Amway hotel celebrates 30th anniversary

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - It rises 29 stories above the streets of Grand Rapids and has been instrumental in the revitalization of downtown.

A celebration took place Wednesday to mark the 30-year anniversary of the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel.

The sold-out event at 7 p.m. featured speakers including Rich DeVos, co-founder of Amway; Doug DeVos, president of Amway; Steve Van Andel, chairman of Amway; Joe Tomaselli, CEO of Amway Grand Plaza Hotel; Dan Gaydou, publisher of The Grand Rapids Press; and Michigan Lt. Gov. Brian Calley.

Hotel officials announced they will upgrade the crown foyer lobby and the Ambassador Ballroom.

The hotel originally opened in 1913 as the Pantlind Hotel. Richard DeVos and Jay Van Andel then bought, renovated and reopened it in 1981.

The addition of the story tower was both economically and symbolically important to the city.

"First of all, it showed that they had confidence in Grand Rapids and believed that they could in fact make a difference. And when they did that, it said to a lot of other investors, it said to city and county government, it said to a lot of people -- 'yes we can do this,'" said Grand Rapids Historian Emeritus Gordon Olson.

Proceeds from the anniversary celebration will benefit the Heart of West Michigan United Way's Schools of Hope program. It provides more than 600 Grand Rapids Public Schools students with 22,000 tutoring sessions during school hours as well as after-school programs in 19 locations.