Graduate Iowa City

If you’re not from the Midwest, you may not know much about Iowa City, aside from a reasonably sure bet that it’s a city located somewhere in the state of Iowa. What’s most significant about Iowa City, arguably, is that it’s the home of the University of Iowa — and if you’re a literary type, what’s most significant about the university is the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, the most famous creative-writing program in the country. All of which is to say: don’t be surprised when you check in to the Graduate Iowa City and find yourself surrounded by yard after yard of packed bookshelves.

It’s a literary town, and the hotel’s Poindexter Coffee is a fine place to read or write. But it’s also a fine place to fuel up for Hawkeyes football game day — the Graduate is no library. The restaurant Wilder serves favorites from some well-known restaurants, from Umami Burger to Sam’s Crispy Chicken, Krispy Rice, and beyond. And the rooms are one part historical kitsch, one part contemporary boutique-hotel style, with all the comfort you need, including Malin + Goetz bath products and the usual high-tech gadgetry. It’s a significant step up from the lodging options previously on offer in Iowa City — which is the Graduate group’s mission in a nutshell.