DEARBORN – After more than two years of extensive restoration, a reopening ceremony was held Wednesday for the historic Dearborn Inn hotel, designed by renowned architect Albert Kahn and built nearly a century ago by automotive pioneer Henry Ford.

Mayor Abdullah Hammoud, Ford Motor Company CEO Bill Ford and a group of officials from Dearborn, Wayne County and Ford-related institutions attended the event.

Originally opened in 1931, the newly renovated hotel now carries the Marriott Autograph Collection brand and features 135 rooms, with nightly rates starting at $350. The 23-acre property has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1982. It was one of the first airport hotels in the United States, built by Henry Ford across from what was formerly Ford Airport on Oakwood Boulevard.

During the renovation, the team preserved many original design elements, such as checkered marble floors and a green marble fireplace in the lobby. The redesign and restoration were carried out in close collaboration with the Ford family.

Over the years, the Dearborn Inn hosted legendary guests, including Walt Disney, aviation pioneer Orville Wright, painter Norman Rockwell, former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt, former President Reagan and other notable figures in American history.

Alongside historic decor and exhibits in the hotel’s halls and courtyards, guests will enjoy several interactive features like a vintage photo booth, open sketchbooks, mobile bar carts and “Clara’s Table”, a restaurant offering farm-to-table cuisine inspired by Clara Ford’s passion for gardening. There is also a cocktail bar named “The Vagabonds” in honor of the famous road trips taken by Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, John Burroughs and Harvey Firestone.

Later this year, five separate guest cottages on the property will reopen, along with a 17,000-square-foot event and meeting space.

“This hotel set a new standard not just for our region, but for the entire country,” Hammoud said during the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“This hotel has always been an integral part of Dearborn’s history, a special place for my family and the Ford community,” Ford said in a statement. “But more important than its past, the Dearborn Inn is part of Ford’s broader commitment to building for the future.”

Ford expressed his pride in adding the inn to, “our growing list of restored buildings across Ford and the local community — key to our long-term success.”