Home2 Suites By Hilton Grand Rapids South

I stayed at more than ten hotels on this trip, and this was the only one where I added another week. It's clean, peaceful, with fresh air and very little traffic at night. At times, looking out at the snow-covered landscape from my room felt like the rest of the world had faded away. Lori, the assistant manager, was helpful and replied the day after I emailed about lost and found. Breakfast had some unusual options I liked, including egg pancakes, Silk soy milk, and bottled milks such as chocolate. There were no scrambled eggs. A few things made the stay less convenient. The key card didn't open the side entrance doors or pool area, and despite staying two weeks, I didn't see anyone try to fix it. That made getting in from cold winter weather awkward, and parking by a side entrance still meant a long walk to the front door. The pool felt cold, around 25°C. I walked back and forth for 10-15 minutes to adjust, but it still felt cold when I swam at different evening times. I checked the thermometer floating in a small container beside the pool on two nights, and it consistently showed 25°C, not 84°F (29°C). Another guest, Amers, also wrote in April 2025 that the pool water was "pretty darn cold." A clock in the pool area would be useful. The water tasted salty, which I haven't found in other pools, and it turned very murky during my last few days. I had no skin issues, but it seemed like the filtration system wasn't working effectively. The hotel doesn't have a body lotion dispenser in the bathroom. It does let guests leave tips online, the only hotel where I've seen that, and it's convenient since I don't carry much cash. One idea: instead of giving guests complimentary bottled water imported from California, a state that relies heavily on the Colorado River, they could put a water purification system in common areas so people can refill their own bottles. That would be more environmentally friendly.

The rooms were clean and nice, and the hotel was clean too. Bring your own pillows, these ones suck. Breakfast was okay. The bacon was fresh and yummy the first morning, probably because it was Sunday and lots of people were eating. On Monday, the Canadian bacon had sat out and was dry and gross. If you get hurt, bring your own first aid kit, they aren't equipped.

The room was the best part: lots of space and storage, with an apartment-size fridge, microwave, dishwasher, bowls, and silverware. The beds weren't especially comfortable, though my husband, son, and someone in the other family both preferred the pullout couch. Breakfast went over well with everyone, and they had dairy-free milk. The workout room was nice too. The pool was okay for our group of 10, but once another group of about six joined, it felt crowded. The room it's in is small, so the noise echoed and got pretty loud. Still, we liked our room and saved the hotel on Google Maps in case we need somewhere in the area again.

The one letdown was breakfast. We got there around 9, with half an hour left before service ended at 9:30, and there was barely anything left besides three kinds of cereal and waffles. No sausage, bacon, or bagels. When I asked if more food was coming, they brought out a small amount of bacon, gone after three people had some. The hotel itself was beautiful and spotless. Our room had two queen beds, a pullout couch, and a kitchenette. The bathroom was a little small, but fine, and the shower was roomy and clean. The beds, including the pullout, were comfortable. The pool and exercise room were nice, though the pool water was very cold. I'd recommend staying here, just don't count on a great breakfast.