Best Western Harmony Inn Fort Dodge Iowa

We hadn't planned to stop in Fort Dodge, but found Harmony Inn on our way home from a trip out west. It turned out to be a lovely surprise. The room was immaculate, and the relatively new building had sharp-looking furnishings and a huge TV. The shower got nice and hot with generous water flow, and the room had soaps, conditioners, and even mouthwash. We enjoyed chatting with the manager, Harry. We didn't use the pool, but it looked to be in great shape.

My daughters booked rooms at Harmony Inn for a small birthday gathering for my granddaughter, and we were disappointed by how visitors were treated. My daughter from Colorado stayed two nights and was charged a deposit without any reason given. Another daughter, her husband, and their child came from Des Moines. They weren't planning to swim, just to visit their sister in the pool area, but were told to leave. That part was fine, but the whole experience reflected badly on the town's hospitality. For the party, one daughter paid over $100 to rent the kitchen area for the cake, then more than $130 for everyone to swim, plus a $100 deposit. At checkout, her room charge had doubled. If you're visiting Fort Dodge and want to have people over, I wouldn't recommend this hotel. Very disappointing.

We felt like an inconvenience instead of paying customers, and this isn't a family or kid-friendly place. My sister wanted a small birthday party for my niece. The posted open swim rate was $5 per person, with sign-in and sign-out, so she expected the total for her group to be $55. Instead, they charged twice that, plus an undisclosed $150 deposit. They also billed her twice the room rate. My other sister, who stayed two nights, was charged the same unexplained $150 deposit. On the second night, family came to spend time with my sister before her flight back to Denver the next day while the kids swam. We weren't even using the pool, but staff kicked us out. They took advantage of both my sisters, and that reflects poorly on Fort Dodge business owners. Don't stay here if you're from out of town and expect visitors. It was completely uncalled for.

We walked in without a reservation and were able to get a huge room, almost the size of a small apartment. It had a king bed in a separate bedroom, plus a living room and small kitchen. The TV in the bedroom was missing because they were replacing the TVs, but when I asked at the desk if they could provide one, staff brought one up and hooked it up right away. Couldn't ask for better service. The place was very clean, and nothing seemed broken. That stands out since we often find things broken in hotel rooms elsewhere. They clearly care about keeping the hotel in good shape.