Deborah Johnson Wood
It's amazing what some green can do.
In the case of the former Days Inn hotel in downtown Grand Rapids, the investment of $3.5 million of "green" transformed the outdated building into a "green" facility that meets the stringent requirements to become a Holiday Inn. And this week, the hotel celebrates its grand opening with two nights of public open houses.
The transformation began in 2007 when Peter Walstra of St. Julien Westside purchased the Days Inn, 310 Pearl Street.
"We went to nonsmoking, the carpet, wall covering and anything that could be recycled was recycled," says Ellen Markel, general manager. The hotel donated beds to the Veterans Administration, fixtures to Habitat for Humanity of Kent County, linens and towels to Mel Trotter Ministries and hardware and plumbing to Home Repair Services.
The hotel replaced 12,000 incandescent lights with CFLs and LEDs and added a reflective roof on a portion of the building.
All 175 guest rooms were remodeled – half received energy efficient heating and cooling units. Other changes made the rooms compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, including roll-in showers in two rooms.
"We offer travelers and convention goers a less expensive option than the larger, bigger hotel brands across the river," Markel says. "But there's not such a gap between what the Marriott Courtyard offers and what we can offer, and we have free parking."
The hotel became a Holiday Inn on December 8, and Markel says the Holiday Inn name has already driven up the number of stays.
"We're starting to see a different mix of clientele," she says. "Have we skyrocketed, no, but we have more corporate business travel during the week then we used to have."
The public can to tour the hotel and sample the taste treats of the hotel's Pearl Street Grill on January 14 and 15 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Source: Ellen Markel, Holiday Inn; Dianna Stampfler, Promote Michigan; Craig Clark, Clark Communications
Related Articles
Multi-million dollar renovation brings new restaurant to downtown Days Hotel
Downtown Grand Rapids hotel strives to be state's first 'zero waste' lodging
Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected].
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.