[ON LOCATION] LYDIA GREGORY
Grand Rapids is breaking the mold, offering event planners a refreshing mix of cutting-edge facilities, cultural richness and natural beauty that’s putting this city on the map for discerning MICE professionals.
Leading the charge is AHC Hospitality, with a portfolio that includes some of the city’s top hotels and restaurants. One of these, the JW Marriott Grand Rapids, was home during my visit to Grand Rapids. Located on the banks of the Grand River, it’s a gleaming glass and steel building just slightly shorter than its sister property, the Amway Grand Plaza, Curio Collection by Hilton, with 656 rooms and 44 suites.
During my stay I became very familiar with the walkways that connect them and the DeVos Place Convention Center. Michigan’s raw winters demand these climate-controlled skywalks, a plus that makes this a destination for all seasons. The system also connects to the group’s Courtyard Grand Rapids Downtown, adding yet another venue within walking distance. Other AHC Hospitality properties in the city include the AC Hotel Grand Rapids Downtown and the Hyatt Place Grand Rapids/Downtown.
I stayed on the lofty 23rd floor in a recently renovated King Room with Executive Lounge access and a great city view. Spacious and comfortable, it offers an ample workspace, a corner sitting area with a comfortable sofa and tons of data ports and electrical outlets, in addition to the usual high-end amenities. Many of the 331 guestrooms and eight suites are river-facing.
The guestrooms are currently undergoing a multimillion-dollar renovation, expected to be completed by 2025. The upgrades include new wood flooring, carpet, wall vinyl and a 60-inch TV with Bluetooth integration. The hotel added the Seraphina Spa and fitness center in 2022, and the lobby, meetings rooms and ballrooms all received their own makeover in 2021.
Meetings here are state-of-the-art: It boasts 15,000 sf of meeting space, including a ballroom and nine event rooms—ask about the programmable chandeliers which light up in branded company colors. While the ballroom can hold up to 1,045 attendees or an 875-person plated dinner, the sweet spot for meetings in this property is 270. However, because it’s part of the AHC Hospitality group, a planner can put together a much larger event at the convention center while accommodating their attendees at any or all of their properties. And, as Experience Grand Rapids’ Mary Manier pointed out, they only have to work with one sales manager for their event, a huge added benefit.
Our visit to the Amway Grand Plaza gave me a chance to see the recent renovations to the Pantlind Lobby with its magnificent gold leaf ceiling and the historic suites. While the Plaza has the latest in modern amenities, the historic nature of the hotel has been beautifully preserved. You can hold events in gorgeous surroundings such as the Imperial Ballroom or the Gerald R. and Betty Ford Presidential Ballroom, just to name two. The entire property, in fact, can be transformed into a slew of venues.
It’s also home to the Celeste Salon & Spa, where I had a massage that renewed me in body and soul. Located on the Wellness Floor, it’s flanked by a cutting-edge fitness room, an indoor pool and rooftop pickleball courts, perfect for teambuilding matches.
From the Amway Grand Plaza it’s a short walk to the DeVos Place Convention Center via the skywalk. This is a massive space with a 162,000-sf exhibit hall, 32,000 sf of breakout spaces, a 40,000-sf Steelcase Ballroom and a Performance Hall. History is front and center here as well: The front facade and lobby of the 1937 Public Works Administration (PWA) Civic Auditorium were incorporated as the grand entrance to the ballroom.
Nestled between the Amway Grand Plaza and the Convention Center is Lyon Square, a $10+ million riverfront project that’s underway and will become yet another seasonal event space. Behind the Center is the Gillet Bridge, a 474-ft-long, 27-ft-wide pedestrian walkway that spans the Grand River and connects it to the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum and the Ah-Nab-Awen Park.
My first experience with the Grand Rapids culinary scene was dinner at JW Marriott’s Margaux, a French bistro serving tasty breakfast, lunch and dinner with a delectable mixology offer. It also has a terrace overlooking the river, Jdk at Margaux, perfect for cocktail receptions with elevated bar bites.
Amway Grand Plaza leads the way for adventurous palates, with an impressive nine restaurants and lounges. We loved the lobby bar, Rendezvous, with its fun monthly Perfect Pairing menu with wine or spirits, which Chad LeRoux, VP and CMO for AHC Hospitality Group, says is perfect to getting people started on a dining experience. We got the memo and proceeded to an evening at MDRD for tapas and LATAM-inspired dishes and drinks, followed by a suave nightcap at the famed Lumber Baron Bar.
Two can’t-miss experiences at the Amway Grand: A cocktail at IDC, a speakeasy hidden behind a non-descript door (yep, you need a code), and an extraordinary Chef’s Table with Executive Chef Leon Teow. This was truly an experience for the ages, each dish a work of art sprung from his imagination and brought to life by his team, from a deconstructed “After the Storm Garden Salad” to the “Buddha Jumped Over the Wall” soup with chicken cooked in a hard sourdough shell that was hammered open. The pairings were equally sublime, making this a must for attendees.
Venturing beyond the hotels, we explored unique offsite venues including the Grand Rapids Downtown Market, a lively culinary destination offering a diverse array of local vendors and spacious event areas ideal for food-centric events. The Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, a 158-acre campus with stunning indoor and outdoor spaces, has numerous unique settings for outdoor receptions or breakout sessions, including an outdoor piazza and a spectacular lobby perfect for a gala evening. The sculpture collection, featuring works by renowned artists, added an extraordinary cultural dimension.
ahchospitality.com; downtownmarketgr.com; meijergardens.org; experiencegr.com/meetings