GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A $40 million renovation to Grand Rapids’ iconic Amway Grand Plaza Hotel is complete.

Managing company AHC Hospitality announced the milestone Monday after crews replaced the final panes of the downtown landmark’s glass exterior. The updated tower is now welcoming guests.

(A November 2020 photo shows the 29th floor private dining area of MDRD, which features windows overlooking the Grand River in downtown Grand Rapids.)

Crews have been working on the 656-room hotel since January 2019. Rockford Construction oversaw the project, with architectural firm Gensler and Progressive AE handling design.

The updates included replacing the building’s entire glass exterior with lighter tinted glass that’s easier to look through and more energy efficient. New floor-to-ceiling glass gives guests unobstructed views of the city, and visitors of the 27th floor MDRD restaurant sky-high views that stretch for miles.

Updates to the tower also include metal cladding, updated balcony rooms and a backlit logo on the hotel’s Pearl Street side.

The renovations were originally expected to wrap up this spring, but the timeline stretched into summer as the COVID-19 pandemic progressed and construction temporarily stalled.

The project closed a portion of Pearl Street last month as crews removed the rooftop crane installed in March 2019 for moving supplies to the top of the tower.