Grand Rapids, Michigan: Canopy by Hilton Downtown

December 2021, 2-nights between Christmas and New Years

This was another new Hilton hotel for us; our first stay at Canopy by Hilton. Although we had some miss-communication about our perks, overall, this was a fabulous stay. 

Check-in, diamond and AmEx perks

Hilton says they are now allowing diamond members to see available upgrades three days prior to stays; however, my reservation did not show any upgraded rooms to choose from when I looked at the app to check-in the day before our arrival. I called the hotel to ask about checking in beforehand, as I did not want to lose any possible upgrade opportunities. After a brief hold, I was told we had been upgraded to a suite. The agent said our suite would be ready any time after 12:30 PM. 

Umbrella from gift shop in Canopy by Hilton Grand Rapids.

I made this reservation through American Express travel, in order to take advantage of a promo they were offering with a pre-paid rate booked through them. The promo included an on-property credit, which the front desk agent did not mention when we arrived at the hotel. Instead, she told us about all the great places to eat nearby. After I told her we had planned to eat in the hotel, since we had a food and beverage credit, she then briefly mentioned this. When I asked about my diamond breakfast perk, she said I would not receive that in addition to the AmEx credit. The on-property credit we received in the end was generous, so we did not really need the breakfast perk, also. During the stay, however, I was confused about what I was supposed to receive. Three different front desk agents told me three different credit amounts. When I checked out, the manager clearly explained the credit. He then gifted me a Canopy umbrella, since I still had funds left. Nice, I thought! He added that as a diamond member, I would have received a room upgrade, without having to book through AmEx, and also my breakfast credits. We are already thinking about visiting this hotel again on our next overnight stay downtown Grand Rapids.

View from desk in suite 832 Canopy by Hilton Downtown Grand Rapids.

Suite 832

This is an wonderful top floor corner suite! The view is amazing. Unfortunately, we did not get a sunrise or sunset from our room, as the dreary weather did not cooperate. 

View from living room toward bedroom in suite 832 Canopy by Hilton Downtown Grand Rapids.

This suite has a large entry, two bathrooms, a kitchen area, living room, hallway, and bedroom. The main bathroom is huge.

Second bathroom from entry hall in suite 832 Canopy by Hilton Downtown Grand Rapids.

There is a connecting room door to suite 830 in the entry hall across from the second bathroom. This is on the wall to the left, just outside the photo above. I could hear guests in that room through the door, when we were in the entry or second bathroom; however, this was not bothersome, as we could not hear anything when in the living room or bedroom.

Kitchen area in suite 832 Canopy by Hilton Downtown Grand Rapids.

I thought the kitchen area was perfect! It included a Nespresso machine with supplies, stainless steel ice bucket, glasses, ceramic coffee mugs, fresh water decanter, sink, and fridge drawer. There were hooks to hang our coats on the wall across from the kitchen counter.

Nespresso machine and glass water bottle in suite 832 Canopy by Hilton Downtown
Grand Rapids. Ceramic mugs and glasses were in the cupboards above the counter.

Other than the diagram showing where to put water in the Nespresso machine, there were no instructions for how to brew the coffee. We figured it out, although instructions would have been helpful. The provided glass water bottle could be filled with filtered water just down the hall from our suite.

Fridge drawer in suite 832 Canopy by Hilton Downtown Grand Rapids.

Before we arrived, I was unsure what to expect, when I had read that the kitchen has a refrigerated drawer - We thought the drawer was much nicer than a mini-fridge! It was larger than I expected.

Living area in suite 832 Canopy by Hilton Downtown Grand Rapids.

The comfortable living room contained a sofa, soft chairs, desk and chair, large flatscreen TV, coffee table, end tables, and chest. There is another connecting room door in the living room from this suite to guestroom 834. That guestroom appeared to have been empty the first night of our stay. The second evening, we were awakened around 10:30 PM by loud guests in that room (we are early risers).  A couple of used towels placed at the bottom of the door muffled most of the noise.

Bedroom in suite 832 Canopy by Hilton Downtown Grand Rapids.

The view from the bedroom was amazing, and the lounger in the bedroom was comfortable. There was a second flatscreen TV in the bedroom.

Main bath in suite 832 Canopy by Hilton Downtown Grand Rapids.

The large bathroom, located behind the head of the bed, was amazing. Large tile shower with glass doors, good size vanity, separate toilet room with glass door, closet with robes and safe, and a built in luggage rack across from the closet. I did not get any photos of the shower or luggage rack. A second padded luggage rack/seat was located in the hall between the bedroom and bathroom.

View of Portico Restaurant (behind fireplace) from lobby in Canopy by Hilton Downtown Grand Rapids.

Food and beverage

Portico Restaurant on the lobby level of the hotel is open for breakfast and dinner. The rooftop bar is open in the evening with limited foods. We initially thought it would be nice to dine there; however, only bar seats were available when we arrived, and we also learned all dinner foods were not available in the bar. 

Breakfast BLT above
Breakfast Burrito below

We had breakfast and dinner in the restaurant, and all of the food was delicious and good quality. The breakfast menu choices are a bit limited, and I was surprised we both found something we liked. Each breakfast entree includes a beverage and fruit choice. The bacon on the croissant sandwich, WOW--thick and yummy! The basic croissant, however, was not exactly what I expected, as the menu says it is a pretzel croissant.

Portico Restaurant small Charcuterie Board above
Asparagus Casaer Salad below

In the evening we had the small Charcuterie Board, Asparagus Caesar Salad, and Walleye & Swiss Chard. The food was incredible! The Charcuterie Board was made with local cheeses and meats, and was one of the best I have ever had.

Outside view of Canopy by Hilton Downtown Grand Rapids.

Misc. and overall

Overall, this was a great stay. Clean comfortable hotel, good location, and great food. Parking is an additional $22 a night, so we parked at a relative's house nearby. The ice machine and fitness center are located on floor three. I thought the floor guestrooms diagram on the app was confusing, so I am sharing a couple of labeled photos for anyone who may want to choose your own room when checking in.

Guestroom diagrams floor 8 in Canopy by Hilton Downtown Grand Rapids.

Let me know if you have any questions. I will share info about some of the places we visited downtown Grand Rapids in my next post.