Detroit has been revving up for some time, with the hum of young, creative entrepreneurs finding opportunity amidst the much lamented urban decay. On a recent day trip there, we just scratched the surface of Detroit’s sprawling neighborhoods, museums, and public art — but we did stumble on a particular block in the Corktown neighborhood that’s been rebuilt with a serious dose of local pride.

In the shadow of the once grand Michigan Central Station is a cluster of activity. SLOWS Bar BQ was one of the first to open on Michigan Avenue, with patrons now willing to wait two hours for their dry rub baby back ribs. A new cocktail bar in the vein of NYC’s Milk & Honey and Angle’s Share recently opened, by the name of Sugar House. A few other businesses are taking root, mainly under the guidance of Phil Cooley and a close knit group of family and friends.

Meghan McEwen is part of that circle. She is also the proprietor of Honor & Folly — a small-scale inn with a focus on design a few storefronts down from Slow’s and Sugar House. She has been writing and documenting her obsession with travel and design for some time on Designtripper, and prior to landing in Detroit she was editor-in-chief for a Chicago design magazine. Her expertise and passion came together with brick and mortar when she opened Honor & Folly.

The inn has a large open living room and kitchen space and two bedrooms. Exposed brick and antiques create a warm, textural backdrop for beautiful and functional objects by local designers (all available for purchase.) In addition, cooking classes and events are hosted in the space. It’s a cozy home base, from which to explore Detroit’s grand architectural relics and wide open avenues.

Next time you’re passing through the Detroit area, stay a little longer. There are sure to be more undiscovered gems waiting.

Michael Muller is on the road again, this time he lands in San Francisco taking in the Dieter Rams exhibition at SF MoMA and making his way to the Clift hotel. Read about his experience at the plush and luxurious hotel.

It used to be that restaurants were an afterthought to hotels, but times have changed, it’s now an integral part of the overall experience. Hotels have partnered up with restaurateurs that are so good, they can be stand alone establishments. To go even further, established restaurants are now venturing into the business themselves, by expanding their brand into lodging accommodations. Fergus Henderson and his business partners are doing just that. This Saturday will see the opening of St. John Hotel. The famed chef that has revived nose-to-tail dining is giving his guests a place to rest. “Nose-to-tail eating has become from table to bed.” The hotel is autonomous from their other restaurants but holds the same amount of attention when it comes to dining. Breakfast, lunch and dinner along with smaller meals in between called Elevenses and Little Bun Moments will be offered. The rooms are sparse, comforting and utilitarian. “The lights switch on and off, the taps go from hot to cold and there’s more than a touch of glamour.”

Wall Street Journal published an article last month about Port Authority’s plan to reopen Terminal 5 as a boutique hotel. They’re currently looking for a developer to build a hotel that would be situated between JetBlue’s building and Eero Saarinen’s iconic TWA Terminal, a structure that came to symbolize the romance in air travel. The terminal will act as a lobby for the hotel filled with shops and restaurants. How great would it be to reinvigorate this dormant but landmark building into a functioning business? The design geek in us wanted to see this happen but the realist in us quickly turned to skepticism. Modern air travel is anything but romantic. Terminals are transitory spaces, people really don’t want to spend any more time there than they have to. A view of JFK’s tarmac isn’t quite the selling point either. Other than stranded travelers will the hotel draw enough interest from visitors? Can the history of Terminal 5 be enough to make the hotel a destination? We want to think it can but there are too many opposing components that say it just won’t work. Unless Balazs decides to take a stab at it.

Some clothing companies publish magazines and offer them for free while others provide accommodations to weary travelers in their stylish crash pads. Creators Inn is such a place. Swedish clothing line Elvine, opened it’s first location in 2008 offering “creatives” a free place to stay in Gothemburg. They’ve since expanded to two other locations with one in Stockholm. Both locations in Gothemburg are modest in size but hostel these are not. Designed by Next Century Modern, the rooms are warm, inviting and comfortable. The Stockholm location is situated within an existing hotel and is the most spacious of the three. It’s incredibly difficult to believe that the rooms are free until you discover the reason behind it all. It’s a form of goodwill to up and coming creatives of different kinds, as well as a way to support the local creative community. Creators Inn require all potential guests to explain their reason for their visit. Guests with dealings with local creators are more likely to be invited. It’s a great idea that we wish we would see more of. Thanks wejetset for the great find.

The Waterhouse hotel in the Shiliupu dockyard district of Shanghai challenges the conventional boutique hotels that a particular demographic may have grown accustomed to in China. Architect firm Neri and Hu, embraces the property’s history by restoring the 1930’s cement building while introducing new materials that complement the overall aesthetic. Decay meets modernism in the 19-room hotel. While many hotels’ grandeur are on display in their lobbies The Waterhouse’s lobby is a juxtaposition of modest clean lines contrasted by rugged materials. The design also plays with spacial perception mixing internal and external spaces. Glimpses of the interior can be seen from the outside while floor to ceiling windows offer magnificent views of the Pudong skyline. See more photos after the jump or visit their website. (via Stylepark)