Graduate Iowa City

Stayed here for two days, and this was one of the finest hotel experiences in my 60 years of extensive travel. Well-located with convenient parking. Charming decor, so many conveniences, good food in their restaurant and coffee shop, and friendly, competent, service-oriented staff. I can't wait to stay here again.

We loved this hotel. Parking was in a city ramp right next door. Parking was validated by hotel. The rooms were delightful. We had dinner in the restaurant and service was impeccable. We hung out in the lobby playing games. The lobby smell was amazing! Can’t wait to stay here again!

A beautiful, clean hotel. The beautiful scent of the lobby greets you when you enter. The staff are friendly. My room was cleaned the next day. I loved the hotel. There is a very good bar downstairs, and the food is excellent. There is also a play area for children. An outstanding hotel.

The Graduate has everything you need including well appointed, large rooms. It has a coffee spot and a bar/lounge, and it’s centrally located to all the best restaurants and bars in town. Parking is also very easy and convenient. There IS a weird smell in the hallways…hopefully it’s temporary.

We enjoyed our stay at the Graduate Hotel, Iowa City, Iowa along with our Berniedoodle dog. The Air Conditioner compressor was extremely loud during the night. We shared our stay with Management at the Graduate Hotel. Management reimbursed us for our room. We definitely will be coming back to the Graduate Hotel!

Stayed in a family suite - perfect for a crowd. Great location on campus. Decor and cleanliness at the Graduate is always on point. Only draw back to the family suite - no windows to the outside as the only windows overlook the indoor pool area.

I hosted a senior living sales conference at the Graduate. Amber and Allison in sales were absolutely amazing!! Amber helped me decide on menu, meeting space and how to set up. The food was out of this world amazing!!! My guests were so impressed and happy! The service from the culinary/catering folks was top notch and they were so attentive, professional and accommodating! Amber was so prompt in getting back to me and made every detail perfect! My guests were from Iowa, Florida, New Orleans, KC, and St Louis, and many first time in Iowa. They were beyond impressed with location and the cool ped mall for entertainment! They want to have all our meetings here! Highly recommend!! Marcie Durian and the Arvum/Discovery Senior Living Team

Everything feels old and grimy. We found a used razor on the floor and black mould around the bathtub faucet. There are no microwaves, the tubs are child size and the pillows are lumpy. The staff is kind and the location is great. Last time in Iowa City we stayed at the Hilton across the street, much more space and feels way cleaner.

I had high hopes for this hotel since the Graduate in my college city is awesome but unfortunately this feels like a dated 2 star hotel. Parking is $15 and you park in the public lot next door. To get entry & exit at the hotel rate, you bring your QR code to the front desk to get scanned. Some employee on site was scanning everyone's QR codes incorrectly, causing a major backup in the garage later that day, leaving people to either pay the high parking rate on top of their deal with the hotel or back up the 8 cars waiting behind them to move out of line. Some people abandoned their cards at the exit when they went back into the hotel. It was bad. Stairwell in the hotel was absolutely disgusting. We usually take the stairs instead of the elevator when we stay places. It was the grossest stairwell I have ever been in. It was hard to breathe as the smell left us gagging. The parking structure stairs were a 5 star experience compared to the hotels. It was disturbing. The first room we were assigned to had no working AC unit. The hotel was able to accommodate us a new room, but that was not where the problems ended. In the new room, the AC worked but everything else was falling apart. The plastic piece holding the shower glass sliding doors to the ground was broken, so you had to hold it in place and repeatedly adjust it to operate the doors without them breaking. The toilet paper holder falls into 3 separate pieces when you replace the roll, so you have to reassemble every time. The AC unit reset to a default setting one day when we were out, leaving us to come back to an extremely warm room We also had an animal in the room and were concerned for its well being since it seems that the temperature resets itself at random. The duvet is not in a duvet cover, rather settled between two top sheets. Makes me hope they properly wash the duvet cover after each guest. Also, the walls seem thin as we are able to hear the guy in the room next to us repeatedly coughing. The door to the room is misaligned leaving light gaps and room for sound to penetrate the room from the hallway. The staff was ok. We ended up having a lot of experiences with them that showcased they were untrained. First the guy and parking ticket fiasco. Then, another instance where we paid extra for a late checkout and they turned our keys off even though we had paid extra and they were notified in advance. The hotel was accommodating to pets. It is in a good location so you can easily walk to restaurants and the university. It also has great blackout curtains for windows.

if I could give this hotel, 10 stars, I would. It was just that perfect. My son's family lives in Iowa city and they are in the process of selling their home. We had an entire day of real estate showings scheduled. We have a new baby and two dogs that needed to be gone for the entire day, well into the early evening. We honestly had no place to go that would be quiet enough to allow the baby to get the many naps that she needed throughout the day. Upon calling the graduate, we realized we had found a perfect place. They allowed us to check in when we arrived at 11 AM, which was an absolute miracle. We had the entire day where we had a quiet and peaceful stay, which is just what we needed during these stressful times. First, let me say that the lobby is amazing. Books all over the wall, quotes from various books are handwritten everywhere. There is a lot of really, really nice seating areas. at one point I needed to have a zoom meeting and didn't want to wake up the baby, so I found a nice quiet professional looking place to do that. There's a beautiful staircase, but we never went downstairs so I can't tell you what was there. I love the fact that they make it very clear that they are gender, inclusive, and support women's sports as well! What a perfect fit for Iowa city! The room was perfect! it was spotlessly clean and had everything we needed. There is a refrigerator under the TV, which was great, because we were able to get our food from the grocery store next-door, and have quiet little meals right there in the room. I need to mention the artwork in the bathroom. I will attach a picture to this review. But basically there was a drawing of The wave. If you don't know what that is, look it up. It is where the entire stadium at the home football games simultaneously turn to the Children's Hospital next-door and wave to all of the kids who are in there. Since my granddaughter had to spend the first couple weeks of her life there, this was particularly meaningful to us, and it made me cry to see this. So fantastic. And so amazingly Iowa City! Location was perfect. It's right there on the ped mall, so there are great options for food and coffee. You should definitely check out day drink across the way. Best coffee in town! that area can be a bit crazy in the evenings with students at bars, but I think the hotel is far enough away from that where you would not be bothered. That said, we actually didn't sleep there so I can't know that for sure. it's also an easy walk to campus if you are going there. THANK YOU, Graduate!!! I was kind of surprised to see people complaining about the fact that housekeeping was done on demand. In my opinion, that's the perfect option. I don't particularly want strangers in my room (or that random knock on the door in the morning,), but it is nice to know you can get your room refreshed if you need it. However, I'm from California and that is the norm there. Our stay was perfect. Beyond perfect. Thank you for graduate, for giving us a sanctuary while we sold the house. we are going to miss Iowa city, but when we come back to visit, we know where we will be staying!

Honestly, I was a bit nervous to stay here after reading the recent reviews, but glad that I did! The décor embraces Iowa City with its most well known pop culture or agricultural references. Check in was a breeze and they were very accommodating for an early check as I had to go to a meeting. The bed was comfortable. Wi-Fi was fast and there were plenty of outlets to charge my devices. I also appreciated the location as it is right downtown. I'd stay here again if I came back to Iowa City!

Hands-down, best hotel in all of Iowa city and Coralville. You can't be the location right on the pad mall. The rooms are fabulously, creative and entertaining and supremely comfortable. The staff is the best across-the-board. You'll get a soldiers, greeting at the front desk. The staff will do whatever it takes to make your experience. Perfect. We were blessed by Courtney in event planning who went to Herculean measures to accommodate our college reunion. Poindexter coffee is Iowa city's best. The facility itself has everything you need to work comfortably plus the best coffee and bars does an a pencil covered wall. Graduates I was city thematic decorating is beyond impressive and you will notice something new every time you enter your room. I loved the barn and moon light and all the small little details some super creative person poured into decorating this room. The views are the best I've seen of Iowa city. I've lived here 25 years and never seen a Iowa City from this perspective. The windows are huge and the space is fabulous. The hotel has Hawkeye yellow bikes for its guests We just stayed there yesterday night and had such a sensational experience. We are over the moon. Happy with a Graduate Hotel. You can't go wrong.

Stylish, comfy rooms, a hip vibe, and friendly staff make the Graduate a great choice in Iowa City. The property was probably a Holiday Inn or something of the sort before its exemplary makeover, so don't come expecting high luxury. But the style and the attitude more than make up for it. My only gripe is the noise outside my room. A construction project started at 7am with lots of banging and beeping. Not great after a late travel night. But it's a temporary situation, so maybe next time I'll give them 5 stars.

Very bad service I mean when checking in yesterday but they were very helpful and got through it and also need to add a air vent or fan in the bathroom please do it

Do not recommend. I was scheduled to attend a class in Iowa City when the class was canceled. Despite numerous calls to hotel my request for room cancelation fee waiver was denied. Poor customer service.

I called the Graduate 800 number to book a last minute room. The online rate was showing $99 a night online. It was a Sunday night off season. When we tried to book it over the phone the rate went up to $200- I explained the online rate at the graduate website showed $99 a night. The customer service rep stated they couldn't match the rate- if we wanted a lower rate than we should book online. When my son checked in, he was given a dirty room with sheets on the floor and wet towels. NASTY!!!! The hotel was empty how is something like this missed. VERY DISAPPOINTED

This hotel was amazing. From the moment you walk into the front desk area, it is obvious that they put time and effort into personalizing this hotel for Iowa city. From the poetry written on the walls to the thousands of books amongst the front desk, it screams Iowa city. Of course, one does not spend the night in the lobby of the hotel. If the rooms aren't good, what's the point? Let me tell you that these rooms are beautiful. Once again, the hotel goes out of its way to personalize the rooms for Iowa. The carpets are plush, the beds are large and comfortable, the rooms have lots of amenities. However, what would keep me coming back is the view of the ped mall. I can only imagine how amazing that view will be in the fall or when they have the concert series going on during the summer. Oh, it would be incredible during the jazz fest. Plus the hotel has a top golf area with lots of different interactive games to keep yourself busy. While the early reviews for this hotel were certainly not flattering, it has clearly turned a corner and become a go to destination in Iowa city.

What a lovely surprise! Booked last min on a cross country drive and got a great price. Jonathan working at the front desk was so nice and helpful. The decor was impeccable. Shower bed and pillows were all extremely comfortable. Such a fun idea for college towns!

One of the best hotels I have been to in a long while. Very friendly staff. Unique decorations. Big room with everything you need. Free coffee from coffee place downstairs. Great location. I'm going to try and stay in this chain of hotels whenever I travel anywhere.

Easy plus: location is great. The coffee shop next door is solid although great coffee abounds in Iowa city. Rooms are fine - decor is dated but interesting if you're into Field of Dreams. Worst thing is the housekeeping is only ON DEMAND meaning you have to request it or no one comes to your room - and this fact was not mentioned to anyone upon check in (this must be intentional - so no one gets housekeeping on day one of your stay). We requested housekeeping for day 2 and they just wiffed again. So three full days and nights here and no beds made or clean towels. Super uncool. Worse than a motel 6 on that front.

This was the worst place I've ever stayed at. Our first room was on the 9th floor. Our only issue was the AC was irritating because it was so loud. We decided to switch rooms because the noise made it difficult to sleep. Afterwards we ended up in a room where the AC was non-functional, but we didn't figure that out until after we returned from our excursions. Every time we got a pair of keys only one of them would work so we had to fix them each time. We switched to a third room and we decided after all of its faults to take a closer look. We checked under the beds and we found the remnants of a walnut, leaf, spitball, and unidentifiable objects under the bed. Mold inside the AC and an old tube of hand lotion behind the T.V. on the floor. We also found a large drill bit?!?!?!? We really aren't that picky, but it's about the principle. On top of all that, the pool is empty, they have a makeshift ping pong net, and the service is lacking to say the least. They clearly don't care about cleanliness and are very reactive as opposed to proactive about customer issues. There's no complimentary breakfast, pool, or anything for that matter so you might as well stay anywhere else because it'll be cheaper and have more to offer.

I could live here. Everything is Iowa themed and celebrates Iowa's most famous people who attended the University of Iowa. There is a coffee shop and a restaurant in the hotel. The second floor has a Top Golf simulator. The staff is very nice and accommodating. I stayed here last summer when they first opened bc I went to a wedding and the price of this hotel was the most reasonable. The rooms have so many little details - they are all the same depending on how many beds you get. They also have a hospitality suite, family room, and other themed rooms like a bridal suite. The family room has a kind size bed with another room attached with bunk beds. AND they give you either Atari or Super Nintendo to play! Everything has been well thought out and made for the guest. The uniqueness of the hotel and Iowa roots makes it cozy and comfortable. Very impressive!

Another great Graduate Hotel experience. The king room is huge and the bed is comfortable. I love the decor! If someone could tell me where I can find the beaded mirror on the closet I would be forever grateful. Thank you for a nice stay.

We enjoyed our stay. You can't beat the location. However, the ped mall is under construction so it will be nice when that is completed. The decor of the hotel is fun and completely centered around Iowa and the University. It's not exactly my taste but for a hotel downtown Iowa city, I appreciated it! I thought the student ID room keys were cute too. The gym was very nice with new equipment and golf simulators! The staff was very friendly and helpful as well! Want to give a shout out to Raymond who helped us with the golf simulators! We had some maintenance problems in the bathroom but the staff responded quickly to help. The bathroom was small and there wasn't a working fan so it got a little steamy. I liked the products in the bathroom . You can either valet or park yourself in the parking garage directly next to hotel. I'd definitely stay here again .... what's not to love in downtown Iowa City ?!

This is one of the hippest and most unique hotels I've ever been to. I was able to get a last minute deal and was pleasantly surprised by the decor, comfort and style that they offered in downtown Iowa City. My room was decorated like and old timey dorm - no detail was out of place. I'll be searching for another Graduate hotel next time I'm traveling!

An extra star for the location. When I checked in, they gave me a room that was not cleaned, beds not made, towels on the bathroom floor, etc. After being gone all day, ai come back at 8 pm to find beds not made, towels not replaced, etc. Upon inquiry at the front desk, I was told that "due to COVID" they don't clean rooms unless requested. I have stayed in many hotels in the last 6 months where this never happened, and most of which charge far less. Using COVID as an excuse for poor service at this point is just an excuse to not be willing to pay staff what they deserve to run your business properly. Never staying at another Graduate again.

The hotel was clean and quiet. It was in a great location for walking to restaurants and shopping. The parking is $16 a day with hotel validation. Now, we also travel with our dog who is a big floppy earred golden retriever. The hotel was great about having dogs BUT the only place to let your dog do their business is on a small semi grassy area right out side the hotel. The problem is that area is not maintained. It's gross and has all sorts of litter, empty beer bottles and used lighters. So, dog owners beware. I don't think we'd stay here again if we had our dog along.

This is a very nice hotel. Close to many downtown restaurants and bars. It is a college themed hotel and the theme obviously is based on the University of Iowa. The Graduate has been recently remodeled and looks great. Staff is friendly and helpful. Parking is in a city parking structure right next to the hotel and is reasonably priced. You will enjoy your stay here.

An extremely fun hotel! Lots to do and right in the heart of Iowa City. The only complaint is that you can't travel on the elevators without your room card. I'm sure it's for security, but it was a bit annoying. Rooms were clean and comfy and LOVED the decor!!

Very nice hotel right in the middle of downtown. The beds are super comfortable. The decor is great. The rooms are well designed. There is a coffee shop and bar downstairs. I've been in 4 hotels in the area and liked this one the best so far.

Loved the decor but the new staff at the front desk needs more training on communication and etiquette. The cleanliness of the hotel appeared ok from first glance but if you take a minute to notice there was dirt pushed into corners and the upkeep of existing decor was non existent. An example would be in the cafe where the decor included thousands of pencils glued to the wall with many blank spots where the pencils were removed by patrons I'm guessing? The balcony to overlook the plaza by the gym was in left in disarray with trash left on the tables and chairs moved all around. Gave the impression that detail was not important. I was looking forward to trying out the new "Foodhall" but a large group took over the bar area to have a business meeting which blocked our entrance to the rest of the establishment for my family to enjoy a meal after traveling. Bar staff was not helpful in knowing how to accommodate so we had to look elsewhere. We requested a bottle of wine for our room when we booked the room however there was no key available to open the bottle. Had to seek it out with the front desk staff. When problems arise one after the other it is difficult to enjoy where you are. I would not recommend this location.

No complimentary water bottles so you have to pay $5 a bottle for water. No mini fridge. Ice maker didn't work on our floor. And biggest thing was the heating/cooling unit didn't work in our room so it was at 80 degrees the one night we had away together. Asked for just a fan but apparently the engineering team has to take care of that and they were gone for the night. Don't recommend this place(nickel and dime)

I booked due to apt at hospital. I booked for the 14 th of Feb. We had a great check in and prior to that a great experience with internet conversations and phone. After getting our room we decided to go get some lunch. We were directed across the breeze way where collage students study, got a couple burgers and soda this was good but very pricey. Took it to go went back to our room and took a nap. The roo. Is nice but very uncomfortable. Worst nap I have ever had woke up with the worst neck and head ache. It was a rainy dayso we sat in our room untill dinner. Went back to the same place to get dinner and got to ceaser salads with chicken, not edible and that was another 42 dollars. Weny back to our room and watched tv do to nothing to do unless you want to hang in the bars. Went tobed and got about two hours sleep. The pillows were so bad you cant sleep. Every time we asked where the dinning room was we got directed to the restraunts across the hall. Wrst night ever will not stay again​

So surprised no one else has mentioned this, but OMG, the dogs! This is a "dog-friendly" hotel, which means there's dogs on the elevator, dogs out front, etc. Though not a dog person in the least, I could handle that. No one's dog tried to sniff my behind, after all. It's when the dog next door started barking after midnight waking me up 3 separate times that I became seriously annoyed. Dogs DO NOT belong everywhere humans go. This was just ridiculous. Second major complaint would be the showers are somewhat unsafe. As someone with balance issues, I found myself holding onto the shower door for dear life because the floor was so slippery. Third thing, you have to pay $14 a day or more to park in the ramp next to the hotel. I just think that's ridiculous when we already spent close to $400 for our reservation. We ended up leaving a day early because we had no idea it was Gay Pride in Iowa City. The traffic, bands playing loudly in front of the hotel, etc. was just too annoying. Plus side, the decorations are cute.

On the college visit tour with my son, booked via Priceline and stayed here overnight on a Friday for under $100. Would categorize this as a boutique hotel, rooms had art different than your typical hotel experience that gave an upscale vibe . We were lucky enough to stay on same floor as IU basketball team and get to talk to them and the HC before they left for Carver arena. Hotel offers a coffee shop and and bar that are next to the hotel. No room service or breakfast available, but tons of options within walking distance. Hotel is in the heart of downtown which is nice, but you do hear everyone partying below you at the bars at 2am.

My friends weren't terribly impressed with my stay at this hotel when I sent the pics, but they have no taste so I ignored them. Customer service is sorely lacking here. Not sure if it's because they don't value sports fans that come in to see games, or if they're used to dealing with college students, but they're completely dismissive and just uninterested in waiting on you at all. They also have a phone phobia because you can't get anyone to answer if you try to call. Trust me, I tried many times. Ugh. Never mind that, the bed was so comfortable and the room so beautiful that I can find a way to solve my own problems here! Everywhere I turned I was fascinated! From the wallpaper to the floor tile, to the decor, I was mesmerized! I didn't think it could get any better than the decorations, but then I went to the bar and had a burger and it was AMAZING! They have doors that roll up and you can sit and eat while you watch the goings on outside. There was a lot of construction, but when it's done it's going to be amazing! I highly, highly recommend you stay here, it's SO awesome!

I've done some traveling in my time but I've never experienced anything like this place. The elevator was broken. I told the front desk my friend was disabled and he replied "you're only on the 5th floor". The room was dirty. Look at those pictures. So gross. Also they price gouge and charge $500 a night. Do not ever stay there. Even at $30 a night it's unacceptable.

We were driving from Denver to Chicago and found this dog-friendly gem by accident. Our experience went far beyond expectations. The front desk staff was extremely helpful and accommodating in getting us our room promptly. The room was clean and much bigger than expected. I will definitely go out of my way to stay here again.

We stayed here because of zero degree weather. They advertise a lounge/ restaurant. This way we would not need to go out into the cold. When we arrived we found out the restaurant was closed for a private party. Oh well, we will have to brave the cold. Then we walked in the room only to find a bathroom so small you can barely turn around and cold air was blowing in from the vent. We turned the heat up in the room and left for a frigid walk to eat with wind chills-14 degrees. Only to return to a room that was cold. The heat would work for awhile, thought we had it handled. woke up to 59 degree temperature and would only get up to 61. The bathroom was so cold I turned on the shower and closed the door so it would steam up. The staff did not ask how my stay was as I checked out. I think I know why. Will not return. It's too bad! A good location and an interesting decor but that's it!

Who cares if this is a refurbished Sheraton. They've spent a lot of money reviving this space. A walk into the lobby will show that. Locked windows in an air conditioned building was the reason for a 1 star review? This is why Yelp is garbage. God people are dumb. This place is awesome inside. Looks very promising for years to come at the main intersection of the Ped Mall. Once the mess of construction is done this place can fully market itself as open.

Well over all the stay was good..they validated parking so that was free..bed and pillows were comfortable as hell..slept sound. Front desk gals were sweet. Location was perfect for what we wanted. Close to downtown bars. Walking distance. Disappointments were, no breakfast, said there was a pool.. but it was drained..never to be filled again..leaked into kitchen I guess. Threw a ping pong table and foosball table out as an after thought. Don't use them though or you get security on you for noise. Decor is different..kinda a cross between bushwood country club from caddyshack and animal house. Aka 70s decor..was done on purpose though. And toilet was tiny. Decent bargin for $100 but wouldn't pay more in future.

Nice clean rooms. Hotel is pretty and clean period, Bathroom was real nice. fresh towels , front desk was nice , the are is all walkable , just park your vehicle and leave it , Restaurants shopping all within blocks of the hotel. just do it. go ahead and pull the trigger.

This annoyed me enough for it to be the reason I actually write my first review. After driving 12 hours, I was looking forward to a good nights sleep and to sleep in. However, no one at the hotel informed me of the construction that would be happening directly next to my window in the lot over. So I was awoken to the cranes and trucks around 645am. Now this is why I'm writing the review. When I came to check out and let the front desk person know of how disappointing the construction situation was and that no one informed me, she literally said nothing. Complete silence. No apologies, no let me cover this 14$ parking even though you haven't even been here for 12 hours yet or even a let me inform the staff for next time, when the next person comes. When I inquired to why she was ignoring me she said it was because she was trying to concentrate on checking me out. Honestly absurd. Cute hotel but front desk team could really use some help.

Poor service. Reactionary staff. The door sign listed in each room states check out is at noon, but check out is at eleven (see attached picture).When I brought this to their attention and let them know it is posted in the room as noon, they apologized and told us we still needed to check out at eleven. We asked for an extension, since it was posted at noon. The manager was salty and hung up on me. Unprofessional. This is easily changeable, change the signs in the room. Along with this, they made a mistake with room names and part of our group could not check in until much later. Also, decor is hideous. Lobby looks like a mental institution.

I've typically had very good experiences at Graduate Hotels, but this experience was poor. Our bathroom had no ventilation, causing the misery from the malfunctioning air conditioning to be even higher. When we remarked to the hotel staff that our room was stuffy at 78F, they said that they would comp our parking charged to our room. But no matter, our parking pass would not work at all, so we had to pay for it anyway. By that point, I was ready to pay anything to get away.

I had booked a room for a couple of nights for July and paid in full. Due to Covid closures and other concerns, I cancelled my reservation 17 days ago and have not received a refund for my reservation. I have called the hotel twice and they have indicated that they don't have anyone that can speak to me about refunds. I was given an email. I have sent 3 emails and nobody has responded. I'm told there may be someone to talk to by the end of July. DO NOT BOOK a room at this hotel right now. They totally lack the systems and customer service to even process a simple refund following a reservation cancellation! It is beyond frustrating. I'm starting to believe that I will need to bring a small claims court case against them to get anyone to respond.

This is a fun, quirky property in the middle of downtown. Restaurants and nightlife are just steps away. The staff was great.

A realtor from a large, respectable real estate agency put me up at this hotel for one night prior to closing on a new house in Iowa City. The front desk requested a credit card from me at check-in for incidentals (after I'd dealt with movers and driven 13+ hours), which is fine. However, at check-out they could not pull up the original credit card number and insisted on charging me personally. The front desk woman was incapable of understanding the situation, and there was NO manager on site at 10:30 in the morning. It was handled soo poorly by the hotel that I doubt I or my realtor will ever send anyone there to stay. Update: Six weeks later, I have heard nothing from the hotel, despite a voicemail left with management and this review. Very telling.

This is the ugliest hotel I have ever stayed in. I can not even believe the decor that they chose. I will only stay here again if the hotel Vetro isn't available because the location is amazing. I chose the Graduate this time because it was supposed to have a pool. I arrived to see no water in the pool. I didn't see this anywhere on their website. Then I read reviews from months back about the pool not working. How in the world does a hotel like this not have money to fix this problem for months? This would never happen at a Hilton or Hyatt. The front desk blond lady was also very unwelcoming. The attached bar is fun. I never tried the food. Overall, location is all they have

THEY ARE NOT READY TO BE OPEN!! We arrive. I ask the valet to park my car and bring my bags up to the room (I'm traveling by myself with two small children). He looks at me like he has no idea what I'm asking, and then says that he can't do both because everyone keeps quitting. Um, ok... Then I arrive at the front desk to two chatty college students, whom I appear to be rudely interrupting by asking to check in. It's noon and early check-in isn't until 1p. At this point my baby is crying and my toddler is jumping all over the place. Seriously, you can't check to see if the room is clean and make an exception? The next day housekeeping doesn't come. By 2p, we have several diapers in the trash. I ask at the front desk if housekeeping can at least empty the trash and replenish the coffee pods. Again the front desk help is annoyed that I'm interrupting their chat time. They say "Sure." to my request, but don't ask for my room number. Um, ok.... I go to the cafe attached to the hotel for a latte. No almond milk. The young girl says it's because everyone is quitting including the managers, so they only have one manager in the back ad they haven't been up on the orders. Um, ok... There were several maintenance people around checking the smoke alarm system (gasp!@), putting in ice machines, etc. Oh and the pool isn't open yet. When I asked at the front desk when it would be opening, she said that she had no idea. They keep saying it will open and it doesn't. Um, ok... When I asked to see a manager, I was told he wouldn't be in until the next day. ??? Um, ok.... So clearly, they need to get their staffing in order and TRAIN them properly. They need to finish all of the maintenance on the hotel and get the pool in order. Why none of this was done before I paid $220 a night to stay there I have no idea!!

Be aware that this is a refurbished sheraton and none of the windows in the guest rooms can be opened. therefore you have stuffy gross rooms that are unpleasant to occupy and a nightmare for those needing fresh air. They should have changed this in the renovation.

Brought my entire family (10 people) on Thanksgiving Day to this hotel, a day early to watch the Hawkeye Game, with thee intentions of hanging out by the pool with my nieces and nephews. Checked in, no mention of pool being broke or drained, would never of stayed or made reservations here had it been on the website or mentioned. Had the reservation for a month. I expect better quality and service, especially from Iowa establishments. Won't be staying here again.

On September 9 and 11, we stayed at the Graduate Iowa City. We were very much looking forward to our stay as we were frequent guests at the Sheraton until it began its decline, and now looked forward to its renovation. As an Iowa native, I enjoyed the new decor. As a long-time Chicago resident and seasoned traveler, I was disappointed to see the kitschy cosmetics were all the hotel now has to offer; "skin-deep" with no improvements to the aging bones-- plumbing, air-conditioning, thin walls, fixtures still in the same dilapidated state. Even the ice machines seem beyond the hotel's expertise. We tried 4 floors before we found one that worked ( with a note attached stating "not working")! LOL Not! The first night we were kept awake by the roaring of the a.c. in the room, only to discover in the morning there was no hot water for our showers. When we took these issues to the front desk, we were offered an "oh yes, the boiler was down." On Sept. 11, we were given a room with a disgusting substance in the tub, as well as no glasses or towels. We called the desk and spoke to Ricky who said he would immediately send a valet to take us to another room. 15 minutes later, no valet. We called again and were told she was on the elevator. "She" turned out to be housekeeping staff who did not offer to show us the new room and move our luggage. Instead she asked "what's wrong" and when we pointed to the bath, she said it looked like blood and said she wanted to take pictures. We stated we wanted to go to the other room, took the key cards, and after lugging ourselves off to the new room, went to the front desk. This is where the line was finally crossed. Instead of being apologetic and conciliatory, Ricky chose to be officious and dismissive. He stated that the stain was "only rust" and asked why we hadn't "looked closer" before calling him and asking for a new room. I replied I was not in the habit of either finding or inspecting suspicious stains in hotel rooms, and reminded him that the housekeeper thought the stains were blood or worse. He maintained his supercilious manner when I recounted all the issues we had endured during our stays. I asked to be fully comped. He refused. Returning to the new room, we discovered an insect in the bathtub. When I showered, there was no shampoo or soap as the dispensers had not been refilled. There is no exhaust in the bathrooms, and the light times off after 3 minutes, which makes for a relaxing shower.... in the dark..... in steamy air. I have NEVER encountered such disastrous and inexcusable circumstances in a hotel, including in third world countries to which I have travelled. The inferior physical condition is one matter. The blundering comedy of errors on the part of housekeeping and management is quite another. The attitude that a guest is expected to suck it up and pay is not acceptable. If corporate isn't aware of its debacle in Iowa City, they will be.

I love this place! It's pet friendly and they even gave us a Bark Box upon arrival! The decor is just too fun I couldn't get enough. Every little detail was amazing right down to the room key which looked like a library card with Gene Wilder's college photo! The beds were so comfy and luxurious - we all slept really well. Great location with lots of restaurants and bars within walking distance. Highly recommend!

Has potential to be cool, but a long way to go!! In-informed front desk staff couldn't (wouldn't?)even steer me in the direction of a Fed Ex drop off location! Cable was out, and the 5 locals channels went out repeatedly, internet speed had download speeds "up to" 2.3mbps... Room was charming, and I suppose that's what really counts, although plumbing was also very slow...several flushes to clear toilet... The capper, while checking out in the morning, I was informed "that door doesn't work right now..." It was the main entrance to the hotel... Growing pains I suppose. MD

Very unique place, awesome staff and service. Really liked the ability to text the front desk. Rooms are small but very fun decor. It's in the heart of Iowa city, can walk to anything you wish.

This hotel was a great place to spend a few nights. It's attached to a perfect little coffee shop and decent bar. The room was nice and I got a great deal on it. Do be warned that parking is not included!

Just a strange place. It's a nice hotel on the surface but they explicitly and randomly refuse basic services like cups/glasses, so you can't even have a drink of water in your room unless you go to the lobby and retrieve a styrofoam cup or planned ahead and brought your own. It doesn't make any sense but this is as it is. I'm not sure why they shoot themselves in the foot on basics like this, but they do. You have better options in Iowa City at the price.