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In 1906 people thought Lew Tuller, a newsboy
turned developer, was crazy when he built his
hotel on Grand Circus Park. The curvy edifice
was too far from the center of things to possibly
succeed. But Tuller would have the last laugh
as his hotel became such a success that it was
expanded in 1910, 1914, 1923, and 1929. The complete
hotel totaled nearly 800 rooms.
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Lew
Tuller's curvy original 1906 building.
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Extra
floors and an addition have been added.
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By 1929
the Tuller had become a massive landmark.
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The building was quoted as resembling "a
half-ironed pair of pants" with boxy additions
added to the original structure. Exteriors aside,
inside the Tuller was beautiful. Inside patrons
found a variety of breathtaking interiors to enjoy.
A richly furnished lobby was decorated to the
taste of the time. Behind the lobby was a writing
room of soft blues and creams. The Rose Room offered
cafe services and was a popular spot for ladies
to take afternoon tea. Grander still was the Cascade
Room which offered Cabaret and a waterfall fountain.
These ground floor rooms were joined with a wood
paneled "peacock alley", named after
a famed space in New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.
Below, in the basement, a Grill was added in later
additions. High on the upper floors were situated
a bright roof garden and large ballroom and four
smaller conference rooms. Yet, the crown jewel
of the Tuller's interiors was the wood-paneled
Arabian Room. This became the preferred venue
for Duke Ellington. During the years of the Jazz
Age the Tuller would be known as the "Grande
Dame of Grand Circus Park". With such a fine
collection of public spaces it is easy to see
why.
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Cascade
Room
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Rose
Room
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Writing
Room
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Peacock
Alley
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However, as the twenties wore on the Tuller became
increasingly obsolete. It had difficulty competing
with the new modern Book-Cadillac and Statler.
In 1928 the end appeared to be near. The Biltmore
company planned to build a 34 story, 1400 room
Detroit-Biltmore Hotel on the site. The Stock
Market crash proved the Tuller's salvation. Rather,
the Tuller was modernized and expanded in 1929.
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Lobby
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Arabian
Room
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Roof
Garden
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The
Grill
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The Tuller spent much of the 1930's in the hands
of the growing Albert Pick Hotels chain, which
would later operate the Fort Shelby. Business
slumped throughout the depression. In an attempt
to revitalize the hotel, extensive modernization's
were begun in 1943. In the process much of the
original decor and public spaces, save the Arabian
Room, were removed. In their place when slick
new 'art moderne' interiors for the postwar age.
Ultimately these renovations did not help the
Tuller regain its lost glory nor help prevent
a deadly fire in 1949.
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The
Grand Ballroom
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The
Tuller in the 1930's.
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The Tuller survived through the 1950's and 1960's
serving increasing numbers of senior long-term
residents and traveling groups. As profits declined
the once posh hotel became more and more run down
and obsolete. Business slumped in the 1970's and
by 1976 the Tuller was a shabby haunt for prostitutes,
panhandlers, and female impersonators. Citing
rising operating cost and lack of profits the
owners closed the Tuller in that year. Ironically,
its dependence on lower clienteles in later years
had allowed it to actually outlive the more modern
Statler.
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The
Tuller by the 1960's.
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A number of renovation schemes for the "ghost
hotel" were floated. These included a plan
to turn the Tuller into the Golden Harp Castle,
a 250 room hotel, 250 apartment complex with a
14 story atrium and Jazz Age theme. Nothing ever
came of these or other plans. The Tuller was finally
pulled down by the City in 1992 as it was considered
"beyond saving". Perhaps more tragic
then the lost of Lew Tuller's hotel is the scar
Grand Circus Park now bears. The lot is a currently
an unpaved parking lot.
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