Hotel Convenience
There are several hotels in the downtown core that can host hundreds of guests each and provide meeting spaces as well. These hotel properties are owned and managed by only one company, which can make planning a downtown meeting and accommodations seamless.
The three hotels are the Amway Grand Plaza, part of the Hilton Collection, with 682 guest rooms and 47,000 square feet of meeting space; the J.W. Marriott Grand Rapids, with 337 guest rooms and 15,000 square feet of meeting space; and the Courtyard Grand Rapids Downtown by Marriott, which offers 214 guest rooms and 10,000 square feet of meeting space.
“You have three choices, but you only have to work with one salesperson who represents all three,” said Steele. For example, if your large group needs multiple hotels, you don’t have to deal with a multitude of salespeople. “There are sales reps at each of the three properties, but each one of them can sell meeting space or guest rooms at any of the three properties. Now that is convenience.”
The three hotels have a combined 1,100 guest rooms. All three have climate-controlled skywalks that feed into the DeVos Place convention center and Van Andel Arena. The arena seats 12,000 and hosts sports events, bigger concerts and other large traveling shows.
There are also some out-of-the-ordinary hotels downtown. One of them is CityFlatsHotel, a boutique property that is extremely environmentally friendly. It is a LEED Gold-certified building and offers such luxuries as bamboo linens, cork flooring, locally crafted furniture and oversized windows. There are 48 guest rooms at CityFlatsHotel and comfortable meeting spaces, a nice ballroom, and an outstanding restaurant and lounge.
Homewood Suites by Hilton is an extended-stay, all-suites hotel located in a restored 1898 building, but it is very modern inside. The hotel has 110 guest rooms and has the only rooftop bar in Grand Rapids.
Destination Appeal
There are 150 shops, restaurants, nightclubs, boutiques and coffee shops within walking distance of the downtown area. Steele said Grand Rapids is becoming known as Beer City.
“We have six breweries that are within walking distance of the convention center,” she said. “We have about 50 all together in the area. The group may want to visit a beer brewery and then have a food pairing, which has been very popular here.” There is also a lot of complimentary music offered outdoors in good weather during the spring, summer and fall.
For history fans, Grand Rapids is home to the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, not to be confused with the Presidential Library, 130 miles away in Ann Arbor. The Ford Presidential Museum is the presidential museum and final resting place of the 38th president, who served from 1974 to 1977, and his wife, Betty.
Sports enthusiasts can get their fix when any of the following local professional teams play at home: the Grand Rapids Griffins hockey team; baseball’s West Michigan Whitecaps; and the Grand Rapids Drive basketball team, which plays in the NBA Development League.
A mere 30 minutes away from Grand Rapids is beautiful Lake Michigan, whose expansive shoreline has been rated one of the best in the country. Visitors to the region can spend the day at the shore, with its gorgeous sand dunes and then spend the evening enjoying the nightlife of Grand Rapids.
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Location: Western Michigan, 30 miles east of Lake Michigan
Access: Gerald R. Ford International Airport; Amtrak; interstates 96, 196 and 296
Major Meeting Spaces: DeVos Place Convention Center, Amway Grand Plaza, J.W. Marriott, Courtyard Grand Rapids, CityFlatsHotel, Downtown Market
Hotel Rooms: 1,100 combined at the three largest downtown hotels
Offsite Venues: Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, Bissell Tree House, Grand Rapids Public Museum
Contact Info:
Experience Grand Rapids
800-678-9859
www.experiencegr.com
