Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Grand Rapids, Michigan - GRR / Residence Inn Grand Rapids Airport

April 2014, Sunday night--Easter, 1-night, King studio guestroom #414

Status perks and check-in
view from bedroom
This was our first stay at this new Residence Inn, which opened December 2013. I thought the rate for the night of our stay was kind of high, so I contacted the general manager, and we were able to get a reduced rate. As a Gold member, I did not receive a room upgrade or any additional perks at check-in.

Guestroom
At check-in, the agent asked which floor I preferred, and I requested the top floor. Guestroom 414 is the second guestroom behind the elevator, and it overlooks the front parking lot.

The hotel still smelled new at the time of our stay. I was impressed with the well thought out features in the guestroom. The counter by the entrance door included a scooped spot, which worked well for a place to set keys, change, or small things so that they would not slide or be bumped off the counter. This was next to the sofa, and there were also outlets in this counter.

The kitchen area left of the entrance contained a full size fridge, stove burners, dishwasher, microwave, cupboards with dishes, and a coffee pot with supplies.  A small table with two chairs was against the wall. Microwave popcorn was not provided, which was unusual for a Residence Inn. The only other time that I did not receive popcorn in the guestroom after checking into a Residence Inn, I found out that the hotel had run out, and the agent allowed me to choose a snack from the gift shop. I did not inquire about popcorn at this hotel.

The sofa was comfortable, and the under sofa table fit well. A long desk with a chair was positioned against the wall in front of the window. The flatscreen TV located at the end of the desk could be turned so that it was visible from the bed as well.

A nightstand and light were located on both sides of the king size bed. The bed and pillows were comfortable, although I thought the sheets were quite scratchy.

The bathroom vanity and a closet were located between the bathing area and the bed. I liked that the floor in front of the vanity was tile, like the bathroom, and not carpet. The closet contained a folding luggage rack, iron, and ironing board.

The bathroom contained a large tile walk-in shower with glass doors, which we really liked. There were several ledges in the shower for personal items, and the large shower head was adjustable. Bathing amenities were provided, and the towels were good quality. A hairdryer was mounted on the wall by the vanity.
guestroom diagram

The guestroom was well laid out, and it was comfortable for working. I thought the entire guestroom was comfortable, aside from the scratchy sheets. Basic Internet service was complimentary, and enhanced service was available for purchase. I did not have any trouble with the complimentary service and speed, although there were not many guests in the hotel at the time of our stay.


Food & Beverages
April menu
I had an early flight the next morning, so I did not get to experience breakfast. My husband said that it was good, and that there were three or four hot food items.

The April menu on the refrigerator showed that food was served in the evening on Monday through Thursday. Sometimes Residence Inn provides the menu on the hotel website, although I could not find it online for this hotel.

Business center and lobby
Two computers and a printer were located in the lobby area. The printer for the lobby computers was in a cabinet underneath the computers, and I could not hear it printing. I initially had trouble finding my document, because there is another printer in the lobby across the room, which is the same brand as the one the computer said it was printing to. When my document did not print at that machine, I inquired at the front desk about where to find my document. She told me it was located in the cabinet. I do not know what the other printer was connected to.

I observed plenty of comfortable looking seating areas in the lobby, although we did not sit in this area.

Pool and outside area
The outside courtyard was clean and comfortable. The grill on the patio looked like it had never been used, although it must have been used, since BBQ was listed on the April menu for dates before our stay. The courtyard is next to the parking lot, between the front desk and the pool area. There is a partial wall between the courtyard and the parking lot, which partially blocks the parking lot view.



The pool and whirlpool tub are located inside. The seating in the pool area was comfortable. My husband said that the whirlpool tub was clean, although it could have been warmer.



Shuttle service
I stayed at this hotel because I had an early morning flight the next day. When I checked in, the agent told me that the shuttle was not running that early, and the hotel provided a cab.

Misc. and overall
This hotel is somewhat difficult to find, if you are not familiar with the area. I thought the signage for the Wyndham hotel was much more visible.

The public areas of the hotel were not tended to later in the day. It was the evening of Easter, and the hotel was not very full, so I assume staffing was also reduced. We observed something spilled on the floor by the elevator after we returned from dinner--possibly an ice cream cone or milkshake, which was never cleaned up. The spot was not very big, although we had to step around it each time that we walked by, because it looked sticky. There was also quite a bit of water around the pool area and in the hallway outside the pool. Neither of these issues were highly serious, although we were surprised that no one mopped up the sticky residue.

This is one of the nicest Residence Inn hotels I have stayed in. I thought that the guestroom was well laid out, and it was comfortable. Even so, I am not sure how often I will be able to stay here, since the rate is more than other airport hotels. 

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