Iowa City hotel closures: What the data actually shows

By: John LohmanAnnie Smith Barkalow|February 24, 2026

|8 min read

hotelVetro, 201 S. Linn St. Iowa City, pictured Feb. 10, 2026. The hotel closed in November after the building it was housed in reverted to the bank in a foreclosure suit. CREDIT ANNIE SMITH BARKALOW

At 15 stories high, The Chauncey building at 404 E. College St. in Iowa City easily towers over the downtown area. The building houses nonprofit cinema FilmScene, fix! Coffee and until recently, SpareMe Bowl & Arcade and Hotel Chauncey, the latter two of which permanently closed after the building’s foreclosure in November 2025.

The absence casts a shadow longer than the building. It is the latest in…

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Iowa City hotel closures: What the data actually shows

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