Jason and I made a trek North to Sioux City, Iowa for my cousin’s wedding this past weekend – which was fabulous, and everything was gorgeous! We opted to stay at The Warrior Hotel in the city instead of driving to my parent’s an hour away. I had some hotel points that needed to be reactivated so we didn’t lose them, and we were hoping the closer proximity would mean more sleep, something we were sorely lacking. Plus, there was a pool, which meant the nieces and nephews came up early for the wedding to swim, earning us coolest aunt and uncle status, again.
We blew in from the South in the dusty 30+ mile-per-hour wind and drove into Sioux City in a blizzard. Ah yes, this is how I remember Iowa in the Winter. Luckily the snow didn’t amount to much and mostly blew away thanks to the wind, it just left us with really cold temperatures for the next day. After a run around downtown on one-way streets, the bane of my existence in cities, we found the parking lot for The Warrior Hotel and hurriedly bundled ourselves inside. We arrived at an expectedly chaotic lobby scene. It turns out we arrived on the heels of a traveling sports team and their entourage. But despite this chaos, we managed to get a big room upgrade, for free (thanks, Warrior Hotel!), and headed up to get settled.
We dropped our bags in the room and set out to explore the hotel, but not before noticing what was probably the most impressive part of the room: the toilet. I know, I know, it sounds crazy to us, too, but in fairness, the commode hardly ever gets its time in the spotlight, right? The toilet itself wasn’t anything to write home (or a blog post) about, but the toilet seat was another matter. First, it had a built-in bidet. We’re not convinced that’s the best option in a public setting, but points for novelty. What was even better was that it was heated (the seat, not the bidet. Or well, maybe the bidet was, too, we didn’t try it). No more shockingly cold seat experiences for body parts that ought not be too cold. Seriously, if you’ve never experienced a heated toilet seat, go look for one. It’s the neatest thing we never knew we needed, and obviously, we’re obsessed.
We ended up at the rooftop bar, which was mercifully partially enclosed, and chatted with the bartender for a while. We got the scoop on the hotel, how being employed in the Marriott system works (travel with a business professor sometime, it’s hilarious), and he recommended some pretty tasty drinks. After perusing the restaurant menu (which the bartender practically begged to fetch for us from the 2nd floor – it was a slow night for him, haha) we wandered down to the 2nd floor for dinner at Woodbury’s American Steakhouse where we enjoyed steak, duck and a wine flight. Yum!
We crashed hard in our huge comfy bed to prepare for the following day’s festivities. In the morning we had breakfast in the restaurant again, an omelet and potatoes for J and a Mexican breakfast burrito and fruit for me – so good. I did turn them on their heads a bit when I asked for tea, but they brought me the entire box of options to choose from. Haha!
Fueled up, we waited for the cherubs to arrive to go swimming. Jason ran to grab them some pizza for a pre-swim meal and I hunted down a place to eat where the pizza sauce wouldn’t destroy any fancy fabrics. I had a good laugh when the front desk pointed to a gorgeously upholstered lounge area where we could eat. No sir, we’ll be needing a hard surface that can be power washed afterward. I secured a table on the 1st floor at the base of the grand staircase and waited for everyone to arrive, as awestruck as we were when we arrived the day before.
Bellies full, we went up to the room to change to go swimming. Jason and my sister took the kiddos for a swim while my sister-in-law and I watched and entertained our littlest (and sleeping) niece. Sweet thing. I had already done my hair for the wedding since I knew it would be zoo to get us all done up and to the wedding on time, so I didn’t swim. We somehow managed to pull everyone out of the pool, rinsed off, dressed, and to the wedding on time. It was very reminiscent of the one-bathroom and five-people chaos that I grew up with. Apparently, that practice is still hidden somewhere. Haha.
Gorgeous wedding! My cousin, the bride, was stunning. The groom was quite dapper. The color scheme was perfect, and the food was to die for – I’ll never understand how caterers can crank out 300 perfect meals at the same time. Well done. The open bar helped us manage the overly tired ornery children (oops) and my niece hauled me to the dance floor where we showed off her sweet moves and she learned the cha-cha slide. Core memories. But do you think we took any photos of us at the wedding, nope.
We sent everyone else home somewhere in the night and went back to The Warrior to collapse ourselves back into our giant bed. We hit the road again early in the morning to head home.
I personally think this is one of the coolest hotels we have ever stayed in, especially state-side. We learned quite a bit on our short stay and I’m very impressed with the work they are doing both as a historian and an environmentalist. When those two things can meet successfully, my little heart is just so happy. Let me give you some background on the hotel. I did a really terrible job of taking photos on this trip, so I leave you with the hooligans enjoying our room and the link for The Warrior complete with their fabulous photos.
The building was constructed in the “new era” of Art Deco following World War I, which makes it over 90 years old. It was slated for demolition after standing vacant for 40 years but was rescued for full renovation by owner/developers Amrit and Amy Gill of Restoration St. Louis (thank you!). It is managed by Inkeeper Hospitality Services LLC and is part of the Marriott Autograph Collection of Hotels (yay points!).
This renovation is mind-blowingly spectacular, from its restored grand marble staircase and ornate architectural elements to its new enclosed rooftop bar and elegant furnishings. But don’t worry, all this “old charm” is matched with 21st-Century technology with fun things like restaurant menus on tablets, a spa, pool, sauna, and bowling alley as well as unglamorous things like clean energy features (high efficient HVAC, highly insulated windows and outer walls, low flow bidets, LED lights, compost stations, sustainable hotel gardens, solar panels, and geothermal systems). Plus, the food is locally sourced and delish! Clap, clap, clap. I can see why it has received the AAA Four Diamond Award and am happy to find it on the National Register of Historic Places.
In my lifetime, this is a type of glamour you just didn’t previously see in Sioux City, or maybe ever. I lived near there for 22 years of my life and I can say this is something special that I hope the area appreciates and takes full advantage of. I know we were very pleasantly surprised and just might be looking for excuses to stay in Sioux City again in the future.
The Warrior Hotel has sister hotels in Davenport, IA (Hotel Blackhawk and The Current) and St. Louis, MO (Hotel St. Louis and The Seven Gables Inn). We will definitely be checking those out as we often find ourselves in those areas as well for family functions.
We’re hoping to do some more local-to-us exploration in the next few months. It’s often easy to overlook the area where you live as is not a destination to you. Is there anything you want us to check out in the Ozarks? Let us know in the comments!
