With the Grand River flowing through the center of the city , it has been prone to floods . From March 25 – 29 , 1904 , more than one-half of the entire populated portion of the city lying on the west side of the river was completely underwater , over twenty-five hundred houses , affecting fourteen thousand persons , being completely surrounded . On the 28th , the river registered at , more than above its highest previous mark . More than a hundred years later , from April 12 – 25 , 2013 , the river again flooded , cresting at on the 21st , causing thousands of residents to evacuate their homes . The city skyline shows the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel , formerly the Pantlind , which reopened in 1981 after extensive renovations by Marvin DeWinter & Associates . This work included the addition of a 29 – story glass tower offering panoramic views of the city , river and surrounding area . The Pantlind Hotel 's original architects , Warren & Wetmore , were inspired by the work of the Scottish neoclassical architect Robert Adam . In its prime , the hotel was rated as one of the top ten hotels in the US . The hotel features several restaurants well known in Grand Rapids , such as Cygnus . The hotel is owned by Amway Hotel Collection , a subsidiary of Amway 's holding company Alticor
flooded
2013 Grand Rapids flood
Grand Rapids, Michigan