Grand Rapids, Michigan: Holiday Inn Downtown

 April 2022, weekday, 1-night, king premium room 606

I have previously written several posts with information about downtown Grand Rapids. I suggest clicking on the Grand Rapids label at the bottom of this post, if you are interested in more detail than what is provided here. This is just a brief post to share a few updates about the Holiday Inn Downtown.

Reservation info

When IHG remodeled this hotel in 2020, the guestroom descriptions changed slightly. This guestroom used to be called an executive suite, and now it is called a premium room. The agent actually referred to the room as an executive room when I checked in. 

Using points for a stay at this property is a great value, because you can choose any room type at the time of booking. The value was even better this stay, as IHG had lowered the points needed at many of their properties. We booked this room for only 23,000 points, and it is usually 40,000 points.

Holiday Inn Grand Rapids Downtown, king premium guestroom 606

Ludington, Michigan: The Lamplighter Bed & Breakfast

April 2022, The Lamplighter Bed & Breakfast, Carpenter Room, 1-night, weekday

If you want to stay near downtown Ludington, the choices are small inns/motels, bed and breakfast type lodging, or a rental property through places like AirBnB. The closest campground, Cartier Park, is about 1½ miles from town. More campgrounds and chain hotels are located outside of town. Although we do not often stay in bed and breakfast lodging, we chose The Lamplighter Bed & Breakfast because it is only a few blocks from town, and the reviews were all excellent.

Fireplace in the common area at The Lamplighter Bed & Breakfast

Reservations and arrival

I made our reservation with Jen over the telephone. You can also make a reservation online; I called because I had a couple of questions. Check-in is between 4PM and 6PM, and we arrived shortly after 4:00. Jen provided a warm welcome, a brief overview of the amenities, and area information, as needed.  

Carpenter room in The Lamplighter Bed & Breakfast

Carpenter room, floor 2

The Carpenter room is also room #1; the first room at the top of the stairs on the second floor. We did not have any trouble getting to the room with our one small bag. Jen and Dan both offered assistance with luggage during our stay, if needed. This guestroom looked exactly as described and pictured online. I loved the silky soft sheets and pillow quality. The guestroom was comfortable and incredibly clean.

Carpenter room in The Lamplighter Bed & Breakfast

Plush bathrobes were provided, along with bath amenities: soap, shower gel, shampoo, and a hairdryer. We were the only guests the night of our stay, and we had a peaceful evening.