• U.S. News & World Report Names The Merrill Hotel & Conference Center "#1 Best Hotel in Iowa"

     
    POSTED April 2, 2019
     

  • U.S. News & World Report Names The Merrill Hotel & Conference Center "#1 Best Hotel in Iowa"

     
    POSTED April 2, 2019
     

The Merrill Hotel & Conference Center has been named the "#1 Best Hotel in Iowa" by U.S. News & World Report in the "2019 Best Hotels" rankings. Located in downtown Muscatine, The Merrill is Iowa's only hotel to hold a AAA Four Diamond rating and International Association of Conference Centers (IACC) accreditation.

Adjacent from the city's River Walk Park, the 122-room hotel boasts numerous suites, 12,723 square feet of meeting space spread throughout 16 meeting rooms, a 4,719-square-foot Grand Ballroom, and a large outdoor balcony overlooking the Mississippi River. The Merrill also offers an indoor, heated saltwater pool, a fitness center, full-service restaurant and a 24-hour business center.

“Having opened just one year ago, this esteemed recognition spotlights the hotel’s exceptional setting, sophisticated amenities and the outstanding customer service our hospitality professionals deliver to our guests each day,” says Rebecca Howe, president of Riverview Hotel Development, LLC, the hotel’s owner. “This attention-to-detail truly sets our hotel and conference center apart.”

Working from Hotels: The New “WFH”

Remote working has become mainstream with the continued presence of COVID-19. While many people have welcomed the new normal of working from home, others miss the separation of spaces, as many corporate offices have remained closed since March. Without the daily obligation to go into the office, professionals have the ability to travel more freely. Hotels across the country are creating “work from hotel” deals–a play on “work from home”–so people can explore new places while still fitting in their 9 to 5.  

 
5 Ways for Event Planners to Prioritize Mental Health

Choosing a career in the event industry is not for the faint of heart. Let’s face it: Event planning is stressful. The last-minute changes, demands from clients and surmounting urgency of a quickly approaching event can make it difficult to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

As a new mother, I’m right there with you and need just as much help developing a healthy work-life balance. In my experiences working in events, I’ve found the following to be helpful ways to care for my mental health, despite being in a stressful profession:

 
Survey Results Show Americans Are Slowly Planning to Travel

In light of COVID-19, a survey commissioned by the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) discovered that 44 percent of Americans are planning leisure trips or overnight travel before the end of 2020.