Hotel Water Square, which will rise between Huntington Place and the Residences at Water Square, will be a JW Marriott hotel, according to reports.
The $397 million hotel is led by Sterling group and will include 600 rooms. $142 million in incentives have been secured.
Crain's first reported that an agreement has been signed by Sterling Group CEO Elie Torgow with Marriott for the JW Marriott hotel.
Grand Rapids is currently the only city in Michigan that's home to the JW Marriott luxury brand. Marriott has a strong presence in Detroit with different brands in the Ren Cen, the Hotel David Whitney, the upcoming AC Hotel, and the upcoming Edition Hotel at Hudson's Detroit.
The Hotel Water Square went through the Community Benefits Ordinance process earlier this year. Its neighbor, the Residences at Water Square, opened earlier this year and was also led by Sterling Group. The new hotel will connect to the convention center with a pedestrian bridge. Second Avenue will also run to the hotel. Construction has started, but the development was expected to have an official groundbreaking this summer; stay tuned for more details.
