JW Marriott Grand Rapids

The JW Marriott is located in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan, along the east bank of the Grand River near the DeVos Place Convention Center. Developed specifically to support the city’s convention and tourism business, the 24-story hotel includes 337 guestrooms, a 13,000-square-foot ballroom, business suites and meeting rooms, a restaurant, a health club and indoor pool, a conference facility, and a separate parking structure for 500 cars. A rooftop helipad provides access for exclusive guests.

The elliptical form and full-height atrium of the tower optimize its riverfront location and orientation to the sun. The structure’s unique shape also preserves the views of a neighboring condominium building, a requirement of the project. Guestrooms are located around the perimeter of the high-rise for panoramic views. The tower has a crystalline quality that stands out on the city’s skyline yet is compatible with the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, owned by the same company, directly north. The building base connects to and reinforces the river walkway system of Grand Rapids. An attached low-rise podium to the east contains the ballroom and meeting facilities. Two steel-and-glass bridges link the hotel to the parking garage as well as to a skywalk to the convention center.