Look inside one of the first airport hotels in the US, built by Henry Ford and visited by Walt Disney and Ronald Reagan

The Dearborn Inn in Michigan was one of the first airport hotels in the US when it was built nearly a century ago. It has now been restored.

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Mar 20, 2025 - 08:57
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Look inside one of the first airport hotels in the US, built by Henry Ford and visited by Walt Disney and Ronald Reagan
The Dearborn Inn.
The Dearborn Inn.

Isaac Maiselman Photography

  • The Dearborn Inn in Michigan was one of the first airport hotels in the US.
  • Henry Ford built the hotel across from the now-defunct Ford Airport in 1931.
  • The historic hotel underwent a two-year renovation and features nods to Ford and Ford Motor Company.

The Dearborn Inn, one of the first airport hotels in the US, reopened in Michigan on Wednesday following a two-year renovation of the historic property built by Henry Ford in 1931.

The hotel, located across from the now-defunct Ford Airport, still features some of Ford's original design choices from its days hosting world leaders and magnates.

"From the moment guests step through our doors, we want them to feel inspired by the history that surrounds them and by the trailblazers who once walked these halls," Joleisha Bradley, the Dearborn Inn's general manager, said in a statement. "The hotel is both a welcoming retreat and living museum, with historic artifacts woven throughout the property."

Take a look inside the restored Dearborn Inn.

The Dearborn Inn was built across from the Ford Airport by Henry Ford in 1931.
An old photo of the Dearborn Inn.
The Dearborn Inn.

The Dearborn Inn

The Ford Airport opened in 1924 and operated until 1947. It is now the Ford Dearborn Development Center.

The hotel, designed by architect Albert Kahn, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 and is one of the first airport hotels in the US.

Famous guests included Walt Disney, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Ronald Reagan.
A letter from Walt Disney at the Dearborn Inn.
A letter from Walt Disney at the Dearborn Inn.

Isaac Maiselman Photography

The newly renovated hotel displays a letter from Walt Disney along with other artifacts from its nearly 100-year history.

The restored Dearborn Inn has 135 rooms.
The Dearborn Inn.
The Dearborn Inn.

Isaac Maiselman Photography

The Dearborn Inn is now part of Marriott Bonvoy's Autograph Collection network of independent hotels.

In the lobby, visitors can see the original Italian marble floors that Henry Ford chose for the hotel.
The lobby of the Dearborn Inn.
The lobby of the Dearborn Inn.

Isaac Maiselman Photography

The lobby's green marble fireplace has also been restored.

Four Vagabond, the hotel's cocktail bar, was designed to look like one of Ford's studies.
Four Vagabonds Bar at the Dearborn Inn.
Four Vagabonds at the Dearborn Inn.

Isaac Maiselman Photography

The name Four Vagabonds refers to Ford and the other three members of his friend group that went on camping trips together: inventor Thomas Edison, naturalist John Burroughs, and tire magnate Harvey Firestone.

The Dearborn Inn's restaurant, Clara's Table, is named for Ford's wife.
Clara's Table at the Dearborn Inn.
Clara's Table at the Dearborn Inn.

Isaac Maiselman Photography

Clara's Table serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner under the helm of chef Elliot Patti. The original green marble throughout the restaurant was restored as part of the renovation.

A mural by Detroit artist Ryan Herberholz decorates the hotel's private dining room.
Four Vagabonds at the Dearborn Inn.
The private dining room at the Dearborn Inn.

Isaac Maiselman Photography

The mural shows the Four Vagabonds on one of their camping trips.

The hotel rooms feature four-poster elm beds and Eames chairs.
A room at the Dearborn Inn.
A room at the Dearborn Inn.

Isaac Maiselman Photography

The hotel has 19 suites and a presidential suite featuring a living room, kitchenette, and dining area.

Even the bathrooms include a nod to Ford Motor Company.
A bathroom at the Dearborn Inn featuring blue tiles.
A bathroom at the Dearborn Inn.

Isaac Maiselman Photography

The bathroom walls are tiled in the company's signature color, Ford Pantone blue.

Rates at the Dearborn Inn start at $350 per night.
The Four Vagabonds at the Dearborn Inn.
The Four Vagabonds at the Dearborn Inn.

Isaac Maiselman Photography

"Since 1931, the Dearborn Inn has been a significant piece of Dearborn's history, and an important place for my family and the Ford community," Bill Ford, executive chair of Ford Motor Company, said in a statement. "I could not be happier that the Inn is reopening in service of Ford employees, and our broader community."

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