Comfort Inn & Suites Event Center

The staff were attentive and friendly, and the hot breakfast was decent, but I still had a bad stay. The elevator button for my floor broke on my last day, leaving me stuck on a higher floor until I took the stairs down. My room also seemed poorly cleaned. There was a lot of hair in the bathroom from the previous guest, even on the toilet seat, and what looked like mold or mold staining around the tub and toilet. The walls and doors had marks, and dust had collected on fixtures including the broken exhaust fan and tissue box. The bedding had stains and didn’t smell freshly washed, though it didn’t smell bad either. I skipped the stained chair, the TV remote was dirty, and there was some mystery goo inside the fridge. The bed itself was uncomfortable. The lobby smelled like a rest stop bathroom when I arrived. I don’t know if the plumbing was the cause, but it was unpleasant. I was there for work and had no time to ask them to fix everything or inspect the room again. Given how badly it had been cleaned, I wasn’t confident they’d do a good job anyway. With so many conference staff staying there, I also felt there might not have been another room available. I don’t recommend this hotel. If you can afford somewhere else, stay there.

The room itself was roomy, with a comfortable bed and pillows and a nice bathroom. Breakfast was a real bright spot for the price: eggs, ham, waffles, oatmeal, fruit, donuts, muffins, and good coffee and tea. Staff were generally nice, the pet fee was fairly low, and getting in and out was easy and accessible for people with disabilities. The tradeoff is the noise. Being right off the highway makes the location handy for conference centers, and there’s a view of the river and capitol building, but you hear a lot from the seventh floor. Sirens, revving cars and motorcycles, a local junker, and families arriving at 1 AM all came through the poorly insulated windows. Light sleepers should request the other side of the building. The mini-fridge and heating and AC unit were loud too. I’ve stayed everywhere from five-star resorts to desert motels, so I’m comparing it with places in the same price and quality range. For what we paid, it was above average and very convenient. Next time I’d consider paying more for a quieter room.

We could walk to our venue and back easily, and the room was clean and perfectly acceptable. We’d booked a couple of weeks ahead at a lower rate, though there was no cancellation option. When we returned, the room still hadn’t cooled down, so I called the front desk. Within five minutes, she called back to say they’d move us to an upgraded room. It was a suite, which would’ve been amazing for a longer stay. We only needed somewhere to sleep, but we really appreciated the quick fix and just wanted some air. Everyone was great. We can’t wait to stay again!

The rooms were nice, and the remodeling in some shared areas, including new hallway carpet, didn’t get in our way. It’s good to see them continuing to update the place. My daughter and I were glad to stay here because we could walk easily to the Holiday Boutique at the Iowa Events Center. Staff were friendly and breakfast was excellent.