Detroit Riverside Hotel

Deceitful

cool-looking hotel but the a/c didn’t work throughout the whole building. It was 84 degrees in our room at 11pm...we thought our room was just set really high at first but we found out an hour after we checked in, and on our way out to the ballgame, that the whole building was that hot - and a/c had been broken for 3 months...way to maintenance!!!

TERRIBLE

They intentionally cut the AC during low occupancy and blame it on repair work...read through the reviews and note the frequency of "No AC" complaints. Bathroom was dirty, nobody was at the front desk to answer my calls, they are SEVERLY understaffed....and the staff they do have offers awful customer service. No restaurant or convenient store and they refused to let me cancel my stay right after i checked in. Once i realized the AC was not working (which i was informed of after i checked in) I wanted to stay at another hotel...they would gladly cancel my stay....but would take a 100% fee for the room blaming me for not cancelling before I checked in. This hotel is dirty, staff is unfriendly and never available to help, and they cut costs on neccecary things without telling customers......save your money and stay in an actual dumpster for the night...I guarantee you will be more satisfied.

Traveler's tip on getting the most out of your stay

STAY ANYWHERE ELSE

no Air conditioning

The hotel was nice. The room pretty new, but the air conditioning was not working.

Ask for parking outside the hotel. Tehy will decrease the price for the vallet

Hellish Experience

I recently stayed at this Hotel...No Air conditioning or ventilation both nights and not only were they unapoligetic about it, they were down right rude. Judging from other comments the No AC is a common occurance. Its obvious to me that they are trying to save money by cutting cooling costs during low occupancy-inhumane!

ok

the hotel is a very nice and clean hotel in a great location!! not sure what the issues were, but the service was pretty good. they seemed very under-staffed which made the employees stressed. after waiting to check in we came back and there was a HUGE line of people trying to check in and no one behind the counter. when we found our room(the number was ripped off the door)it was clean, but we had no toiloet paper or facial tissues. we called the front desk and were told it would be right up. we left for over 6 hours and came back and still nothing. the bar was open, but the case for the beer was locked so they couldn’t serve any..all in all i feel it came down to not enough help. it is a very nice hotel just needs better service.

Traveler's tip on local attractions

close to pretty much everything downtown; great location

Would not recommend it to a dog.

This was the worst hotel that I have ever stayed in. In my opinion, it should be shut down. From the looks of things it is about there, with one person trying to do the job of three. Water bugs or roaches in the dranage system and comming up in the sinks and showers.

Traveler's tip on saving a few bucks

It is not worth it, spend the money.

Great Hotel

Clean and nicely decorated. Friendly and helpful staff. One block away from both the Cobo Center and Financial District People Mover stops. Fantastic views of downtown buildings and the Detroit River. Walking distance from the Riverwalk. Parking is valet only for an additional daily charge. Business center in the spacious lobby with free internet access. Coffee maker in the room. Unfortunately, the hotel restaurant was closed for renovation. There is a cafe on the corner and also plenty of restaurants in Greektown (a few stops away on the people mover). Would definitely recommend this hotel.

Basic Hotel - no frills

This hotel is directly across the street from the Cobo Convention Center, so if you are attending an event there, it is VERY convenient. You won’t find a closer hotel. A bout 1/2 block from the "People Mover" elevated train (financial district station) that runs a circular downtown route. The room was reasonably spacious - mine was a 2 room suite with living room, wet bar area, and bedroom (but no fridge). The upper floors have nice views. Can walk a few blocks to the "Ren Cen" (GM headquarters, some shops). The walkway along the River is nice. Could not get the A/C to do much in my 2 room suite. The hotel seems to be in transition - not even a name or logo at the entrance. The lobby is like a ghost town. Vending machines hard to find - and then empty. Fitness center was okay - elliptical machine needs maintenance. There is a decent set of freeweights. If you want any snacks after hours, plan ahead. It was okay for a business trip - there was a desk in the room where I could get some work done, and the view from the room was nice. If you are just looking for a convenient place to stay, it’s not bad. On last day I found an empty beer can and cig ashes behind the drapes - may have been there the whole time.

Traveler's tip on dining

Take the People Mover to GreekTown for a great dinner. The restaurant at the top of the GM bldg at the Rennaisance Center has a spectacular view - it is pricey, but you can keep your bill to about $25 per person if you stick with an appetizer.

NOT IMPRESSED

NO AIR CONDITION, WAS VERY, UNCOMFORTABLE. HOT WATER WAS NOT RELIABLE.

coffee

In room coffee maker had only decaf, but otherwise no complaints.

Horrible experience for myself and friends

Elevators went out, elevators kept skipping my floor, had to switch rooms 4 times between 4am and 10am while drunk because the key card boxes on the doors ran out of battery life, vomit on the floor in the lobby for way too long, windows on the bathroom doors made everyone feel uncomfortable staying in the room, more stuff went wrong but I will stop there. The room was cheap and the valet was cool, those were the 2 pluses of the weekend stay.

No A.C ....no Elevadors

What more can I say?? No Air Conditioning and every elevador was non-operational by Monday night (I was there for memorial day weekend). This place is on a downward spiral heading to be a crackden.

Great once you enter the doors

The hotel suffers from some exterior maintenance issues and the elevators could use some sprucing up too. The room was comfortable and the staff willing to help as needed. Being adjacent to Cobo Hall was excellent.

Need to pick up pace!

Need a sign to identify hotel, drove around for 35 min. Hotel looked like other Buildings downtown Detroit. coming from Florida 33 degrees was very cold couldn’t adjust the thermalstate to a comfortable level either too cold or too hot.

Traveler's tip on local attractions

Few blocks from casino (Greektown)

Good location but outdated and in need of repair.

The location was good, close to the people mover and other points of interest. Staff were nothing but friendly and courteous so that was a huge plus. For the amount of money that we paid which was increased due to being in town for The Final Four, elevators were lousy and a little scary to ride in. Room was small but did have super comfortable beds. Bathroom door...what on earth were the designers thinking??? The door is see through so unless you don’t mind your companion watching your every move and I do mean every move, it is not a bit appropriate. I’m not bashful but even I’m uncomfortable knowing that my roomie can see me pee! Great Bloody Marys!

So/So

The hotel was conveniently located. Directly across the street from the Cobo Center, which was great. The building didn’t have any exterior signs, which made finding it a little frustrating, but when we called for directions, the clerk was very helpful. The interior of the hotel was beautiful. Well decorated, contemporary, warm. Visually, couldn’t be better. The problems were all inside our room. The bathroom in particular was disappointing. There was only about 2 minutes worth of hot water. There was no shampoo, no toothpaste, no hand soap, no washcloths. The floor had been swept, but with the door open, so there was a ton of hair behind the door. It was easy to hear the music and even conversation of the next room, and anyone in the hall. On the upside, the bed and pillows were among the most comfortable things I’d ever slept on.

Want to go again

I really enjoyed staying st the Riverside Hotel. The only part that dissapointed me was there were menu’s in the room for room service and I called down to order and was informed they no longer had room service. When we told them there was a menu in the room the guy said oh sorry about that and that was it.

Traveler's tip on local attractions

Very close to Joe Louis and Cobo Hall Also lots of nive bars and all this is walking distance.

DISAPPOINTED

The Hotel was unmarked and could not be identified from the outside making it difficult to find. The resteraunt was understaffed, and we didn’t receive a answer when room service was called. Valet parking was extremely overpriced ! The only thing the hotel has going for it is the location to the Cobo Center and Louis Arena. We were not satisfied at all :(

Overall good hotel

Good base hotel for Downtown activities, especially Cobo Hall. Not a lot of amenities for just hanging out.

Great Location

Staff were very friendly. Service was great. Our room was very comfortable.

Traveler's tip on local attractions

Just across the street from Cobo Hall and Joe Louis Arena.....great place for Hockey fans.

Unfortunate Heating Issues

My experience with the Riverside was a mixed bag: initial positive service followed by horrible maintenance issues and service. I would not recommend this hotel, though, despite its low prices. Upon arrival I was helped by a postive and effective front desk staffer. My room was comfortable and very clean. I left mid afternoon for a business meeting, returned home around ten PM, and turned in for the night. Around 2 AM I awoke to find the room very hot. I would estimate it was in the 95 to 100 degree range. The heat was running at full power. I adjusted the thermostat, to no avail. I turned it off, but with windows that would not open was trapped in a very hot room. I was advised that there were no other rooms available (auto show week) and that they could not move me. At checkout the next morning I advised the front desk staffer of the issue. She did not offer assistance. I asked to speak with a manager, and was told it would be a half an hour wait. I asked for a reduction in price, and was told I would have to wait for the manager. I instead left to keep an appointment. I will not return to the Riverside.

Riverside Hotel is Fine

Got a good deal on this room the night before I was to arrive in Motown for the North American International Auto Show. The hotel is right across the street from Cobo Hall, room was perfectly fine as was room service. Check-in a tad slow but otherwise no complaints whatsoever.

Hotel from hell

It would have been nice if there was a sign on the outside of the building, that would have help to find the place. I expected to have heat, towels, and maybe a cup that did not happen. This was New Year Eve so I would have like to been able to get a drink at the bar or even warm food would have help the situation. Checking in and out was a joke. I expected to see Norman Bates. Oh yea let’s not forget the half hour wait to get an elevator every single time I wanted to go up or down. The doors to the stairs locked and the fire alarm went off several times.

Was under renovation

The hotel was amidst a change over while we were there. There was no sign outside, so It was difficult to find, we had to call the hotel to find it. However, it was very close to everything downtown and to get to Canada. The room itself was ok, but the door to the bathroom had an opaque glass insert and did not allow for much privacy in the bathroom. And we were there for 2 days and room service never cleaned our room. But overall it served it’s purpose for our stay, we really weren’t in our room much. Would maybe give it another try after change is completed.

good trip

Clean room, friendly service, and good location.