Book-Cadillac Hotel, 2001 and 2014

The Book-Cadillac was Detroit's premiere hotel from its opening in 1924 well into the 1950's. Renovations in the 1960's and 80's stripped away much of the hotel's grandeur, and with tourism plummeting, the hotel closed in 1984.

Starting in 2006, a $190 million dollar renovation of the Book-Cadillac brought the old hotel back to life. The Grand Ballroom is a good example of the amount of work that went into fixing up the hotel, as it's new owners retained many of the historic details while bringing it up to modern standards.

Today the Westin Book-Cadillac is again one of the top hotels in the Detroit area, hosting tourists and celebrities visting the city. It's a striking example of balancing modern tastes with historic preservation.

Original photo: 2001, Lucas McGrail

Current photo: March, 2014