By: Deborah Johnson Wood
On September 21, the $100 million JW Marriott in downtown Grand Rapids will open for business. Grand Rapids beat out other Midwest competitors like Chicago and Cleveland as the location of choice for the elite luxury brand hotel, which is the 16th one built in the US.
The hotel broke ground in 2005. Since then, an average of 190 workers a day have put in 150 million hours to install 30 tons of marble, 350 miles of electrical wire, 50,000 switch plates, 1,700 tons of steel, and 19,000 cubic yards of concrete.
"Fifty-nine percent of the workers were union workers," says Bert Crandell, VP of hotel development for Alticor, owner of the hotel. "Our best estimate is that about 3,000 workers touched this hotel, and that includes designers, architects, and others."
The 24-story structure features 337 rooms, the largest ballroom in the Midwest at 13,000 square feet, and a 23-story atrium illumined with blue lights, the JW brand's signature color.
The six.one.six restaurant will serve locally grown food. The contemporary and colorful Mixology Lounge provides a relaxing spot to have a drink or quick bite under the soaring atrium, and watch the Grand River through the floor-to-ceiling glass.
"What we've created here is a space like hotel lobbies in Europe," says Michael Lyman, director of sales and marketing. "A place to meet. A place to gather."
A private dedication ceremony is planned for September 19. The hotel opens to the public on September 21 with the 6 AM opening of Starbucks, a 4 PM check-in for guests, and a 5:30 PM opening for six.one.six.
Source: JW Marriott Grand Rapids
Aerial Photograph by Brian Kelly - All Rights Reserved
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Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected].
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