Dearborn Inn Reopens, Renovation Signals Ford’s Investment in the Future

Take a photo tour inside the historic hotel, which was reopened after a two-year renovation. It is now available to book for corporate travel.

Ford’s revamp of its Dearborn campus has reached another milestone with the reopening of the Dearborn Inn, as the iconic boutique hotel resumed welcoming visitors March 19 following an extensive two-year renovation. Each of the 135 guest rooms within the 290,000-square-foot historic hotel have been upgraded, the stunning public spaces have been updated, and a new restaurant and speakeasy-style bar inspired by Ford heritage have been added, all while retaining and integrating the original 1930s architectural flair.

Members of the Ford Family, as well as company and community leaders like Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud, were on hand for a special ribbon-cutting event.

“But even more important than its past, the Dearborn Inn is part of Ford’s broader commitment to building for the future,” said Bill Ford, Executive Chair, Ford Motor Company. “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.”

Ford Land Chairman and CEO Jim Dobleske praised Ford Motor Company’s commitment to its employees and the community in his remarks and called the project, “A labor of love for many.” 

“We’re elevating everything we do and that will be felt throughout our campus,” he said. “This is a pivotal milestone in the journey of campus redevelopment.”

Checking in

Originally built by Henry Ford in 1931 as one of the country’s first airport hotels, the Georgian-style inn was designed by famed architect Albert Kahn to reflect the charm of the New England inns Ford preferred. The hotel outlasted the Ford Airport, which closed in the 1940s and now serves as a test track for Ford’s Development Center. The hotel has hosted celebrities, dignitaries, and other well-known guests, including Walt Disney, Orville Wright, and Norman Rockwell, among others, and it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

Honoring Ford heritage

The hotel remodel leans heavily into Ford’s aviation heritage but also celebrates the time Henry and wife Clara Ford spent on the property, at one point dining weekly at the Dearborn Inn. Henry Ford’s celebrity camping troupe of the 1910s and ‘20s, the Four Vagabonds, have been commemorated through the creation of a hotel bar that bears their moniker. A farm-to-table restaurant, called Clara’s Table, honors Clara Ford’s love of gardening and hosting. A scrapbook featuring letters from Dearborn Inn guests who once honeymooned at the hotel, as well as vintage Dearborn Inn menus – including one signed by Walt Disney – are among a collection of artifacts from Ford’s Archives on display throughout the hotel.  

While the update represents the most significant renovation the Dearborn Inn has seen in its nearly 100-year history, select elements have been preserved, such as black-and-white checkerboard Italian marble lobby flooring, a restored green marble fireplace, and an antique clock.

What employees said

A select group of Ford team members joined the event and toured the facility. Garrett Johnson, a Ford Pro product manager, called the updates “authentic, but also modern.”

“They're investing in the future with these types of spaces,” he said. “There’s so much renovation and so many good things that we’re doing in Dearborn and Detroit, which is attracting more talent and bringing people into the company to help propel us forward.”

Michael Fluegemann, an antenna applications design and release engineer, called the building “gorgeous,” and was thankful for the “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to attend the ceremony.

“Ford has recognized that you have to take care of your employees, and one of those ways is having a nice space that they want to come to work,” Fluegemann said of the ongoing campus updates.  

Zach Schallenberger, a software engineer for Ford Pro, noted the company’s commitment to preserving history.

“When you look at buildings like this and Michigan Central Station, you see Ford has a clear commitment to preserving history and improving upon the buildings that we already have instead of taking buildings down and replacing it with something new,” he said.

The event was a combination of two passions for Luree Brown, an experience strategy lead in Customer Experience. 

“I like that modern old-style feel,” Brown said after touring the Ford-owned and Marriott-operated hotel. “It seems like all of the aesthetics and everything that they chose directionally with the design is pretty spot-on to give you that Ford feel but also giving you that Marriott lifestyle.”

More to come

The Dearborn Inn will reopen more spaces later this year. The hotel’s five colonial-style homes, reproductions of the homes of notable Americans including U.S. founding father Patrick Henry and author Edgar Allan Poe, will again be available to guests. Also, 17,000 square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor event space, capable of accommodating up to 850 guests, will become available. 

The Dearborn Inn is operated by Marriott, Ford’s partner in managing the hotel since 1989. The hotel is now part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, offering a boutique guest experience. Room rates start at $350 per night.