A Girls Overnight Trip to Grand Rapids

My friend Emily and I decided on a whim to book a hotel and have a low key girls night in Grand Rapids. I grew up 30 minutes away from GR and it’s still one of my favorite places to visit–and just an hour from the Lansing area where I live. Read on for a low key shopping and eating itinerary perfect for a girls trip!

Where to Shop

One of my favorite places to shop for home decor is Commune along with the Counting House and Stoffer Home. I always pop by these three when I’m in town!

We also hit up the Woodland Mall and shopped the giant new Sephora, Urban Outfitters and more. And I’d also recommend Breton Village for shops like Lululemon, Anthropologie and West Elm along with local shop Leigh’s.)

Coffee shops

My go-to coffee shop has been been the Bradbury which is located inside Stoffer Home–it’s a small area, but the space is maximized with beautiful design and natural light. We stopped here for iced lattes and a croissant before shopping!

Another great stop is Rise–it’s a vegan, gluten free and soy free bakery featuring Squibb Coffee. The donuts are delicious and I tried the the cinnamon roll for the first time which is large, dense and so good.

I also love Madcap, Rowster, Ferris and Outside Coffee!

Bites & Drinks

For evening bites and drinks, we went to Knoop, the rooftop beer garden with Dutch and German inspired small plates and great wine/cocktails. It’s located at the new Hilton downtown where we stayed. We also visited Luna which is one of my absolute favorite restaurants–delicious tacos, quesadillas and chips and salsas–and the prickly pear margarita is my favorite drink order, but if you’re undecided, order the margarita flight.

Donkey Taqueria is another favorite of mine, described as a Mexican street food concept–I love visiting here especially in the summer and sitting on the patio with some sangria.

Where to Stay

There are several beautiful hotels in Grand Rapids to choose from. From the Amway Grand Plaza to the JW Marriott to the new Canopy by Hilton (where we stayed), there are some luxury options within walking distance to all the fun stuff. I’d also recommend the Embassy Suites in town (stayed there once!) and City Flats.

The Canopy by Hilton is brand new and was within walking distance of the places I knew I wanted to visit–plus I love checking out new hotels. I’ve stayed at most of them in Grand Rapids and it’s exciting to try something new.