#329 - The Graduate in Ann Arbor

The Graduate Chain

Chain hotels rarely get written up in the Notable Nights blog. But our stay at Ann Arbor's Graduate Hotel, was indeed notable!

There are over 30 Graduate hotels, found in university towns just like Ann Arbor. Each is unique and reflects the flavor of the location. Don and I happen to love this location.

Nostalgia

Our 2-night visit was a curious mix of enjoying the present and recalling the past. The hotel's atmosphere was enjoyable for any traveler. But for me it triggered some fun memories as well. This will be a rambling write-up for sure.

​I moved to Ann Arbor in 1973... 

Don came to Ann Arbor the same year. We both lived in the college town for only 2 years. I was in high school and Don was at U-M. We have fond memories, but they're different ones. That's because we met a few years later, in St. Louis.

Began as "Campus Inn"

The 14-story hotel has always looked impressive. The Campus Inn (as it was called for 45 years) was built a couple years before we moved to town. It was the the tallest building in Ann Arbor, in 1970.

I remember the exterior, with flags blowing in front. I have a few more memories that involve the inside. Oh how classy that lobby felt to a 16-year old! Nothing like the Holiday Inn motels from family trips!  

Old Photo

I have one photo of the Campus Inn, from way back when. I took it with my brother's Nikomat, for my photography class in 1974.

I snapped a similar photo with my cellphone last June, after we arrived in Ann Arbor. The beautiful Harris Hall still stands next door. I love the contrast of the old and new building. Even if the new one, is no longer new.

Chairs and Fountain

I was excited to see what memories would surface. I took a quick peek out front, before we checked in. I'm not sure I remember that fountain, but I was happy to see it. I love a fountain!

I'm quite sure there were no rockers facing Huron Street, in the seventies. Rocking chairs belong on porches and in lodges, not modern high-rise hotels. That's okay, because I love rocking chairs!

​Check In

As soon as we stepped into the lobby, we were hit by the cozy collegiate theme.

The front desk was surrounded by walls covered in yardsticks. Actually I'm pretty sure I never used a yardstick in college, or high school.

The lobby counter looked a bit like something from an old campus library. The plaid fabric gave the place a clubby feel. 

Sitting Areas

There were lots of cozy nooks for reading or gathering. 

And a few chalkboards, to work out some math problems.

I loved the original Eames Lounge Chair, with its new, outdoorsy fabric.

There were some nods to U-M athletics, in the artwork. Mostly related to football. But I spotted this great vintage diving image.

One Long Table

Near the front windows, a 50-ft library table filled the whole length of the lobby.

I never spotted anyone with a book or pencil. Maybe a laptop, once.

I loved this view from above. Dramatic drapes framed the 2-story, floor to ceiling windows.

​The ceiling appeared to be wallpapered with a book print of some kind.  

Four enormous chandeliers hung from that decorated ceiling.

Lobby in 1970 & 2024

The b&w image shows how Campus Inn's lobby looked when it first opened. Imported German crystal chandeliers decorated the ceiling.

I have vivid memories of that dramatic stairway, rising up in the corner. It was totally wrapped in carpet then. Which could have softened a fall, if you took a tumble over the rail-free side!

Speaking of Stairs

I dug through old photos, hoping to find anything from Campus Inn, back in the day. I was excited to find a photo of Mom & Dad, with Inge Morath (wife of Arthur Miller) at an opening night celebration. Lobby stairs behind them?

Nope! Wrong stairs and wrong lobby. The photo was actually taken at The Power Center for Performing Arts, just a 5-minute walk from the hotel. Power Center (where dad spent much of his working hours) was built just a year after Campus Inn. Soaring glass walls and swirling stairs, were pretty popular in early '70s!

Stair Memory

Heading up the stairs is now a little safer. Handrails have been added! Today's colorful carpet design is made up of a patchwork of Persian rug pieces!

As I climbed to take a photo, I thought back to the last time I headed up those stairs. It was May of 1975 and I was attending my Senior Prom, wearing a floor length halter dress, made by Mom. 

​Upstairs
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After climbing the stairs, I explored in search for the 2 ballrooms that I vaguely remember. The room with windows was most familiar.

1975 in Ann Arbor was not a year (or place) for taking proms super seriously. But I was happy to have the high school prom experience, especially since it was held at Campus Inn. Too bad I didn't get "asked to Prom" until a week before. Ouch! But Mom was fast with the sewing machine!

Prom Gang

This is the only photo from that evening. No endless selfies or videos to preserve memories. I wish I had snapshots of the 2 ballrooms and my classmates doing The Hustle and dancing to Kung Fu Fighting.

I wish I had a video of me teaching my date to waltz (to disco music) just minutes before the Midnight Waltz... which was not a serious thing.  Mostly I remember having a great time with my friend Lorie. (R) Such a special friend, to this day

​Up We Go

After being swept back in time, I was excited to see how the guest rooms and hallways had changed over the years.

Floor 5 had dark walls and fun floors and humorous framed artwork here and there. 

Wall Art

The locally inspired cartoons were filled with inside jokes, that no out-of-towner would ever get. I only lived a short while in Ann Arbor, but I absorbed enough in 2 years, to be totally amused!

I wasn't in college during those years, but Dad taught at the university. Later my 3 sibs became U-M grads. My hubby Don and our daughter attended U-M. I kept being reminded as I explored, how strongly I feel connected to this college town.

Room #515

Our room was only 5 floors up and we had no campus view. But the room was more entertaining than what I remember from my last stay.

There was a felt pennant to hang on the door, if we didn't want to be disturbed. And the room keycards looked like old student I.D.s. I was amused and displayed them on the desk pad.

Whimsical Decor

I'm guessing all 207 rooms are pretty similar, with dark walls and vintage-style furniture. I did appreciate the wall decor! Outdoorsy woman with marshmallows, behind the blue chair!

... framed sheet music and a nude and a car! And how about a library card catalog, holding the flatscreen TV. 

I appreciate a light bathroom, but this one had dim lighting and dark walls. But the framed art was bright and made me want to sing, "Hail to the Victors"!

Sleep
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​The bed was comfy, with a fresh white duvet. I half expected a dated plaid bedspread, like Don might have had in his U-M college dorm in 1974.

I love almost anything retro, but I prefer white linens! 

We didn't have the best view, but the big picture window let in lots of light.

2006!

I stayed one other time at the Campus Inn, years ago. Not Prom. Kids didn't do that in 1975.  

I have fond memories of staying in the hotel (and watching American Idol) with daughter Heidi. She was moving from the dorm, after freshman year. This 18-year-old photo is baffling. How is that even possible, that my daughter has doubled her age?

2006 View

In 2006, our room had flowered comforters and we actually had a view of the campus.

In this photo you can see the Frieze building on the left. I have memories of rehearsing a scene in one of the classrooms. My sister was directing it for a theatre class.

Similar View 

In 2024, I took this photo from a room on the 14th floor. The view is similar. You can see the Burton Tower in the distance... but sadly the Frieze building is gone. Demolished in 2007, to make way for some fresher buildings.

And how was I able to peek out of a 14th floor room, that wasn't mine? 

Chris and Karen!

My brother Chris and his wife Karen were also staying at The Graduate! On the 14th floor! 

There is nothing more fun than sharing a Notable Night (or two) with family! We 4 met up in the hotel's Allen Rumsey Cocktail Lounge. Cheers to these two!

​Catching Up!

The cozy cocktail lounge was hopping when we met up just after 6. Our bartender, Alante (sp?) couldn't have been nicer. He gave us Happy Hour prices even though we'd arrived a smidge late.

I told Alante we were visiting from Idaho and Texas. I laughed about my Prom in 1975. Alante chuckled at that and wanted to know, "Which school?" I told him I was a Huron River Rat and he shook his head with pity. "Just like my mom!" He said they gave his mom a hard time. She was the only family member that didn't graduate from Pioneer. 

Wolverines

The majority of the photos displayed in the lounge focused on the Wolverines. I heard that the team at one time used to stay at Campus Inn the night before home games.

The photo of Coach Bo Schembechler (far left) suddenly reminded me of his son Geoff... in my 11th grade theatre class at Huron. Nice guy. 

Famous People

A lot of notables (unrelated to football) have stayed at the hotel over the years. Gerald Ford stayed many times. Playwright Arthur Miller also stayed when he was premiering a new play in 1974. Another memory here...

I remember sitting in the lounge when I was 16, at a table in the center of this room. I recently verified the memory, in an old diary.

Dad and Arthur

My dad was involved with the premier production of Miller's "Up From Paradise" that year. I went to watch one of the rehearsals at The Power Center. Afterwards we went back to the hotel where Miller and his wife Inge were staying. We gathered around a table in the lounge, for drinks. A Coke for me.

In my diary I mention talking to Inge at the rehearsal and being fairly giddy that she invited me to come visit them in Connecticut sometime. (never did) I wrote about how fascinating it was to sit in the bar at Campus Inn and hear the post rehearsal discussions... about changing some dialogue... adding a new song... And then I wrote about the excruciating embarrassment, when I realized the table leg that I was thumping with my foot, was actually Arthur Miller's shoe! Years later, I laughed about the evening I played footsie with Arthur Miller.

Outside at The Graduate

The hotel's lounge was a fun place to catch up and reminisce. But it was the rocking chairs, that I'll remember most fondly.

Late one evening, we pulled some rockers together and enjoyed some wine. Sitting 4 in a row, with a surprisingly loud fountain, meant that I talked just with Karen. Don talked with Chris. I will always remember how pleasant it was, rocking and talking with my sister in law, comparing our own college memories. (neither at U-M) Funny how the college theme worked itself into our conversation! 

At midnight the fountain suddenly turned off and the lights went out. It felt like we were being reminded of curfew. ​

When we stepped back in the lobby, I spotted a cluster of guests at the long table, putting away a board game. A young man sat at a grand piano (tucked beneath the stairs) playing some soft little tune. It felt a little dorm-like, in a fun way.

Morning

In the morning, we took our 20-dollar voucher (from Expedia or the hotel?) to the lobby's coffee shop.

I had fun chatting with the barista about the portraits on the back wall. She seemed as amused as I was, about all the painted characters. These were portraits of real people, once displayed over fireplaces and couches! How did they end up here?

"Do you have a favorite?" I asked. She did. Her fave was a portrait of a red-headed woman, but it was hidden behind the coffee machine that couldn't be moved. 

Allen Rumsey Supper Club

​I regret that we didn't get to sample a dinner at the hotel's "Supper Club". I love that term, especially when it's written in glowing red letters above our heads!

Don and I ended up sitting a spell in those comfy green chairs, with Chris and Karen. They were finishing up breakfast. 

Next visit, I need to try out one of those plaid booths. Each had its own display of vintage prints! Someday I want a full story about who had the fun job of shopping estate sales and thrift shops, for all the portraits and prints that decorate The Graduate.

​What's Notable?

In this blog I've jabbered endlessly about memories that surfaced during our stay. But we had 2  notable nights to collect new memories!

We stayed off season at a college-themed high-rise hotel, just steps away from University of Michigan campus! I'm glad to have experienced all the nooks and crannies... the bold decor and clever details... the lounge and lobby, the rockers and our comfy room. All good. It might be fun to visit during a football weekend, with lots of life and good people watching. But I enjoyed it at a quieter time, sharing the nostalgia with Don and Chris and Karen. I loved being able to sit (in numerous places) and share observations and stories. I loved being able to walk to downtown and campus and absorb all that's new... and rejoice in the things that haven't changed.