Scenic Valley Motel

I was here for work during the week, and the clean motel room was just the right size for sleeping and showering. The owner was great to work with and very attentive. There were no odd smells, and both the bedding and the bed and pillows were comfortable. Direct TV and Roku kept me from feeling isolated in a small town in Iowa.

Between 1:30 and 2:00 am, and later on, there was repeated, very loud banging and crashing close to my room. It was concerning and made sleep impossible. When I left, a guy was smoking right outside my door. The room looked clean, but it was very dark, with only a lamp by the door for light. There was no soap, just five bottles of shampoo and conditioner. The shower's hot-water handle got very hot while in use, and both the handle and shower head leaked badly onto the soap holder, so it couldn't be used. Taxes and fees added over $15 to the room charge. I won't stay there again.

We'd stay there again if we're in the area. I wasn't sure what to expect from the reviews, since it's an older motel, but our room was cute. Getting the key from a box by the door was new to me, though easy. The plug-in air fresheners were a bit strong, but we could have unplugged them overnight. One window shade was missing its bottom part; we were at the end of the motel, so nobody was walking past the window.

The shower was small, and it took a while for the water to get warm enough to step in. Once it warmed up, though, it was hot. I was pleased with my stay and would come back or recommend the motel to anyone traveling to the area. The rooms were nice and updated, and the comforter was a pleasant surprise, unlike those stiff, itchy ones at many major chain hotels.