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The Hotel Grinnell Press Page is where you’ll find our most recent news articles. If you are not a member of the press but have an inquiry about the hotel, please contact reservations or guest services.

Enjoy your own school reunion with a stay at Hotel Grinnell
GayTravels Top 10 Off-the-Beaten-Path Destinations
Hotel Grinnell | Go Back to School & Stay Awhile
Nightlife in the Prairie
24 Hours in Grinnell, Iowa
Two Iowa Hotels Receive IEDA Certificates
Hotel Grinnell: A New Meaning to "Old School"
2018 Gold Key Award Finalists
Hotel Grinnell Wins Award for Historic Preservation
Old School Flavor
opens in a new tabHotel Grinnell in Grinnell, Iowa is an elegant boutique hotel where old school tradition merges with new school attitude. Grinnell is known as the Jewel of the Prairie, as it is loaded with some of Iowa's best independent retaurants and unique shops. It has been named as one of the Top Ten Coolest Small Towns in America by travel journalists.
Hotel Grinnell combines past and present
opens in a new tabAs you walk through the halls and staircases of Hotel Grinnell, you might suddenly get the urge that you’re running late for class. But don’t worry, you won’t be docked any points for waking up late here. The building actually served as the town’s junior high school from 1921 until 1978. In 1978, the school sold it to the city.
A New Place for Off Campus Students
opens in a new tabHotel Grinnell is now open as a socially-distanced gathering space for off-campus Grinnell College students.
Stay in a repurposed candy factory and more historic buildings at these Midwest hotels
opens in a new tabHotel Grinnell, Grinnell, Iowa: Inside a revamped 1921 junior high school are 52 rooms and suites designed for couples (with heated tubs for two) to groups (10-bed bunk rooms). Room keys look like a hall pass. Accommodations, which used to be classrooms, are furnished with original art and iron beds made locally.
Independent hoteliers plan leaner, ROI-focused 2021 budgets
opens in a new tabThe past year has forced independent hoteliers to manage every penny and operate leaner than ever before, and sources said 2021 budgets will be about prioritizing only ROI-guaranteed items.
New pop-up restaurant serving classic Italian fare has great chemistry with Hotel Grinnell
opens in a new tabOn Nov. 1, Hotel Grinnell — located about an hour east of Des Moines — will be the new home for a pop-up restaurant, Cilino’s. Cilino’s will temporarily replace the hotel's current restaurant, The Periodic Table, for six months.
Iowa Road Trip: Dubuque To Des Moines
opens in a new tabIowa offers experiences that you cannot find elsewhere, and I’m thrilled to share this road trip with you. This road trip offers experiences all year long, but summertime is my favorite time to make this trip.
BLLA Announces Winners of the Annual 2019 Stay Boutique™ Awards
opens in a new tabEvery year, the Boutique Community honors the finest in the industry at the Stay Boutique Conference. Founded in 2010, this is one of the highest honor to receive in the Boutique Community.
Hotel Grinnell: Former junior high school earns an A+
opens in a new tabOnce a junior high school, Hotel Grinnell is a chic and modern luxury hotel that has earned an A+ in our grade book. Located just an hour’s drive east of Des Moines, Iowa, Hotel Grinnell melds its literal old school history with innovative designs and amenities for today’s contemporary traveler.
25 Coolest Towns in America 2019
opens in a new tabThe more you travel to big destinations and famous cities, the harder it gets to appreciate them. You can’t really hate on world-class chefs and major league sports, but after you’ve lugged your suitcase up enough subway stairs and drained your bank account on $18 cocktails, you start thinking that small towns might have just as much to offer. And, for short stays, many of them do.
The Hotel Grinnell: Still an Institution of Learning
opens in a new tabLearn how this boutique property in Iowa 'Surprises and Delights' its guests and community with the help of text messaging.
Schoolhouse to Chic Boutique: Hotel Grinnell Offers Green Hotel Stay In Iowa
opens in a new tabThe green hotel features 43 guest rooms, plus two bunk rooms, and a penthouse suite. A boardroom, ballroom, auditorium, and outdoor patio accommodate events. There's also an in-house fitness center. Hotel Grinnell's eco-friendliness begins with the building. It's a former 1921 limestone junior high school, kept much the same on the outside except for the addition of modern windows.
Making the grade
opens in a new tabIn 2009, the self-described ‘serial entrepreneur’ Angela Harrington arrived in Grinnell, Iowa, wanting to reinvent herself. After the economic crash the previous year, the Denver native moved to Grinnell and accepted a position with the city’s Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau. However, her first marching orders from the board required tapping into her entrepreneur past and would result in one of her, and Grinnell’s, proudest accomplishments.
Where To Stay In Grinnell, Iowa? Hotel Grinnell, A School Turned Hotel
opens in a new tabHotel Grinnell is a one-of-a-kind boutique hotel in downtown Grinnell, Iowa. This is by far the most unique hotel I’ve ever stayed in. That’s because it was once a junior high school, and instead of gutting the building, its owners, Steve Holtze and Angela Harrington, decided to embrace the building’s scholastic past.
50 Amazing Staycations by State
opens in a new tabIf the summer got away from you before your family could get away, don't think it's too late to channel those vacation vibes. Finally, you have permission to be a tourist in (or near) your own town.
Gem of a town: Grinnell, Iowa, nicknamed Jewel of the Prairie
opens in a new tabA popular Iowa college town offers visitors a peaceful, quiet visit with interesting things to do and great pizza.
Hotel Grinnell Iowa Review: A Cool Stay In A Converted High School | USA
opens in a new tabThe Hotel Grinnell in Grinnell Iowa, is located in what was a former junior high school building that dates back to 1921. The school was in operation until the late 1970’s but has now been transformed into a modern hotel with 43 bedrooms and suites, a restaurant and bar, a ballroom and a theatre!
Hotel Grinnell: Who knew an old schoolhouse could be this cool?
opens in a new tabThe hotel lives up to its claim of being “Upscale in style. Laid back in spirit.” The schoolhouse theme is ever-so-subtle, starting with a “Hall Pass” keycard holder, blackboard and red apple in every room.
Hotel Grinnell: A New Meaning to “Old School”
opens in a new tab“Old School” has a whole new meaning when it comes to the Hotel Grinnell! Across from Central Park in Grinell, Iowa, you’ll find an old school that has been beautifully restored and renovated into a boutique hotel! Owners Angela & Steve have painstakingly turned this historic building into a place you’ll want to come back to again and again.
Road Trip! Ten Reasons to Slow Down in Iowa on Your Next Transcontinental Adventure
opens in a new tabOften traveled, not always fully appreciated, the Iowa leg of Interstate 80 might not stand out as one of the most exciting moments of a cross-country road trip, but that's only if you don't know where to stop.
Hotel Grinnell Awarded Targeted Small Business Certificate
opens in a new tabIowa Economic Development Authority has awarded The Highlander Hotel located in Iowa City, Iowa and Hotel Grinnell in Grinnell, Iowa Targeted Small Business certificates. Out of 800+ Targeted Small Businesses in the state of Iowa, Hotel Grinnell and The Highlander Hotel are the only two in the lodging category.
A Fun and Unique Stay At The Hotel Grinnell in Grinnell, Iowa
opens in a new tabWe’ve never taken so many pictures of a hotel. Everything about the Hotel Grinnell was so unique and well thought out, though, that we wanted to capture everything! It’s the best hotel we stayed at during our road trip across Iowa and probably one of the most unique places to stay in Iowa. We loved everything about it!
A Creative Boutique Hotel with History and Sass in Grinnell Iowa
opens in a new tabLocated about 50 miles east of Des Moines, Grinnell is a pleasant little community of fewer than 10,000 people about 10 miles off of I-80. That population gets a small boost from the 1500 students at Grinnell College, a private liberal arts school.
Luxurious Hotel Grinnell beautifully combines past and present
opens in a new tabAs you walk through the halls and staircases of Hotel Grinnell, you might suddenly get the urge that you’re running late for class.
But don’t worry, you won’t be docked any points for waking up late here. The building actually served as the town’s junior high school from 1921 until 1978. In 1978, the school sold it to the city, which then used it for office space.
Hotel Grinnell: One of Iowa’s BEST hotels!
opens in a new tabLocated within walking distance of Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa is one of the best hotels in the state.
Perkins + Will Jazzes Up a Former Junior High for the Hotel Grinnell in Iowa
opens in a new tabAdolescence doesn’t usually factor into hospitality projects. But for Iowa’s Hotel Grinnell, Perkins + Will transformed a former junior high into a unique hotel that pays homage to the site’s history.
Review : Hotel Grinnell, Iowa
opens in a new tabWe were invited to come and stay at the Hotel Grinnell, in Grinnell Iowa.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!
Hotel Grinnell owner recognized by rural development group
opens in a new tabAngela Harrington received Iowa Rural Development Council's Impact on Place honor for her work developing Hotel Grinnell, a converted 97-year-old junior high school in the city, according to a release.
This Old Iowa School Is Now A Hotel With More Class Than Any Classroom
opens in a new tabYou’ll want to be kept after class at the Hotel Grinnell, a boutique hotel that just happens to have taken over an old junior high school building.
The Hotel Grinnell Story with Angela Harrington
opens in a new tabIt started with a request from the Grinnell Business Community, "We need an events center..." What they got was the Hotel Grinnell a re-purposed 1921 school building in the heart of the town of 10,000.
Former School, City Hall Now Grinnell Boutique Hotel
opens in a new tabGRINNELL, Iowa -- For weeks, Angela Harrington had been getting the same question: when would the Hotel Grinnell open?
Hotel Grinnell: Old School Turned Awesome Hotel
opens in a new tabInside an old school building constructed in 1921 is Hotel Grinnell. Throughout the halls and inside the 43 rooms you’ll spot nods to the history like “Hall Passes” for room keys as well as school themed rooms with gym floors and chalkboards.
Preservation at its Best 2018, Large Commercial: Hotel Grinnell (Grinnell)
opens in a new tabHotel Grinnell is a 45-room boutique hotel that includes a 300 seat ballroom, a 450 seat auditorium, a lobby bar and outdoor patio. The project is an adaptive reuse of the city’s 1921 Junior High School in the center of downtown Grinnell.
Iowa Farm Bureau: Best in Class
opens in a new tabWalking up the front steps of the newly opened Hotel Grinnell, it feels like you’re walking into a school building. That’s because you are. Built in 1921, the structure in the heart of Grinnell has served as a junior high, city hall and a church before being converted over the last year into a luxury hotel.
7 Unique And Historic Hotels In Iowa For The Perfect Stay
opens in a new tabIowa is home to several unique and historic hotels. Once you set foot in one of these unique hotels, you will find yourself immersed in the experience.
What Hotel Grinnell can tell us about business during the pandemic
opens in a new tabHope is on the horizon for Hotel Grinnell now that all of its rooms have been reserved ahead of Grinnell College’s upcoming graduation, potentially signaling an end to a year that has been defined by anxiety, waiting and empty rooms.