We were invited to come and stay at the Hotel Grinnell, in Grinnell Iowa. Where is that, I hear you ask? More on that later! This hotel is in a converted school house, so has a homeschooling family, this piqued our interest. And we ended up working a visit to Grinnell into our Fall Foliage road trip, to take in the sites at Lookout Mountain, Grafton Illinois, and Hannibal Missouri among others!
Disclaimer: We were guests of the Hotel Grinnell, Iowa. However, as always, all opinions are my own.
An invitation to Iowa
It all began with the coolest media kit we have ever received. A classic tin lunchbox filled with snacks, candy, a coffee mug, playing cards, a sleeping mask, and an invitation to come visit. How could we say no to such an offer? Hotel Grinnell is over 1000 miles away from our home in Georgia, but the more I read about the hotel, the more I wanted to visit. Sleeping in a classroom of an old school turned into hotel seemed just perfect for our family. The traveler in me began working to figure out a way to make this happen, and this is how we ended up taking a 3000 mile, 9 state fall foliage road trip!
Hotel Grinnell is more than just a place to stay; it embraces and celebrates the contrast and contradictions of old and new. Erected in 1921, the building served as the city’s junior high until the late 70’s and now, nearly 40 years later, it has been repurposed into an independently owned hotel, eatery, bar, and event center.
~ Hotel Grinnell Website
Arriving at Hotel Grinnell
Hotel Grinnell is located along Interstate 80, halfway between Des Moines and Iowa City. It is a great location to stop for lunch between the two cities if you are travelling. Or, as we did, stop off to explore on a bigger road trip.
After visiting Alton, Illinois and Hannibal, Missouri, we made our way to Grinnell, Iowa. We made our way into the Hotel Grinnell and received such a warm welcome from the front desk. We were also able to meet Leslie Jaworski, who had worked diligently to make our stay in Grinnell happen.
Hotel Grinnell – The Building
The old school building has been so lovingly transformed from the 1920s school to the new hotel and function center. There are repurposed school items used as furniture, and nods to the buildings’ former life everywhere. It is a great way to preserve the history of the building but breathe new life into the space.
The hotel rooms
The hotel rooms are in the old classrooms. Notice the historic hardwood floors original to the 1921 school; and the bench at the end of the bed from the old locker room. The rooms are light and bright, and remind you of school in the good nostalgic way, but have all the mod-cons.
Most of the rooms are actually only half of an old classroom. The double wall construction used to divide the rooms ensures privacy. There are 3 walls and 10 inches of insulation between you and your neighbor. It was one of the most peaceful places we have ever slept.
Each room also includes a science lab-like, counter height desk, that can be used for meals or cocktails. It can also be used as a stand up or sit down desk. Then there is the chalkboard. I think it was one of Payton’s favorite things to draw on – we don’t have those in our homeschool!
The Hotel Bathrooms
The industrial glass used in the showers is in honor of the city’s industrial heritage. You will also notice this in the local steel that was used for the bed frames. All of the contractors who renovated the building were local and every tile was set by the hotel owner’s husband.
Do not disturb
Want to sleep in the next morning? Simply hang the provided school tie on your door and the staff will know to not disturb you. Another unique feature of the room is that fresh air is piped continuously from the great outdoors into your room 24-7. The fresh air keeps you and the building healthy and optimizes sleep. I can’t think of one detail that Hotel Grinnell left out.
Art at Hotel Grinnell
We got a sneak peek of the other rooms and a tour of the hotel. One thing that immediately caught my attention was the art work in each room. Not one piece of art in the entire hotel is a duplicate. This seems like a good reason to stay in all 43 rooms!
History Preserved
Walking the halls brought back memories of high school, but my high school definitely did not look as lovely as this! There is a nice balance struck between the history of the building, but the functionality and comfort of the modern hotel.
Hotel Grinnell Functions
The Ballroom
The former gymnasium is now an impressive ballroom, perfect for wedding receptions and events. The floor still looks like a basketball court. The hotel also offers a penthouse for the bride and groom and matching suites for the parents of the bride and groom.
Dormrooms
For wedding parties, hen parties, and group tours, there are also 2 dorm style rooms. These were built in the old school lunch room, and now hold 10 bunks per room. Notice the old locker repurposed into a bench. These features make Hotel Grinnell perfect for weddings and large events. Have a large wedding party? Bridesmaids in one dorm and groomsmen in the other!
The Reception Area
There is also a lobby, bar, and restaurant. This area was once the old locker rooms off of the gymnasium. The lobby is a great place to hang out, relax, and even play scrabble on the largest board I have even seen.
The Periodic Table
The Periodic Table bar and eatery is open every evening for dinner. The limited menu offers great food and creative drink options. There is also outdoor patio seating available when weather permits. This area includes fire pits and games as well. See the old scoreboard in the bar/restaurant area? It still works and lights up the evening like a gymnasium! The Periodic Table is a great place for hanging out and unwinding.
Iowa put on a special October treat for Payton. As we were finishing dinner it began to snow. Not exactly what I was expecting on our fall foliage road trip, but Payton was ecstatic. She ran to the outdoor patio area and danced in the snow!
Breakfast at Hotel Grinnell
Each morning there is also a complimentary breakfast available from 7-9am. You can learn your periodic table while you eat your cereal!
Hotel Grinnell Amenities
Hotel Grinnell really does have so much to offer on site and the amenities are top notch. There are bikes provided that you may check out to explore the town. There is a fitness center to enjoy and a masseuse on call to work out any kinks you may have acquired from that long plane or car ride. Wi-fi is complimentary during your stay.
Location
The location of Hotel Grinnell could not be more perfect. Just across the street is Central Park that includes a playground. The park was and still is a place where the community is welcome to gather for outdoor activities; for children to play, and for people to just enjoy the outdoors.
A review of our stay at Hotel Grinnell, Iowa
I really cannot say enough good things about our stay at Hotel Grinnell. It is the perfect place for couples, families, friends, groups, and weddings. The attention to detail that they placed into every aspect shows such respect for the history they are preserving. Our first time sleeping in a classroom was definitely an A+ experience!
Where is the most unique place that you have ever stayed the night?
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Looks like a cool place to stay!
It was a very unique experience and so much fun!
I love this!!! What a cool idea for a hotel. It is so unique. I wish we had a reason to head that way so we could stay there. LOL!
This looks like an amazing place! What a great opportunity!
It looks like an amazing place! I can’t wait to try it!
Looks like a great place to stay! Having a masseuse on hand would be incredible!
Thank you for sharing, I have friends that went to college in Grinnell – will share with them as I know they visit every few years.
That would be great! They would love this place and within walking distance to the college!
Oh my goodness this place is precious. You can tell each element was well thought out. I love the bunk bedroom. Your right that it would be so fun for a wedding party! Thanks for sharing!
Wow looks like an amazing place to visit! So glad you shared this I would like to do this one day!!
This place looks so fun! those 10 bunk rooms could fit all of the younger cousins easily for a family trip.
That would be so much fun! Great idea!
Wow…what a cool hotel! It’s amazing that they turned the junior high into a hotel! So unique!
Wow ths place is so different and it looks like so much fun!
what a unique and fun experience. super cool
Wow, this looks like an amazing place to stay and hold a wedding reception. Those bunk rooms would be so much fun for both sides of the wedding parties. They did such an awesome job at renovating that school. It’s gorgeous. Thanks for sharing.
Susan I couldn’t agree more! The thoughtfulness that they put into the renovation is amazing!
What a unique idea for repurposing an old building and giving it new life! I love the idea of those 10-bed rooms for bridal parties. And fresh air being piped in is always refreshing!
What a fun place to spend the night! I’ll have to check this hotel and town out.