The Highlander Hotel

What The Highlander Hotel does

The Highlander Hotel is a privately owned boutique urban resort at 2525 Highlander Place in Iowa City, Iowa, operating from a property originally built in 1964 and designated as a local historic landmark. Acquired by entrepreneur Angela Harrington in December 2019 and renovated through 2022, the hotel is positioned around a 1970s retro/psychedelic-luxury aesthetic and offers rooms and suites (poolside, courtyard, classic, family, and penthouse configurations), four on-site food and beverage venues (Lucy's supper club, Patio Bar, Snack Shack, and room service), and recreational amenities including an indoor pool with sliding garage doors, a retro arcade, courtyard, and 2026-bound pickleball courts. The property also operates a 5,832 sq ft ballroom and supporting meeting rooms for corporate retreats, weddings, and parties, and runs a long-term furnished-stay product (1-bedroom units from $850/month on 9-12 month leases).

The business generates revenue through five streams: nightly room revenue via direct website, phone/walk-in, and Ascend Hotel Collection (Choice Hotels) booking channels; F&B across four venues; event and meeting space rental with catering; long-term apartment-style stays with utilities and resort amenities included; and amenity access (pool wristbands, arcade). Distribution is direct-to-consumer with an Ascend/Choice Hotels referral channel and a dedicated event sales team for group and corporate bookings. Marketing relies on organic social (Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube), email via Constant Contact, content/SEO, and earned media including recognition from TripAdvisor (three consecutive years #1 in area), US News & World Report, Historic Hotels of America, GayTravel.com, Iowa Hotel & Lodging Association, Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission, and Corridor Business Journal.

Operationally the company runs on approximately 24 employees, with Angela Harrington as owner/operator and Catalyst Project Management providing executive leadership and operations. Technology is intentionally lean: property management via the Ascend/Choice Hotels integration, Constant Contact for newsletters, and Travel Iowa for route-planning content. No venture capital, private equity, or acquisition signals are present; the company is woman-owned and independently capitalized.

Name

The Highlander Hotel

Legal name

The Highlander Hotel

Website

https://highlanderhotel.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Highlander Hotel is a privately owned, historic landmark boutique hotel in Iowa City, Iowa, offering retro-themed rooms, four on-site food and beverage venues (Lucy's, Patio Bar, Snack Shack), event and wedding spaces, and long-term furnished stays, serving leisure travelers, corporate groups, wedding parties, extended-stay guests, and the local community under the Ascend Hotel Collection (Choice Hotels) and Historic Hotels of America affiliations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Boutique Hotel & Hospitality

NAICS

Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (72111)

SIC

Hotels & Motels (7011)

akta.pro primary industry

Resort-Area Full-Service Hotels (Non–All-Inclusive) (THAGAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Resort-Style Extended-Stay Properties (THAGAEAL)

Keywords

• Boutique hotel accommodations
• Hotel event venues
• Food and beverage service
• Long-term furnished stays
• Wedding and event hosting

Headquarters

HQ city

Iowa City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Hotel Room Revenue: Nightly accommodations including standard rooms, poolside rooms, suites, and penthouse. Bookings through direct website and Choice Hotels platform.
2. Food & Beverage: Four F&B venues: Lucy's Restaurant (supper club), Patio Bar, Snack Shack pool bar, and room service. Includes pizza, steak, burgers, cocktails, craft beer, live music venue.
3. Event & Meeting Space Rental: Ballroom (5,832 sq ft), meeting rooms, dining rooms, and courtyard available for corporate events, weddings, and celebrations. Includes catering services.
4. Long-Term Stays: Monthly furnished apartment-style units with 9-12 month leases. Includes resort amenities, utilities, and access to hotel facilities.
5. Pool & Recreation Access: Pool wristband access system for guests. Arcade games and entertainment services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Highlander Hotel is a privately-owned, retro 1970s-themed boutique urban resort in Iowa City, Iowa offering overnight accommodations, four on-site food and beverage venues (Lucy's Supper Club, Patio Bar, Snack Shack, room service), event and meeting spaces, weddings, long-term furnished stays, and recreational amenities including an indoor pool atrium, retro cocktail arcade, and courtyard. The property is a designated local landmark and is affiliated with the Ascend Hotel Collection (Choice Hotels).

Product overview

The Highlander Hotel is a boutique urban resort in Iowa City offering a unified hospitality experience centered on retro-70s themed accommodations and entertainment. The property features multiple interconnected offerings: hotel guest rooms and suites (poolside, courtyard, classic, family, and penthouse categories), four distinct food and beverage venues (Lucy's Restaurant & Supper Club, Patio Bar, Snack Shack), recreational amenities (indoor pool/hot tub, retro cocktail arcade, courtyard with yard games, and upcoming pickleball courts), and comprehensive event spaces for meetings, weddings, and parties. The hotel also offers long-term stay packages and special promotional packages. The property is affiliated with Ascend Hotel Collection and is designated as a Historic Hotels of America property.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hotel Accommodations
• Lucy's Restaurant & Supper Club
• Patio Bar
• Snack Shack
• Indoor Pool & Hot Tub Atrium
• Retro Cocktail Arcade
• Courtyard
• Meeting & Event Spaces
• Wedding Venues
• Party Packages
• Long-Term Furnished Stays

Quantifiable outcome

• TripAdvisor's #1 rated hotel in the area for three years running
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ascend Hotel Collection (Choice Hotels)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Highlander Hotel is an affiliate of Ascend Hotel Collection, part of Choice Hotels. This brand affiliation provides booking platform access, loyalty program integration, and brand recognition while maintaining independent ownership and operation.
• Historic Hotels of AmericacoreOthersOfficial program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation recognizing and celebrating Historic Hotels. Provides marketing, PR support, and credibility as a historic property.
• Iowa City Chamber of CommerceminorOthersProud partner of the Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce for local business networking and community engagement.
• Travel IowaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Iowa's official tourism website for promotional and marketing purposes.
• National Trust for Historic PreservationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThrough Historic Hotels of America program, affiliated with National Trust for Historic Preservation for historic preservation advocacy and recognition.
• Iowa Economic Development AuthorityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnered with IowaEDA for economic development initiatives and promotional support.
• Catalyst Project ManagementcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAngela Harrington's hospitality management company providing executive leadership, operations management, marketing, event sales, and brand development. 100+ cumulative years of hospitality experience.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Hotel Indigo: IHG's boutique-style soft brand, located in many secondary U.S. markets including Midwest university cities. Competes for the same leisure and group travel demand via a larger loyalty/booking engine footprint.

Direct peers

• Graduate Hotels: Collection of boutique hotels in university towns across the U.S. with strong thematic design and F&B programming. Targets the same college-town leisure, family, and alumni travel demand that drives The Highlander.
• The Arthur Hotel: Independently operated boutique hotel with strong design identity, multiple F&B outlets, and event space in a mid-sized U.S. market. Comparable on retro/themed positioning and event-driven revenue mix.
• 21c Museum Hotels: Boutique hotels combining contemporary art, distinctive F&B venues, and event programming in mid-sized U.S. cities. Closely aligned on experiential positioning, multiple on-site F&B outlets, and event-space revenue mix.
• Found Hotels: Boutique hotel collection emphasizing neighborhood character, integrated F&B, and design-forward positioning in secondary markets. Closely comparable on experiential boutique model targeting design-conscious leisure travelers.
• The Wayback: Independently owned boutique property in Iowa with restored historic character and event-driven revenue mix. Comparable as a small-scale Iowa-based historic boutique competing in the same regional destination market.
• The Hotel Grinnell: Boutique historic hotel in Grinnell, Iowa operated by the same owner (Angela Harrington) and management company (Catalyst Project Management). Shares the retro-revived concept, event/F&B positioning, and Ascend Hotel Collection-style independent ownership model — the most direct comparable.

Regional players

• Hyatt Place Iowa City: Direct local competitor in Iowa City offering select-service lodging targeting the same University of Iowa-related transient and group demand. Represents the chain-hotel alternative to The Highlander's boutique positioning.
• Hampton Inn Iowa City / Coralville: Mid-scale chain hotel in the Iowa City/Coralville submarket competing for the same road-trip and university-related transient demand with lower nightly rates but limited F&B or event differentiation.

Others

• Historic Hotels of America (member properties): Network of historic U.S. hotel properties of which The Highlander is an affiliate. Provides marketing, PR, and credibility comparables, though individual members are independent competitors for the historic-leisure traveler segment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/highlander_ic
• YouTubeyoutube.com/results?search_query=the+highlander+hotel+iowa+city+
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheHighlanderHotelIC
• Instagraminstagram.com/highlanderhoteliowacity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thehighlanderhotel

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Highlander Hotel