bay last week and they have a land package tour, but I can't justify paying over $200/person for essentially just a hotel for one night. I looked on Priceline and the Doubletree hotel looks nice for $139/night. I could maybe take a chance at bidding downtown and getting a lower price.

Anybody been to Ford Field? It looks like a very nice place.

Any word of advise is appreciated. Like I said, I originally planned to sell the ticket, make a little profit, but my girlfriend surprisingly expressed interest in going, and I think it would be cool. But Detroit is a hell hole from what I hear, so I don't know.

[MickeyDavis]

I've used Priceline for hotels and have got some fantastic bargains. But I'd be careful about Detroit. I'd check out biddingfortravel.com if you want to go that route, to make sure you know which hotel you may get and the approximate price. You can also pay more with priceline (and other sites) and pick the hotel you want, but bidding on it is the cheapest. But can be risky.

There are quite a few hotels right around that area.

[Thunder Muscle]

I've used Priceline for hotels and have got some fantastic bargains. But I'd be careful about Detroit. I'd check out biddingfortravel.com if you want to go that route, to make sure you know which hotel you may get and the approximate price. You can also pay more with priceline (and other sites) and pick the hotel you want, but bidding on it is the cheapest. But can be risky.

There are quite a few hotels right around that area.

Yeah I am leary about bidding in Detroit just b/c you don't know what you can get and where. I know you can select by star, but that doesn't rate the neighborhood. And the fact I don't know the area at all. I'll check that website out.

I've gotten great deals via priceline for Milwaukee already - like $65/night after taxes for the Hyatt and Hilton downtown.

[Kerb Hohl]

Don't stay anywhere other than downtown. Went there for the sweet 16/elite 8 a few years ago and stayed in a horribly trashy hotel about 5 miles outside of the downtown area.

[Thunder Muscle]

Yeah I think I am set on being right downtown. I've heard similar that downtown isn't bad, but its gets real shady once you start getting further from dtown.

Anybody ever try Hotwire? I never have, but they have a few decent prices for hotels downtown, obviously can't see the name but look to be in heart of downtown and 3.5 to 4 star hotels.

Appreciate the info everybody.

[midranger]

I live in metro Detroit right now.

The city center of downtown is not bad at all. It's actually okay. 3 casino, a few restaurants and bars. Greektown is the fun area to go out. When I was coming here, looking for a place to live, we'd Priceline. If you Priceline downtown and 4 stars, you'll end up in one of the casino likely. 3.5 stars will either put you in the Renaissance Center (the big GM building with 4 surrounding towers that defines the Detroit skyline) or the Hilton. Either way, you won't end up in a terrifying neighborhood. Now, don't travel too far away from the city center because things get hairy quickly. There is public transport around the city center area in the form of an elevated monorail-like people mover. We used it and felt safe, though we were told only to use it only if there wee a lot of people around.

If you don't mind a 20-30 minute drive, stay in any of Troy, Royal Oak, or Birmingham (north suburb of Chicago nice). Royal Oak is where the 20 somethings are. All these places are plenty safe and near where I live. The drive downtown is pretty much a straight shot.

In all, Detroit is not a great place, but it's like a worse version of Milwaukee. It has nice areas and bad areas. Common sense dictates where you do and don't go. I certainly wouldn't let the reputation sway you from coming for the Thanksgiving game. Ford Field is nice and Comerica Park is right across the street so you can check that out too (it's really pretty cool looking). Chris Chelios (UW Madison guy) has a bar down there where apparently everyone goes before games.

If you have other questions let me know.

[Thunder Muscle]

Midranger - thanks for the very informative synoposis. I definitely appreciate it. That is pretty much what I have heard of Detroit - downtown is not too bad, kind of nice actually. Outside of that can get real shady. I lived downtown Milwaukee for 4 years, and it sounds similar -- downtown is pretty safe for the most part, outside of that is hit or miss.

May I ask what you usually bid on priceline for downtown. I always go 3.5 stars, as its the best deal generally. I have gotten hotels in Miltown bidding $40-$45. I tried $45 for Downtown Detroit didn't get it. Hotwire has a 3.5 star right downtown for $69/night (+ taxes). That's not a bad route. I would suspect that hotel is the Hilton Garden near Ford Field, which would be ideal. I have time to bid low, so may stick with priceline for a little bit. Like you said, I would think if I go 3.5 stars, I would get a nice hotel downtown.

Now flights are another issue. Very steep from what I see. I don't really want to drive - I assume its going to be like 9-10 hours from Green Bay, eh. I can get cheap standby flights through my aunt/uncle, but that will be very risky leaving on one of the busiest travel times of the year - thanksgiving. Although we'd be flying out of the base he works at in Central Wisconsin (Wausau/Mosinee) - so maybe we'd be okay there.

Thanks for all the info again.

[midranger]

I usually bid 55-60 bucks. If you see $69, I'd think about taking it, just because it will be Thanksgiving and Packer fans do travel well. Rooms could go quick leading to higher prices.


I think the only 3.5 star hotels are the Hilton Garden and the Renaissance Center. I've stayed at each a couple times through Priceline.

There is a speed ferry across Lake Michigan in Milwaukee. That could be an option worth considering. Otherwise, we could typically do the drive from Wauwatosa in a little over 6 hours, or Racine in about 5.5 hours pending Chicago traffic. You have to leave very early or very late to beat it though.

[Thunder Muscle]

We did look into the ferry across the Lake, and both will be closed by Thanksgiving. The one from Manitowoc is actually already closed and Milwaukee's closes November 1st from what we saw - the one from Milwaukee got to be kind of pricey w/a car as well. It was almost as much as the roundtrip flight price. It would be a cool experience maybe sometime.

[Kerb Hohl]

I think he would much rather do the ferry from Manitowoc.

The one in Milwaukee will cost you 200 + 100 per auto with all the services included.
The one from Manitowoc would cost him 140 + 70 per auto with the services.

The problem is, I think these ferries will be closed over Thanksgiving and a few weeks before it.

[MickeyDavis]

According to biddingfortravel the 3.5 stars in downtown Detroit for Priceline are Marriott Renaissance Center, Omni Hotel River Place and Doubletree Guest Suites Fort Shelby. Of course that can easily change.

[Kerb Hohl]

Haha, beat me to it.

[SportsWorld]

I was in Detroit in 2007 to see a Tigers/Athletics game and stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn about a block from Comerica Park/Ford Field. Really nice hotel and it's within walking distance to both stadiums. I ate at the Hockeytown Cafe near the stadium and the food was pretty good. Nice place too.

[Thunder Muscle]

Well I went through Hotwire and got the Omni Detroit River Place for $74/night after taxes. Pretty good deal. Looks like a nice hotel and right on the Detroit River.

Now hoping to find a decent flight price, or may just end up driving.

[midranger]

Warehouse District. I've never been, but I've heard it's fun. Unfortunately, you're a little further from Ford Field, but easy cab distance.

[Thunder Muscle]

Warehouse District. I've never been, but I've heard it's fun. Unfortunately, you're a little further from Ford Field, but easy cab distance.

Yeah I was hoping to be a little closer to Ford Field, but like you said, not too far of a cab ride. Mapquest said 7 minutes and a little over 2 miles. Maybe they'll even have a shuttle to the game. The hotel looks very classy from the pictures, and the surrounding area didn't look like a battlefield, so I'm hoping that its okay.

[Thunder Muscle]

I live in metro Detroit right now.

The city center of downtown is not bad at all. It's actually okay. 3 casino, a few restaurants and bars. Greektown is the fun area to go out. When I was coming here, looking for a place to live, we'd Priceline. If you Priceline downtown and 4 stars, you'll end up in one of the casino likely. 3.5 stars will either put you in the Renaissance Center (the big GM building with 4 surrounding towers that defines the Detroit skyline) or the Hilton. Either way, you won't end up in a terrifying neighborhood. Now, don't travel too far away from the city center because things get hairy quickly. There is public transport around the city center area in the form of an elevated monorail-like people mover. We used it and felt safe, though we were told only to use it only if there wee a lot of people around.

If you don't mind a 20-30 minute drive, stay in any of Troy, Royal Oak, or Birmingham (north suburb of Chicago nice). Royal Oak is where the 20 somethings are. All these places are plenty safe and near where I live. The drive downtown is pretty much a straight shot.

In all, Detroit is not a great place, but it's like a worse version of Milwaukee. It has nice areas and bad areas. Common sense dictates where you do and don't go. I certainly wouldn't let the reputation sway you from coming for the Thanksgiving game. Ford Field is nice and Comerica Park is right across the street so you can check that out too (it's really pretty cool looking). Chris Chelios (UW Madison guy) has a bar down there where apparently everyone goes before games.

If you have other questions let me know.

Well we survived Detroit. All in all I actually kind of liked the city, at least the downtown area. The Omni was a nice hotel and had a beautiful scene looking at the Detroit River into Canada, and the skyline of Detroit in the distance. It was a little farther from downtown than I was hoping, but they offered a free shuttle, which was nice. Definitely was in a warehouse district, and was tucked away in it. I wouldn't have felt safe just me and my girlfriend walking in that area, but in a group its probably fine. The first night there we met 4 Lions fans and we walked back from a bar called Andrew's (near Atwater Brewery) and didn't feel unsafe.

Ford Field is a very nice stadium, really liked it. Definitely a different atmosphere than Lambeau, don't mean that negatively, but probably the dome part of it. Comerica Park next door looked like a sweet outdoor ballpark.

People of Detroit were very friendly.

Greektown Casino was pretty cool. Other places we checked out GM Ren Center (although it was thanksgiving evening so everything was closed it seemed), Fishbone's, O'Shillaleigh's (cover charge just for a dive bar, decided against), Andrew's, and Fender's (in the Omni).

I can definitely see though, outside of downtown where it would get rugged fast. Its a rough looking city outside of downtown. Really run down. A worse version of MKE is very accurate I thought. With that said, I would like to go back in the future.

Thanks for all of the info again!