OverviewLocated about a 4-minute drive from Grand Rapids' city centre and a 2-minute drive from the nearest Highway 131 on-ramp, the Holiday Inn Grand Rapids Downtown is suitable for business or vacation travellers who prefer a centrally located hotel with on-site dining, free parking and easy highway access.
Each of this smoke-free hotel's air-conditioned guest rooms and suites offers free Wi-Fi, cable TV, a coffeemaker, a desk, an iron and ironing board, a hair dryer and a CD player. Rooms with a microwave, a mini-fridge and an in-room safe are also available, and the hotel is wheelchair accessible.
Hotel amenities include an indoor pool, a hot tub, a fitness centre, bicycle rental, meeting/banquet facilities, a bar, a business centre, a gift shop, free parking and on-site dining at Pearl St. Grill, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Pets are permitted for an additional $25 per pet, per stay.
The Gerald R. Ford Museum is across the street, while Breton Village Shopping Centre can be found 15 minutes away by car. The Grand River is roughly a 2-minute walk away and Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR) is a 17-minute drive from the hotel. (All distances and travel time estimates: Google Maps)
Verified with a front desk agent: Free Wi-Fi, free parking, pets $25/pet/stay, wheelchair accessible. (Call Date: November 1, 2013)
The GoodThe majority of the reviews sourced for this analysis were positive, with much praise going to the hotel's location, staff and rooms.
Numerous guests praised the hotel's location, describing it as central, and close to highway access, restaurants, attractions, breweries, shopping, the Grand River, DeVos Convention Center, Gerald R. Ford Museum and Grand Valley State University. One patron noted, "The best part of the hotel is the location, so close to many area attractions, we walked everywhere".
The hotel's staff were appreciated by many lodgers, who found them to be friendly, accommodating, professional and helpful with directions and recommendations.
Several travellers enjoyed the hotel's accommodations. They described their rooms as clean, modern, well maintained and well equipped, with comfortable beds and pillows. A few guests complained about aspects of their lodgings, however (see below).
The Bad
While the majority of reviews consulted for this analysis were positive, there were a few common complaints about the rooms and noise transfer.
Although the majority of reviewers were pleased with their clean and comfortable rooms, a few guests criticized their lodgings. They reported small rooms, no microwaves or mini-fridges in standard rooms, and also complained that the vanity and sink being outside the bathroom was an inconvenience.
A few guests complained of noise disturbances during their stay. They reported traffic noise in rooms facing the highway, as well as noise from guests in adjacent rooms and some plumbing noise.
Expedia.ca guest reviews rated the hotel 4.4 out of 5 with a 95% recommendation rate from 407 reviews.
TripAdvisor.com guest reviews ranked the hotel #15 of 50 Grand Rapids hotels with an average rating of 4 out of 5 from 208 reviews.
Booking.com guest reviews rated the hotel 8.3 out of 10 from 58 reviews.
The author called the hotel on November 1, 2013 to verify some information.