The Lee Plaza Hotel: A Monument To Detroit’s Economic Decline
Wikimedia CommonsThe Lee Plaza Hotel opened in the late 1920s.
The Lee Plaza Hotel was a magnificent, 15-story, luxury residential hotel in Detroit, Michigan. Originally opened in 1929, the building was often seen as a symbol of Detroit’s impressive economic success. But by the time the hotel closed in 1997, it had become a sign of the city’s tragic decline.
Built just before the Great Depression, the building was designed by renowned architect Charles Noble and named after real estate mogul Ralph T. Lee. Located on West Grand Boulevard, overlooking the city, Lee Plaza Hotel featured 220 luxury-class apartments with stunning views. The building also boasted elegant ballrooms, a grand lobby, and opulent amenities that catered to Detroit’s wealthy elites.
The building seemed to exemplify 1920s optimism and Art Deco grandeur, with its elaborate decorations — like terra cotta lion heads — and its sophisticated residential hotel concept that appealed to affluent professionals, especially amidst the rise of the automobile. The Lee Plaza Hotel offered the ultimate in urban luxury living — spacious apartments with hotel services, fine dining, and a prestigious address. Per Historic Detroit, a 1931 brochure had even advertised the hotel as offering the “complete home life with all the detailed service of a great hotel added.”
At that time, Detroit was among America’s most prominent cities, and the Lee Plaza Hotel was a clear symbol of its influence. That said, the timing of its opening couldn’t have been more unfortunate.
Wikimedia CommonsThe rooftop of the abandoned Lee Plaza Hotel.
Opening the same year as the 1929 stock market crash, the hotel struggled financially as the Great Depression devastated the economy in the city and the country. The building managed to survive through several difficult decades, though, eventually converting to affordable housing for low-income senior citizens in 1969 as Detroit’s economic decline accelerated.
Meanwhile, white flight, deindustrialization, and urban decay eventually hollowed out Detroit’s population. The surrounding neighborhood near Lee Plaza deteriorated significantly, and the building’s maintenance suffered. The Lee Plaza finally closed in 1997 after years of declining conditions.
Since its closure, the Lee Plaza stood largely abandoned for years — a haunting monument to Detroit’s fall from prosperity. The building was also extensively vandalized and stripped of its valuable materials.
The situation may be improving, though. In May 2025, the City of Detroit announced that a restoration project focusing on the abandoned hotel would be moving forward. The project is expected to convert the building into new, affordable homes for seniors.
This comes around the same time of what seems to be an economic turnaround for the city as well, with two years of population growth in Detroit hinting at some signs of renewal. Detroit officially exited bankruptcy back in 2014, and the restoration of the long-abandoned Lee Plaza Hotel just over a decade later is most certainly a good sign.
Only time will tell if the restoration pays off.
After learning about some of the world’s most infamous abandoned hotels, take a look at nine abandoned airports and the stories behind them. Or, dive into the histories of nine abandoned castles from around the world.
