By Callie Cain
Lodgco Hospitality
On Thursday, May 31, Canopy by Hilton, Hilton’s lifestyle hotel brand, along with Michigan-based Lodgco Hospitality and Olsen Loeks Development, celebrated the groundbreaking of Canopy by Hilton Grand Rapids Downtown. Slated to open in summer 2020, the property will provide a comfortable stay for guests in search of thoughtfully-local experiences in the energetic Downtown Grand Rapids neighborhood.
The 155-room hotel, which includes 2,400 square feet of meeting space as well as a transfer lounge where guests can relax, change their clothes or store luggage in lieu of an extended check out, is located at 131 Ionia Ave., SW, at the corner of Ionia Avenue and Cherry Street in downtown Grand Rapids. The rapidly expanding area is set to be popular destination with an exterior piazza, a nine-screen Studio C! movie theater, apartments, retail and office space as well as a parking ramp in the first phase. Canopy by Hilton Grand Rapids Downtown, which will employ up to 90 local residents, will sit as the southwest anchor of the larger development of Studio Park, which is being developed by Jackson Entertainment, an offshoot of Celebration! Cinema Group.
“Grand Rapids Downtown is an ideal neighborhood for our Canopy by Hilton brand,” said Gary Steffen, global head, Canopy by Hilton. “The community is both a business hub and recreational destination with attractive shopping, dining and entertainment opportunities. We are confident that our hotel will reflect the best of the neighborhood through locally-inspired design, partnerships and food and drink.”
As with all Canopy by Hilton hotels, Canopy by Hilton Grand Rapids Downtown is inspired and influenced by its local surroundings. The hotel’s design will reflect the old warehouse buildings previously in the neighborhood with oversize aluminum windows in the guest rooms and use of exterior brick. A two-story glass façade along Ionia Street provides fantastic daylight to public areas. The interior design concept will have a touch of mid-century modern design which has deep roots in the Grand Rapids area.
The property will be home to a café, known as Canopy Central, featuring a casual menu offering, as well as a bar serving local breweries. The hotel will also include an upscale, intimate local biergarten-themed rooftop bar with a view of the city, open air seating on balconies with a fire pit and will be open to the public. This bar will allow guests and patrons to experience the local neighborhood through locally themed food, craft beers, as well as locally-themed aesthetics. Canopy by Hilton properties also offer Wi-Fi and a local artisanal breakfast included in the room rate.
“We wanted to be able to share this ground-breaking ceremony with the community, this is going to be a hub of activity for the neighborhood and travelers will be able to experience the local vibe of Grand Rapids,” said Lodgco Hospitality PresidentAnn Kelly.
