Top 50 things to do and attractions in Grand Rapids (2024)

I was in the area for a business conference. My room was on the 11th floor of the old tower. The room had been renovated. King size bed and the restroom was modernized. The room was cozy. The conference was held on site. I was able to just walk across the hotel to the room. The facilities were perfect for the conference. Every staff member you came into contact with was friendly and helpful. There are lots of restaurants and activities located very close to the hotel. In the evenings we walked to dinner and a couple of the entertainment venues. Well worth the trip.

The hotel is nice and clean. Amenities. No where near worth the price. No bottled waters in the room. No robes, slippers etc one would expect at such a price point. There was no where to park to check in, drop bags then park across the street. The front desk was friendly. I was going to give four stars until we were billed incorrectly. The room was booked with one credit card. Upon arrival, we said we would pay with a different card. While checking out, my friend's card was swiped and signed for. Allegedly swapping out my card that held the reservation. They billed, then credited his card, then billed mine. It was an inconvenience for us both.You can also see into people's rooms across, above and below you. Paying for the view then needing to keep the curtains closed wasn't ideal.

The room was very clean. I do wish that in room coffee production was available. During my conference there was more than adequate staff attending various breakfasts and beverage service. The conference rooms were clean too. Table cloths would be a good idea to cut down noise.

This property is starting to show its age. Carpets that need replacing, grout that needs repair, elevators that need a good stain and polish, and oddly positioned toilet paper roll holders and shower doors that force you to get wet to turn on the water. In the 80’s, I bet this was one of the nicest hotels in the state. I give credit that they have made clear strides to keep the hotel in good shape, and I do plan to stay again.

Great downtown location in Grand Rapids. I’ve stayed at the Amway Grand a number of times and the service is excellent, as are the rooms. Choose from a traditional room or a more contemporary suite in the new tower, each have this own charm. On the higher floors in the new tower you’ll be greeted with fantastic views. Rings are typically well appointed, very well maintained and sparkling clean. As you would expect from a Hilton, the beds sand linens are wonderful. There was new tech I experienced allowing direct connection from my smart phone to connect YouTube and Netflix to the TV. Staff are generally mid west friendly (a compliment) and the Starbucks on the main floor is open at 7am.

We had a wonderful one bedroom suite with 270 degree floor to ceiling wrap around windows. It was quite a room with two closets and a very nice above standard mini refrigerator, one that was bigger and worked very well. My only two complaints: no full service breakfast within the hotel and what appeared to be a jet tub that intentionally did not have working jets. I was afraid from the pictures that this place would be really old and dated looking, but it was quite luxurious with plenty of shops, restaurants, and bars. I would call this more a 4.5 rather than a four. Downtown GR is very nice, clean, and active.

Do Not stay in the older rooms! We paid almost 500 for 2 nights to have standing water in both sink and shower! Gross!!We had food on wall and chipped paint and hair in shower. We were there for business and our associates that stayed in “the tower” had beautiful rooms! Great location and the rest of hotel is beautiful and pet friendly!!

Was there with my husband for a marriage retreat & the stay was lovely. Location, staff & valet service was great. Room was clean & bed & pillows were extremely comfortable. Only reason for 4 star was a frig was provided but wasn't listed in description (unless I overlooked) but a microwave would have been nice for leftovers. Overall really nice room & beautiful hotel. Look forward to staying there again.

I feel very conflicted about this review. We usually stay at the Amway a couple times a year. We’ve always had good experiences, except during our most recent two stays.We stayed in the historic wing, and during that stay, we called security twice, including once for a barking dog (from another room on our floor) at 11:30pm, and for a party upstairs that was still going on after 1am.During our most recent stay, we tried staying in the tower, on the newer side, in the hopes of avoiding the noise issue. THE WALLS ARE PAPER THIN! I cannot stress how much of an issue the noise was. People in the hallway screaming and laughing at 2:15am. I called the front desk at 2:43am and (after I was put on hold!), was told they would send security upstairs. About a half hour later, I think the people left.This just isn’t the luxury hotel experience that I expect for the price. Being able to get a good night of sleep and to feel safe and secure in my room is my number one priority when I travel, and my last two stays have come up short.We love having an indoor pool when we travel. This pool area is very nice and recently renovated, but the water temperature is too cold for my kids.

My boyfriend and I stayed here to attend an event at Devos and it was nice to be able to walk inside to get there and not need to bring jackets or drive/park. The Lumber Baron Bar on the first floor is one of our GR favorites, even though this was our first time staying in the hotel we come often for the great drink menu and atmosphere. The front desk staff was kind and welcoming and got us checked in right away. We parked in the parking structure, which turns out was free and that was a nice surprise. It was disappointing that our shower was not clean, (there was a bunch of hair on the walls!?) otherwise the room was fine. The bed was very comfy and we were given the option for a room on a higher floor which had a partial view of the river. If we had stayed more than one night, not having a fridge would have been a bummer, but we were just there for the event and didn't want to drive after so that wasn't a big deal this time. I would stay again for the convenience for sure.

Based on our many times of accommodation experience, this is not a very good experience! The staff is not very welcoming! There is no check-in guide! The room is small, a bit old, the cloakroom and toilet are very small! The toilet flushing and the air conditioner were loud! The door design of the bathroom is not ideal, because water can easily splash out when taking a shower! No free breakfast! The whole building has a magnificent design, except for the fitness area, everything else needs to be paid for! We paid $373 for one night, but we paid more than $100 in other hotels and had a better experience! The facilities are better, more beautiful, modern and clean, and the staff are more enthusiastic and polite!

This is probably the worst experience I’ve ever had at a hotel. I would rate it lower if I could!!! Front desk staff was not friendly or helpful at all. I downloaded the app and upgraded my stay for a river view and was able to pick my room, and planned on staying near friends. When I got there I was told my room was given away to someone that extended their stay or there was a glitch in the system. I was never notified of anything and they also claimed they had 0 rooms to give me on that same floor. The lady was very rude, refused to give me a manager, offered 0 compensation or any kind of help. It was very sad I was almost in tears at the desk. This was supposed to be a special thing for my daughter and her friends and it was completely ruined. I then called and asked for a manager and the lady I had just talked to pretend to talk to my again and act like she didn’t know what the problem was. I was then put on hold for a long time and someone else offered still no help but was a little nicer. After about 20 minutes. I was offered a gift card for the hotel for $35… I had spent $300 on this room and to top it off the upgrade I paid for to have a river view. Was just a view of a roof. I’m still not sure how my room was given away but both of my friends still had their rooms. This was by far the worst experience I’ve ever had at a hotel and the way I was treated was so poorly. So disappointing I don’t even know what else to say. When I went to pick up my “gift card compensation” I spoke to a 3rd lady who said she would escalate my issue because that’s not how guests should be treated and someone would get back to me…. Never happened. Sad.

Awful experience! While I was away from the room with a do not disturb sign on my door, someone had clearly entered my room. Later that night I noticed new towels in the bathroom. There were a few drinks we had in the room that appeared to have been drank, pink and brown blotches and what looked like dirt on the bed and spots all over the sheets. I reached out to the front desk to complain. They said they would send someone up with sheets and asked if I'd like to get security involved. I told them yeah, since they mentioned to me they have security cameras everywhere. No security ever came to my room that night. Someone did stop by my room 30 minutes later to hand me new sheets to redo the nasty bed myself. They didn't even take the nasty sheets away. Some of the sheets they handed me were still wet. I did go down to the front desk the following morning to ask if security ever did anything. I was told that there are no cameras on guest floors and that I can speak to security to file a report, which I did. This was a completely awful hotel experience! Also, be careful for the homeless drug addicts that seem to live next to the hotel garage exit near the stairs! Not sure how this can be considered a 4 star hotel...

NOT WORTH IT! My wife and I stayed here for our wedding and it was absolutely not worth it. We had booked a suite for our wedding night, hoping that it would be a super nice room to come back to after a long day, and for $450 a night there were so many disappointments. Bathroom was smaller than a normal hotel room, floor tile was cracked, sink was cracked, shower head was barely on the wall, towels were so rough, and no fan in the bathroom. The main part of the suite was decent size but the safe in the room didn't work, the grandfather clock in the room didn't work, and the fridge was barely cold. The hotel doesn't have a free breakfast but they do have a little cafe you can buy breakfast at. The only good part of this hotel was the server we had at the bar downstairs. For $450 a night, you would expect so much more, especially for a wedding suite. You are better off staying at a Holiday Inn for $100 a night that at least has better amenities. They also charged me $100 for parking at their garage, which we were told would be validated because we stayed there, but during checkout, the lady took our room keys that let you out the garage and charged us to get our cars out instead. Save your money, go somewhere better.

This was a terrible experience. The room was 'historical' which is apparently code for old, outdated, dirty and in disrepair. The bathroom was dirty (especially the floor) and had dust hanging from ceiling tiles. In addition the 'clean' towels smelled bad. The entire room had layers and layers of dust--but the bathroom was most dirty. The room was in disrepair with chipped paint, chipped sink, and so much more. The sounds of others using the bathroom in neighboring rooms was gross. Wayfinding in the hotel is terrible--making it less than welcoming. In addition, the elevator in the parking garage wasn't working. Room service was via app only and impossible to order anything other than the standard items with standard toppings. Altogether a terrible experience.

The housekeeping staff was amazing!!! So helpful and kind. What a beautiful venue for a convention! Overall, I found Grand Rapids super friendly and this neighborhood has a good selection of wonderful food and sites.

Attended a conference and stayed at this hotel. The room was clean. There is a mini fridge. We got upgraded to a balcony room, which at first was cool, but it was unusable. In the 30 second I took to open the door and realize the balcony was covered in long black flying bugs, a bunch got into the room. Which was not fun and created some drama.I was fun to watch the birds hunt the bugs, but the window was so dirty it was distracting. Hubby also had to deal with 3 spiders in the room during our stay. Not fun.The bedding was nice, towels where standard but nice. The bed was firm, not the best, not the worst. Although, you very feel any movement by your partner, and it's amplified. This does not make for the best sleeps.The hotel is beautiful, with a rich history. Bring your walking shoes and explore.

Truthfully, I’ve stayed at better quality for less. For $600 for only two nights, I would have expected my room to have at LEAST Air Conditioning…. Our bathroom had no fan so it made the room temperature worse. I originally booked a king room and was giving two queens with A.) the worlds worst view of a river with a big building right in front of my window… and B.) was given no compensation or anything about the inconvenience because they over booked the hotel. When I reserved the room a month+ in advance. the only reason I’m giving it the starts is just for the convenience of location in the city. I was pretty disappointed with the experience of the hotel.Also: it was pretty self explanatory with the tiny plaque they had in the elevator.. but no one told us when we checked in that you have to swipe your room key to even operate the elevator. Struggling at 2am to operate a elevator. A drunken stranger kindly saw us struggling and informed us.

Beautiful stately hotel located in the heart of Grand Rapids. Easy walking distance to tons of restaurants and museums. The lobby is very ornate with lots of shopping inside. Good workout room. The rooms are nice sized. They also use Amway soaps which I didn’t realize was a thing anymore but they are really good quality. Great stay!

I recently stayed at this hotel. The staff was excellent. Kam at the front desk was phenomenal. He was knowledgeable and very pleasant. My experience here was very positive. However, i was quite disappointed to find out that they don't clean your room daily while you are staying there. I can understand this practice at a lesser quality hotel, but not at this one. One of the staff mentioned that there were only a few housekeeping staff members, and there's no way that they could clean your room every day. With the amount of money required to stay here, I'm baffled as to why they won't fix this issue and hire more staff.

Was at the Amway for a convention. One elevator was not in working order, which caused a 30-minute delay just to get up to the room when the convention was released for the day. One of the other 3 elevators got stuck with people on it.The prices for food were more than if you ate at the airport and not Michelin star rated food.The beds were comfortable, and nice sized showers.In 7 days, we never had service performed in the room. Their policy is 5 days, then they clean. Not in our case. We had to continually ask for clean towels and toilet paper.

We got here and had upgraded to a junior suite. Upon walking into our suite we realized our room was surrounded by families with very loud kids - which is fine! But it’s our anniversary and we wanted to be away from kiddos. We went down and talked to the front desk and they moved us without any trouble to a fabulous room with a river view. The service here is fabulous, the rooms are well kept and comfy, and the hotel itself is historic and just makes you feel special while you’re here. Thank you all for a great stay!!!

I LOVE the Amway hotel. It's a great mix of classic and contemporary decor. Recently I attended an event there and I was on a very strict diet. I went prepared not to eat due to it but the service was phenomenal and the chef put together a meal that met my needs. I was also told next time call ahead to the food service department and they will have something ready for you because they'd rather you eat than not. I felt so well taken care of and the food was beyond delicious at the event.

I’m not one to post bad reviews, but we had the worst time at the amway grand and I’m so disappointed in our stay. We paid for a king suite in the towers and it was simply not worth it. The room was bland and lifeless. It felt like a $80 hotel, nowhere close to the $400 we paid. Also, the walls were PAPER thin and we could hear every conversation next door. It wasn’t like our neighbors were being loud at all, the walls were truly that thin, leaving us with NO privacy. We went to the hotel hot tub to find it occupied with 6 frustrated adults and 7-8 jumping and screaming toddlers. We stood by the hot tub for a while hoping the kids might get out, but no such luck. We chatted with a couple in the elevator who said they had been waiting since 6:30pm for the hot tub to clear out, but at 9:15pm it was still crowded as ever.Lastly, we tried to order room service but you can’t order over the phone or charge to the room. Instead you have to sign up and pay online through a different system. An hour after placing our order and not getting our food we called the kitchen. Turns out they sent our food to the wrong room! They did refund us but this seems to be the quality of service you get at the amway grand.In the end, I wouldn’t come back if you paid me!! Yes, the lobby is beautiful but the rooms are bland and uninspired, the room service was a fail, and the hot tub was completely inaccessible. Awful time.

Top o' the morning to ya! So, picture this: I'm standing outside the Amway Grand Plaza, soaking up the St. Paddy's Day parade vibes like a shamrock sponge. And wouldn't you know it, just as I'm contemplating whether leprechauns prefer cappuccinos or Irish coffee, who do I spy but the Grand Marshal himself, leading the parade like a boss. I tell ya, it was like spotting a rare pot o' gold at the end of a rainbow. So, if you're ever in Grand Rapids and need a dose of luck and luxury, the Amway Grand Plaza is your lucky charm. Sláinte!

We came to go to a concert at the arena and appreciated the Sky Walk. Didn’t have to walk in the rain!We were welcomed in a very friendly and fun manner. Everyone from the valet parking to the front desk to the tiny housekeeper we met in the hallway was polite and helpful and had a sense of humor.The hotel is a beautifully appointed hotel. I mean, beautiful. Our room was ready at check in. Immaculate and well stocked.Imagine my shock though, at the bed. I would have slept better on concrete. I mean, really. That bed was as hard as concrete! It was absolutely horrible.I would think that at the prices charged, surely some of the money would be used to provide comfortable beds. I cannot reiterate just how miserable that bed was!!!! We tried the other bed in the room….nope! Just as bad!Other than that….we had a very pleasant stay.😊

Had a very good time here. Room was great. Had a good view of the city. Location is good. Depending what you're in town for, you really don't need to leave the hotel. Has bars, restaurants and bowling all within the facility, which is always very clean.

It is such a beautiful hotel located right in the heart of the west side. The views are breathtaking, the customer service is 10 out of 10, and prices are a bit high, but we only live once, so live like the royalty you are. Shopping, dining, bowling, and self-care, all in one stop, there isn't much need to leave except for the fresh GR air. We stayed in the tower on the 22nd floor, such an awesome experience.

Perfect view of the river, amazing restaurants. Great drinks! We stayed in the newer side. The view was unbeatable, but the room itself was a little underwhelming. Pretty standard hotel room, nothing special. But the staff and everything else about the hotel was beautiful.

Avoid rooms on the third floor rooms like 340 to 360 on Saturdays they allow weddings to play music till 1:30 AM and you can feel like you are a part of the party. It's a historic type hotel which is charming but rooms have tiny bathrooms and the windows and sound control are not the best. Good location downtown by the river.

The rooms are weird and oddly appointed. Trying to figure out the amenities takes a law degree because the descriptions are so cryptic. The rooms are really old but they've tried to modernize them (not too successfully). My coffee maker was in the oset on a shelf. Had a tiny fridge and was told they could bring me a microwave (and put it where?). Very noisy from traffic even in the 9th floor. You cannot order room service from any restaurant except Wolfgang Pick and that menu is TERRIBLY limited, not to mention you cannot get room service at any time besides DINNER. The stay wasn't terrible, it was just ODD and didn't seem to have normal appointments for the room.

The staff make this hotel phenomenal! My stay began with Ally who was extremely pleasant and personable, allowing me to form an exceptional first impression. Although our rooms weren’t ready, she went above and beyond to make us comfortable and allowed superior hospitality. Second staff members we had the pleasure of meeting were Grant and Chris at the hotel’s restaurant, The Kitchen. I am an extremely picky eater and Grant found that my Salmon was not cooked to my liking so they removed the charge off my bill due to my perceived dissatisfaction (and yes, I insisted on paying, however, they remained adamant about their position and purpose of ensuring all customers leave satisfied). Next experience was Brianna, again at the front desk. I called a little after midnight requesting Benadryl because my allergies were acting up. She found me some medication and delivered it to my room with a smile on her face and a positive attitude the entire encounter.Hotel Management: Kudos to you and your leadership tactics as it is obvious you foster a healthy atmosphere that is extremely customer centric. Thank you for a wonderful stay and for a lasting, positive impression!

The service was outstanding! From valet to front desk, bellboy to house keeping 5 star service. The hotel was beautiful. My entire family was here to witness my award ceremony.After checking in we were met by our bellboy he was an older gentleman so polite and kind. He turned to ask us to follow him and there was a 1 inch healthy co*ckroach stuck on his back. My husband told him there was something on his back. He flicked it on to the floor, quickly he grabbed it with Kleenex and put it in the trash. I will say he handled it well. He stated that many people come to stay here and not everyone has proper hygiene. I respected his statement and completely understand. Unfortunately I didn't feel comfortable for the remainder of our stay. Besides this incident everything was nice.The pool area was clean and well kept. The pool water was cold, but the room was kept warm.Valet was outstanding! Nicholas and his crew were polite and fun. They kept things light and comfortable.

My husband and I booked a room for our wedding night, to make it special and memorable. And it certainly was memorable, but for all the wrong reasons. First, we showed up, in our wedding clothes - a suit and bridal gown - and were not greeted with any sort of kindness or warmth. She was very short in her tone, and treated us like we were bothering her. When we made it to the room, it was a sardine can. Barely big enough for me to walk next to the bed to get to the bathroom with my dress on - and it was an A-line, not a ballgown. The bathroom was dimly lit, old tile, and had a public bathroom-like toilet. We had to call the front desk to get bottles of water delivered to the room because there was none, after being told there would be. The bed was fine, but that was about the only thing that was of any value in this room. In the morning, we checked out, with no breakfast, and a bad taste in our mouths from the poor experience.

They charge for water but the views were nice and we enjoyed being close to downtown. There isn't a breakfast "included" option, we found out, but they did give us a gift card to Wolfgang Puck Kitchen Counter. The omelets were awesome, albeit pricey. We stayed for 2 nights over New Years and had a great family time.

Very polite staff the only positive thing here. Room service only available from one restaurant that starts at 3 PM and ends at 10 PM. This is a 4 start hotel it should be available 24 hours. No real breakfast besides a place called kitchen counter that also stops serving it at 11 AM. Very small bathroom with a public toilet. Small room very overpriced for that size! Will not be staying here again. Definitely not 4 stars!