Last Updated on August 6, 2022
If you’re looking for hotels in Dubuque Iowa, in this post I share some of the best hotels and accommodation in the Downtown area. Dubuque is home to many different chain hotels, with the majority being located on the arterial road or Dodge St (HWY 20) in the business district. These are great if you are looking for somewhere if you are just passing through. However if you want to be closer to some of the small independent businesses and other things to do in Dubuque, Downtown is the best place to be!
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I have previously worked with the Hotel Julien however opinions are 100% my own. For more information, read my Privacy and Disclosure Policy.
Hotels in Dubuque
Hotel Julien Dubuque
🗺200 Main St, Dubuque, IA 52001, United States
⭐️Best for exploring Downtown Dubuque
Of course the most iconic Dubuque hotel is the Hotel Julien. The hotel dates back to 1843 when it was originally called ‘Waples House’. It has quite the history, from being destroyed by fire in 1913 and potentially having gangster Al Capone as a guest.
There are 133 rooms altogether, with some having Mississippi River views. All rooms have fridges and coffee machines, walk-in showers, bathrobes, desks and more. Guests also receive a free dessert voucher for Caroline’s Restaurant and a buy one get one free drinks voucher for the Riverboat Lounge, as well as free hotel parking.
Hotel amenities include: an indoor swimming pool and 24hr fitness room, the Potosa Spa and lots of conference spaces.
It’s right in the heart of Downtown, located on Main St. It’s surrounded by restaurants and bars and many of the downtown murals are right outside the front door. Some of my favourite nearby places are: The Barrel House, Ice Cream U Scream and Dimensional Brewing Company.
Grand Harbor Resort
🗺350 Bell St, Dubuque, IA 52001, United States
⭐️Best for families
The Grand Harbor Resort and Waterpark has 193 large rooms. If possible, get a room with Mississippi River views! The hotel is located right on the Mississippi River Walk, so the views from these rooms are pretty great! Rooms also have fridges, microwaves and coffee machines.
With an overnight stay, guests receive complimentary access to the waterpark, so it’s a popular choice for families. For adults, you may find that there isn’t a whole lot to do in the waterpark, there are a couple of hot tubs and 1 tube slide, which is fun, but most of the other ‘attractions’ are child friendly.
There’s also an arcade where tickets can be exchanged for prizes…it’s aimed at children, but I have to admit, some of the machines are fun for adults too! There’s also a fitness centre on-site, complimentary breakfast and Tony Roma’s restaurant, which has great food!
The hotel is opposite the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium and the Diamond Jo Casino, with a bowling alley, restaurants and the Mississippi Moon Bar, which often has live music or comedy nights. The Grand Harbor is also connected via an internal bridge to the Grand River Conference Center and the Stone Cliff Winery is just a short walk away.
Holiday Inn Dubuque
🗺450 Main St, Dubuque, IA 52001, United States
⭐️Closest to the Five Flags Center
If you’re going to an event at the Five Flags Center, a stay at the Holiday Inn might be a good choice as it’s just across the road! It’s listed on various websites as ‘Holiday Inn Dubuque/Galena’, but Galena is actually in Illinois, around a 20 minute drive from Dubuque.
The River Rock Kitchen & Tap does great food and is open for breakfast and dinner. For guests there is an indoor pool and fitness centre. The rooms have coffee machines, microwaves and fridges. A fun thing about staying at the Holiday Inn, is that they offer a ‘pillow menu’. Guests are able to choose whether they have a softer pillow or a harder one!
The Holiday Inn is just two blocks along Main St from the Hotel Julien, so it’s very close to the same restaurants and bars. The Fenelon Place Elevator or the ‘Fourth Street Elevator’ is just a 5 minute walk away. The hotel is on the corner of 4th Street, so it’s just a straight walk up the road!
TownePlace Suites by Marriott
🗺1151 Washington St, Dubuque, IA 52001, United States
⭐️Best for exploring the Millwork District
I keep it no secret that I think the Millwork District is one of the coolest areas in Dubuque. It consists of a bunch of old factory buildings that have been completely renovated and now home a variety of small businesses. The TownePlace Suites isn’t in one of the old buildings, it was a new build on a plot next door, but it’s the closest Dubuque hotel to the Millwork District.
When staying at the TownePlace Suites, guests receive complimentary parking and a hot breakfast. There’s an indoor swimming pool, a fitness centre and an outdoor fire pit and grill area. The 84 guest rooms have a fully equipped kitchen with: a stovetop, coffee machine, microwave, fridge, dishwasher, cutlery, pots, pans and dishes. Basic wifi is free, however you can pay an additional fee a day for a high speed connection.
Some of my favourite businesses in the Millwork District are: the 7 Hills Brewing Co, the Inspire Cafe and Backpocket Taproom and Beercade. During the warmer months (May to October), is the Millwork Night Market, which takes place on the 2nd Thursday on the month. It’s similar to the Saturday Farmer’s Market, with product and food stalls, artists, musicians and more.
Hilton Garden Inn Dubuque Downtown
🗺1801 Greyhound Park Rd, Dubuque, IA 52001, United States
⭐️Best for casino fans or for events at the Q/Schmitt Island
The Hilton Garden Inn Dubuque Downtown is located on Schmitt Island in the Mississippi River. The HWY 151 bridge into Wisconsin crosses above the island! Right next door to the Hilton Garden Inn, is the Q Casino and Q Showroom (music venue). In the summer, the outdoor ‘Back Waters Stage’ has large music events. Houlihan’s restaurant and bar is connected to the Hilton Garden Inn, however it is only open Thursday – Saturday for dinner (correct at the time of writing). They do great cocktails and the fish and chips are good!
There are 116 guest rooms at the Hilton Garden Inn. Rooms have amenities such as: mini fridges, microwaves, coffee makers and bath products. Plus use of an indoor swimming pool and fitness centre. However, if you don’t want to go to the ‘communal’ fitness room, the Hilton Garden Inn offer ‘Stay Fit Kits’ available to borrow from the reception desk. These include items for yoga and pilates (blocks, mats, straps) and small weights, for in-room exercising. The parking lot is very large and has free parking (shared with the Q Casino and Houlihan’s).
Also located on Schmitt Island is the Iowa Greyhound Park, the Mystique Ice Center (skating rink), Catfish Charlie’s micro brewery and restaurant, baseball fields, a hiking track and the American Lady Mississippi River cruises. Cruises last around 2 hours.
Redstone Inn & Suites
🗺504 Bluff St, Dubuque, IA 52001, United States
⭐️Best for a unique stay
If you’re looking for something a little more unique, Redstone Inn & Suites is an independently run ‘Bed & Breakfast’. With many of the chain hotels, you can guarantee that almost every room will most probably look identical. This is definitely not the case at the Redstone Inn & Suites! It’s just one block away from the Fenelon Place Elevator.
There are 14 rooms altogether and the interior decor is keeping in theme with the historic background of the building. The rooms have a few less facilities compared to some of the other options, however tea and coffee is available in the parlour area and the room rate includes a breakfast. Parking is metered, $0.25 per hour, however it is free on the weekends.
It’s just one block away from the Fenelon Place Elevator in one direction, and one block from Washington Park in the other.
Best Western Plus
🗺3100 Dodge St, Highway 20 W, Dubuque, IA 52003, United States
⭐️Good indoor pool area
I have included the Best Western Plus, however it is a little further from the downtown area. It is located a little way along HWY20/Dodge St. A cool feature about this hotel is the indoor pool area that is centrally located. There are seating areas and sun loungers and it has a large glass doomed roof over the top. Some of the rooms are poolside or have a pool view. But don’t worry, if you’d rather be in a quieter part of the hotel, some of the 150 rooms are located further away from the pool area!
Rooms have coffee makers, fridges and microwaves and room rates include a complimentary breakfast with hot items and 24hr access to the fitness room. The hotel has free parking but the parking lot does get a little crowded if there is an event being held in the conference rooms in the hotel. Connected to the Best Western Plus is the Old Chicago Pizza restaurant and taproom which have great food.
You can find all my Dubuque content here or all my Iowa posts here. If you have any questions about things to do in the area or any tips, please feel free to message me and I’ll be happy to help you out! I lived in Dubuque County for 4 years and stayed at several of the Dubuque hotels myself, attended events in their conference rooms or visited the businesses the hotels are connected to!
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