Statler-Hilton, Detroit

This hotel is headed for the wrecking ball, according to a recent hotel industry report.

Many of the original Statler Hotels had Polynesian-Styled restaurants.

Does anyone know if this hotel had a Polynesian or South Seas restaurant or bar?

If so, it would be worth the time to find out if any of it is still intact. It's quite possible, in an older structure like this, there could be artifacts in a storage room, just sitting around and decaying.

Hmm, I don't think anything sits around too long in Downtown Detroit without being stolen. People were carting slabs of marble out of the abandoned trains station, fer god's sakes!

If memory serves me right, I'm thinking that's where the Trader Vic's was. There's nothing there to see from the outside, that even really hints at what was there before.

http://www.forgottendetroit.com/statler/dining.html

my memory served me right, thst is indeed where the Trader Vic's used to be.

On 2004-05-17 23:44, [email protected] wrote:

If so, it would be worth the time to find out if any of it is still intact. It's quite possible, in an older structure like this, there could be artifacts in a storage room, just sitting around and decaying.

I recall reading something once (maybe here at TC) that all of the Trader Vic contents was sold at auction for about $7,500. Many of my co-workers were regulars at the Detroit T.V. (and Mauna Loa), but no longer have any of the mugs or other keepsakes except for a menu which I was able to scan.

-Z

Tikifish-
Where did you get/find that link? That's fantastic!

If anyone has a Detroit connection that might have some more insight, please let me know. I am happy to do some digging, if I can get a little bit of information about who owns the building, who manages it (even though it's closed), etc.

Casey, here's a favorite Detroit link with a ton of old ruins including the Statler:

http://www.detroityes.com/

I did a search and found it there, but the link automatically puts you on the home page anyhow. Do a search by clicking "guide to this site" in the upper right corner.

http://www.samgambino.com

Tikifish is correct. Trader Vics was in the Statler Hilton, but there is not a single remnant of the bar left in there. How do I know? A very knowledgable urban spelunker friend of mine has been in that building and most of the other closed monuments in downtown Detroit.