Amway Grand Plaza Hotel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Amway Grand Plaza
The Old Front Door
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	Warren & Wetmore
Renovating team
Architect	Marvin DeWinter & Associates

The Amway Grand Plaza Hotel is a famous hotel in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It is named after the Amway company, which is located nearby.

This hotel was first known as The Pantlind Hotel when it opened in 1913. It was completely updated and reopened in 1981 as the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel. This big renovation added a tall, 29-story glass tower. The original Pantlind Hotel was designed by Warren & Wetmore, who were inspired by a Scottish architect named Robert Adam. For many years, the Pantlind Hotel was considered one of the top ten hotels in the United States.

Today, the hotel is owned by AHC+Hospitality, which is part of Amway's main company, Alticor. Since 2016, the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel has been part of the Curio Collection by Hilton.

History of the Hotel

The Pantlind Hotel (1913-1979)

The Pantlind Hotel in the 1940s.

In the early 1900s, Grand Rapids was growing very fast. By 1910, over 112,000 people lived there. As the city grew, many large and important buildings were constructed.

When the Pantlind Hotel opened in 1913, its beautiful Beaux-Arts architecture style attracted many visitors. People coming to Grand Rapids for furniture shows often chose to stay at the Pantlind. The hotel had one of the largest gold leaf ceilings in the world. Its design featured classical columns and terra cotta decorations, giving it a Mediterranean feel. A two-story bank was also part of the original building.

Ten years later, in 1923, the hotel added 189 more rooms on Lyon Street. By 1925, the Pantlind Hotel was becoming famous across the country. It was named one of America's top 10 hotels.

In 1954, Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard from the Netherlands stayed at the hotel. They attended a "royal luncheon" with 250 guests.

The Amway Grand Plaza Tower (1983-Present)

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 is a tall building with 29 stories. It stands 318 feet (97 meters) high and opened in 1983. This tower was built as part of a major renovation of the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel. This project was started by Rich DeVos.

In the 1970s, many people started moving to the suburbs of Grand Rapids. New shopping areas and buildings were built outside the city center. In 1979, the Amway company bought the Pantlind Hotel. Amway spent $60 million on a huge renovation project. The New York Times newspaper called it "extensive," meaning very big.

On September 15, 1981, the newly renovated Pantlind Hotel reopened as the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel. President Gerald R. Ford and his wife Betty Ford attended the formal opening event. Two years later, in 1983, the 29-story tower was finished. It became the tallest building in Grand Rapids, taking the title from the McKay Tower. The Amway Grand Plaza Tower remained the tallest building until Plaza Towers was completed in 1991.

In 1985, a writer named Jack Schnedler from the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper wrote about the hotel. He said it was a "world-class hotel" with cheerful service and excellent food.

Many important people have stayed at the hotel. These include British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Queen Noor of Jordan, and General Norman Schwarzkopf Jr.. Famous celebrities like James Earl Jones, Cher, Joe Montana, Faye Dunaway, and Jerry Seinfeld have also been guests. In 2011, the mayor of Grand Rapids, George Heartwell, said that the Amway Grand Hotel helped reshape downtown Grand Rapids.

In 2014, the tower had a $14 million renovation. This update included new electrical outlets and internet connections. The rooms and bathrooms were also given a more modern look. This was the sixth time the tower's rooms had been renovated since 1983.

Starting in 2011, the hotel began to change its restaurants. The 1913 Room restaurant was replaced by a Ruth's Chris Steak House. In May 2015, the Cygnus 27 restaurant changed its menu to Latin-inspired dishes. The Cornucopia and Bentham's restaurants were redone and became Wolfgang Puck restaurants in the fall of 2015. Before 2016, the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel was part of the Preferred Hotels & Resorts booking system. In 2016, it joined the Curio Collection by Hilton.

Amway announced in August 2018 that the tower would have more renovations starting in January 2019. These changes are planned to finish in April 2021. They include making the tower look more modern and changing the windows to be lighter and span from floor to ceiling. The tower's height will also increase slightly.

Hotel Features

Dining and Shops

The hotel has eight different places to eat, including:

There are also various shops located on the lower level of the hotel.

Personal Care and Fitness

For personal care, the hotel has a full spa, a salon, a sauna, a steam room, and two hot tubs. For exercise and fun, the fitness center has Precor equipment and an indoor swimming pool. Near the fitness center, guests can also use outdoor tennis, racquetball, and basketball courts.

Grand River Promenade

Skyway to Amway.

The Grand River Promenade is a special walkway, also called a skyway. It makes it easy for visitors to walk comfortably between buildings. The Promenade connects the DeVos Place Convention Center, goes through the hotel, and ends at the Van Andel Arena. This skyway is located on the hotel's second floor and also connects to the hotel's parking garage.

Images for kids

• 

  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

Fun Facts

• Otto Seyferth, who later became the 23rd President of the United States Chamber of Commerce, worked on the hotel's outside walls when it was being built. He carved stone and earned 65 cents an hour.
• One of the hotel's ballrooms is named after U.S. President Ford to honor him.
• Until 2008, a shuttle bus called the Grand Rapids Air Porter ran between downtown hotels and the Gerald R. Ford International Airport. Now, local bus routes stop near the hotel.
• The TV station WZZM-TV 13 used to have its studios at the Pantlind Hotel before moving to a new building in Walker, Michigan.
• The 1913 Room, a restaurant that closed in 2011, was the only restaurant in Michigan to receive 5 diamonds from the American Automobile Association. This area of the hotel used to be a Jacobson's department store and is now a Ruth's Chris Steak House.
• The hotel can be seen in the background of Trees, which is the third NOOMA film featuring Rob Bell.

See also

In Spanish: Amway Grand Plaza Hotel para niños