Best Western Plus Waterloo & Cedar Falls

Two women at the front desk were so kind and friendly, and the young woman at breakfast was terrific. She was training another young woman, who was just as lovely. I’ve worked at the Best Western in Hornell, New York, for almost 27 years, so I know what their jobs involve, and I really appreciated them. My guy’s family is from the Waterloo area, and we came for the arrival of a new great-grandbaby. We stayed five days, October 6th through October 10th of 2025, and the employees made the visit wonderful. We’re hoping to come back for two weeks next year and see them again. I don’t remember their names, but I won’t forget how great they were.

The whole hotel impressed me, and my room was very clean. The front desk clerk working the evening of 1/26/26 was especially wonderful. I was in a lot of pain because I was having surgery the next morning to repair two fractured vertebrae, and she went out of her way to help. Her kindness meant a lot, and she deserves recognition for that service. I can’t remember her name.

There’s a $100 card deposit required before you can get a room, even if you’ve paid online. So far I haven’t seen bed bugs, other bugs, or mice. The desk employees are friendly and helpful. I asked for a top-floor room, but apparently there’s another extended-stay hotel above floor 5, so they gave me the highest floor available here. Parking and unloading were a hassle. There are only two or three spots to unload, and the carts are small, so I needed two and my dad helped. He had to circle the block to park in one of four employee-reserved spaces because I’m handicapped. I gave the desk clerk his car information so it wouldn’t be towed. The king room was a decent size and fairly clean, though I cleaned more because I have OCD. Checking the mattress is the first thing I do at hotels, and I saw no sign of bed bugs. The two bedside tables and lamps were clean, but there are no USB ports, so bring a charging block. The desk and chair were decent. It’s winter, so I can’t comment on the A/C, but the heat worked well. Two blackout shades did a good job except for light coming in at the sides. Trains and sirens were noisy, so I ordered a fan from Walmart to drown them out. Deliveries can’t be brought to the room because the elevator needs a key card, but the hotel calls when they arrive. The mini fridge is large and works well; its small freezer kept a few frozen meals frozen. The microwave worked, and the TV looked about 42 inches. It can take a Roku or gaming system, and the remote has input buttons, which I rarely see in hotels. There are just two trash cans, one in the bathroom and one by the desk. The desk one is split between recycling and garbage; I took the dividers out and used a bag from the hangers, which worked fine. Laundry is a bit of a trek: back up to the fifth floor, down the hall, then another elevator down to the pool floor. The laundry room is just before the pool, which was full of kids and parents. You need quarters, and the front desk can give them if you have cash. Washing costs $1.50 and drying costs $1. The washers were small, so I used both; a wash took about an hour. The dryers are bigger, but a load took close to two hours. I needed two dryers, so drying two grocery-sized plastic bags of clothes and a winter coat took four hours. The shower was okay and had good water temperature. The tiny shampoo and conditioner bottles won’t last if you have long hair, so bring your own. I forgot my hair dryer; theirs was less powerful than mine but got the job done. The bathroom is small, has no night light, and the toilet works but seems due for an update. It shifts when you sit down or stand up, and the lid is scratched, though not dirty. The floor isn’t real wood, but it’s nice. I’m not a fan of the brick wall, though it wasn’t too bad. The bed and pillows were very comfortable. The blankets are thin, so you might want another; folding mine in half worked. It was very quiet during my weekend stay, when not much was happening. There’s a restaurant and bar downstairs, and sometimes they have concerts. A friend played there years ago. They serve buffet breakfast, but I was too tired to get up before it ended at 10 a.m. I think it stops at 9 a.m. on weekdays. Vending machines and an ice maker outside my room were convenient, though you have to push a button on the ice maker. The door slams loudly, so I tried to close it softly to avoid disturbing anyone. I’d stay again, but I’d prefer somewhere with better parking and less of a puzzle to get around, and away from the downtown train.

The place had a cool industrial feel, and everyone working there was friendly and very helpful. Parking was a little confusing, but they gave me a paper with directions. Just follow it to the lot. What an outstanding hotel, and thanks to the staff!