The Godfrey Hotel Detroit

Oxford Capital Group and Hunter Pasteur will break ground this week on The Godfrey Hotel Detroit in historic Corktown, bringing a 227-room, lifestyle brand hotel with first-class amenities, as well as hundreds of jobs, with many going to Detroit residents.

The property, at 1401 Michigan Ave. between Trumbull and Eighth Street, is scheduled to open in 2023. Oxford's wholly owned management affiliate, Oxford Hotels & Resorts, LLC, will manage the property. The 227-room, seven-story hotel will feature I|O, Detroit's largest indoor/outdoor rooftop lounge with expansive views of downtown Detroit and Corktown, a ground-floor chef-driven restaurant, a distinctive lobby bar, a 5,500-square-foot grand ballroom that will accommodate events of more than 350 guests, and a state-of-the-art fitness center. The hotel will have a soft brand affiliation with Hilton's Curio Collection.

Importantly the Godfrey will also create an estimated 200 to 300 construction jobs, and an estimated 160 to 200 part- and full-time jobs, the latter of which include a 401(k) and health insurance, and will pay a minimum of $17 an hour. The developer has committed that at least 25 percent of these jobs will go to residents of Detroit, an unprecedented commitment in such a project. The developers will partner with the City's Detroit at Work Program as the hotel's priority staffing partner.

The Godfrey Hotel Detroit will bring 227 rooms, amenities including a rooftop lounge and restaurant, and hundreds of jobs to the city's historic Corktown. 

The Godfrey Hotel Detroit will add to Oxford's current and historical portfolio of more than 15,000 hotel rooms. Current Godfrey Hotel locations include Chicago, Boston, Tampa, Hollywood and others in planning and development. The hotel will benefit from Oxford's extensive national hotel management experience, that includes robust food and beverage offerings; sophisticated revenue management, social media, direct sales, e-commerce, and marketing strategies; its proven ability to run highly profitable rooms and meeting and event venues; highly effective recruiting, training and retention methods; and creative cost control initiatives.

The project investors include several prominent Detroit families, led by Nate Forbes and James Grosfeld. The Godfrey Hotel Detroit will also benefit from Oxford's metro Detroit-based development partner Hunter Pasteur's extensive local development experience and relationships. Oxford, Hunter Pasteur and The Forbes Co. are finalizing plans to launch the Perennial Corktown Apartments adjacent to the Godfrey, which will also break ground this year.