Vintage roots. Modern soul. The kind of place you post about — not the kind you settle for.
A 1954 motor inn rebuilt for how people travel now. Boutique rooms with real character, free parking at your door, a lobby cocktail lounge, and walkable downtown Royal Oak bars and restaurants right outside. Skip the downtown-Detroit hotel premium — stay in Royal Oak, then drive south on I-75 to Ford Field, Comerica, or LCA when you need to. Call to book and you'll get our own team, on property — not a big-brand call center reading from a script.
Boutique. Walkable. Free parking at your door. A 1954 motor inn with a lobby cocktail bar — and downtown Royal Oak right outside, minus the downtown-Detroit price tag. Call us and a real local answers — no call center.
Tell us what kind of trip this is — we'll build the perfect stay around it.
It started in 1954 as the Jones Royal Motor Inn — a classic roadside motor lodge built in stages around a single family home. Same address. Same bones. Completely different vibe today.
It started as the Jones Royal Motor Inn — a classic mid-century roadside motor lodge built in stages around a single family home. Mr. Jones swung open a brand-new Royal Oak stop for travelers cruising 11 Mile Road, and the place carried that motor-inn feel from day one.
Now running as the Jones Motel and Jones Royal Motor Inn, the property landed on vintage postcards and lodging directories — a familiar overnight stop in the era of Sunday drives, station wagons and roadside Americana. Local lore credits Ben Jones, a Royal Oak electrician, with building and running it through much of this stretch.
Through the 1980s the property held its old-school motor-inn character while sitting in walking distance of a Royal Oak growing up around it. Visitors returned because the location was unbeatable, the welcome was familiar, and the whole place was unmistakably mid-century.
By the early 2000s the motor inn had aged. The bones were still there — the location, the layout, the character — but, as Hotel Royal Oak's own story puts it, time had taken its toll. The building was waiting for someone to see it for what it could be.
After leaving the Royal Oak City Commission, Jim Rasor and partners assessed the Royal Oak Motor Inn when it came on the market — and bought it. They were convinced Royal Oak deserved a quality local hotel and that this aging motor inn could become exactly that.
Rasor said the property needed everything — and they replaced, renovated and reimagined nearly all of it. Rooms, branding, service, guest experience: rebuilt for modern travelers while keeping the mid-century motor-lodge bones intact. By 2021, Pride Source was profiling Hotel Royal Oak as a renovated, inclusive, queer-friendly boutique with live music, classic-car shows and outdoor programming filling the Vibe Patio.
Today Hotel Royal Oak is the hip, local, friendly reimagined motor lodge — steps from downtown Royal Oak, with free parking, Wi-Fi, breakfast, 24/7 lobby service, the HI-FI Lobby Lounge, the Bridge, the Vibe Patio, and a walkable location that makes every stay part of the neighborhood.
Every room here is a different size, different layout, different vibe. The Penthouse isn't the Premium. The Signature isn't the Social. Pick the room that fits the trip you're actually taking.
Our most-upgraded room. Top floor, biggest layout, the works. The one you book when you want the trip to feel like an upgrade from minute one.
The DNA of the hotel — what we built our reputation on. King bed, boutique character, the room that defines what staying here actually feels like.
Spacious, refined, calm. Built for the trip where you actually want the room to feel like a retreat — not just a place to sleep.
See this room →Designed to gather. The room you book when the trip is about who you're with, not just where you're staying.
See this room →Courtyard side — calm light, calm sound. The quiet pick when you want street separation and slow morning coffee.
See this room →The workhorse. Comfortable king bed, everything you need, none of the chain-hotel sameness. Royal Oak's most-booked king.
See this room →Cozy and stylish — same character, smaller footprint. The smart-priced solo pick or short-stay couple's room.
See this room →Two double beds. The one for friends sharing, family travel, or weekend crews who want one room and don't want to argue over the king.
See this room →A cocktail lounge in the lobby. A pool table in a hot-pink-and-electric-blue room. A pet-friendly outdoor patio. Two real-flame fire patios. A retro lounge available for private events. A Zoom-ready meeting space. And drinks delivered around the property by QR order.
The buzzing heart of the lobby. Coffee in the morning, cocktails at night, and bartenders who remember your name (and your drink). Garden herbs and Farmers Market garnishes when in season.
Pool table, hot pink and electric blue everything. Open to all guests. The space you didn't know you needed.
Retro '70s décor with plush seating. Bookable for private events — after-parties, watch parties, bachelorette nights, small mixers.
String lights, a hammock, complimentary bikes, and bar service — pet-friendly throughout, with live music on weekends. The kind of outdoor hotel space most properties don't have.
A private Zoom-ready studio you can book by the hour. Big screen, fast WiFi, AirPlay, plus optional add-ons like breakfast, coffee, or drinks on call.
Two real-flame fire patios — West & North — with lounge seating and a bar cart that rolls out for the night. Pet-friendly, no upcharge.
Same concert. Same restaurants. Same Sunday brunch. Wildly different morning — and wildly different walk back at 1AM. Here's what one weekend actually looks like in each city.
Same events. Better stay.
No valet line. No rideshare back. Just a walk home.
From Hotel Royal Oak to where you actually want to be. Tap any dot to jump, or watch it cycle.
— Some version of this shows up in most of our reviews. Travelers' Choice 2025 — top 10% of hotels worldwide. Unedited. Unpaid. Real guests.
"I booked this hotel for a concert. Check in was easy, staff very friendly, safe environment, clean. The overall vibe was great. Will be coming back."
"Super reasonable in price. Walkable to downtown Royal Oak. Park directly in front of your room. Free breakfast sandwich and coffee. Would definitely stay here again."
"The coziest, cutest place. Staff are so kind and welcoming. We had so much fun in town we extended our trip."
"Location is great for Royal Oak Theater and the whole downtown area. The property has tons of outdoor spaces. Loved it and will be returning."
"The location was fantastic — short walk or drive to so many things. Safe neighborhood. You can tell these people take pride and care about running a good business."
"An amazing space with a super cool 70's vibe, the soul to support it, but the modern amenities anyone can appreciate. I loved it, and I'll be back."
"Check in was easy, staff very friendly, safe environment, clean. Will be coming back."
"Park directly in front of your room. Free breakfast sandwich and coffee. Would definitely stay here again."
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811 East 11 Mile Rd · Royal Oak, MI 48067
Live conditions and the next 7 days at the hotel. Pack the right jacket. Plan the patio night. Decide if you need the umbrella.
The boutique hotel base for metro Detroit. Free parking. HI-FI Lobby Lounge. Phone-key check-in. Walkable downtown Royal Oak. Book direct.