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Radisson Hotel Grand Rapids
270 Ann St NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
(616) 363-9001
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
(616) 363-9001
- Price Range:
-
$$
3 reviews for Radisson Hotel Grand Rapids
Not a great hotel. As others have mentioned (well over a year ago), it's in need of an update, and as of October 2009, it's still in serious need. The normal rooms are TINY - just barely bigger than the king bed - and the bathrooms are way too small.
This was so bad, I paid the extra money to stay in one of the "junior suites", which in reality is only slightly bigger than a normal hotel room.
The worst part is the terrible hot water pressure. If you like cooler showers, you'll have fine pressure (albeit with a 60 year old shower head), but if you like hot water, it's slightly stronger than a trickle. I was originally on the 2nd floor, and the hot water pressure was so bad that I asked to be moved. They assured me that the pressure was much better on the first floor, which is where they put me. It was a little better, but there is still a HUGE difference between the hot and cold in terms of pressure.
Priceline has this hotel at a 3 star level, and I can assure you, it is not. 2 stars is generous for this place, giving its location and condition. I won't ever stay here again, that's for sure.
This is an older hotel, as Nelson mentioned, but usable for a short stay. Room was smaller than I would expect for a Radisson. Bathroom was also small - hard to fit more than one person at a time and if someone opened the door while you're sitting on the toilet, you're going to get your knees banged.
Not a lot of clothes storage for an extended stay, and there was no luggage rack to set your suitcase on to ease packing & unpacking. Channel selection on TV was somewhat limited, although we did get ShowTime. If your room doesn't come with a microwave, they are available for $5 for the duration of your stay.
They advertise free high-speed wireless internet, but it's only 802.11b (11 Mbps). From our room on the second floor, which was towards the middle of the hotel, the signal was surprisingly weak, and you have to renew your connection every 24 hours through their internet service provider. The work desk is smaller than we would have liked; my wife & I like to bring both of our laptops on trips (somehow the kids end up using one or both of them), and while there was a nice dual electrical outlet on the desklamp for our adapters, the room was a little cramped to fit a couple of chairs around the desk.
Best room feature were the beds, which have Sleep Comfort Sleep Number mattresses. Basically, they are glorified air mattresses with electric pumps that allow you to dial in the firmness (it's actually better than it sounds). They worked very well and my wife loved being able to set the mattress to a nice firm setting while the kids set their bed on the softer side.
The hotel has a full-service restaurant (The Landing) which overlooks the Grand River, as well as a separate bar (The Landing Lounge). You can get room service from the restaurant if you're too tired to make it out of your room. The restaurant never seemed to get anywhere near full capacity and I'm surprised that they could keep it running with such low patronage.
There's a large patio just off the lobby and lounge where you can sit outside & smoke and/or drink, and you can even arrange with the hostess to have the restaurant serve you a meal out there (but you'd better get indoors before dark or you'll get mosquito-bitten). This was the first time we ever saw lightening bugs; they seem to come out right at dusk. On Fridays during the summer, there is a happy hour party on the patio.
There's a nice, large indoor pool & jacuzzi, as well as a dry (no steam) sauna. Pool is open until 11 PM and there are lots of chairs & tables to lounge around while you wait for the kids to finish swimming.
As Nelson said, the hotel is 2 miles north of downtown, about a $7-$8 cab ride each way. If you're flying into town and plan on driving back & forth to the DeVos Place a few times, best to rent a car, because it's almost a $40 cab ride to the airport each way, and by the time you add up all your taxi fares, you'll have more than paid for a rental. The hotel is conveniently located off Hwy 131. If you're traveling north, exit Ann St. and drive straight ahead into the parking lot from the offramp.
Nice accommodations, the hotel is showing a little age but we got a good deal. A litte far from downtown Grand Rapids so if you need a ride, call up a cab ahead of time. The hotel bar has an interesting group of people that likes to get down, especially MILFs. All in all, a good time.