Where to eat, stay and have fun as the Movement Festival returns to Detroit

Where to stay

The Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center is located right next to Hart Plaza and will offer stunning views of the city skyline and Detroit River. It also includes great dining options, and is just steps away from Movement.

The Courtyard by Marriott Downtown Detroit is right across the street from the Ren Cen and just two blocks from Movement at Hart Plaza. On top of a restaurant and convenience store, the hotel has an indoor pool and hot tub, and is right near the heart of Downtown Detroit.

Fort Pontchartrain by Wyndham is located right across the street from Hart Plaza and has easy access to the People Mover to get around the city. There’s a bar and restaurant on site, with a pool and fitness center.

The Detroit Foundation Hotel is a beautiful boutique hotel just a few blocks away from Hart Plaza. It’s located in a former Detroit Fire Department firehouse with a great restaurant, The Apparatus Room, on site.

Finally, Aloft Detroit at the David Whitney is a straight shot down Woodward Ave. to Hart Plaza, about ¾ of a mile away, but an easy walk through the heart of Downtown Detroit.

Where to eat

Grand Trunk Pub is just a few blocks down Woodward from Hart Plaza, and has more than a dozen Michigan beers on top. The pub just underwent a renovation last year. The Reuben Rolls and fried pickle chips are a must-have, and the Grand Trunk Pub Reuben features corned beef from Eastern Market, kraut with a Michigan-based beer and bread from a Detroit bakery.

Atwater Brewery is a couple of miles along the Riverfront, but it’s part of the Detroit Brew Trail and has some delicious food and beer. They’re famous for the Dirty Blond and the Vanilla Java Porter beers, and grab some poutine as a great shareable. For food, give the Atwater Brat a try, or the Brewer’s Mac & Cheese, which has great flavor.

For brunch ahead of Movement, make sure to check out Dime Store, a few blocks from Hart Plaza and just one block away from Campus Martius Park. They offer breakfast/brunch and lunch, and you can’t go wrong. The housemade biscuits and gravy are delicious, or you can build your own omelette if you’d like. For a snack, the bacon, parm and truffle fries are perfect, crispy and delicious.

Of course, you can’t come to Detroit without getting a coney. No matter what,  American Coney Island or Lafayette Coney Island will have what you’re looking for with the Detroit staple of chili, mustard and onions.

Checker Bar and Pop + Offworld are located just near Campus Martius, and they have great burgers and pizza with cheap beer. Above Checker, Pop + Offworld offers an arcade bar with the menu from Checker below.

Pre-parties and afterparties

There are more than a dozen official pre-parties that are spread out leading up to the event at music venues throughout the city and into metro Detroit.

The official Movement opening party is taking place at Spot Lite in Detroit on Friday, May 27. It features Body & Soul, along with François K, Joe Claussell and Danny Krivit.

Also on May 27, there’s an event at The Magic Stick featuring Mikey Lion, Lee Reynolds, Marbs and Porky, and an event at The Masonic Temple’s Fountain Ballroom.

The afterparties are happening every night after the festival wraps up on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

Saturday night features events at the Masonic Temple, Spot Lite, TV Lounge and City Club.

On Sunday night, there’s an event called “Elevate” at The Magic Stick, and the final afterparty will feature DJ Minx and friends at Spot Lite on Monday, May 30.

Finally, it’s incredibly easy to get around. There are a variety of transportation options, but if you’re staying Downtown, it might be easiest to walk. There’s also the QLine, which goes from New Center to Downtown, just a few blocks away from Hart Plaza.