The Book-Cadillac Hotel turns 100! Free guided tours of the celebrations

DETROIT (WXYZ) — The Book-Cadillac Hotel turns 100 years old this year.

To celebrate this milestone, the hotel is taking guests on a journey back in time with an exhibition to explore the hotel’s rich history.

“Everyone has a story about the Westin Book Cadillac,” said Scott Stinebaugh, the hotel’s director of sales and marketing. “I had my prom here. It was in the 80s and looked completely different than when it opened and now.”

We take a look at some of the artifacts in the video player below:

Video extra: A look back at the Book-Cadillac Hotel on its 100th anniversary

The Book-Cadillac Hotel first opened its doors in 1924.

“It was one of the premier luxury hotels in North America for about 50 years,” Stinebaugh said. “It went through various developments of different brands and finally closed in 1984.”

According to Stinebaugh, the hotel remained closed for over 20 years and reopened as the Westin Book Cadillac in 2008 after a major renovation.

“This is an iconic building,” he said. “It means a lot to the city of Detroit and we are excited to celebrate our 100th anniversary this December.”

The Detroit Historical Society offers free tours where guides explain the historical significance of the artifacts collected over the years.

Judith Fankle, who visited the exhibit Thursday, said she was drawn to the fine china used in the hotel.

“The director of this exhibit was kind enough to give me his card so I could call and find out who the manufacturer of the porcelain was,” Fankle said.

Fankle says the china is exquisite, but the most enticing part of the exhibit is learning about the hotel’s history.

“I’ve always heard of the book Cadillac,” she said. “I never had the opportunity to be or stay here. When this opportunity came up and I heard there was going to be an exhibition, I thought I had to go.”

Stinebaugh agrees, adding that one of the hotel’s historic features is its name.

“The little soaps when they originally opened the hotel were tiny little soaps that looked like a book and were in a little case,” he said.

Starting Thursday, the free exhibition will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the hotel lobby.