Amway Grand Plaza Hotel
| Amway Grand Plaza | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Former names | Pantlind Hotel |
| General information | |
| Type | Hotel |
| Architectural style | Beaux-Arts |
| Location | Grand Rapids, Michigan |
| Address | 187 Monroe Ave NW |
| Completed | 1913 |
| Owner | AHC+Hospitality |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 12 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Warren & Wetmore |
| Renovating team | |
| Architect(s) | Marvin DeWinter & Associates |
| Website | |
| amwaygrand | |
Amway Grand Plaza Hotel is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan and is named after Amway Corporation, which is based in nearby Ada Township.
Originally known as The Pantlind Hotel (founded in 1913), the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel reopened in 1981 after extensive renovations done by Marvin DeWinter & Associates, including the addition of a 29-story glass tower. The Pantlind's designers Warren & Wetmore were inspired by the work of the Scottish neoclassical architect Robert Adam. During its prime years, the hotel was consistently rated as one of the top ten hotels in the US.[citation needed]
The hotel is owned by AHC+Hospitality, a subsidiary of Amway's holding company Alticor. Amway Grand Plaza Hotel is a member of the Curio Collection by Hilton, an affiliation which began in 2016.[1] The hotel was also inducted into Historic Hotels of America, an official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, in 2012.[2]
History
Pantlind Hotel
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In the early 1900s, Grand Rapids was growing rapidly, the population reaching over 112,000 in 1910. As the city grew, iconic grand scale buildings began to arise.[3]
When the hotel opened in 1913, the Beaux-Arts architecture attracted many, with visitors convening in Grand Rapids choosing the Pantlind Hotel during the city's furniture shows.[4] The Pantlind featured one of the largest gold leaf ceilings in the world,[5] with the hotel having a Mediterranean atmosphere that was seen in its classical columns and terra cotta designs.[3] A two-story bank was also originally located on the corner of Monroe and Pearl.[3]
Ten years later in 1923, a 189-room addition was made to the hotel on Lyon Street.[6] By 1925, the Pantlind Hotel was gaining national recognition after it was named as one of America's top 10 hotels.[4]
In 1954, Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld of the Netherlands stayed at the hotel, with a "royal luncheon" that included 250 people occurring at the facility.[7]
Amway Grand Plaza Tower
| Amway Grand Plaza Hotel Tower | |
|---|---|
 | |
| |
| General information | |
| Type | Hotel |
| Location | Grand Rapids, Michigan |
| Address | 187 Monroe Ave NW |
| Completed | 1983 |
| Owner | Amway Corporation |
| Height | 318 ft (96.9 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 29 |
The Amway Grand Plaza Hotel Tower, originally the Pantlind Hotel, is a 29-story, 318 foot tall tower that opened in 1983. The tower was constructed following a renovation project of the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel initiated by Rich DeVos.[4]
In the 1970s, the suburbs of Grand Rapids, such as Wyoming, enjoyed a great retail environment with many new developments happening along the 28th Street corridor.[4] In 1979 after many turned towards the suburbs, the Pantlind Hotel was purchased by Amway, with Amway funding a $60 million renovation project[4][8] that was described by The New York Times as being "extensive".[9]
On September 15, 1981, the renovated Pantlind Hotel, now known as Amway Grand Plaza Hotel opened.[4] The reopening of the hotel was presided over by President Gerald R. Ford and his wife Betty Ford during a formal black-tie gathering.[4][9] Two years later in 1983, the 29 story tower was finally completed, becoming the city's tallest building after surpassing the McKay Tower, holding the title of tallest building in Grand Rapids until Plaza Towers was completed in 1991.
In 1985, two years after the tower was constructed, Jack Schnedler of the Chicago Sun-Times stated:[10]
Amway Grand Plaza: Here's a world-class hotel plunked in the middle of Michigan, occupying the opulently restored shell of the old Pantlind Hotel and a sleek 29-story adjoining wing. Service during my April stay was small-town cheerful, the room was richly furnished, and dinner in the top-of-the-line Cygnus restaurant stood up to New York or San Francisco standards.
Other guests who have stayed at the hotel include political figures and officials such as British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Queen Noor of Jordan and General Norman Schwarzkopf Jr. as well as celebrities such as James Earl Jones, Cher, Joe Montana, Faye Dunaway, and Jerry Seinfeld[4] In 2011, Grand Rapids mayor George Heartwell credited the development of the Amway Grand Hotel with reshaping downtown Grand Rapids.[4]
In 2014, the tower underwent a $14 million renovation that included updating electrical outlets and network connections, as well as giving the room and bathroom designs a more modern look. It was the sixth renovation to rooms in the tower since 1983.[11]
Starting in 2011, the hotel started an effort to rebrand first with replacing the 1913 Room restaurant with a Ruth's Chris Steak House. In May 2015, Cygnus 27 restaurant had changed its menu to a Latin one. The Cornucopia and Bentham's restaurants were redone as Wolfgang Puck restaurants opening the fall of 2015. Prior to 2016, the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel was affiliated with the Preferred Hotels & Resorts reservation system. In 2016, the hotel became a part of the Curio Collection by Hilton reservation system.[1]
Amway stated in August 2018 that renovations to the tower would begin in January 2019 and would be scheduled to finish in April 2021. Changes include modernizing the function and appearance by making windows lighter colored which will span from floor to ceiling. The height of the tower will also increase slightly as a result of new construction.[12]
Grand River Promenade
The Grand River Promenade, the official name for the skyway, is on the hotel's second floor as well as the hotel's parking ramp.
Gallery
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Amway Grand Plaza Towers Building -
Amway Grand Plaza Hotel: This picture shows the original Pantlind Hotel from the vantage point of Rosa Parks Circle. -
View of all the buildings of the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel from the Grand River
Other
 | This section contains a list of miscellaneous information. (October 2021) |
- Otto Seyferth, the 23rd President of the United States Chamber of Commerce, performed stone carving work on the facade of the hotel during its construction, earning 65¢ per hour.[13]
- In honor of U.S. President Ford, one of the ballrooms in the hotel is named after him.
- Until September 2008, The Rapid ran the Grand Rapids Air Porter - a shuttle between the hotels in downtown Grand Rapids and the Gerald R. Ford International Airport. Routes 9 Alpine, Route 11 Plainfield, and two DASH routes stop near the hotel.
- WZZM-TV 13 originally had its studios at the Pantlind until a new facility was built and completed in Walker, Michigan.
- The 1913 Room, which closed in 2011, was the only restaurant in Michigan to be awarded five diamonds by the American Automobile Association.[14] That area of the hotel had formerly been a Jacobson's department store[15] and is now a Ruth's Chris Steak House.
- The hotel is prominent in the background in Trees, the third NOOMA film featuring Rob Bell.
See also
References
- ^ a b Harger, Jim (June 1, 2015). "Hilton adding Amway Grand Plaza Hotel to Curio Collection". Mlive. Retrieved August 27, 2016.
- ^ "Amway Grand Plaza, Curio Collection by Hilton: History". Historic Hotels of America. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
- ^ a b c "Hotel & Bank Buildings, Downtown Area". History Grand Rapids. March 25, 2014. Retrieved September 28, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Roelofs, Ted (September 15, 2011). "As Amway Grand Plaza Hotel turns 30, owner Rich DeVos shares backstory: 'It was a total gamble' (photos)". MLive. Retrieved September 28, 2016.
- ^ "A New Era Of Historic Grandeur Is Ushered In With Opening Of Amway Grand Plaza, Curio Collection By Hilton". Hospitality Net. Retrieved September 28, 2016.
- ^ "Pantlind Hotel". History Grand Rapids. Retrieved September 28, 2016.
- ^ "Mayor Goebel and Visiting Royalty". History Grand Rapids. July 21, 2012. Retrieved September 28, 2016.
- ^ "History". Amway Grand. Retrieved September 28, 2016.
- ^ a b Peterson, Iver (September 17, 1981). "Grand Rapids Dedicating Ford's Museum in Aura of Prosperity". The New York Times. p. A12.
- ^ Schnedler, Jack (July 28, 1985). "A DOZEN GRAND HOTELS ...and a few that missed the mark". Chicago Sun-Times.
- ^ Harger, Jim (October 13, 2014). "High-End Hotel: New rooms in the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel tower are edgy and modern". MLive. Retrieved September 28, 2016.
- ^ "Amway Grand Plaza plans $40M renovation". Grand Rapids Business Journal. August 28, 2018. Archived from the original on October 11, 2018. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
- ^ McCrea, Paul (June 1950). "He Never Met an Evil Man". Nation's Business. 38 (7): 35.
- ^ "Big win for Amway Grand Plaza Hotel: The 1913 Room named Michigan's first AAA Five-Diamond restaurant" (Press release). Alticor. Archived from the original on October 16, 2006. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
- ^ "Jacobson Stores, Inc., Jackson, Michigan". The Department Store Museum. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
External links
