Public Spaces
Howard F. Ahmanson Lobby
This historic renovation recreates the look and feel of the hotel’s original 1913 lobby. Sink into the soft leather cushions on sofas and chairs. Enjoy the Persian rugs, terra cotta tile floor, and replicas of the original chandeliers as well as the stenciling that decorated the lobby’s first walls. Run your hand along the staircase handrail that has been restored, and step onto the original marble treads, restored for another century of use. Remember the man whose financial achievement made this all possible. Born in Omaha in 1906, Howard F. Ahmanson lived there until his father’s death in 1925. After that, young Ahmanson left the University of Nebraska and took his mother to California where he built one of the nation's most successful insurance and savings and loan institutions, H.F. Ahmanson and Company. Remember, too, his son Howard F. Ahmanson, Jr., renovator of the Hotel Pattee. Born in Los Angeles, this Ahmanson annually rode the train to Omaha, the family home and last stop before Perry. He moved on to run his own asset management and philanthropic firm, Fieldstead and Company.
Willis Library
Decorated in Arts and Crafts style with a William Morris replica carpet, this wood-paneled room invites you to select a good book and a nice, hot drink, and settle into a cozy rocking chair by the copper-hooded fireplace. It helps if it’s raining or, better yet, snowing outside. Named for the founder of the town, Harvey Willis, and his descendants, the library offers books to read and displays of the works and memorabilia of Iowans and Iowa authors.
The Pattee Café
Inside the dining room of the hotel is the Pattee Café. The restaurant's blend of upscale comfort food and flavor filled with personality is guaranteed to please. Within the Pattee Café is 3 distinct dining areas which aims to take you back to the era when the train was king. The Arrow Room, named for a Milwaukee passenger train, is a recreation of an early 20th Century railroad dining car, complete with coffered ceiling, wood paneling, and murals showing the countryside near Perry by Bouton artist Dennis Adams. The Challenger and Hiawatha Rooms, also named for Milwaukee trains, are designed in the Arts and Crafts style frequently found in depot restaurants and railroad hotel dining rooms. The Challenger Room is topped with murals of Perry’s railroad past by Iowa artist Doug Shelton. Landscapes in the Hiawatha Room by Iowa artist John Preston remind you of the panorama passengers viewed from the train that was Queen of the Rails.
Inter-Urban Lounge
Named for the electric train that shuttled travelers back and forth between Perry and Des Moines throughout the early part of the 20th Century, this lounge is decorated in the style of the Midwest’s best-known Arts and Crafts designer, Frank Lloyd Wright. Known as Prairie Styles, Wright’s designs dot the Midwest. Photos of the Inter-Urban, Perry’s railroad history, and the people who made the town line the walls.
Spring Valley Ballroom
Here you get a sense of place. For many years townships were an important part of local government. Perry is located in Spring Valley Township for which this room is named. A mural of the history of Perry by Iowa artist Doug Shelton draws you to the east wall.
Dallas County Boardroom
Perry is the largest town in Dallas County, this private meeting room’s namesake. Landscapes by Iowa artist Robert McKibbin celebrate the land that, in addition to her people, is Dallas County’s greatest resource. Perhaps her most famous son is the legendary Cleveland Indians pitcher Bob Feller, born in Van Meter.
Canisteo Meeting Room
Canisteo is one of the excellent soils that makes Iowa the home of some of the most fertile land in the world. Named for its point of origin in Steele County, Minnesota, this soil is found in the area around Perry. Rural landscapes by Ellen Wagener honor the land and the bounty it produces.
Nicollet Meeting Room
Nicollet is another of the soils for which Iowa is known. Named originally for its point of origin in Nicollet County in southern Minnesota, this soil, too, is found in Dallas County. A quilt by award winning quiltmaker and former Perry resident Betty Lez honors the land and those who work it.
Third Floor Stairway Landing
Light fills the stairway. At the top is a skylight sending its glow not only on guests but on a vast landscape by Iowa artist Gary Bowling. You feel as though you could step right out onto the Iowa prairie.
Arthur "Oley" Olson Bowling Alley
When the Hotel Pattee opened in 1913, it offered the latest in fitness and recreation—a bowling alley. Roberta Ahmanson’s grandfather, Arthur “Oley” Olson, was a champion bowler in the 1920s and 1930s. The modern lanes in a 1913 setting honor both the original alleys and “Oley” Olson.
Soumas Court
Named after George Soumas, Soumas Court is a beautiful outdoor gathering place perfect for celebrating with friends and family, enjoying live music, hosting events and weddings. Celebrate your special moments with natural greenery, beautiful brick, and art.