Planning on going to Grand Rapids to checkout (mainly) Founders and HopCat. Yes, I do realize there are dozens of threads with the 'what should I do in the area' list, but I haven't been able to find any on if there are any hotels within short cab distance or reasonable walking distance from there. Any help would be greatly appreciated, thank you! By the way, just had my first bottle of FBS the other night and it was incredible!
Stay at the the Amway Grand Plaza. It's AWESOME! and within walking distance. Call for the best room rates. say, "Hello, what is the corporate rate for <Insert large company>?" It should be somewhere around $100-$130 per night.
Stay at the fancy Marriott right next to the river, or at least go there for dinner. Food was very good and rooms were nice. Meijer Garden is great if you're into that sort of thing and is just a short ride from downtown.
Holiday Inn just across the river is fine too, but adds a little to the walk. Per the earlier poster, if you can do the Amway Grand for $130 your all good.
Not trying to threadjack, but can anyone suggest an itinerary for spending one day in GR? Say we get there at Noon and have the rest of the day/night to see the town. Are there certain places to make sure to eat at? We want to do at least Founders, Hopcat, and Vivant.
Those are the 3 places I would go, I would suggest go to Hopcat for lunch, hit Founders for a couple of beers, then Vivant for Dinner.
The new spot just north of town, Perrin, is open as of tomorrow. The man who developed KBS is the head brewer. Might be worth checking out
And if you like pinball stop in The Pyramid Scheme. They have a whole row of Short's on tap, and over 20 minty working pinball machines. Plus they have concerts every night in the back room. And hit up Maggie's Kitchen for some killer Mexican food.
It would be helpful to know your budget, as some places are pricier for dinner than others. My favorite things: If you hit Founders for lunch - get the beer cheese dip or devil dancer sandwich for something HOT. At HopCat, crack fries. Loaded or regular, take your pick. Vivant for dinner, I always recommend the Duck Nachos. (Or head to Harmony for a wood fired pizza.) Stellas has good burgers if you want to pop somewhere within walking distance of HopCat and Founders, and has vegetarian/vegan options. Bartertown/Burritotown is another veg option. If you are a foodie, across from Vivant is the Green Well. To cure your hangover the next morning, head to Wolfgangs and eat a skillet.
We dont really have a budget for food, so it can cost as much or as little as the menu allows, I suppose. We'd like to stay at a brewery/bar to eat though. Thanks for all the tips!
Grand Rapids is great town. I suggest going to the B.O.B. and just wandering around town in general to grab a bite while letting the blood alcohol level come down a bit.
