Vintage Block Inn & Suites
1107 Sanborn Ave
Okoboji, IA
Vintage candy-brand rooms, painted exterior doors, and reclaimed dock lumber half a block from East Lake Okoboji.
About Vintage Block Inn & Suites
Jeff Mossman and Scott Mueller purchased a property at 1107 Sanborn Avenue, formerly the Country Club Motel and then Abe's of Okoboji, and brought in Misty Katzfey, a hospitality veteran, to assess it. Katzfey partnered with interior designer Kristi Leigh and asked for the redesign without restriction. The results convinced the owners to approve a full renovation. The hotel reopened in 2014 as the Vintage Block Inn and Suites. Katzfey described her initial impression before a single room had been touched: 'You are sitting on a golden nugget. This is fabulous.' The renovation was executed on a budget by design: the team repurposed existing furniture, fabricated custom canopies from hardware-store components, and sourced reclaimed dock lumber from the shores of East Lake Okoboji itself to build the custom bed frames, headboards, and tables that now furnish every room. East Lake Okoboji is visible a half block from the front door.
What Vintage Block Inn & Suites Is Known For
The furniture in every room was built from wood reclaimed from the docks of East Lake Okoboji. The lake is visible a half block from the front door of the hotel; the dock lumber that became the bed frames and headboards inside the rooms came from its shore. The window canopies above each exterior door were fabricated by the owners' team from hardware-store components and painted to match the door color below them. The light fixtures are the originals, spray-painted. These are the details of a renovation executed by people who understood that character comes from decisions made on site, with materials found nearby, rather than sourced from a design catalog.
Amenities
- Breakfast Included
- WiFi
- Exterior motor court rooms with at-door parking
- Custom furniture built from reclaimed East Lake Okoboji dock lumber
- Vintage candy-brand room names with color-matched doors and accent walls
- Block Party Retro Pub with craft cocktails and live music
- Outdoor swimming pool
- Fire pits with complimentary firewood
- Deck overlooking East Lake Okoboji
- Surrey bikes (4- and 8-person) for guest use
- Boat parking on-site
- Complimentary Belgium waffle breakfast (seasonal)
- Guest laundry facilities
- Outdoor yard games and green space
What Guests Love
- The candy-brand room names are not a theme decorator's decision. Each room name drives a specific color scheme that runs from the painted exterior door through the accent wall and into the custom furniture, all built from dock lumber reclaimed from the shores of the lake the hotel sits on. It is a cohesive, locally grounded design vision built on a renovation budget.
- The Block Party Retro Pub with live music, fire pits, a pool, a deck overlooking East Lake Okoboji, and a complimentary waffle breakfast create a property that works as a destination in itself. Guests with boats can park on-site and walk half a block to the water.
- The review record reflects owners who are present and a design that was built, not curated.
Worth Knowing
- The complimentary breakfast runs Memorial Day through Labor Day, aligned with the Iowa Great Lakes primary season. Confirm availability for off-season stays.
- The family suites (Good and Plenty, Cracker Jack, Pop Rocks) are sized and priced for large groups. Confirm room type when booking if you have different needs.
- The Vintage Block does not accept pets per current booking platform data. Confirm directly with the property if this is a factor.
- The Block Party Retro Pub and full outdoor amenity program are most active during the summer lake season. If visiting off-season, expect a quieter experience.
The Room
Rooms are named for vintage candy brands: Sugar Babies, Sixlets, Twin Bing, Rolo, and their variations. The suites are Cracker Jack, Good and Plenty, and Pop Rocks. Each name corresponds to a specific color: the exterior door is painted blue, yellow, orange, or green to match the brand identity, and the accent wall inside continues that same color. The furniture was custom-built by Katzfey and Leigh from reclaimed dock lumber, including bed frames, headboards, TV stands, and daybeds. Small tables with chairs are mounted outside each room's door. Bathrooms have pebble-tile flooring and granite countertops. Every room has a refrigerator, microwave, and coffee maker; 34 of the rooms include kitchenettes. The Cracker Jack and Good and Plenty suites accommodate groups of seven to eight with configurations of two king and one queen bed plus bunk beds and sofa sleepers. The Pop Rocks Luxury Suite has two bedrooms with king beds, a queen sofa sleeper, and a full kitchen. Okoboji maps tea-stained and mounted on wood hang in the suites as wall decor.
The Grounds
The grounds include an outdoor swimming pool, a gazebo, green space with fire pits, picnic tables, grills, and yard games. A deck overlooks East Lake Okoboji. The Block Party Retro Pub occupies a dedicated space on the property, with craft cocktails, a retro bar aesthetic, and live music in season. Surrey bikes in four- and eight-person configurations are available for guest use and provide a practical way to reach Okoboji's lakeside commercial corridor. Boat parking is available on-site. Guest laundry is available. The property is a half block from the East Lake Okoboji boat access and two blocks from the bridge that connects East Lake and West Lake Okoboji.
The Experience
The Iowa Great Lakes draw Midwestern families and couples to a chain of glacial lakes in northwest Iowa that has been a regional vacation destination since the 1880s. Arnold's Park Amusement Park has operated on the western shore of East Lake since 1889. The Vintage Block sits a half block from the boat access on a stretch where the lake and the town's commercial corridor meet. West Lake Okoboji, designated a National Natural Landmark for the clarity and depth of its glacially formed basin, is two blocks north across the bridge. The property holds a across 303 guest reviews reviews and ranks first among Okoboji hotels. The complimentary breakfast, which runs Memorial Day through Labor Day, includes Belgium waffles, fresh fruit, yogurt, and cereal. The Block Party Retro Pub's live music in season is the social center of the property on weekend evenings. Surrey bikes, fire pits, a pool, and a deck overlooking the lake give guests the full range of a lake vacation without leaving the property.
Details
Okoboji, IA 51355
The Boutel designation is earned, not purchased. Boutels is editorially independent and has no financial relationship with any listed property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Vintage Block Inn & Suites have EV charging?
No, Vintage Block Inn & Suites does not have EV charging.
Does Vintage Block Inn & Suites have WiFi?
Yes, Vintage Block Inn & Suites has WiFi.
What is there to do near Vintage Block Inn & Suites?
Arnold's Park Amusement Park: 2 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can bike there. Pearson Lakes Art Center: 2 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can bike there. West Lake Okoboji: 0.2 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can walk.
How far is Vintage Block Inn & Suites from Arnold's Park Amusement Park?
2 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can bike there.
How far is Vintage Block Inn & Suites from Pearson Lakes Art Center?
2 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can bike there.
How far is Vintage Block Inn & Suites from West Lake Okoboji?
0.2 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can walk.
Why are the rooms named after candy brands?
Each room at Vintage Block Inn takes its name, color scheme, and design identity from a vintage candy brand. Sugar Babies, Sixlets, Rolo, Twin Bing, Cracker Jack, Good and Plenty, and Pop Rocks are all rooms or suites at the property. The exterior door of each room is painted a specific color to match its brand, and the accent wall and custom furniture inside continue that color. The candy names give the property its 'vintage' identity.
What is the furniture made from at Vintage Block Inn?
The bed frames, headboards, TV stands, coffee tables, and daybeds in the rooms were custom-built from dock lumber reclaimed from the shores of East Lake Okoboji. The lake is a half block from the hotel's front door. Using lumber from the lake's own docks was a deliberate design choice by owners Misty Katzfey and Kristi Leigh.
Is breakfast included at Vintage Block Inn?
A complimentary breakfast including Belgium waffles, fresh fruit, yogurt, and cereal is provided from Memorial Day through Labor Day, which covers the Iowa Great Lakes primary vacation season. Confirm availability for off-season visits.
What is the Block Party Retro Pub?
The Block Party Retro Pub is the on-site bar at Vintage Block Inn, offering craft cocktails, a retro aesthetic, and live music in season. It operates on the hotel grounds and is accessible to guests without leaving the property.
Can I bring a boat to Vintage Block Inn?
Yes. The property has on-site boat parking. The East Lake Okoboji public boat access is a half block from the hotel.
How close is Vintage Block Inn to the lake?
The East Lake Okoboji boat access is a half block from the property. The bridge connecting East and West Lake Okoboji is two blocks north. West Lake Okoboji, a National Natural Landmark for its water clarity, is accessible from the same bridge.
What is the history of the Vintage Block Inn property?
The property operated as the Country Club Motel and then as Abe's of Okoboji before being purchased by Jeff Mossman and Scott Mueller, who recruited Misty Katzfey and designer Kristi Leigh to renovate it. The hotel reopened in 2014 as Vintage Block Inn and Suites after a full renovation that introduced the candy-brand room names, colored exterior doors, and reclaimed dock lumber furniture.
What room types are available at Vintage Block Inn?
The property has rooms including standard rooms (Sugar Babies, Sixlets, Twin Bing, Rolo), family suites that sleep seven to eight guests (Cracker Jack, Good and Plenty), and the Pop Rocks Luxury Suite with two bedrooms, a queen sofa sleeper, and a full kitchen. Many rooms include kitchenettes.
Is Vintage Block Inn pet-friendly?
The property does not accept pets based on current booking platform information. Contact the hotel directly to confirm their current policy before booking.
Does Vintage Block Inn & Suites have a pool?
Yes. Vintage Block Inn & Suites has a pool on-site.
Is parking available at Vintage Block Inn & Suites?
Yes. Free on-site parking is available at Vintage Block Inn & Suites.
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Things to Do Near the Iowa Great Lakes
Arnold's Park Amusement Park
2 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can bike there.
Arnold's Park has operated on the western shore of East Lake Okoboji since 1889, making it one of the oldest continuously running amusement parks in the United States. The park includes the Legend, a wooden roller coaster, a water park, miniature golf, and the Roof Garden Ballroom, a historic dance hall that has hosted performers for over a century. It is the Iowa Great Lakes region's most visited single attraction.
Pearson Lakes Art Center
2 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can bike there.
The Pearson Lakes Art Center is the regional art museum of the Iowa Great Lakes, with rotating exhibitions focused on Iowa and Midwestern artists alongside a permanent collection. The campus overlooks West Lake Okoboji and also houses programming through the Iowa Lakeside Laboratory, a natural history and science station on the lake's western shore that has operated since 1909.
West Lake Okoboji
0.2 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can walk.
West Lake Okoboji, two blocks north of the hotel across the bridge that connects the two lakes, is a designated National Natural Landmark recognized for the exceptional clarity and depth of its glacially carved basin. It is consistently ranked among the clearest freshwater lakes in the United States. The lake supports swimming, sailing, kayaking, and sport fishing, and its western shore holds the majority of the region's marinas and waterfront restaurants.