completed just last year, uncovered original architectural details including arched windows, intricate mosaic tile floors and artful ironwork trim. The ballroom saw the most spectacular changes of all, with once bricked-over windows now affording meeting attend- ees sweeping views of the Port of Dubuque, gleaming parquet floor, plaster crown moldings and 20 foot-high coffered ceiling adding to the inspiration. The restoration work also allowed the owners to build in the latest technology. The hotel can accommodate meet- ings as large as 400. There are also spaces right off the lobby’s grand staircase tailor-made for small impromptu gather- ings. A restaurant, lounge with live music, new wellness spa and sunlit pool and fitness center round out this 133-suite boutique hotel. Midwest Living magazine ranked the Hotel Julien Dubuque as one of the “Top Ten Best New Places to Eat, Play & Stay” in 2011. The hotel was also the ex- clusive featured property for Iowa in the Martha Stewart Weddings 2010 travel issue in an article titled “50 Ways to Wed in the United States.” While meetings are decidedly hard-working
these days, downtime is still built into most schedules. That’s where Diamond Jo Casino comes into play. It was just one year ago that this entertainment facility moved in to its new $80 million digs. Diamond Jo’s has a regular line-up of entertainment in its Mississippi Moon Bar, where the investment in sound and lighting equipment is evident and the VIP concert suites are Vegas-like. The casino has 975 slots, plus ev- ery style of game you’d expect from an upscale casino. Groups are also known to take over the 30-lane retro Cherry Lanes bowling facility inside Diamond Jo’s. A great side note: In partnership with Pheasants Forever and Habitat Forever, the casino’s Diamond Conservation Fund supports sustainable permanent wildlife habitat creation and water conservation efforts. That spirit of conservation segues nicely
into a description of the Smithsonian-affiliated National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium, the state’s top attraction. Last year was an expansion year for the museum - they added a new exhibit covering the history of all American rivers; a 40,000-gallon Gulf of Mexico aquarium holding sharks, rays and the beautiful schooling fish found at the mouth of the Mississippi and an immersion theater with 3D high definition visuals
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and 4D special effects. Truth be told, it wasn’t that long ago that meeting planners
would have been hard pressed to point to Dubuque on a map or distinguish it from other Iowa cities or know it’s just 15 miles from Galena, Illinois. That’s changed. Those who’ve hosted meetings in Dubuque - and that includes groups from all over Iowa as well as Chicago, Minneapolis and Wisconsin border cities - might now tell you it’s an historic town, but with a lot of energy. In other words, a town reinvented.
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