This Chic Hotel Will Loan You a $2,300 Watch When You Book a Stay

Detroit’s Shinola Hotel has launched a new lending program that lets guests try out high-end styles.

One of the top-rated hotels in Detroit is giving guests a new reason to check in. The Shinola Hotel, which Travel + Leisure readers say is among the 500 best in the world, will launch a new lending program on Oct. 1.

The idea is to put some of the brand’s most in-demand timepieces into the hands of some of its most ardent fans.

“Our goal is to deepen the connection between our guests and the Shinola story,” says Steve Katzman, CEO of Bedrock Manufacturing Company, which owns the brand. “By wearing a piece created right here in Detroit, guests will feel the intrinsic ties between our brand and the city.”

Among the 10 watch styles on offer will be some of Shinola’s most iconic, including the Runwell and the Birdy, in a range of case sizes. Also available will be some less-familiar choices, like those in the Monster and Derby ranges, including a few with flourishes such as mother-of-pearl or Petoskey stone faces. The Bronze Monster GMT Automatic 40mm, which retails for $2,300, is among the priciest of the options.

Not that guests will need to shell out: All of the lending program timepieces will be available to borrow free of charge for guests who book suite category rooms or higher.

“My personal Shinola watches are incredibly meaningful, and as we celebrate five years, I love that our guests will now be able to form their own personal connections to Shinola,” says hotel general manager Jacob Dondzila.

On the horizon is an even broader program, a brand spokesperson tells T+L, with “a selection of Shinola’s exquisite leather goods and other signature items.”

In the meantime, those who don’t want to turn in their demo watch when checking out can book the hotel’s five-year anniversary package, available this fall. The $1,850 offer includes a night in the Runwell Penthouse, the hotel’s top-category room, and a “limited-run Shinola Hotel 41mm Runwell watch in a commemorative wooden watch box,” according to the property, along with several other extras, including a $200 dining credit.

The lending program isn’t the first creative idea Shinola has tried. Back in 2021, the brand partnered with Dearborn, Michigan–based Lincoln to create a not-for-sale concept SUV, the Lincoln Aviator Shinola, with leather interiors. It was destined for a spot at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, one of the country’s top luxury car shows.

Back in downtown Detroit, the Shinola Hotel has forged other brand partnerships over the years, which have made the nearby blocks into a bit of a retail-therapy destination. Along Parker’s Alley, behind the hotel, there’s a collection of shops including Rebel Nell, a “mission-driven jewelry company,” and The Aroma Labs, a scent-blending experience. Madcap Coffee, a Michigan company, is also there to amp up the local vibes.

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