Iowa City is Home to a One-of-a-Kind, 70s-Inspired Hotel [GALLERY]

This has to be one of the coolest hotels in the state of Iowa!

2525 Highlander Plaza in Iowa City is home to The Highlander Hotel, a retro hotel with a unique history. The newly-renovated space is a revival of the original Highlander Supper Club, which first arrived in Iowa City back in the 1960s. According to the official website:

"The Highlander Supper Club was built in 1967. The hotel, ballroom, and pool followed in 1974. For the next 30 years, both experienced extraordinary success playing host to celebrities like Micky Mantle, Joan Baez, and Arnold Palmer, arguably becoming one of the most popular entertainment, event, dining, and hotel destinations in Iowa history."

Angela Harrington ended up buying the Highlander in December of 2019, when the hotel was in a state of deep disrepair. She spent three years doing renovations and transforming the hotel into a "chic boutique urban resort." The building is now filled with 70s-inspired decor, like peace signs, record players, checkered floors, velvet furniture, and funky wallpaper. Amenities include an indoor pool, a retro cocktail arcade, a fitness room, a snack shack, a ballroom, and a large courtyard with games and a firepit. There's even a penthouse suite with "a full chef's kitchen, living area with giant plasma television, separate king bedroom, and the most incredible hotel bathroom in the state of Iowa!" The Highlander also offers complimentary breakfast, pet-friendly rooms, free parking, free wi-fi, a giant interactive Pictionary wall, and a vinyl lending library.

Here's a peek inside The Highlander:

As you can imagine, the new Highland Hotel looks MUCH different than it did just a few years ago! You can check out some of the before and after photos on their website HERE.