Accommodations

Hotel and Travel

Convention Hotel

NACSW's Convention 2015 will be held at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, located at 187 Monroe Avenue NW, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503.

Click here to make your reservation at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel. For more information about the hotel, their website is: amwaygrand.com. The guest room rate is just $120/night (until October 21, 2015), and may be shared between up to four people. To reserve a room by phone, you may call toll free (800) 253-3590 or locally (616) 776-6450. Please identify yourself as being with the North American Association of Christians in Social Work (NACSW). Check-in is at 4:00pm and check-out is at 12:00pm.

Convention registrants are responsible for making reservations directly with the hotel. To qualify for the special $120/night rate, make your reservation by October 21, 2015.

Reservations must be accompanied by a valid major credit card, check or money order made payable to the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel. The amount of deposit required equals the value of the first night’s accommodation, including tax. Credit cards will be held to guarantee reservations but not charged until 48 hours prior to arrival.

Transportation

Information and prices provided by the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel. NACSW is not responsible for incorrect or variable information. Map from Yahoo! Maps.

The Amway Grand Plaza Hotel is conveniently located in the heart of the downtown Grand Rapids business and entertainment district. At the crossroads of both US-131 and I-196, the hotel is easily accessible and just a brief 18-minute drive from Gerald R. Ford International Airport.

Distance To/From Airports:
Grand Rapids: 12.6 miles
Detroit: 155 miles
Chicago Midway: 178 miles
Chicago O’Hare: 204 miles

Driving Directions/GPS Direction Input:
The hotel's motor lobby is located on
225 Pearl Street NW
Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503

(Street Address is:187 Monroe Avenue NW, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503)

Where is the motor lobby/main hotel entrance located? If heading south on Monroe Avenue, make a right onto Pearl Street to locate valet and self-parking. If headed north on Monroe Avenue, make a left onto Pearl Street to locate valet and self-parking.

Valet and self-parking available: Valet and self-parking are available to overnight guests. Valet parking is located in the motor lobby off of the Pearl Street entrance. Self-parking is available in the Amway Grand Parking Ramp. The Amway Grand Parking Ramp entrance is located on the corner of Pearl Street and Monroe Avenue with entrances on Campau and Pearl Streets.

Discounted parking rates: Overnight guests pay a $8 self-parking fee. Non-overnight guests receive 25% off current self-parking rate. To receive the discounted rate, attendees must hand a parking coupon to the parking attendant at the end of their stay to receive the discount.

Do you have a hotel shuttle? No. Cabs are available; speak with a concierge or a valet for more information.

Taxi Cabs: According to the Experience Grand Rapids Convention & Visitors Bureau (www.experiencegr.com/trip-planning/travel-to-grand-rapids/), Metro Cab is the best option for attendees. Rates are approximately $32-34 one way. That is the cost per taxi, no charge for additional passengers. Metro has a dispatch desk outside of Door #4 which is near baggage carousel #3. Guests should exit there and request a taxi. As the official taxi service at the airport, Metro always keeps cabs waiting.

Public Transportation: There is a public transportation option provided by The Rapid. The bus picks up in the 2^nd lane outside of Door #4. Using The Rapid involves 2 buses with a transfer to get downtown. If guests are interested in this, they should check at the Visitor Information Desk in the baggage claim area for assistance.

Places to Eat In Grand Rapids

There are many restaurants in Grand Rapids, including:

Restaurants onsite include: Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Cygnus 27, GP Sports, Bentham's Riverfront Restaurant, Cornucopia, Starbucks

Restaurants within walking distance include: Sushi Yama, Kilwins Chocolates and Ice Cream, Lumber Baron, Bull's Head Tavern, Freshii, Sundance Grill Downtown, Taco Bob's, Six.One.Six Restaurant, Angel's Thai Cafe, Eastown Deli, Subway, Flanagan's Irish Pub, and more.

Experience Grand Rapids (http://www.ExperienceGR.com) has provided us with a map of restaurants near the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel. (The Amway is the yellow circled L near the center of the map.) We anticipate that these maps will be available at the convention as well.

Things To Do In Grand Rapids

There are lots of things to do and places to visit in Grand Rapids, including:

Broadway Grand Rapids: 122 Lyon Street NEW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503

Grand Rapids Symphony: 300 Ottawa NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503

Grand Rapids Art Museum: 101 Monroe Center, Grand Rapids, MI 49503

Grand Rapids Public Museum: 272 Pearl Street NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504-5371

Gerald R. Ford Museum: 303 Pearl Street NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504

Old World Olive Co: 108 Monroe Center, Grand Rapids, MI

Dr. Grins Comedy Club: 20 Monroe Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503

Van Andel Arena: 130 Fulton West, Grand Rapids, MI 49503

Grand Rapids Children's Museum: 11 Sheldon Ave NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503

River City Improv: 61 Sheldon Blvd SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49516

Heritage Hill Historic District: 126 College Ave SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503

Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park: 1000 E Beltline Ave NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49525