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The Nest: Beautiful Apartment Style Lodging In The Heart Of Downtown Decorah.

Apartment in Decorah with kitchen and washing machine and dryer

Photo gallery for The Nest: Beautiful Apartment Style Lodging In The Heart Of Downtown Decorah.

View of living room from loft beds. Windows look out onto the Courthouse.
Living-room
Living-room with a claw foot tub with pillows inside. A perfect place to lounge.
Bedroom
Bathroom

Reviews

9.6 out of 10
Exceptional
1 bedroom1 bathroomSleeps 474.3 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Washer
  • Dryer
  • Kitchen
  • Air conditioning
  • Free WiFi

Explore the area

View map
Decorah, IA
  • Place, Dunnings Spring Park
    ‪11 min walk‬
  • Place, Upper Iowa Speedway
    ‪13 min walk‬
  • Place, Luther College
    ‪5 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

1 bedroom (sleeps 4)

Bedroom 1

1 Queen Bed

Common area 1

3 Single Beds

1 bathroom

Bathroom 1

Toilet · Shower only

Spaces

Porch or lanai
Kitchen
Dining area

About this property

The Nest: Beautiful Apartment Style Lodging In The Heart Of Downtown Decorah.

This furnished one bedroom, one bath apartment is located in the middle of downtown Decorah. The Nest provides easy access to all of Decorah’s wonderful downtown shops and restaurants and there are many local parks within walking or biking distance. The west facing family area is a large open room with beautiful high ceilings and a wonderful view of the County Courthouse. The Nest was redone with the homey feel of Magpie Coffeehouse in mind. The floors are the original over 100 year old fir floors, exposed brick, and a comfortable couch. The dine-in kitchen makes it easy to prepare dinner and for entertaining during your visit. The bedroom has a comfortable queen bed and large lit closet. In addition to the bedroom, there are two twin beds available built loft style in the main room and a fold out twin bed in the ottoman. The large bathroom has a fabulous shower with your choice of two wonderful shower heads. There is an enclosed back porch, perfect for relaxing with friends or reading a book. A full-size washer and dryer is supplied for you laundry needs. Electric charging station for our guests with electric cars and electric bicycles available for rent upon request.
HIGHLIGHTS
-Queen Size Bed and 3 Twin Beds
-Full Eat in Kitchen
-Beautiful Bay Window With A View Of The County Court House
-Convenient Enclosed Back Porch
-Direct TV Access
-WiFi
-In the heart of downtown Decorah
-the is a charging station behind the nest to charge your electric vehicle
-2 electric bikes available for rent to ride Decorah's scenic bike trail

Add dates for prices

Amenities

Kitchen
Washing machine
Dryer
Free WiFi
Air conditioning
Parking available

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House Rules

Check in after 2:00 PM
Check out before 11:00 AM
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Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17
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Events

Events allowed
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Pets

No pets allowed
Please contact us if you have a pet.
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Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
Parties and events are allowed on site
Host has indicated that there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a deadlock

About the area

Decorah

Located in Decorah, this apartment is in the city centre. Porter House Museum and Locust School are local landmarks, and the area's natural beauty can be seen at Ice Cave Hill Park and Decorah Bald Eagles. Agora and Amundsons Clothing are also worth visiting. Enjoy the area's slopes with cross-country skiing, and don't miss out on the sledging.
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Map
Decorah, IA

What's nearby

  • Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum - 5 min walk - 0.5 km
  • Dunnings Spring Park - 11 min walk - 1.0 km
  • Upper Iowa Speedway - 13 min walk - 1.1 km
  • Luther College - 5 min drive - 6.7 km
  • Toppling Goliath Brewing Co. - 7 min drive - 7.5 km

Getting around

  • Waterloo, IA (ALO-Waterloo Regional) - 88 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Casey's General Store - ‬4 min drive
  • ‪Dixie's Biergarten - ‬14 min walk
  • ‪McDonald's - ‬3 min drive
  • ‪Family Table Decorah - ‬14 min walk
  • ‪Culver's - ‬3 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is The Nest: Beautiful Apartment Style Lodging In The Heart Of Downtown Decorah. pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

How much is parking at The Nest: Beautiful Apartment Style Lodging In The Heart Of Downtown Decorah.?

On-site parking is available at the property.

What time is check-in at The Nest: Beautiful Apartment Style Lodging In The Heart Of Downtown Decorah.?

Check-in begins at 2:00 PM.

What time is check-out at The Nest: Beautiful Apartment Style Lodging In The Heart Of Downtown Decorah.?

Checkout is at 11:00 AM.

Where is The Nest: Beautiful Apartment Style Lodging In The Heart Of Downtown Decorah. located?

Located in the heart of Decorah, this apartment building is steps away from Amundsons Clothing and Agora. Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum and Porter House Museum are also within 5 minutes.

Reviews

9.6

Exceptional

9.6/10

Cleanliness

8.0/10

Amenities

10/10

Property conditions & facilities

9.0/10

Eco-friendliness

9.8/10

Check-in

9.8/10

Communication

10/10

Location

10/10

Listing accuracy
Rating 10 - Excellent. 140 out of 164 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 16 out of 164 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 6 out of 164 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 164 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 2 out of 164 reviews

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Diane K.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Perfect spot downtown Decorah
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2025

10/10 Excellent

Scott A.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Great place. Ignore the skiing rating. It’s early fall.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2025

10/10 Excellent

chris d.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Charming!
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2025

10/10 Excellent

Suzanne H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
It was very convenient, and loved being downtown Decorah! Easy to check-in and check-out. Appreciated having a phone number to call for assistance. It was a cozy stay in Decorah. Thank you very much!
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Kasja L.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great Stay

Great location, beautiful accommodations! Perfect for a quick getaway in Decorah!
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2021

10/10 Excellent

Trista B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfect

The Nest had everything i needed and had everything and the kitchen sink. It was perfectly located just off the main street so it was very quiet but you are within a 5 minute walk to literally everything. I would absolutely stay here next time i need to stay in Decorah for more than a day or two.
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Ehren

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities, communication
Excellent quick weekend getaway at the Nest. Fun place located in an excellent part of downtown Decorah. It was nice to have the parking space reserved for our stay.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

Maddie T., Seattle, WA, USA

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful space & prime location.

We had a lovely stay at The Nest. The perfect location in downtown Decorah. The space is beautifully curated and has an artsy feel. Comfy bed and couch, super clean. We would love to stay here again.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

Paula A.

Liked: Cleanliness, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfect stay in Decorah

The Nest is the perfect place to stay in Decorah, Iowa. The location is great for shopping, hiking, biking and fishing. The Nest is very spacious and very homey. It is well decorated and equipped with everything you need. Can’t wait to go back.
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2024

10/10 Excellent

Chris T.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfect apartment

This is my second time staying here. I was able to take advantage of the location and walk to Oneota co-op and Mabe's, and would have been able to walk just about anywhere. Lots of time spent outdoors, and the sofa and beds are perfect to relax and recharge when I got back in the evenings. The reserved parking spot in the back is really nice too. Already looking at my work calendar to find time to make a return trip. Thanks!
Stayed 2 nights in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

susan T.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

downtown

Very nice place to stay right downtown Decorah and be able to walk to shops and restaurants. I was an attendee to the Driftless Yoga Festival. It was wonderful to be in walking distance of most of the Festival too, which was a delight.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

Kjersten W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Make up weekend

We came to town to watch Luther softball. We had a great two nights and have enjoyed the Nest on previous trips as well. We enjoy having the ability to use a kitchen, the sitting area is large enough to watch a movie with friends and the rental is always clean. We had to cancel this room this fall for Homecoming and the owner was able to move the reservation to this weekend. We found that very accommodating for us and really appreciated it.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Jordy and Emily B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Convenient and Affordable

Decorah was so much fun! Partially because The Nest was conveniently located downtown and had different supermarkets, coffee shops, and restaurants within walking distance. Not to mention, we were only a 5-minute bike ride from the Trout Run Trail bike loop that goes around all of Decorah. The Nest served as a great "home base" for our nature-filled trip!
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2023

8/10 Good

Erica T.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Good location!
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2025

10/10 Excellent

Alan S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Very clean, well-appointed, lots of towels, great location. We didn't mind, but FYI, there are lots of steps to climb - 28 in the back and about 20 in front.
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2025

10/10 Excellent

Christopher G.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Very nice property. Just sone confusion on check in but the owner was very responsive and helpful
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2025

8/10 Good

Philip S.

Liked: Check-in, listing accuracy
Disliked: Communication
All good. Only negative was the musty cigarette aroma. Entrances were challenging.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2025

10/10 Excellent

Tianna V.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
The Nest was the perfect choice for our little weekend stay in Decorah. It was ideally located downtown with most of our stops within walking distance. Great views! Loved the historic features of our apartment. The Nest was very clean and Kathleen was super communicative and helpful. One thing to note is the loft bed that was shown in photos online was replaced with bunk beds in reality, which ended up working out better for us with our toddler, but worth noting. We would definitely stay again!
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2025

10/10 Excellent

SALLY S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
This is a nice little apartment in downtown. Great location to enjoy a walk through town and Saturday morning Farmers Market.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Teri J.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Weekend Getaway

Great location in a wonderful small town. Friendly people, clean town. Fair was clean, homemade food and fantastic entertainment.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Steve & Sara J.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wonderful Getaway

My wife and I had great three nights here. We fished, hiked, biked, binge watched, ate, and drank craft brews based from this nice apartment. We would definitely stay here again!
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2025

6/10 Okay

Meghan M.

Liked: Cleanliness, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wonderful Location, We Left Due to Health Reasons

The apartment is lovely, wonderfully decorated and perfectly located in the downtown area. We met the owner and she was lovely as she helped us get checked in and reset the locks with our preferred access code. Clean, and the kitchen is fully stocked. However, the neighbor across the stairwell, whose door is less than 3 feet from the entrance to The Nest, is a smoker and there is a constant stream of both stale and fresh cigarette smoke that seeps into The Nest. There is an air purifier going, but my husband and son both has asthma so we made the choice to leave for our health. We were sad to leave such a great location and I wish there was more that could be done to curb the smoke issue, maybe a tighter sealing door and removing that window above the bunk beds would help? Thanks.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Dan D.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great weekend

First time stay w the kids, bunks worked perfectly. Excellent location fir walking to food and entertainment.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Karen L.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Anniversary

Wonderful, relaxing experience. Looking forward to returning.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Emily W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great stay!

Wonderful location and beautiful place!
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2024

About the host

Hosted by Owner/Manager

Host profile image
The nest is owned by the Ritner family. Rod and his daughter Kelsey renovated it in 2010. There are a lot of really interesting aspects to the nest. The Ritner's believe in recycling and reusing as much as possible. The front door and the two closet doors in the bedroom were recycled from Eastside school demolition. The school door numbers are still on the door. The counter in the kitchen was recycled form the decorah bowling alley floor.

Why they chose this property

This property is very unique in the recycle reuse. It has a new feel along with the incorporation of old items. New appliances, plenty of room for guests and even a old fashioned bath tub in the living room. And a great view of the court house from the bay window. We've been told by many guests it's their favorite place to stay in Decorah.

What makes this property unique

Electric car charging and bike rentals available to nest customers.

Languages:

English

Premier Host

They consistently provide great experiences for their guests
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