Daniel Caudill Built a 29 Room Hotel Around Michigan Makers
Dexter Hotel is a 29 room property in Elk Rapids, Michigan, built by Daniel Caudill, the former Shinola creative director, through Kinship Hospitality and in collaboration with Shore North Development. Much of its furniture and lighting was created with makers from the surrounding region.
Key Points
- 29 rooms in Elk Rapids, a three and a half hour drive north of Detroit
- Built by Kinship Hospitality with Shore North Development
- Caudill owned northern Michigan property for about 10 years before the hotel
Dexter Hotel is a new 29 room property in Elk Rapids, Michigan, and the furniture and lighting inside it were measured against one question: can we make it here? Daniel Caudill, the former creative director of Detroit watch and lifestyle brand Shinola, built it through Kinship Hospitality, the venture he co founded, in collaboration with Shore North Development.
Three and a Half Hours North of Detroit
Elk Rapids is a three and a half hour drive north of Detroit, and Caudill has owned property in northern Michigan for about 10 years. He says the area has fresh water, orchards and farms that make for good food, and a creative culture to match.
Detroit is already established as a craft and design hub. Caudill's view is that just as much talent is waiting to be discovered upstate, and Dexter Hotel is his bet on it.
Shinola's Michigan Habit Moved Upstate
At Shinola, Caudill championed made in Michigan production for years. Dexter applies the same approach to a hotel, with many of the furniture and lighting elements created by Kinship Hospitality in collaboration with makers from the surrounding region.
Sourcing ran through people he already knew. Caudill says his time in Michigan put him in contact with many makers who became friends, and he worked through that list.
"Can We Make It Here?"
"We looked at every single thing that we were adding to this property through the lens of, 'Can we make it here?'" Caudill told Design Milk. The extra time that took, he says, produced some of the best designs, even for something as small as a soap dish.
Charles Aydlett photographed the property, courtesy of Dexter Hotel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Dexter Hotel?
Dexter Hotel is in Elk Rapids, Michigan, about a three and a half hour drive north of Detroit.
How many rooms does the Dexter Hotel have?
Dexter Hotel has 29 rooms.
Who is behind the Dexter Hotel?
Daniel Caudill, the former creative director of Shinola, built it through his Kinship Hospitality venture in collaboration with Shore North Development.
Topics: made-in-michigan, elk-rapids, kinship-hospitality, shinola, dexter-hotel, design milk, michigan, design-milk, hotel-design, daniel-caudill