The idea that one can snap your fingers and be transported to a different locale entirely is an intoxicating prospect, but the new Shinola Hotel City to Shore Travel Experience is about as close as one can get to an instantaneous change of pace.
Arriving just in time for peak fall leaf-peeping, the exclusive travel package brings together the lovely tranquility of Northern Michigan’s recently opened OTIS Harbor Springs alongside the mix of Motor City grit and modern refinement that is the Shinola Hotel, as Maxim found out during an exclusive visit to both properties earlier this season.
Both share a curious, highly stylish throughline in terms of handsome design DNA: Shinola Creative Director Daniel Caudill was at the helm of the OTIS Harbor Springs, as well as the impeccable Shinola Hotel, which brings the illustrious Detroit watch brand’s vision to life in stunning clarity. Complete with a Shinola boutique in the hotel and access within minutes to the company’s Cass Corridor HQ and production facility, you could very well say that the Shinola Hotel is the most stylish property in Detroit. Now, it has a northern Michigan partner to match in the OTIS Harbor Springs.
Available now for $2,400 plus taxes and fees across select fall dates, the Shinola Hotel City to Shore Travel Experience sees lucky travelers start their journey across the lovely autumnal scenes of Pure Michigan with two nights in Detroit at the hip boutique hotel. To kick off a prime fall weekend, guests then embark on a self-guided journey north to Harbor Springs for a two-night stay at the revamped, luxe OTIS Harbor Springs. At the OTIS, custom furnishings, Flamingo Estate grooming products and a chic outlook on Mid-Century Modern design speak to Caudill’s vision for a fashionable and yet heritage-minded update to a long-running motor lodge.
The experience kicks off in elevated fashion, bringing visitors into an elegant Shinola Hotel Cass King room. Each property is offering $100 in dining credits, plus breakfast for up to two guests. It’s as if each property thought of every carefully considered detail, then improved upon even that high bar for hospitality.
In addition to prime access to buzzing Motor City culture (and the hotel’s excellent San Morello cocktail bar), the Shinola Hotel watch lending program is an astoundingly cool draw: A personalized concierge visit gives you the chance to select your choice of a luxury Shinola timepiece during your stay. To say that Shinola watches add some wrist game flair alongside an Old Fashioned is an understatement. There are even rarities like Shinola’s Petoskey stone dial watch available through the program: Putting a covetable Shinola watch on one’s wrist only heightens the entire experience.
Guests at the Shinola Hotel are also encouraged to visit the property’s speakeasy-esque Evening Bar, where cocktails like the Spirited Away (a rich and sumptuous blend of rye and cognac, plus a smoky hint Scotch and a dash of honey) are especially delectable.
San Morello’s rich, elevated Italian-American cuisine also serves as hearty sustenance ahead of an evening exploring Detroit’s many delights on foot. The property’s culinary offering includes more casual fare, like tantalizing fried chicken at Penny Red’s or refreshing steins of beer at The Brakeman.
The same meticulous attention to detail can be found further north after one’s journey to the bucolic, revamped motor lodge at the OTIS Harbor Springs. Set across 10 acres and boasting a “long-spanning legacy of Mid-Century Modern design,” the Fireplace Lounge is an utterly cozy, luxe-meets-rustic place for a round of cocktails.
Complete with its original stone fireplace and sturdy wooden beams, the Fireplace Lounge boasts a visitor-favorite Otis Fashioned (a buttery blend of maple, rye spice and walnut bitters), while the About Last Night delivers the spice of mezcal and habanero with a cutting touch of floral blanco. Seasonal cocktails and small plates deliver suitably premium, utterly delicious variety for a weekend visit, and the bar’s mixology team says the destination is even popular among locals.
The property blends rich and warm tones with a considered take on Mid-Century Modern design, with one story of 31 exclusive rooms set around an inner courtyard complete with lawn games and prime access to a series of lovely rolling meadows. In nearby Harbor Springs, perfectly classic autumnal Michigan pursuits await, from blazing lakeside sunsets to vibrant dining at NOMAD Harbor Springs (don’t miss out on its spritz menu, boasting Fernet, CYNAR and more).
For those who crave the modern style of the Shinola Hotel (and the chance to try a Shinola watch on for size), the new Shinola Hotel City to Shore Travel Experience is a prime introduction to the famed brand. And just in time for gorgeous fall foliage, the program’s offerings at OTIS Harbor Springs couldn’t be more perfectly suited. Book your Pure Michigan getaway now, and be on the lookout for future partnerships between the two premium properties.
