The Merrill Hotel and Conference Center in Muscatine is a true Iowa-based hotel, located on the Mississippi River.  All the furniture, art, goods and services were purchased in the state of Iowa. Guest rooms and hallways are decorated with artwork by Muscatine artists and the hotel’s furniture was purchased from HON, Allsteel or other companies under HNI Corporation located in Muscatine, IA.  Developer Andy MacLellan stated, “We tried to bring the community in as much as we can and all of the construction, architects, civil engineer, Stanley Consultants, they all helped us. And everybody was Iowa-based with the exception of the interior designer.”

The hotel features meeting rooms and spaces named after Muscatine notables, such as Alexander Clark, Samuel Clemens — better known as Mark Twain — and Benjamin Nye, the first settler in Muscatine County.  The main floor, including the lobby, hotel restaurant, bar, sundries shop, plus an exhibit space art from the Muscatine Art Center will be displayed.  The hotel has a business center, with wireless printing, a fitness room and heated saltwater lap pool.  The second through fourth floors include 122 guest rooms, each featuring local art, HD televisions, USB ports and oversized closets.  The fifth floor, which includes two presidential-sized suites — each with three bedrooms, a larger bathroom, fireplaces and dining area — plus more than a dozen junior suites.  The top sixth floor is named the Howe Conference Center, and is the only venue in the state accepted into the International Association of Conference Centers.  It has 12 meeting rooms, which can be reorganized to meet the needs of different events.