Guaranteed unique stay at Hotel Winneshiek in Decorah, Iowa
The Hotel Winneshiek is a gem in the heart of downtown Decorah, Iowa. It is currently the only full service hotel downtown. This beautifully restored boutique hotel fits well on the Main Street landscape. The name comes from the county in which it’s located.
The Hotel Winneshiek was originally built in 1904-1905 and contains elements of the beaux-arts style with marble walls, terrazzo floors, and cherry woodwork. In 1997 the hotel was sold to Chicago philanthropist Helen Basler, who closed the hotel in 1998 for major interior renovations. She sought to return it to as much of its original glory as possible. In April of 2000, the hotel had its grand re-opening, exactly 95 years after its original opening.
I stayed here for a few nights and really enjoyed finding local art pieces around every corner. In fact, the hotel is putting together an art tour that will change as they rotate pieces throughout the hotel.
The hotel only has 34 rooms and suites, and each one is distinctively decorated. Each has a flat screen TV, free in-room WiFi and an alarm clock. The room was very comfortable and I believe my only wish was for more outlets to plug in all my devices and chargers.
The hotel has three floors and each level opens in the middle and gives a great view across, as well as to the lobby below.
The hotel also has a business center, restaurant and bar.
The Tap Room, the hotel’s own bar, is a vibrant space to grab a cocktail and enjoy great conversation with friends. It happened that the night we arrived was Martini night.
Adjacent to the Hotel Winneshiek,and easily accessible via staircase, is the Steyer Opera House. This beautifully restored space provides a fantastic meeting and event space for the hotel. It frequently has live music performances and weddings. The night we were touring there was a class reunion.
The latest update to the hotel is the full service restaurant Restauration. The name is a play on the term restoration and plays to the whole hotel’s revival. The restaurant prides itself on dishes created using as much local ingredients as possible with the menu created by chef Tom Skold.
I highly recommend a stay at the Hotel Winneshiek as a place to stay in Decorah. It’s centrally located, as we were able to walk to many of the sites we visited during the week.
For more information on the Hotel Winneshiek or to book your stay, check out their website at http://www.hotelwinn.com/
Disclaimer: Thank you to Visit Decorah, Winneshiek County and Travel Iowa for hosting myself and other travel writers during our stay at Hotel Winneshiek. However, all opinions and views are ine.
