Best Western Plus Longbranch Hotel & Convention Center

The pool area had no clean towels, and by morning the box was stuffed with dirty ones. Our room was across campus, and its door wouldn’t latch unless we pushed it hard. The tub was yellow-stained, and the shower felt so small you’d have to be under four feet tall to fit comfortably. At check-in, the man helping us barely greeted us, just took payment and handed over keys and a map. The TV was set to Spanish, and it took us nearly an hour to switch it to English. Internet was unreliable too, cutting out before we could finish a show. I’ve stayed at other Best Western hotels, and this one was trash.

The gym here is the real standout. It’s better equipped than any hotel gym I’ve seen, and would give most gyms in Cedar Rapids and Iowa City a run for their money, aside from the really serious ones. There’s mostly Hammer Strength equipment, iron free weights with the variations you’d need, including a squat rack and flat bench, dumbbells up to 120, and cardio equipment. I’m pretty sure they also offer aquatic fitness, since there are pool dumbbells and other pool workout gear. The hotel has a huge, unusual atrium with games next to the glass-enclosed pool. The pool, jacuzzi, and sit-in wood sauna were a nice surprise. The pool chemicals seemed a bit strong, though there were a lot of kids, if you get what I mean. Breakfast was a very solid continental spread, and the rooms were good too. My one personal gripe was that the beds felt a little firm. I’ve traveled across the States coast to coast many times, and this is a sneaky great hotel. Five stars for the distinctive setup and all the extras.

The room was clean and well prepared, which was a pleasant surprise after seeing the dirty elevator and debris and trash in the parking lot. I wasn’t comfortable leaving my car there overnight. The layout was confusing, though I ended up with a good parking spot and easy access to my room. The check-in attendant looked like he’d just rolled out of bed, even though it was 3 p.m., which didn’t make a good first impression. Breakfast wasn’t appetizing: as someone with celiac disease, I found the choices were waffles, sausage and biscuits, and eggs. The fruit didn’t look fresh, and the overcooked eggs smelled unpleasant and tasted bad. I took one bite and am pretty sure the attendant saw me spit them out. The hotel crowd was diverse and very loud, not disrespectful, just distracting. Coffee came from a dispenser, so I passed; luckily there are a couple of coffee shops nearby. I’m surprised the hotel is rated so highly. There were quite a few things that needed improvement.

AJ was really cool and helpful, and got me checked in quickly. The place was clean and quiet, the breakfast was decent, and I had no issues during my one-night stay. I’d come back.