DEARBORN, Mich. – The Dearborn Inn has officially reopened after being closed for two years for an extensive restoration.
Original elements of 1931 hotel preserved
The 135-room hotel was originally built in 1931 by Henry Ford and designed by renowned architect Albert Kahn.
It was restored by Ford Land’s design and Ford Motor Company’s archival teams in partnership with the Ford family, along with AvroKO, Dash Design, and Kraemer Design Group, and restoration architect Quinn Evans, and has debuted as one of Marriott Bonvoy’s Autograph Collection hotels.
“Since 1931, the Dearborn Inn has been a significant piece of Dearborn’s history, and an important place for my family and the Ford community. I could not be happier that the Inn is reopening in service of Ford employees, and our broader community,” said Bill Ford, executive chair of Ford Motor Company. “But even more important than its past, the Dearborn Inn is part of Ford’s broader commitment to building for the future. I am thrilled to include the Dearborn Inn on the growing list of buildings across Ford and the community that we are restoring, which will be critical to our long-term success.”
The Dearborn Inn was one of the first airport hotels in the country and was built across from what was once the Ford Airport.
It was inspired by inns across New England that Henry Ford had visited, and some notable guests include Walt Disney, Orville Wright, Norman Rockwell, Eleanor Roosevelt and President Ronald Reagan.
Hotel features
The hotel’s “most storied elements” were preserved during the renovation at the request of the Ford family, according to a release.
“Upon arrival, guests are immediately greeted with the stunning checkerboard Italian marble flooring selected by Henry Ford himself,” according to the release. “As they move through the lobby space, the stately green marble fireplace has also been restored and preserved, lending a sense of warmth and regality to the room, alongside an original antique clock. Guests are invited to commemorate their journey by taking a vintage-style ‘passport’ photo inside a customized photo booth, an original phone booth that has been transformed to look like the historic Ford Tri-Motor airplane.”
Guests can find original Michigan-made furniture, like Platner chairs, and items from other local artisans at the hotel.
Artifacts from the Ford archive can also be found throughout the Dearborn Inn, including a scrapbook of letters from guests who spent their honeymoons at the hotel, and vintage menus. One of those menus even features a signature from Walt Disney.
Each room features a stately four-poster walnut bed and Eames chairs, along with Ford Pantone blue tiles in the bathrooms.
Open sketchbooks for creative thoughts and a personalized voicemail greeting are among the signature details offered for guests.
There are also 19 suites and the Presidential Suite, which includes a living room, kitchenette and dining area.
During summer 2025, the hotel will make five colonial-style homes that feature 18 additional rooms, available for guests to book. These are great for groups or visitors who would like more space, according to the release, and are inspired by the homes of notable creatives, like Edgar Allan Poe and Walt Whitman.
“From the moment guests step through our doors, we want them to feel inspired by the history that surrounds them and by the trailblazers who once walked these halls,” said Joleisha Bradley, General Manager, Dearborn Inn. “The hotel is both a welcoming retreat and living museum, with historic artifacts woven throughout the property. We look forward to continuing the tradition of hospitality that has made Dearborn Inn so beloved.”
The historic hotel will also launch an indoor and outdoor event space, which can accommodate events for up to 850 people.
Restaurant and cocktail bar
The hotel features two new dining concepts.
The Dearborn Inn’s signature restaurant, Clara’s Table, is a farm-to-table concept named after and inspired by Henry Ford’s wife, Clara Ford.
The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and the hotel’s executive chef, Elliot Patti, created a menu that reflects what Clara served to guests at her home, which was comprised of American dishes inspired by her and Henry’s travel experiences.
Some items guests can find on the menu include housemade pastries, a custard French toast, rarebit, cipollini and pear tatin, short rib croquettes, and a prime New York strip with tallow and herb frites.
There is also a cocktail bar, called Four Vagabonds, which pays homage to the road trips Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, John Burroughs, and Harvey Firestone took in the early 1900s, according to the release.
It was designed to look like one of Henry’s studies and serves local beers, craft cocktails, smoked meat plates, house-pickled vegetables and other small dishes inspired by what the Vagabonds might have enjoyed on their trips.
Booking a room
Rooms at the Dearborn Inn start at $350 per night and bookings opened on March 19. For more information and to book, visit here.
