I love the concept of and history behind this hotel. And I wanted to love this hotel. But the service simply doesn't not match the per night cost of the hotel. We had a number of issues ranging from lots of noise to broken appliances to cleaning issues. The manager and her son were wonderful, but I would not return to this hotel at $250 per night. The service and maintenance just isn't where it should be. read more

Super amazing boutique hotel! Lucky enough to stay here. This is an old middle school. The rooms are old classrooms. They have bikes you can use to ride around the cute downtown. They turned to gym into a ballroom. The restaurant is called Periodic table. This is where they have a complimentary breakfast. They have a giant scrabble board, skee ball. The rooms were adorable and comfortable. The showers had a great rainfall shower head. The staff was amazing!!! I would go out of my to stay here when heading done I-80. read more

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I absolutely fell in love with the Hotel Grinnell but only wished the water pressure/rain drizzle shower was better! You have to wait about 15 minutes for the water to get hot and then then water pressure is so bad that it took me 30 minutes to wash my face, shave my legs, and wash/condition my hair...so a 45 minute process in all. The bed was comfy, the room was clean, floors are beautiful and I was just sad with the shower situation! I would still stay here but know for future... read more

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Overall, a big disappointment. We were in Grinnell for a reunion and decided to stay downtown for convenience and the novelty. Arrived and there was no one at the front desk. Called the number provided twice before someone arrived. Checked-in and was told the Periodic Table was open until Midnight with a kitchen and Live Music. Our room had wires hanging from our window. I noticed it was for the blinds. I walked down to the desk to let them know our blinds were not functioning because of disconnected wires. I was the manager would be in 30 minutes and she would repair it. I said great and we left for our event. They were never fixed and the street light from across the street shone into our room all night. At our event and invited people back to the lounge because of the music. There was no music!! A couple people ordered the personal pizzas from the bar. It took 40 minutes for their order and the pizzas were under cooked; very doughy. We were laughing and apologizing. No music and Bad Food and Bad Service. We all left to find a better vibe. The rooms were spartan by not really in a cool way. The bathroom was a very low end finish. The amenities were locked. As we thought we might play some pickleball as we saw the nets set-up in the Ballroom. No one at the front desk to open the doors. We were charged over $350/night for the room. The room, service and amenities just didn't warrant anything close to that fee. The concept is good but the execution is poor. The Periodic Table, the lounge, is such a lost opportunity. Checked out the next day. Not surprising no one at the front desk. That is kind of the theme no service. We joked that you can't complain about the service because there isn't any. read more

There are a lot of things to unpack about this stay so buckle up for a journey of mixed emotions. Let's start at the beginning... Let's say you are taking a road trip and need to find a place to say the night in the middle of Iowa. Let say years ago you read the 1951 sci fi classic The Puppet Masters by Robert Heinlein. And for some reason the name of the town where the aliens first land sticks in your head. Well then of course you will want to stay in Grinnell Iowa. Which turns out was a fun little town and I defiantly didn't get possessed by an alien slug that is making me type this review in order to lure more victims to the town...... This hotel is a boutique hotel built inside an old middle school. And I loved every thing about it..... in concept... execution was another matter. The details and style of this place was fantastic. The art on the walls in all original. The styling is brilliant, you can tell every piece was selected with intentionality. There s a fun school element through out with your key cards being "hall passes" and comment cards being "report cards". With that in mind this place accurately reflects my schooling, they get a solid C average. I researched the Room a lot before booking and.... then they gave me a room that looked nothing like the pictures and layout (But it was super late and I didn't want to deal with it approaching midnight). The rooms had beautiful vaulted ceilings that...... made it crazy echoey and impossible to watch tv if anyone else is talking in the room or vice versa. They had a futon style couch we pulled out for our daughter but..... there was some trash and dead bugs behind it. The room had a rain shower and a separate super huge tub that even a fatty like me can fit it..... but the water was slightly brown. They had complementary bathrobes.... That were so small I couldn't put my arms down at my side when I put it on and it did not cover 50%of my body. They offered complementary coffee with real cups instead of the normal paper cups in the room..... but the coffee stirrers were used and crusted with sugar or something. And worst of all, by far, irony of ironies, I used to sleep better in real school than I did in this one. It was the worst night sleep ever. The bed was incredibly soft but also the mattress was thin so I could not get slightly comfortable. They have huge windows with a cute view of the town but just a pull curtain that doesn't black out any sunlight so that at 5 am when the light was coming in the east facing window I could have read by it's light without having to turn on the lamp. All in I maybe got 4 hours of tossing and turning sleep. I wanted to love everything about this place I really did. And I did love it, I just didn't enjoy it. I hope that makes sense. Gorgeous but poorly executed. Clever and fun and delightful while simultaneously disappointing. Oh, and WAY WAY WAY overpriced. read more

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I fell in love with Hotel Grinnell before I even had a chance to visit. Just knowing its history and how it was an old school building having been converted to a hotel, was enough to have me interested and intrigued! They have done a great job of converting this facility to a hotel. A lot of the original school was able to be restored, such as their flooring and the auditorium. The original scoreboard is even set up on the wall in the bar. And speaking of the bar, it previously held the locker rooms. There are 43 rooms, the rooms used to be classrooms. Queen and double bed rooms are available as well as sweets, including one two level penthouse suite. The penthouse suite is gorgeous with its own dressing room that can also serve as a salon and makeup area. It would be great for a wedding party! Additionally, there are two Bunk Rooms that will sleep up to 10 people in each. The rooms are modern and trendy, and many of them have the original school windows that are a large offer a lot of light in the room. In lieu of do not disturb door hangers, there are ties to hang outside the door. There is Keurig machines in each room, as well as cups, K-Cups, sugar, and creamer. There is artwork in every room and throughout the hotel, and there is not a single duplicate. There is different art in each room! The Periodic Table is on site, they serve food and drinks. The hotel also offers a light complimentary breakfast here in the mornings during the week. In the restaurant / bar are games, work areas, a giant Scrabble board on the wall, and a computer station. There is even outdoor seating and fire pits, the outdoor area is very large. Game such as corn hole are also available. There is also a fitness room available on the 2nd story. Free bikes are available to rent for all guests. They are located on the first floor, all you have to do is check a bike out with the front desk. It's a nice way to get around! There are no phones in the rooms, and instead the front desk will text you upon check-in and you can text them whenever you have questions or need something. Someone is always available this way. I can't say enough about how much I enjoyed staying here! read more

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Stayed here during college visits. We had visited Drake and then traveled to Grinnell to tour the college the next day. This looked like a fun place to stay. The building is really cool - I loved the reuse of the school into a hotel. Lots of fun features throughout that hinted either subtly or directly at the building's former life. The staff were universally great. Friendly and helpful. The room was spacious but otherwise not amazing. Outlets were in weird locations either they were not near the beds, or they were behind them - or on the opposite walls. There were plenty of outlets generally, just not where you needed them. The bathroom was gross - the shower had a lot of hair in it (yuck) and the faucet needed cleaning - significant soap scum or something. There were holes in the sheets. They send a welcome email, but they didn't send it until the day after we left. Lots of helpful text messages, but when I texted back that my stay was a 3 our of 5 and the reasons why, there was no response. Overall I'd probably stay here again given the other options, but it was not a great experience. read more

Amazing place to stay.... Great red sangria spritzer in the restaurant. I highly recommend this place read more

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Hands down the best place to stay in Grinnell. Located in a renovated junior high school, the rooms and public spaces have a contemporary vibe. If you're trekking on I-80 cross country and hit central Iowa needing to stop for a night, this quality hotel is just a few minutes off the interstate and is highly recommended over the chain motels that dot the interstate landscape between Iowa City and Des Moines. Nice city park within a block of the hotel. Downtown Grinnell is a block away and has a couple of good restaurants. The hotel has a chill bar with good bar food. read more

Great Stay!!! Beautiful hotel with great atmosphere, bar, grille, and patio with fire pits and comfortable seating. Managers Nikki and Zane went above and beyond in making sure my stay was as enjoyable as possible. If you are in the area this IS the place to stay!! read more

Great spot! The renovation of the old school building (and later municipal office building) was beautiful and retained enough of the original historic elements while adding an architecturally respectful, however clever, modern touch to the building. It's very quiet, and centrally located, too, with quick access to the college, downtown Grinnell (a block to either), and just a few minutes from the interstate. read more

Hotel Grinnell - The lobby. - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Grinnell, Iowa

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So as i said, I stayed in the hotel several weeks ago. Came back to Iowa and stayed at the Grinnelle hotel again. I can't say enough good things. First, they fixed the odor in the incoming lobby and hallways. We asked for a quiet room and they gave us an end room on the first floor. Great room, loved it very much . The shower has great water pressure and hot. The beds are super comfortable. The staff is great and very attentive. We just left and one of our party left there phone in the bathroom in a common bathroom by the periodic table restaurant. They text me to ask if it was ours and it was. They are now mailing it to us. What great customer service. They use a text service that anything you need you can just text them and they respond. All the staff is so very friendly and do nice. I highly recommend this hotel. read more

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Excellent boutique hotel right downtown. We stayed for 2 nights. The building is an old school building so the architecture is unique-- Hugh ceilings, lots of open space in common areas. Our room had a great shower and very comfortable bed. The breakfast was very good and the hotel bar is a nice place to grab a drink or food. read more

I was in Grinnell for 48 hours from Philadelphia because my band was playing a show at the college. Stayed at Hotel Grinnell for two nights. I haven't been to other hotels in Grinnell, but based on my research and analysis of other hotels' sites and reviews, Hotel Grinnell is clearly the best option around. Rooms are modern and funky, with cool art. Beds are super comfortable. Nice big windows. Saw the sun rise one morning. There is a fridge in the room with La Croix seltzer and there is a basket with all sorts of things for sale, from white cheddar popcorn to candy bars to a shaving kit. Keurig coffeemaker, tho there was only one caffeinated pot provided, which was fairly torturous. Bikes are available for free loans, which is an awesome service. Also the TV works well. I stay in a lot of hotels and sometimes there's an annoying lag time between hitting a button and having the channel change. But the tv here was quick and easy to operate. Lots of good channels. Staff was friendly and accommodating. Only issues were... the single elevator broke and was down for close to a full day. I was on the 3rd floor, so got some exercise doing steps. But some people were moved to the first floor. Note that if you DO stay on the 1st floor, people can see in those big windows! They are not tinted. Also, some of the food items in the basket had expired. Would definitely stay here again. read more

Late night check in. Very friendly Kalli was at the front desk. Sadly the restaurant on site, The Periodic Table, was done serving food at 9pm on a Friday night. Not a big deal- we ordered pizza from a few blocks away. This hotel is so cute! The school house theme makes this hotel stand apart from every other hotel. The bikes to borrow is a great idea! We would use them if it were nice out. This would be a very fun place to host a large get together! Also a great place for a quiet evening. read more

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For my wife's birthday we decided to get out of town so we headed to Grinnell. The Hotel Grinnell is now located in my old Junior High building. It was recommended to us by some friends and we were excited to try it. The Hotel of course maintains the school theme, the bar and restaurant is called the Periodic Table. Desk and chalk board in the rooms. There is also a report card that you can fill out to critique your stay. The staff was very friendly and accommodating. We loved our stay and will be back. Grinnell is a friendly small town and we enjoyed looking at the college area and the downtown. read more

What an innovative use of an old public school building. Now it is a sleek, streamlined hotel with stylish showers and pillow-top beds. Special shout-outs to Kristy, Christian, and Patrick who were all super helpful. I wish I could remember everyone else who did their best to make our stay pleasant. College campus is two blocks away. Downtown is two blocks away. Farmers market is one block away. Everything is in walking distance! read more

Nice hotel right in a fun small town. A little over priced (especially considering the lack of amenities), and the hotel's food options are very limited, but otherwise there's a lot to like. The hotel relies heavily on technology (no in-room phones, front desk/room service etc. is reached by text message, after-hours service, etc.). This isn't a bad thing (though I would certainly not consider it a plus), just that's a lot of visitors might not be used to this and a smartphone is absolutely required. The rooms have different themes/artwork and a chalkboard for guests to write on. That touch alone took this from a 3-1/2 star to a 4 star! Some of the bathrooms have unconventional layouts (and some are not to my liking) but all are nicely done and kept clean. The beds are very comfortable but the pillows are way to soft though (this nice bed, useless pillow combination is typical at other hotels in the area). Room furniture is decent if nothing overly special (the canopy bed frames are a nice non-hotel touch). The floors all creak loudly and paper thin walls. The noise transfer from room to room is quite annoying. The entire building (Lobby, guest rooms, etc.) all appear to be very clean and well maintained. Wifi has been great but the TVs are just so-so (TV speakers seem to not project the sound well towards the bed/chair, so it requires cranking the volume to be able to hear it over the air handling unit and/or the neighboring room). Second floor rooms have really high ceilings, which is a nice look/feel but possible compounds the sound issues? Because there aren't a lot of choices nearby, availability of rooms can be disappointing, especially at times popular with the college crowd (move-in/out dates, graduation, etc.). From the hotel the downtown area is completely walk-able (the distance to the college might be best driven though). If you're going to Grinnell and they have an available room, it's a nice place to stay and it's the first place we check. However the pricing could be better considering their competitors have equally comfortable beds, more food options (though none especially great), and consistent availability, at a significantly lower price. read more

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An old school converted to hotel done very nicely. Rooms are spacious and very clean. For business travel Way overpriced. I have spent the same amount on a hotel in downtown Chicago during the summer. And here it is February middle of the week and room charges $175 for the basic room. read more

This is a truly unique boutique hotel located in a charming midwestern college town. The building was originally a junior high school. It has been re-purposed as comfortable lodging while retaining the "school vibe." It is located on a lovely and inviting town square. The guest rooms, while small, have super-high ceilings and fun features such as basketball flooring and a locker room bench. It is a welcome alternative to the cookie-cutter chain hotels. One potential negative: There is no onsite breakfast. Instead, guests are given a voucher to find breakfast on their own. While it is a good idea in concept to encourage guests to explore the community, what about disabled guests? Or rainy or winter days? Or Sunday mornings when everything is closed? At least, the hotel should provide a map with participating merchants. I asked the desk clerk for breakfast recommendations, and he just shrugged and said "Any place." read more

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We stayed here when my daughter toured Grinnell College. Super cute hotel with comfy beds and nice amenities. We loved the fire pits and corn hole games on the patio. The bar is open late and has several local beers along with decent food. I wish there was more vegan options. I liked this place so much, I booked it again for when we drop off my daughter at college in August. I hear they are also booked for graduation time for the next 4 years! read more

I have been to this hotel twice now and both times have been a great experience. The second time was actually just to stay in this hotel and experience the town with an old friend. It is unique and beautiful, the staff is exceptional and it is a great location in a quaint, fun town. I will definitely be coming back to this hotel. read more

This is the first Yelp review I've ever written because the service is so wonderful here. Hotel Grinnell is the nicest spot for miles around, the hotel is charming and well done. The staff are always friendly and helpful. Not only did they text me the afternoon I was to arrive, just to check on what time I might be getting in, but they also helped us get a quick glass of wine even after they officially closed the bar. The next night we were sitting in the lounge and they offered to let us take a few breakfast yogurts up to our mini-fridge since they knew we had to leave at 5am, before their breakfast area opened up in the morning. The food is fresh and simple with nice, easy options for a bite to eat as you enjoy the little hang out areas of the bar/lounge. The rooms are great, very comfortable bedding, great showers, a nice size, modern and new. They are like studios and perfect for parents staying to visit their kids at Grinnell. It's an easy walk to restaurants, coffee shops and the campus. A wonderful place to stay!! read more

Absolutely awesome place to stay, in a small college town of Grinnell . An old Junior High building dating back to 1921, transformed into a Hotel with a soul . Spacious rooms, cute bar / restaurant called The Periodic Table . The only negative experience was the complimentary breakfast - but I'm sure they'll have those ducks in the row next time we come visit our daughter :-) read more

One of the nicest hotels I've stayed in and I travel a lot. Service is exceptional. Bedding is so good I ordered some when I returned home. Very comfortable mattress and an assortment of pillows to choose from. Quality bath products and a comp list as long as my arm. Lots of fun and unique ways to deliver a positive experience. Be sure to check out the goodie basket under your nightstand. Oh, and an honest staff. I left a ring there and they texted me as soon as they discovered it and are sending it back to me. Owner Angela and her team made it a great experience. Great downtown location too. I will definitely stay there again. read more

Hotel Grinnell is a unique oasis in the beige box wasteland that is the hotel market in Iowa. It's a sophisticated, sexy hotel with sleek, modern fittings that is perfectly situated in downtown Grinnell. I loves that this was a old school building and the touches that remain coexist perfectly with the hipster decor and vibe. Well worth a visit, whether on a business trip or a romantic weekend read more

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This is one of the most interesting and intriguing hotels I have ever stayed in. I shall never forget my three nights here. Do yourself a favor: Stay here and explore the property. read more

Stayed at this hotel on a college visit to Grinnell with my daughter. What a great find in the middle of Iowa. Very unique, very well done. Service was great! read more

This newly built location has a terrible chemical/flooring smell in the rooms. By day two you are tasting the smell. No phones or clocks. The room cleaner will leave your dirty dishes in your room throughout your entire stay. They only text for communication, but they don't respond timely. Coffee cups were dirty and they ration the sugar and cream. Returned to my room to find my room door standing wide open displaying all my belongings and wedding apparel. No one in site. 10 minutes later the cleaning person walked up on her cell phone. Breakfast is NOT breakfast. Tiny egg drops and tiny cinnamon rolls weren't very healthy or filling, especially when they only serve 8 at a time for the entire hotel. Not cozy and comfortable, except the bed is nice but creaks as if ready to break. More like a dorm room. But even dorm rooms have clocks. They do offer bicycles, but no helmets. Not what I was looking for on vacation. read more

Big callout and special thanks to Kristy, who was at the front desk this past Friday night. I wasn't feeling well and was looking for soup which the Periodic Table didn't offer. Kristy called 3 local restaurants for their soup offerings and after I selected one, went out to pick it up and delivered it to my room. Did I mention it was below zero with high winds outside?? Talk about going above and beyond with exceptional service! Thank you, Kristy - and Hotel Grinnell! read more

I am writing in gratitude to the Hotel Grinnell. I have been there to see the lobby and so on when we moved our son to Grinnell College, but have never stayed there. This was going to be our first Thanksgiving without our son at home, and I was worried that he would be lonely and miss out on Thanksgiving dinner. Then, the Hotel Grinnell invited all the kids who were going to be at the College on Thanksgiving to come to a free Thanksgiving dinner. What a wonderful thing to do. For the kids who live too far from the college to go home, this gave them a place to go and a great dinner. My son really enjoyed it. I am extremely impressed that this Hotel would do this for the college kids and so grateful. Thank you, Hotel Grinnell. read more

First visit during their opening weekend and the staff was very attentive. Great rooms. Roomy and very comfortable beds. Inventive reuse of a former middle school. The Periodic Table bar and restaurant is a fun space and well executed. Look forward to our next visit so we can stay in the penthouse! read more

My son and I stayed at the Hotel Grinnell last month and had a fantastic experience. Our room was beautiful, the staff was friendly and helpful, and the hotel is very cool. We had a delicious breakfast and will definitely return again. Thank you Hotel Grinnell! read more

Great place to stay. Very different than most hotel rooms because of having been a school. Staff are friendly and very helpful. Breakfast is very good. The bar is very good also. Good location in town and near Grinnell College. Hotel has bikes you can use. Owner/Manager is very good. read more

I stayed at Hotel Grinnell while picking up my son after freshman year. My stay extended past what we originally thought so I spent a full day and a half hanging around the hotel waiting for him to complete papers, exams, ect. I enjoyed the visit: the rooms and hotel in general are amazing. I've stayed in many hotels in LA, NYC and Chicago as well as international, boutiques and majors, and this rivals most. Staff was great, I walked around upstairs to check things out. Loved it. You can imagine the great things you can do with and old schoolhouse and they accomplished it. The ceilings are super high, rooms are quite and staff was attentive. The bar was close to my room, with a patio area, so I cruised over and had drinks and chatted. It's not my first time in the city and I had planned hangin' in other places. I was there two days and basically never left until checkout. Great spot for a graduation party or group hang out. Long Story short: I will be back and this is my only spot! read more

This is a great hotel whose prices compare favorably to some of the chains over by the interstate, with way more character. Close to Grinnell College, which was great for me. Made out of an old high school, and they had fun with it. Good restaurant/bar, limited menu but nicely done, at least what I had. I loved that they had bicycles that guests could take out for no additional charge -- I took a nice morning ride. Kind of hipsterish, i guess, (as much as I from Fargo can judge) which was fun. The staff was friendly, helpful. read more