Longtime Detroit Lions fan John Miller began making plans to attend the NFL draft in December, reserving a room at a hotel in downtown Detroit so that he and his wife could be in walking distance of the festivities.

Nearly two months later, the hotel told him his $350-a-night reservation had been canceled, and he was free to make another reservation for the same night in April — at three times the cost, or $1,100.

"Money isn't the issue at all. It's reneging on a promise that's terrible," said Miller, who owns a travel agency, Central Travel, with four locations in the Toledo area.

Here's what happened: When hotels began taking reservations in December for rooms during the draft in April, Miller's wife, Jani Miller, reserved a suite at the Detroit Club for the night of April 25. With taxes and fees added to the room rate of $350, the total cost was $427.50. She made the reservation in December and guaranteed it with a credit card.

In late January, the hotel said the reservation had been canceled at Jani Miller's request. Miller said his wife did no such thing. As a Detroit Lions fan since 1957 and a season ticket holder since 1980, Miller said he was looking forward to attending the draft and had chosen the club at Fort Street and Cass Avenue because he wanted to be in walking distance of the draft goings-on at Hart Plaza, Campus Martius Park and at Spirit Plaza, outside the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center.

In an email exchange, Jani Miller asked to reinstate the reservation and was told her request could not be accommodated, but she was free to make another reservation. The catch: Rooms for the night of April 25 were going for $1,100 as of Wednesday, according to the club's website.

Jani Miller called the club repeatedly, but never got through to the manager, Miller said.

"They wouldn't talk to her," he said.

Jennifer Thomason, assistant general manager at the Detroit Club, said she is not sure how the mix-up happened, but said that, as a club, members are given priority.

"I feel bad about the situation." she said late Thursday.

As the owner of a travel agency, Miller says he avoids hotels, cruise lines and others that have tried to take advantage of his clients.

He said the Detroit Club puts a black mark on his industry.

The whole episode, he said "is so unethical."

The Millers haven't decided whether to drive to Detroit from Toledo for a day at the draft, April 25-27.

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Hundreds of thousands of football fans are expected to descend on Detroit. Chris Moyer of Visit Detroit, the area's convention and visitors bureau, is not predicting the turnout but noted that last year's draft in Kansas City drew over 300,000. He said Detroit, because it is within a few hours' drive from several cities with NFL teams, could attract even more people.

Moyer said the draft is free and to be wary of anyone selling tickets. Fans who want to attend, however, need to download the NFL One Pass, which is free. Fans who are unable to download the pass will be helped by "ambassadors" at entry points to the venues.

"This is an event for everyone," Moyer said. "This is going to be the largest and most diverse sporting event in Detroit's history. ... This is supported by fans from all 32 teams."

He said there are 45,000 hotel rooms in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties, and more in Ann Arbor, Brighton, and elsewhere.

A Free Press check of room rates Wednesday showed prices at the Detroit Club were $275 on weeknights to $300 on weekends in the weeks before the draft. The night of April 24 is blacked out on the club's website, with advertised rates of $1,100 for April 25, $900 for the following two nights, then climbing to $1,000 a night from April 28 through April 30.

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While they are not within walking distance of the draft, a couple of luxury hotels in Birmingham are charging less per night. The cost of a room at the Townsend Hotel was going for $430 the night of April 25, with no minimum stay, according to hotel reservations, while the cost for a room at the Daxton Hotel was $499 for the same night. A three-night minimum stay is required.

At the DoubleTree Suites on Fort Street in Detroit, rooms during the draft are sold out. But if a room opens, it will most likely cost $699 a night. Websites for other downtown hotels showed they were sold out for the night in question, April 25.

Contact Jennifer Dixon: jbdixon@freepress.com

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: NFL draft attendee: Detroit hotel canceled reservation, ups rate