Hotel chain enters West Michigan market

Hotel chain enters West Michigan market

Courtesy Drury Inn & Suites Grand Rapids

A national hotel chain opened its first location in West Michigan today.

Drury Hotels of St. Louis opened Drury Inn & Suites Grand Rapids, at 5175 28th St. SE, with a dedication ceremony this morning.

Construction on the seven story, 180-room hotel began last March.

Drury Development Corporation, or DDC, developed the hotel and was the general contractor on the property. DDC also employs in-house architects and interior designers who worked on the project.

Chuck Drury, president and CEO of Drury Hotels, said the chain is known for its focus on “clean rooms, friendly service and honest value.”

“These principles are instilled across all of our properties,” Drury said.

Rooms and event space

Guests can choose from king and queen rooms with in-room amenities, such as an LCD TV, microwave, refrigerator, iron and ironing board, hairdryer and coffee maker.

Two types of room suites are available, featuring a bedroom separated by a door from the living area, which also has a pullout queen sofa sleeper.

The hotel offers rooms with mobility and hearing accessible features as well, subject to availability at the time of booking.

The property also features more than 2,900 square feet of meeting and event space.

Amenities

The hotel provides a range of free amenities to guests: hot breakfast, Wi-Fi, parking, an indoor/outdoor pool and whirlpool, 24-hour fitness center, 24-hour business center and guest laundry.

Staffing

Kim Halbrehder has been hired as general manager of Drury Inn & Suites Grand Rapids.

The hotel employs a staff of 44.

There are no additional hiring plans at this time.

Grand Rapids market

This is the third Drury Hotel to open in Michigan. The other two hotels are located in Frankenmuth and Troy.

Carolyn Feltner, director of marketing for Drury Hotels, said Grand Rapids was chosen as the site for the chain’s third property in the state based on guest surveys.

“As part of our site selection process, we survey our guests to see where they would like to see a new property built,” she said. “Grand Rapids was one of the cities our guests listed with regularity, and it is a city where we see a great opportunity for growth.”

Feltner said the 28th Street location was selected based on its “high visibility” and “accessibility to local attractions and businesses.”

Drury Hotels first announced plans to build in Grand Rapids in 2007, but the Great Recession caused delays in the development of the property, she said.

Feltner added that demand for the property continued throughout the ensuing years.

“As economic conditions improved and we saw an increase in the demand for hotel rooms in the area, we decided the time was right to enter the Grand Rapids market,” she said.

The chain 

Drury Hotels is a family owned and operated company with a more than 40-year history.

The chain was founded with the opening of its first hotel in Sikeston, Missouri.

The company has more than 130 hotels in 21 states.

Its brands include Drury Inn, Drury Suites, Drury Plaza and Pear Tree Inn by Drury.