Just in time for the 2021 Hawkeye football season, a brand new hotel has opened in Iowa City!

For our annual Radiothon this week, Bob James and I were put up at Iowa City's newest hotel. The Courtyard by Marriott is located at 901 Melrose Avenue, right down the street from Kinnick Stadium. In fact, many of the rooms offer a spectacular view of Kinnick. I managed to snap a pretty cool photo from my room on the 4th floor on Wednesday night!

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According to the Iowa City Press Citizen, the hotel opened in early June after four years of construction. They initially hoped to open in August of 2020, but COVID-19 threw a wrench in those plans.

In addition to 140 rooms, a fitness center, a pool, several meeting rooms, and a restaurant called The Bistro, the Courtyard by Marriott is also home to 'The Heights Rooftop Event Center.' The large event space is located on the 6th floor, which was initially supposed to be home to a restaurant. After the restaurant owner backed out, it was transformed into a gorgeous room that can hold around 350 guests. It also opens up to an outdoor rooftop patio with a great view of Kinnick. Hotel staff informed me that they plan to use the space to host ticketed tailgating parties during home football games. The other end of the 6th floor includes another, smaller, event room that can be rented out.

Our stay at Iowa City's newest hotel was wonderful! The lobby and event spaces were gorgeous, my room was comfy and very clean, the food at The Bistro was delicious, and the staff was very helpful and kind. Here are some photos from our two-day stay:

A Look Inside Iowa City's New Hotel Across from Kinnick Stadium

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