The 24-story, 340-room hotel is being designed by Lohan Caprile Goettsch Architects Inc. of Chicago, and BETA Design Group Inc. of Grand Rapids.The hotel will carry the Marriott brand name and will welcome its first guests in 2007.

Alticor chairman Steve Van Andel said: "Today is another big day. The design unveiling of the new Marriott is the latest chapter in the continuing revitalization of downtown Grand Rapids.  We are introducing a modern and sophisticated structure that will grace our skyline for decades to come."

The hotel project was initiated by Alticor co-founders Rich DeVos and the late Jay Van Andel.  "It is such an honor to reveal this beautiful building to the great city of Grand Rapids," said DeVos.  "Jay and I often talked about this day, when we would proudly showcase another example of our love for the city we grew up in."

DeVos continued:  "I've seen the sketches and models from the project's infancy.  I fully believe that our city leaders -- and most importantly -- the guests who will stay at our hotel, will find the design and all the hotel's amenities to be exactly what Grand Rapids needs."

The hotel's design plays to the strengths of its location along the scenic Grand River.  Its location near the southwest corner of Pearl Street and Campau Avenue will be easy for hotel guests to approach and park, and will be pedestrian friendly as well.  An adjacent 700-space parking ramp will be located just south of Louis Street.

Other features in the hotel's design include a ballroom that will comfortably seat a thousand guests.  The ballroom will be one of the largest in the region.  The design features also include a restaurant, lounge and other amenities.

John Arzarian Jr., Lohan Caprile Goettsch associate principal and senior designer, said:  "We worked hard to design a hotel that is unique and appropriate for Grand Rapids and the riverfront site."

The hotel is being built in a joint venture between Rockford Construction Company, Inc. of Grand Rapids, and Pepper Construction Group of Chicago.  Brennan Beer Gorman Monk Interiors of New York City, a firm that has designed interior environments for hotels, restaurants and hospitality projects throughout the world, has been tapped to design the hotel's interiors.

Construction of the Marriott hotel is scheduled to begin this summer.

About Alticor
Alticor (http://www.alticor.com ) is the parent company of Amway Corp., Quixtar Inc., and Access Business Group LLC.  Headquartered in Ada, Michigan, USA, Alticor and its affiliates offer products, business opportunities, and product development, manufacturing and logistics services in more than 80 countries and territories worldwide.  Alticor also owns and operates the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in Grand Rapids, MI, a AAA 4-diamond, full-service hotel.  In its most recent fiscal year, the company reported worldwide sales of $6.2 billion.