Recently we made our yearly trip to ArtPrize in Grand Rapids.
Accommodations and meals were provided.
We look forward to this road trip every year because we always find the out of the box artwork scattered throughout the city, inspiring. This year we stayed at the Holiday Inn Downtown. It was the perfect location for our visit.
It was a short walk to the many venues that displayed the works of art.In every city that we have visited a downtown hotel always charges for parking. Not so with the Holiday Inn. They pride themselves on being the only hotel in downtown Grand Rapids with free parking. That in itself can save you up to $20.00 a day.
When we checked in, the lobby was chaotic with people waiting for rides, to check in or just standing around visiting. Even with all that was going on around them the front desk staff were friendly and quickly handled our reservation.
Our room had two double beds and on the beds this pillows were wrapped with a cloth band announcing which pillows were soft and which were firm. The beds were triple sheeted and the pillow top mattresses were cozy. We also had a refrigerator and a microwave.
We took advantage of the microwave that night to make popcorn that we purchased from their marketplace.
The Pearl Street Grill located in the hotel offers breakfast lunch and dinner. We had breakfast there and couldn’t have been more pleased. My blueberry pancakes with homemade granola were flavorful and filling. Children eat free. On top of all this for Randy the piece de resistance was being able to see through the restaurant windows the Apollo Space Capsule across the street at the Van Andel Museum Center.
They have a bar situated at the corner of the lobby that is warm and inviting.
The pool area and the health/fitness center are clean and well maintained.
Something they have that I have seen at very few hotels is a bookshelf with novels that can be borrowed, if you have forgotten yours at home.
Randy was thrilled that through the hotel they not only had ArtPrize pieces but also permanent pictures that were not mass produced.
The thing that thrilled me, is that even though the hotel was hopping, once we closed the door to our room, nothing could be heard.
The Holiday Inn Grand Rapids Downtown is definitely a hotel we would recommend for any visit to the Grand Rapids area and we will remember for ArtPrize next year.
