Hilton Garden Inn Iowa City Downtown University

The rooms are fine, the mattresses are great, and the location is hard to beat. The parking setup, though, made this a miserable stay. The hotel uses a city-owned garage, and the city lets the hotel issue only one-use vouchers, one at a time. That means going to the front desk every time you want to drive out. From my ninth-floor room, I had to take an elevator to the first floor, another to the second, then walk across the garage to one of two elevators at the far corners, depending on where my car was. Three elevators just to reach the car. I couldn't find my tiny 1-by-2-inch paper voucher when there were cars waiting behind me, so I paid $22 for overnight parking. The desk staffer blamed the city and didn't offer reimbursement. That seems to be the staff's training on this problem: don't help guests, blame the city. The front desk is also where I was when I asked about the charge, since I was in the lobby for breakfast. They should work out assigned guest spots with the city, or let guests register their cars for monitoring. The Chauncey used to handle parking that way. It has closed, but when the city mistakenly ticketed me twice there, the hotel resolved it fully and right away. If the city won't change the arrangement, the hotel could at least offset my $22 fee with breakfast. Please, someone buy The Chauncey and reopen it.

Mills at the front desk is a big reason we keep coming back. She greets us like family and brings a warm, can-do attitude while staying professional and dedicated to great hospitality. On this trip, she helped us get a late checkout when weather delayed our travel, and we really appreciated it. The rooms are clean and updated, and the location is fantastic. Hilton Garden Inn is our favorite, and only, hotel in Iowa City. We look forward to seeing Mills and the rest of the team on our next visit.

Jen Clay was our event coordinator and Mathew served us that night at The Vue. From the first time I saw the venue through checkout after our wedding, both of them were wonderful to me and my family. I'm so grateful for the care Jen showed us, and I can't put into words how much it meant. This lovely little place would work for birthdays, small weddings, or other events. We'll definitely come back, even just to visit. Muchisimas gracias to you all!

The food suited our tailgating theme perfectly. We had the "Charcuterie Board" and "Black and Gold Mixer," and both were top notch. One guest said it was her first time watching a football game in a ballroom, and now every future tailgate is spoiled for her! Jaimy, the Banquet Manager, and Nancy, our server, looked after us and helped make the event run smoothly. We're very thankful we could hold it at Hilton Garden Inn. Thanks to Jen Clay and the team for a great time watching the Hawkeyes beat Minnesota!