Burke Inn Motel & Suites

We stayed over the holiday and found hair on the sheets that were supposed to be clean. No one answered when we called from the room, so we had to go to the desk and call a couple of times. When someone finally came out, they handed us fresh sheets and left us to make the bed ourselves. There was no apology, and they wouldn’t refund any money, saying the hair might have come from our dog. She’s hypoallergenic, though, and her hair is curly and cream or light brown. DO NOT STAY HERE.

I wouldn’t stay here again, and next time I have to come home I’ll find another place. After I posted my honest review, management called and asked me to change it. I said I wasn’t happy and wouldn’t change it unless they made things right. They said they couldn’t do anything after the fact, so I left my review up. There were bugs in the room, rusted ceilings, and spiders in the bathroom. The outlets didn’t work, and there wasn’t an iron, ironing board, hair dryer, or the other usual room amenities. Our room stayed damp and muggy for all three days, smelled musty, and the hot water took at least 20 minutes to heat up. The patio door wouldn’t close all the way, which put my family at risk. On the third morning, diesel fumes filled the room. The advertised free hot breakfast was scarce: the eggs and little sausages were only warm at best, and the rest looked like it had been sitting there for weeks. There’s no pool or hot tub. They also charge a nonrefundable $20 per pet per night, which I think is steep, especially since even rental places have refundable pet deposits. Unless you’re desperate for a room, don’t do it.

We stayed one night while riding RAGBRAI and were happy with it. The staff were really friendly and helpful, and the beds were comfortable. The shower had good pressure and plenty of hot water. There are two bar and grills next door for an easy meal, or you can walk about 1.5 miles to the town center. They also gave us the number for a local taxi driver who got us around town easily.

I stayed for more than 20 days. The room was very clean, the furniture was in great shape, and the bed and soft sheets were comfortable. Wi-Fi and Dish TV were available, and the front desk staff live and work there. Despite the reviews I’d read, the room itself was nice. My problem was that they wouldn’t offer a weekly or monthly rate. They also wouldn’t tell me who the owner was, so I couldn’t speak with them directly. I let the staff know I was leaving and that they were losing over $1,000 because of this. The hotel was always empty, but they didn’t seem to care.