Ten watches are available to borrow for guests staying at the chic, 129-room hotel in downtown Detroit.
A stay at Detroit’s stylish Shinola Hotel just got even more covetable: The hotel offshoot of the Motor City lifestyle brand is now giving you the chance to upgrade your wrist game with a Shinola watch on loan via the destination.
The 129-room Shinola Hotel is already downtown Detroit’s coolest destination (and a Michelin KEY hotel, to boot). The new Shinola Lending Program celebrates its five-year anniversary by offering ten men’s and women’s watches for one-day loans. Seasonal rotations will be made in the future, but for now, the assortment caters to collectors of Shinola’s signature timepieces.
Guests staying in the hotel’s suite and penthouse room categories start by setting up an exclusive appointment with the hotel’s Experience Team for a journey through the world of Shinola, including timepiece specs, history and special features. The inaugural lineup, accordingly, features several Shinola favorites.
Chief among them is the Shinola Runwell 41mm, an Mid-Century Modern ode available in an array of classic colors. The first watch launched by the brand more than a decade ago, Shinola notes, is “assembled from the finest components available in the world.”
That process can be seen firsthand at Shinola’s Cass Corridor HQ and assembly factory, a treat for any watch enthusiast (and a must-visit for those staying at the Shinola Hotel). The Shinola Runwell Chrono 41mm is also on offer for Shinola Hotel guests, with dual-dial chronograph functionality powered by an Argonite-5021 movement. The watch “epitomizes simple sophistication,” making it perhaps a worthy choice out on the town at a Detroit cocktail bar.
The Shinola Runwell 41mm in Petoskey is also part of the program, serving as a distinctive tribute to the state of Michigan’s geology and the Petoskey Stone. The stone is “a treasure sought out by many who visit the beaches of northern Michigan,” the company noted, and the colonial coral fossil is so distinct that no two are alike.
And since Shinola Hotel guests can swap watches throughout their stay, the offering runs the gamut across both rugged and refined styles, including the Shinola Bronze Monster GMT. The aptly named timepiece is a beastly watch with an impressive bronze case. As to the Bronze Monster, the watchmaker says that it was “inspired by the Prohibition era and the stealth of rumrunners on Michigan waterways,” a fitting tribute to the state.
For those who favor a more tailored, elegant look, The Derby 38mm is also available for lending via the new program. Its scaled-back dial calls to mind classic watch styles, while a day-night window and an expertly placed date notation add further distinction. Of the timepiece, Shinola says it delivers a “timeless, everyday look.”
The program, a surefire way to upgrade one’s wrist game on the road in tasteful, stylish fashion, drives home the company’s values via both the hotel and the watchmaker, said Steve Katzman, CEO of Shinola’s parent organization Bedrock Manufacturing Company.
The program emphasizes Shinola tentpoles, Katzman said, chief among them “commitment to quality experience, craftsmanship, and timeless design,” he said, adding that “throughout their stay, guests may discover the parallels between aspects of each watch with design details throughout the hotel and even architectural aspects of the city.” For a watch brand with a strong Detroit heritage, it makes perfect sense to try out a covetable Shinola timepiece the next time you venture to the Motor City.
