Hotel Julien Dubuque

We booked a last minute trip for my birthday in Dubuque on a whim. The hotel was chosen on the history, beauty and tbh… the fact that it showed up on a google search under “haunted places to stay in Iowa”. Although I didn’t have any paranormal experiences here (lol), I DID have an exceptionally amazing stay! The staff was friendly, helpful and the manager and staff went above and beyond to help make my birthday extra special! They exceeded my expectations for a hotel… our room was scrupulously clean, the bed was VERY comfortable and every member of the staff that I encountered was friendly and helpful! I would definitely stay here again and will highly recommend this hotel to everyone I know!

This hotel was BEAUTIFUL! The traditional foyer and lounge was comfortable and the running real fireplace was relaxing! We enjoyed everything about this place! The old mail shoot was so cool. We loved the historical feel and look. It was like staying in a movie for the night and I didn't want to leave! Thank you for offering such a great Hotel! We will be back! ♥️

Beautiful historic hotel. The location is great, we were able to walk to the Casino (although it is a longer walk across a bridge--there is a sidewalk). We enjoyed a wonderful couples massage in the Spa. There is a beautiful Lobby area, where I read a book 1 afternoon by the Fireplace. The Bar is very cozy & relaxing with very friendly staff. There is also plenty of on-site parking, which is convenient. We plan to stay at this Hotel during future visits to Dubuque.

I have travelled here at least 10 times in the past year. Far better than other hotel options downtown. The fitness/pool area is roomy and high quality. The bathrooms are awesome. No microwave in room, but I eat out most nights and there are plenty of options nearby. This hotel does a great job of balancing historical ambiance with modern amenities. Definitely a great value.

I just can’t say enough good things about the staff and customer service here. I have stayed in so many hotels across the states and this by far IS THE BEST. We try to come visit and stay at this hotel once a year…tonight we had a little technical trouble with the online booking (I blame my phone) so I called the hotel and an ACTUAL HUMAN answered the phone, IMMEDIATELY - a true rarity in today’s times! The receptionist was SO, SO, SO VERY HELPFUL. We were able to book our annual mommy and daddy birthday-date-night in Dubuque thanks to her amazing help and dedicated assistance. We can’t wait to enjoy some AMAZING cocktails at their old fashioned and beautiful bar, soak in the historic ambience of the Hotel Julien, and wake up to the BEST breakfast at Caroline’s. Every time we come here it is a treat, we love the staff, we love the location, and we love the atmosphere of it all. WELL DONE, WELL DONE, WELL DONE!!! 👏👏👏👏👏

We took a group of 12u soccer players plus parents to dubuque from Burlington Ia. The staff was so nice,knew a bit of the history of the hotel and even made a accommodation so we could all be together for dinner Saturday night. Rooms were really clean as well. Would definitely stay again. Im a sucker for the old time vibe and the prohibition history of the place.

This was an outstanding experience. Such a feeling of luxury, and nostalgia. It's a beautiful place, with lots of comfort. Really enjoyed sitting by the fireplace, and relaxing in the hot tub on a chilly evening. Very clean, and the beds are comfortable. Definitely dine at Caroline's on the lower level.

Under $200 for a legitimate 2-room suite, with a living room and a bedroom with two queen beds in it. A large bathroom accessible from either, and televisions in both. A view of the multi-colored hillside out the window. A fabulously beautiful and spacious lobby leads to a fabulous large and comfortable bar called The Riverboat which is perfect for watching that game you don't want to miss or refreshing yourself when you first get in off the road. One level down and facing the river is a great restaurant, Caroline's, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner which is legitimately great for a decadent breakfast and fine for a good steak for supper. As a whole, this place is unbelievably warm, comfortable, and beautiful. It seems too good to be true, but I've been there more than once and it's real.

It's a unique hotel, old building, interesting room layout. Water was hot for shower. Bed was comfortable. Seemed decently clean. But don't think it's worth the cost

Some great things. The lobby atmosphere is wonderful! The fire and music, and the quaint bar with amazing bartenders! The staff are wonderful! Rooms are very nice! Dissalpointing that I have a bad hip and got the ADA room. Ironically the room 266 was so much walking down 3 long hallways and dragging suitcase on rugs was hard. The hallways are a bit dark. A good stay regardless!

Done correctly and maintained properly an older historic property can be nice; unfortunately, this property misses the mark. The temperature in my room was all over the place, and the thermastat seemed to make no difference. The furniture in the room was old dirty and beat up; drapes had holes in them.The bed was very firm. The TV in the room had a terrible picture and about 60% of the channels didn't work. The bathroom looked like it had been remodeled in the last few years, but whoever did it did not place rubber seals around the glass door, so lots of water ended up on the floor. The towels were rough and thin, also there were only three left in the room that had two double beds. I stayed for three nights, and the room was never serviced. I got it during the pandemic why hotels did this but at this point it's far enough past that it is time to stop being cheep, your charging $180+ night; it does not take long to exchange towels and empty trash once on a three night stay.

Friendly staff and reasonable pricing with free parking in the heart of the town. Minutes from the elevator and the river walk. Nice views of the Mississippi. Old fashioned decor on the lobby and rooms. Darker wood adorns the lobby nice bar attached with good happy hour .

My wife and I went too Dubuque Iowa for our 12th anniversary for the first weekend in November. We drove down from La Crosse, WI to visit a City we had never been to before, taking the scenic route along the Mississippi River. Our stay was fine but I left my expensive binoculars behind the draperies and did not realize that until I got home. That's when I found out that you cannot contact the hotel directly, no phone number, no email. just a booking service. No help. I found a way to contact housekeeping and left a message and the recording stated that they would get back to me in 72 hours. Two weeks later, still no response. Beware of this establishment. Joe G

Hotel that is over 100 years old in the downtown area of Dubuque. Although it is rated a 3 star hotel on many sites it is best described as a 4 star hotel. There is a large pool, hot tub, a decent exercise room and a spa for massages and facialsIt has old world charm. The restaurant is excellent for breakfast. Dinner is good.

Pretty nice older but renovated hotel on the Main Street here In Dubuque. Fairly close to all the attractions near the river front and easy street or lot parking. Nice lobby and excellent bar with a great mixologist! Rye Manhattan coming right up! Quiet room with a Krupps coffee maker included. There was some minor damage to a drawer where the lamp was by the bed and they are a little behind the times with no support bars in the shower and by the toilet which needs to be addressed at some point. Still, we has no complaints and would stay here again. It beats a chain hotel by far.

First, let me say that the staff here is awesome. The hotel itself is a beaut and the location is smack in the epicenter of Dubuque awesomeness. We were traveling to Iowa to see a show at the casino and then to pop down to Galena. This is clearly the best hotel in the area, historic, elegant and reasonably priced. When we arrived, we stepped in some wetness in our room. We called the front desk and let them know and asked for another room. However, the hotel was sold out along with everywhere else in the area. So, the manager was kind enough to comp the room and get maintenance to fan dry the wet and disinfect the room. Plus, they comped the stay. I've had a couple of really negative experiences with hotel managers who had no idea what customer service is about. At Hotel Julien, the staff gets an A+. The areas for improvement to get a perfect 5 stars would include: better pillows (these are that thin type), actual vending machines on the floors that say "ice/vending" (there only seemed to be ice machines). And, one of the two elevators was out of service leading to a difficult exodus this morning. All of those are easy fixes. So, cheers to Hotel Julien. It's a really lovely place.

Overall, great stay! Very quaint hotel. Phenomenal location with many restaurants less than 5 minutes away. Great coupons included with check-in. Spa services and nice shop on site. ONLY drawback was the outdated workout room. Dumbbells and bench were fine, as well as, stretching area with PhysioBall. Very outdated and rusty BodySolid universal gym, and older True Fitness treadmills.

I chose my hotels based on how I feel and what I'm doing so sometimes I want a nice room in a nice hotel and sometimes I just need a place sleep in besides my car and it doesn't matter. When I thought about a trip to Dubuque IA and Priceline popped up this hotel I fell in love with grand comfortable seating areas all over the beautiful lobby and the fireplace cozy area is my favorite. I researched the hotel and it's like 180 years old, rebuilt once after a fire but still 180 years is amazing. They have a lounge and a restaurant and spa packages. The pool is big and they have an exercise room also. I had the executive king room on the 7th floor over looking the river which has a great view. I would say that my room was nice with stone finishes and real wood furniture. A nice walk in glass shower and a flat screen was in my room. It had a fridge, Keurig Coffey set up and real glasses in the room. The lobby of the hotel is absolutely beautiful and parking is free. Across the street you have an aquarium, casino, water park and a winery all in one area. My key cards went dead so house keeping let me in my room and I called the front desk and they promptly sent two fresh key cards up to my room. Overall it's a very nice hotel that does show some wear but it's only perfect once and it's used 24 hours a day 7 days a week and I would only stay here again when I'm in Dubuque for sure.

Wanted to stay here memorial weekend Saturday and Sunday but Saturday all booked. Stayed here Sunday night after exploring Galena IL and Aquarium. Parking is across the street in a lot. This is a historical hotel in downtown Dubuque. The lobby is fancy and the room. I walked down to the pool but it was super cold and a couple was extremely amorous in the hot tub so I returned to the room. They had an older tv channel that had Chips on. Oh the memories from childhood. They have a chair and ottoman for watching tv. The room was spacious and had a shower stall in bathroom. The beds were very comfortable. K cups and a keurig is in the room and a fridge. Again no microwave. My only critique is maid needs to bring cups to a dishwasher not wipe them as there was lipstick residue on a cup. Yuck! Otherwise great stay and highly recommend.

Very comfortable and somewhat upscale hotel in downtown Dubuque. It's a great location for exploring the area or even if you are playing golf at Galena they are many more restaurants and a little more light life in Dubuque then there is in Galena. The staff is all extremely friendly. They have a very nice pool with hot tub on the lower level. Be aware that the door sticks and if there is a sign saying that the pool might be closed don't assume that it is, we had to call for maintenance to open the door for us but the door was just stuck because they have a very tight airlock! Lol At least three or four fairly good restaurants within a few blocks so you shouldn't have too much trouble finding someplace you could walk to for dinner. The rooms themselves are nicely appointed and the western ones have a nice view of the big hill just west of the main drag in town. You could walk to the Fenelon elevator from there as well which is a inexpensive and fun little excursion. We will very likely return the next time we are golfing in Galena.

We have enjoyed staying at Hotel Julien several times around Christmas. The lobby is beautifully decorated at Christmas and the location is great. I will say the man who checked us in on our most recent stay was less than welcoming and I felt like I offended him somehow. We also had a poor experience with an employee who took it upon himself to yell at my two young children in the pool, with me sitting right there, that they were not to throw each other in the pool (btw, they weren't....). Just thought it was a bold move for this dude to feel he could yell at kids in general and also in front of their parent. Because I'm a friendly person, I said, "sorry!" He literally gave me a dirty look and walked away. Okaaay Merry Christmas. The pool, besides the ornery employee, is really nice and my kids love it. We also love the views from the rooms that we have stayed in. I will say it's odd there are no extra sheets or pillows in the rooms, and the blankets on the bed are super thin, so prepare to be cold at night. My daughter ended up getting food poisoning the night we were there, and a really nice front desk clerk (unfortunately didn't grab his name) gave us a really late check out. That was extremely nice of him and allowed our daughter to rest up for the ride home. We greatly appreciated his kindness. Some good, some bad, at this hotel. Would probably come back but not opposed to checking out other local hotels on our next trip to the area.

To start it is a really beautiful place. We stayed for 1 night. Was very expensive. We both have wanted to stay for a long time. The room At first appeared very clean. When I entered the bathroom there was an obvious large Feces stain on the lid of the toilet. Went down let the front desk know. They apologized and since the hotel was booked up they would send housekeeping up to clean the bathroom. With that being said we were not very confident on how clean our room was. I also believe the hotel could have done more. A discount on the room maybe even a couple of free drinks at the bar but nothing. A beautiful place but probably won't be going back

Avoid, don't get scammed. Today I received extremely poor customer service at Hotel Julien. I booked via a third party Chase for a one night stay. Upon check in to the hotel I was disappointed with the front desk who only asked for my ID and credit card (no hotel greeting or info provided), and then to see the very tiny and poor conditions of the room compared to the pictures marketed on the hotel website which did not match. I immediately asked to change rooms or asked if I could be upgraded even if I had to pay. The manager of the hotel, Dwight, blatantly told me that he technically fulfilled his legal obligation in giving me a room in the booked category and that although he could he wouldn't allow me to pay for an upgrade (despite this being in his authority to do so and having rooms available). He was very satisfied in his authority allowing him to keep me a dissatisfied customer which I found to be extremely odd and uncomfortable. This was after almost 2 hours of being on the phone with chase since I was told by the hotel front desk team that I had to deal directly with the third party chase. Chase told me the hotel denied their attempts to request an upgrade, room change, or cancellation. I ended up turning in my keys and not staying the night. Dwight, the manager, would not even look me in the eye when speaking to us, I had to specifically ask him to speak to me (as the person on the booking) instead of only addressing my husband. Ladies I am sure many of you know this feeling and I was not going to allow this type of misogynistic behavior. I am disappointed beyond belief in this hotel and I have never witnessed such poor service in any hotel ever. I hope someone in this company will put the proper attention to this because I am sure this happens often but is not always escalated through the proper channels. There were zero attempts made by the hotel management team to resolve the issue or apologize or show any type of other respectful communication to try to smooth things over. I am summarizing only, the full extent was disgraceful. Save your money, save your points, don't risk dealing with this when you are vacation. I'm sure if you end up in a nice room in this hotel and you don't have to speak to management it's great but if you end up in a dark dingy closet room like I did it won't be enjoyable. Iowa has tons of beautiful fairly priced Airbnbs (which is where I stayed before this ordeal) to stay at instead. Avoid this place if you care about getting what you paid for and receiving quality customer care.

One of the first (if not, first) hotels in Iowa! Such a historic and beautiful hotel located near the river and central to many great dining establishments! It may look old on the outside, but the inside is BEAUTIFUL! Our hotel room was smaller than what we are use to, but it worked as it was just for sleep. The king sized bed was comfortable and loaded with fluffy pillows... I slept like a queen! This hotel was perfect for our romantic getaway as it includes a spa, a cocktail lounge, and Caroline's Restaurant! We very much enjoyed our stay and would recommend to anyone coming to Dubuque!

What a nice and luxurious place for a overnight stay. The checkin was effortless and social distancing was being practiced. I will definitely be back this is a hidden gem in Iowa.

Hubs and I returned to Hotel Julien for the first time since being married here in June, 2013. We absolutely love Dubuque and Hotel Julien. There's really no better place to stay. We checked-in on a Sunday evening and immediately went to dinner. We returned at about 9:00pm that night and I noticed that we could hear our neighbor through the wall. Mostly his/her TV, but I'd never experienced a noise issue at the Julien before. I debated calling the front desk, but opted to turn on my white noise machine instead. It seemed like everyone staying at the hotel on this particular Sunday night was staying on the 5th floor. I'm sure there's a legitimate reason for keeping guests on the same floor (convenience? easy for housekeeping?). Our rate for the evening was $150. Definitely more pricey than other lodging accommodations in the area, but you get what you pay for. Our room was very clean and tidy. Had I remembered my Diamond Jo card I likely would have received a big discount. We had a good time nonetheless. Highly recommend Hotel Julien. Sign-up to receive special room rates via email, or flash your Diamond Jo card for a nice discount.

Great bartender. Fresh juices for tasty cocktails. Sit on outdoor patio - comfortable, chill and bug-free.

This historic hotel has really gone down hill since it was renovated several yrs ago. We booked two double rooms for $250 a night for 3 nights, but service of any kind was not included. They do not provide bottled water in the rooms. Bottled water is available for purchase at the front desk, but they didn't have any. No housekeeping (COVID). No in-room phone service of any kind (no explanation). So if you had a problem, a question or an emergency you had to go to the front desk. No room service (understaffed). Asked if we could switch a room as ours smelled of cat urine. No (fully booked ). One night we asked for plastic forks & paper plates so we could eat take-out in our rooms. No. Ok - so we asked for real forks & real plates from Caroline's - the hotel restaurant. No. We asked if the Hotel Julien Shuttle was in service (like an in-house Uber service). No. It seemed nothing was available. Even the service at Caroline's was painfully lacking. We were expected to lump any expectations. It was a very expensive weekend for basically nothing. Lastly - the front desk employees. This was our first impression of the hotel upon arrival. They were cheerless, frumpy and unengaged. It was hardly the professional welcoming one would expect from working in the hospitality industry...especially an historic boutique hotel claiming to be upscale. Quite frankly, the front desk experience was more offensive than upscale. One star for a comfortable bed even though I had to make it.

We recently spent 2 nights there and like other people commented we had a problem with the thermostat. My husband called the front desk and was informed that the reason we could not turn off the blower was because it is controlled by the front desk. They turned it off and all was good. The beds were very comfortable. My only criticism would be the bathroom. Perhaps 2 bars of soap instead of one so that the one at the sink did not have to be transferred to the shower. Now the shower. Apparently at one time there was a strip at the bottom of the shower doors to keep the water from spilling out on to the floor. Not only was there water all over the floor but on the ledge where the shower doors meet the ledge that you walk over to step out. Not sure why this was never discovered by housekeeping as I would think you would need to turn on the shower to rinse off what was used to clean the shower. We kept safe by putting towels on the floor. Perhaps if we return to Dubuque we will book another stay at Hotel Julian.

Beautiful room, great bed. Terribly thin walls. Like I could hear the neighbor's midnight conversation word for word. I now know all about their relationship issues. She's clearly the dominate one of the two and I don't think she's going to put up with him much longer. I would have preferred to not know these things about these people. Sleep would have been preferred.

Writing this review from my Executive King room, my second time staying here on business. The good: - Beautiful lobby and historic charm. - Well-lit - and free - self-parking directly behind the building. - Large rooms and bathrooms for a historic hotel. Large, nicely-tiled shower with good water pressure and hot water. Only one double-plug outlet beside the bathroom sink though. - Aveda soap and toiletries - nice touch! - Mini-fridge in room. - Desk setup - with TV wall-mounted above it - makes for a nice place to knock some work out while listening to news, etc. The bad: - The mattress is so firm that, as a side sleeper, I cannot get comfortable - no matter how I position myself. - Noise from the highway behind the hotel is quite bad. Every semi coming down the hill using their engine brake is easily heard. - Thermostats are puzzling. Takes a while to get the room to a comfortable temp upon check-in. Attempts to make adjustments in half-degree increments make the digits on the display jump like numbers on a slot machine. So you have no idea if your setting has been changed. Both rooms I have stayed in had this issue. On my first stay, it was mid-summer, and I could not get the room cold enough. - Upon check-in, the desk clerk - who had been personable and friendly initially - ventured into giving her opinion on Covid vaccines and criticizing those who don't get them. Quite bold to venture into a controversial topic with a customer, particularly when you don't know if they share your viewpoint. - Breakfast - I have not tried it, but coworkers did. I was told it was quite slow (they were late making it to the office for our meeting as a result), and also expensive. They said the quality was not good enough to make it worth the wait/cost. If you want something quick on your way out of town and aren't concerned about the menu, there is a McDonald's about 3-4 minutes away by car. I want to like this hotel, but with the noise, temp control, and mattress issues, I will likely be staying elsewhere on my next trip to Dubuque for work.

What a great find in Dubuque! I stayed here for a week on business. Upon entering the hotel, you are greeted with an upscale lobby and friendly staff at check-in. There is a bar attached to the north. They had ample parking (in front of and behind the hotel). The good impression continues throughout the hotel. I had a large room which had a bedroom area, soaker tub and spacious bathroom. My room was a on a corner and had 8 windows! It was missing a luggage rack so I had to put my luggage on the floor (I asked co-workers if they had one, and they did). I noticed that the room was warm so I attempted to make it cooler in the room with no luck. I stopped in at the front desk when I came back from meetings and they adjusted it to the temperature I specified. Unfortunately, it continued to be unpredictable. The air conditioning is the only reason for 4 stars instead of 5. I would definitely stay at Hotel Julien again!

Well, it is nice historic hotel in downtown Dubuque. Common areas look good, no doubt. Rooms are attractively furnished, and so are bathrooms. Nice beds too, good sleep. However, sound isolation is not good, paper thin walls, I guess or some other problem. Caroline's is good place to eat, but food leaves a lot to be desired: see my other review of Caroline's. Spa is grossly overpriced, in our opinion. All is good, and it would be 5, if not for basic housekeeping mishap. Never ever I give 5 out of 5, when housekeeping staff is making silly mistake of trying to force their way in my room, no matter what, at 9 am on the day of check-out at noon. They better know when the guests are checking out... Such a basic and stupid mistake always leaves an aftertaste... Where is the app for housekeeping services when you need it?!

This is a lovely old hotel in Dubuque, Iowa. I wanted to give it a 4.5, but couldn't, so it gets top rating! There's an indoor pool and hot tub, plus an exercise room. The restaurant (Caroline's) is the best restaurant I have found in town. I have eaten both breakfast and dinner there and was not disappointed. When you check in they'll give you a coupon for a free dessert (the semifreddo was excellent) and a buy one get one free coupon for drinks at the bar. Back to the room - this time we somehow got a suite, complete with kitchen, living room and bedroom. The kitchen was well stocked. It's a nice, clean place and I would pick it first among the hotels in town.

Spent one night on a whim driving through Dubuque. Hotel staff was great and no issues at all. PJ's Boutique is a "must stop". You're especially lucky if Deb is working.

The hotel is a 4 or 5 as far as the actual rooms and building are concerned. It's a 1 Star as far as service goes. On multiple occasions I have showed up at 4:00 to 5:00 and my room wasn't ready. Today I left at 7:30 am and when I returned at 4:10, housekeeping had not touched the room. It was a Monday. No reason a well staffed and run hotel should not have the room serviced by 4:00 pm. I asked for the GM to call me (gave my cell phone number) and the housekeeping manager came to my room at 4:50, asking if I still want it serviced and that they have not made it to my side of the floor yet. Same exact thing happened on my last stay. It's bad and hasn't gotten any better. Great old hotel that is being led down a bad path due to really poor management.

Pros: Unique Historical Hotel, Great location downtown near restaurants, bars etc and the Spa was FABULOUS! Cons: Service and Cleanliness of rooms - when your a hotel at this price point it is service that SHOULD set you above the competition. That was not the case here and while unique I would not stay here again. I'd save my money and stay at any of the other hotels downtown (we walked by several) and enjoy the cool downtown vibe that Dubuque had going on.

The hotel room charges had additional hotel and city taxes which are about $32. (Not make known ahead of time). More a night, the room we had faced Main St., and the bars across the street kept us awake until the wee hours of the night. The trains also kept us awake. No frills, the staff were almost non existent, they said if we wanted fresh towels to call. We had a queen suite, thinking it would be a nice upgrade. Not so much. The Mission for homeless 2 blocks away didn't make us feel comfortable to walk around either.

We had a wonderful breakfast on 2/14/2021. The food was superb! Best has browns and blueberry pancakes ever! Service was great too! Worth a bit of wait. Highly recommend Carolines!

Biggest "Price Gouging Hotel "During the Holidays! Price goes from $100ish for a King room to $300 for a room when called they had NO explanation. MY OPINION IS HIGHWAY ROBERY! Stayed here before and things have been great but when I called the lady person on the phone was very rude. I called again the next day to talk to the manager. The same rude lady answered and was rude again..... That associate needs customer service training.... To continue the review the day before I asked for a manager and she insisted that I would get the same answers while still being rude about everthing. I just said I wanted to talk to a Manager nicely.... I also was notified that they wouldnt honor the Diamond Joe discount any longer on weekends and the lady seemed to have made it up in my opinion as she gave me since a month or two ago. Again in my opinion to PRICE GOUGE ME! Below the manager states in his reply that they stopped over a year ago.... As for the discounts we all try to maximize them...Diamond Joe was always the same discount as an Employer rate. UNBELIEVABLE that contacting a family member to have me alter a review I frown upon that and shake my head tisk tisk... and is bad business. Also a violation of yelp policies........ IN ALL I WOULD CHECK AROUND AT OTHER HOTELS THEY WAY STAFF AND THE MANAGER TREAT PEOPLE...... As you can see the professionalism of the manger in the comments below. AND I LEAVE THIS TO THE COURT OF THE PUBLIC TO DECIDE HOW RUDE THE MANAGER IS..... Read other reviews he responds to as he's very disrespectful and can tell he doesn't have Good Management training. Also kind of feel like a privacy policy has been violated in some of your comments disclosing my stays to the public...... LATER DWIGHT ALTERD HIS REVIEW REMOVED HIS PRIVACY VIOLATIONS. ------------------------------------------------------ 7/1/15 Management reply below was edited after Privacy Policies were violated. I have an official screen shot of his original reply I will attach picture of his rudeness but I again will also leave that up to the Court of the Public to read his other rude replies... ------------------------------------------------------

I was really expecting this place to deliver a nice weekend but it just did not. It's obviously an old building with character but with updated rooms. Upon entry we were greeted by a clerk at the counter for check in. That was relatively quick and painless. Found our room and at first glance seemed good. Upon returning to the hotel after a day of hopping around the neighborhood we wanted to grab some drinks and water for the room. Apparently there are no vending machines nor is there a store to purchase water and pop/juice or whatever for the room. It's very strange since there was no water in the room. We were offered a bottle each by the night clerk. This would barely cover us for the night so we both woke up a little dehydrated. Yes we could have drank the tap from a glass but we shouldn't have to. After watching some tv we are ready to sleep and discover there were no extra blankets or pillows in the room. Of course we could call but who wants to get up in their pajamas and answer the door? Did not matter anyway because our room phone did not work. So in the morning we called ahead for breakfast on our cell phone. Of course not a big deal but we shouldn't have to. Lastly when we did check in we were handed a sheet explaining the Covid precautions the hotel is taking including leaving sanitizer pads in the room. There were two of them. They were a square inch and that's being generous. What are we supposed to do with that? Again it's not a huge deal but we should not have to worry about this or call for more. For us the little things go a long way towards our comfort. We really wanted this to be a nice experience away from our toddler for the first time in 2020 but the little things just added up to an overall disappointing time.

I'd give negative stars if possible... To start... Checking in... I waited 45mins after check in, I overheard the room # when I originally asked & 45mins later I ended up on the floor above my original room. Makes me wonder what kind of party they had the night before. SO while I waited 45mins to get checked in I overheard them give a guest two $20 vouchers for food at the restaurant AND two vouchers for a wine tasting; naturally I thought sweet at least having to wait will pay off with a few vauchers... NOT THE CASE, in fact they said nothing when I FINALLY got checked in except "sorry for the wait" I went ahead and asked where I could get some wine.. You know, hinting I over the free wine vouchers I just heard them give out... "The best selection of wine around here would be at HY-VEE, it's a grocery store down the street" ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!! I bit my tongue & just said okay... What else... Three of the food items in the room were expired, along with three of the drinks in the fridge... The people next door were up til 1am making more noise than you can imagine, then again at 7am!!! I will NEVER stay here again nor suggest this place to anyone! You may think I'm being a bit ridiculous but when paying over $250 for a whirlpool suit you'd think they'd take care of you or at least act like cared... They had an attitude like someone else will stay here, you've paid, we have your money, who cares... To top this experience off the young man who checked us out the next day asked how our stay was & we replied pretty much to the T of this post and he didn't hesitate to offer a voucher for the restaurant. I explained I thank him for the offer but it's a little late for that, his coworkers had a chance to keep me as a customer the day before but dropped the ball!!! Anywhere is better than Hotel Julien, I didn't mention a few other thing, like missing light bulbs in lamps & I had to fix their broken blinds before using! TOO MUCH went wrong here for it to be a coincidence this hotel is TERRIBLE!!!

We REALLY enjoyed this hotel. Nice view of Mississippi. Lived the old world charm but with updated rooms and amenities. The staff couldn't be nicer or more helpful but be aware that due to COVID no daily maid service. We were so happy to be able to walk the downtown area and the river walk! Glad we chose to stay here instead of cookie cutter hotels that were basically the same price. Rather stay here than in Galena which is 15 minutes away.

I had originally planned on staying here for a wedding, but was told I was included in an apartment rental not far away. This hotel is beautiful, close to everything downtown. The wedding I attended was here, and the set up was stunning. The assistance with getting the cake set-up was a bit iffy, but it worked out in the end. Menu of steak and lobster was delicious and the venue was beautiful. They frosted the mirror on the stairwell with the last name of the bride and groom which was a nice touch. I heard only good things from those who did stay here.

Awful customer service. The base is so loud we might as well be at the wedding. I would have stayed at a different hotel and paid 1/2 the price for the same shitty customer service. Not worth the cost.

The Hotel Julien has a great location if you are interested in exploring the downtown district or the Diamond Jo Casino or Aquarium. The 'river view' is really a view of the casino! The architecture downtown really is adorable, not to be missed. The Hotel Julien is advertised as a boutique hotel, but the remodeled rooms just look and feel like an Embassy Suites. At least my King Suite room did - and I paid about 350 per night through hotels.com if you include taxes. Seemed overpriced to me. If you have been to boutique hotels around the country and world, you would not agree that this is a boutique hotel. There was no one to park our car or carry up our bags, which is totally fine with me, but might surprise some people, so I thought it was worth mentioning. However, the self parking in their lot is completely free. Don't eat at Caroline's - I won't get into it, you can read my separate review. Do book a treatment in the basement Potosa Spa - great massage therapist there by the name of Stefanie. The hotel will give you a 15% off coupon. Take the time to notice the awesome mail chute! Enjoy the Aveda products in the room - okay, that part is kind of boutique-y! Bring your own pillow. My husband and I thought they were way too fluffy - so uncomfortable! The WiFi worked well, was totally free, and ZERO hassle. This is rare - my husband feels the hotel deserves 5 stars on this point alone. The pool is small, but chances are you will have it to yourself. There is also an ADA handicap lift/chair for the pool, which I don't think I've seen at a hotel before. The workout room is nice and deserted. I will definitely be going back!

This is definitely one of the top 5 nicest hotels I've ever stayed at. and what's even better is that I got an excellent deal on this place through Kayak (around $90 for a Saturday night stay). The rooms are luxurious, the lobby is elegant, the parking is FREE and located right next to the lobby, and the place also has a pretty nice fitness center and pool/spa. We had a great view of the hills surrounding Dubuque from our room. We ordered room service breakfast from Caroline's Restaurant on the bottom floor of the hotel, and the food was both good and reasonably priced. The television was a flat screen and pretty good size, and you can open the windows. Free WiFi was definitely a plus, it's nice that this place doesn't try to nickel-and-dime you on things like that. We spent most of the weekend in Galena, but Dubuque is only a short drive away and we enjoyed walking along the Mississippi River and seeing some of the local architecture. Most of the hotels in Galena were two or three times more expensive and didn't even appear to be as nice the Hotel Julien, so I'm very glad we stayed here. Downtown Dubuque doesn't have a whole lot going on, but there are a couple of nice restaurants within walking distance of the hotel. Great place for a romantic getaway or just a fun weekend trip. Hope to return here sometime!

I have only stayed here once, and it was beautiful. Being from Los Angeles, I couldn't believe how inexpensive this place was, and my hotel room was large enough to do yoga - and I could have invited two more people! The bathroom was huge, everything was clean and modern. I did not try the room service, though. One comment if you're from out of town - it is a small hassle to get a cab here, so be sure to rent a car or call ahead of time. Otherwise, just a beautiful hotel with incredibly friendly staff.

Would never stay here again. Paid almost $400/night for an executive king suite and spent $500 in the spa for rude and unhelpful hotel staff, no cleaning service and no help with bags even though I was traveling alone with a 1 y/o and his grandma. Spa people were great though, and I will say our room was big.

Two couples spent two nights for a mini getaway and enjoyed the property so much we are planning on making a visit an annual event. Very well restored and maintained. Rooms comfortable and larger than most historic buildings. Well appointed bathrooms. No resort fees or charges to park so that offset the no free breakfast... but the breakfast was outstanding and well worth the cost. We enjoyed sitting by the fire in the lobby... ext time we will bring a cocktail from the lounge. We loved the on site spa. Friendly helpful staff throughout the property.

I turn to Yelp for advice whether it's for a hotel, a restaurant, a store, a school, practically any type of business I'm looking to support. My husband and I purchased a travelzoo deal months ago for the Hotel Julien as we had a trip planned to dig up some information on my ancestry in Dubuque. As we kept up on our chosen travel dates I called the Hotel Julien to book our stay. The gentleman I spoke with was very friendly and completely helpful in getting my room booked. He made me excited to check in. I asked him some questions about Dubuque itself as I had never been and we spoke for several minutes on the phone after booking my room. After I hung up I thought I would hop on Yelp to maybe see some pictures and also take a look at what people were saying about the place. The pictures made me really excited, the reviews made me a little nervous. I have stayed in hotels all over the country. My husband and o travel a lot. I do understand that someone can have a bad experience but the reviews on here are crazy and nit picky. The Hotel Julien was amazing for us. It is a beautiful building with so much history and that I can appreciate on a separate level other than me seating there. Our room was clean, bed comfortable, staff were extremely friendly and accommodating, free coffee in lobby (who doesn't love that?!). To anyone reading this review, please know that this hotel is amazing. If you choose another while you're in Dubuque I truly feel as though you will be missing out on this beautiful historical building.

Dog lovers DON'T STAY HERE We have stayed at this hotel many times with our dog. We've rented suites and even had our rehearsal dinner for our wedding here. During each stay our emotional support animal has accompanied us without any issues. During our stay today, Father's Day, we booked the Capone suite and the manager Sara denied us saying they no longer accept emotional support animals. We offered to pay a pet deposit or not have him stay, however Sara said that unless he was a service animal they wouldn't accept him. We are from San Diego and this was a gift for my dad for Father's Day. What a disappointment to the community of Dubuque. We love this historic city and looked at the Julien as it's anchor. But Sara has completely changed that perspective. What a disgrace to the ADA community. As someone who worked in customer service for years, I don't think she's a good fit for the industry, ESPECIALLY in a managerial position.

The Julien is located in a beautiful building in a historic part of Dubuque. Unfortunately, the rooms and common areas are well overdue for a serious renovation. The guest rooms and bathrooms have cheap pillows and bedding, with worn and stained fabrics for carpeting and drapery as well as chipped paint tiles and mirrors. Nothing about it merits their self proclaimed three star hotel status. I suspect that because there are so many weddings going on there, they are able to make money via overpriced hotel rooms for the unwitting and intoxicated wedding guests, many of whom we encountered in the hallways too late in the evening. If you do plan to stay there, avoid a room in the front of the hotel at all costs. The windows are probably original, have zero insulation, and you can hear basically any type of noise from a car horn to the drunks leaving the bars at 2 AM as if they're in your very room. While I did bring most of not all of this up to hotel staff, the response was that there was "really nothing they could do." Well, they could do something, the owners could spend some money on the hotel and upgrade it to meet the great potential this hotel has - instead of pocketing it. Also, the manager sent a poor front desk employee out to do her evil bidding. Subpar on so many levels.

Newly renovated and looking great! Tha pool was still under construction (which they were up front about at the time of booking). Suites are large and well done. Beds are new and comfortable. The only negative was the low quality of the morning "Continental Brekfast". I wad thinking we'd see a blend between Marriott's Residence inn and Best Western but it was more Motel 6. Great location and a great value.

Beautiful, very clean rooms. I loved the bed and the rooms were adorable with a beautiful view of the Mississippi River. Hotel is in a great location downtown with lots of little shops and things to do near by. I would stay here again.

Hotel booked us at $195 nightly rate for Friday/Saturday. We received an interior room -- no windows -- located adjacent to the banquet hall. Wedding receptions both nights. LOUD MUSIC.until midnight that literally vibrated the walls of our room. No one of the hotel staff or management had any authority to adjust our rate for the inconvenience of the noise or the inconvenience of having to move to a different and smaller room for Saturday night to avoid the second night of noise. Spoke to the manager the following Tuesday (we were told he would call us,but he didn't). He was a real ass. No concession for the noise or move. When I stated I would dispute the charge on our credit card, he accused me of defrauding an innkeeper. This hotel is quite nice, but clearly does not meet fire and health codes with its windowless rooms and has no intention of providing customer service. Just charges high rates. BAD. Sad because our stay in Dubuque was otherwise enjoyable. This outfit is no ambassador for the community. We (four couples) will NEVER do business with the Hotel Julien Dubuque again..

We were on a "romantic" getaway so I paid a premium to get a king size bed. Our neighbors across the hall spent over $100 less and had a significantly larger room, and the bathtub that our listing had promised but did not deliver. I measured the bed with a measuring tape, it was not King size. I felt so ripped off that my face was red for the majority of the night. Spending as much as we did, I was hoping for a lot more. Can confidently say that it was my worst hotel room experience for the money (7 weeks of vacation last year), especially knowing that just staying with the default double queen room would have given us a bath and more space. The restaurant downstairs is like an expensive Perkins, but with soggier hashbrowns. The lobby and bar are swanky and fun. Good drinks. That's the only star-saving mechanism in my review.