• Home
  • News
    • Politics & Government
    • Business & Economy
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
  • Sports
    • High School Sports
    • Radio Iowa Poll
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support Page
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters

Radio Iowa

Iowa's Radio News Network

You are here: Home / Business / State’s third-tallest building sold to Chicago investment group

State’s third-tallest building sold to Chicago investment group

December 15, 2016 By O. Kay Henderson

An Iowa hotel that is the state’s third-tallest building is being sold.

The downtown Des Moines Marriott is 33 stories tall and has 373 guest rooms. The late John Ruan, the founder of a trucking company, helped bring the Marriott franchise into downtown Des Moines in 1981. His family has held a majority interest in the hotel ever since.

The Singerman Group is buying the property for $33.6 million.

John Ruan was a major donor to Republicans and the property has been a gathering place for prominent politicians for decades. GOP candidates like George W. Bush used the property for their Caucus Night parties. It was partly because of Ruan and partly because of the size of the hotel.

In the run up to the 2008 Iowa Caucuses, there were so many reporters for national media outlets staying at the downtown Des Moines Marriott that the hotel became known as “the dorm.” In the weeks leading up to the 2016 Iowa Caucuses, Bloomberg Politics turned the hotel’s former street-level bar into a live TV studio for its daily “With All Due Respect” program.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: Business, News, Politics / Govt Tagged With: Iowa Caucuses

Featured Stories

Exhibit features lesser known works of Grant Wood

Testing finds 21 new CWD cases in deer

It may become a crime in Iowa to use fake urine in workplace drug tests

February trending 18 degrees below average temperature

Iowa House Education Committee votes to end tenure at UI, ISU, UNI

TwitterFacebook
Tweets by RadioIowa

Iowa State looks to avoid winless Big-12 season

New look and new format at girls’ state basketball

Youngstown State takes action against assistant football coach

Iowa’s Jack Nunge lost for the season

Key stretch begins for #9 Iowa

More Sports

eNews and Updates

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Archives

Copyright © 2021 · Learfield News & Ag, LLC