Your Romantic Getaway Weekend Itinerary in Grand Rapids

Book a Romance Package at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, which includes overnight accommodations for two in a luxurious guest room, valet or self-parking, one bottle of wine and a $50 food and beverage credit for any of the hotel’s nine bars and restaurants – including the Spanish-themed MDRD on the 27^th floor of the hotel, offering sweeping panoramic views of the city and region.

Get a couple’s massage at the on-site Celeste Salon & Spa, a new-in-2023, state-of-the-art facility on the hotel’s fourth floor, which also features a fitness center with Pelotons and other high-tech equipment, an aquatics center with pool and hot tub, and outdoor pickleball courts. It feels like a wellness center resort in the heart of the city.

Now that you’re all relaxed and rejuvenated, take some time to explore downtown Grand Rapids. There are 200+ restaurants, shops and entertainment venues within a 10-minute walk (or FREE bus ride) of the Amway Grand.

If you and your sweetie are foodies, be sure to visit the Grand Rapids Downtown Market, which houses 20+ restaurants and artisan food vendors under one roof – including the aptly named Love’s Ice Cream & Chocolate. Art lovers should include the Grand Rapids Art Museum and one (or more) of the city’s self-guided mural tours in their itinerary. History and science buffs will appreciate the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, Grand Rapids African American Museum & Archives and Grand Rapids Public Museum. Get Culture Pass GR for reduced admission to these and other cultural attractions!

Downtown restaurant choices range from excellent seafood eateries (Leo’s and Beacon Corner Bar & Coastal Fare) to fine steakhouses (Ruth’s Chris and The Chop House) to breweries that serve great food (City Built Brewing Company and Founders Brewing Company) to six of Trip Advisor’s most romantic Grand Rapids restaurants: the aforementioned Leo’s, Ruth’s Chris and The Chop House plus Bistro Vella Vita, San Chez, Divani and the Lumber Baron Bar.

Attend a theatre, ballet, opera or symphony production, a live music concert or a comedy show just steps from the hotel. While away the rest of the night on the dance floor before retiring to the hotel for a great night’s sleep before another day of exploring downtown.

Summer in Grand Rapids is all about enjoying the Grand Outdoors. Consider booking a hotel with an outdoor pool, such as the  Clarion Inn & Suites Airport , Drury Inn & Suites Grand Rapids , Knights Inn Grand Rapids , Residence Inn by Marriott Grand Rapids West , Staybridge Suites Grand Rapids - Airport  or the Sheraton Grand Rapids Airport Hotel .

Any one of them is a great home base for exploring the area’s outdoor festivals, outdoor concerts and outdoor movies. Food and drink taste even better al fresco, so take your pick of 160+ restaurants with outdoor dining spaces. Beat the heat with a sweet treat at the city’s best ice cream and frozen yogurt shops, and/or relax with a tall cold one at 40+ breweries on the Beer City Ale Trail. Download the Beer City Brewsader® passport app to earn a free t-shirt and collect fun badges for checking in to breweries.

If you’re an outdoorsy couple, check out 30+ golf courses, hundreds of miles of hiking & biking trails, and the sugar-sand beaches of Lake Michigan, just a 30 to 45-minute drive from downtown GR. Spend a day on the beach and get back to Grand Rapids for a night on the town.

Of course, we’ve got plenty of fun indoor date possibilities as well – from bowling and fowling to axe throwing and virtual reality games.

Cooler weather means more snuggling! Stay at a cozily romantic Bed & Breakfast inn – both Leonard at Logan House and PrairieSide Suites offer romance packages with a host of perks. PrairieSide also features a fireplace in each room.

Fall in Grand Rapids brings harvest festivals, hayrides, corn mazes and fresh-made cider and donuts to family farms just outside the city, each an easy and picturesque drive from downtown. You can also take a self-guided leaf color tour, pick your own apples and pumpkins, and celebrate Halloween and Oktoberfest with us.

Visit Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park for even more natural beauty. Named the nation’s #2 botanic gardens, its grounds are covered with chrysanthemums of every possible hue in fall.

Time your visit to coincide with ArtPrize, the world’s most attended public art event, to revel in the romance of creativity. Hundreds of artists from around the world display their art all over downtown Grand Rapids – and your vote helps determine who wins a huge cash prize. ArtPrize means amazing backdrops for your couple selfies, too.

Visit Uptown, a walkable dining and shopping district just five minutes east of downtown, for one-of-a-kind restaurants and boutiques. Terra GR, The Winchester, Brewery Vivant, Hancock, Green Well Gastro Pub, Forty Acres Soul Kitchen,  Donkey Taqueria and other eateries emphasize fresh, seasonal ingredients and casual dining, while Grove offers a more upscale culinary experience. Shops like Books & Mortar, Metal Art Studio Fine Jewelry, Woosah Outfitters (art & apparel), Rebel (gifts), Mokaya (chocolates) and Gemini Handmade (fine leather) are great places to find gifs for your loved one.

Stop by Uptown’s Mammoth Distilling Cocktail Lounge, Eastern Kille Wealthy, Less Traveled by Long Road Distillers, Chateau Grand Rapids, Post Off, Pursuit of Happiness or Squibb Coffee & Wine Bar for an after-dinner or apres-shopping drink before heading back to your B&B.

The two-month-long World of Winter, America’s largest winter festival, is perfect for strolling arm-in-arm to see giant outdoor art installations, enjoy outdoor entertainment, play outdoor games and take outdoor walking tours. (Bundle up and huddle together for warmth.) Visit around Valentine’s Day for Valent-Ice, an ice sculpture exhibit, and Love on Ice at the outdoor Rosa Parks Circle ice skating rink.

Much of WoW overlaps with the Downtown Refreshment Area, which allows visitors (in any season) to stroll around with adult beverages purchased from 60+ participating businesses. May we suggest a hot toddy or peppermint schnapps?

You can stay at one of 13 downtown hotels to walk to WoW or any of 80 suburban hotels that are just a 10 to 15-minute drive away. Either way, you should check the Van Andel Arena, DeVos Performance Hall, GLC Live at 20 Monroe, Midtown, Intersection and Pyramid Scheme schedules for superstar concerts, Broadway shows and sporting events ideal for a date night.

Cross downtown’s Grand River to the Bridge Street Entertainment District – you can walk or take a FREE Dash bus. Bridge Street is lined with trendy eateries, breweries and nightspots – including Butcher’s Union, a meat & whiskey restaurant ranked among Yelp’s Top 100 Midwest eateries, Morning Belle, a fabulous brunch destination, and General Wood Shop, an LGBTQIA+ cocktail lounge. There are enough food-and-drink options here to keep you coming back throughout the long weekend!

Of course, you’re more than welcome to plan your own romantic Grand Rapids itinerary utilizing any of the suggestions above. Consult our Events, Things To Do and Restaurants pages for even more ideas.