This is the main office for the Boone Convention and Visitor's Bureau, the Boone Area Chamber of…read moreCommerce, and the Boone County Economic Growth Corporation. What Gayle and visited was the cute little train car next to the DQ and some additional insight on Ledges State Park, the Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad, the Mamie Eisenhower Birthplace, and other local attractions.

I met a group for lunch at the restaurant at the hotel and I had the honey sriracha cauliflower…read moreappetizer and while it was very good (think it was a whole head of cauliflower!) I wish there were more vegetarian options. Our server was excellent (sorry did not catch her name). But where this place shines is the historic atmosphere of the hotel. I did not stay there but after lunch, Wyatt gave our group a tour of about half dozen unoccupied rooms along with some history of the hotel. There are 40 rooms, each with a different theme reflecting an aspect of Iowa's history. There were originally 77 rooms with only 23 of them with indoor plumbing! The rooms are well-appointed and reasonably priced at an average of $200. I had no idea this gem existed so close to home!

Enjoyed a night out in our small town for dinner and the beautiful Hotel Pattee. The lobby was…read morebeautifully decorated for Christmas with a poinsettia tree in the lobby and an enormous Christmas tree with a Samara and sleigh and a reindeer near their wood burning fire place. We had the Brie appetizer and filet for dinner. Everything was cooked to perfection. The flavor was delicious. Juicy steak. Broccoli wasn't too soft or hard. All staff was very friendly and accommodating. We will definitely be going back!

Nice improvement for the Ames bus stop for Greyhound/Jefferson lines…read more This bus station has been in the works for a couple of years. Previously, the bus stop was located right by the Memorial Union. Although that was a central location, it wasn't the most accessible or efficient. It was harder to find, lacked parking spots, and you couldn't stand indoors and be able to see an incoming bus. This new bus station addresses all these previous issues. First of all, it's located in Campustown. Right before or after boarding a bus, it's easy to quickly grab a bite to eat. The facilities are very clean and safe compared to other bus stations. There's seating indoors so that you can sit while waiting for the bus to arrive. It's well lit up at night, so that are no worries about safety.

It's my first time taking Jefferson Bus Line. I was nervous from all the terrible reviews, but it…read morewas pretty consistent. I took the bus from Kansas City, MO to Ames, IA at 1:30 am arrived at 6:26 am, just 6 minutes behind. Definitely arrive there 30 minutes prior, since they load up the bus pretty early and leaves about 2 minutes early and the bus driver was pretty nice.

I generally liked it a lot. It was conveniently located and was everything I needed in a place to…read morestay. Also the breakfasts were good and the downstairs area was quite nice. The upstairs hallways and rooms were a little disappointing in terms of niceness, but everything I needed was there. I would give it 4 stars based on the above. However, I had some problems with my door code to get in on the first day. When I called to get it worked out, the employee gave me the master code. Obviously, yes, I wanted into the building and my room. But it's never acceptable for a guest at a hotel to have a code for other rooms. If relying on a locking system like this, there needs to be a secure way to solve problems without giving out the master code. For this reason, I have to deduct another star.

We loved our stay here. Very comfortable and close to everything. The host staff were attentive…read more And all the to-go goodies - they thought of everything!

Ron was amazing. After experiencing transmission problems on 2 of our vehicles (due to the fact…read morethat the originating pick-up locations failed to do the appropriate inspections), Ron listened to what we'd experienced and patiently went to bat for us when Budget came back with impossible charges. This man went above and beyond - even missing his friend's birthday party to stay after closing time to intervene on our behalf. This man was a GODSEND and a credit to the company under which he operates this franchise.

Move-out day in Ames is crazy. Everyone rents trucks and some people even turn them in late. U-Haul…read moreand other competitors break down under the pressure and drop reservations, leaving people up a creek. The Budget Truck Rental in Ames not only kept all the reservations, but also saved people who were dropped by other companies. By far the best truck rental company in town. The guy working the desk was extremely knowledgeable and efficient. His job gets really tough on move-out day, but he works really hard to make sure everyone with a reservation gets a truck He even adjusts the mirrors for you when you hop in for the first time, a brilliant safety precaution that his competitors don't do.

Sunday night rolling north and the heavens open up like someone wants to cleanse the earth again…read more not really blowy and no lightning or thunder but there's so much water coming down that it almost seems like it's going up... brief break in the weather as I stop short of the curb, snap a couple pics, and run inside for relief then down it comes and comes and comes... basic sheltered facilities plus a separate vendo-shack with ample parking for everyone clever enough to stay off the road until this stops... I was on the road again in about ten minutes.

Stayed at the Gateway Hotel for the NLCC the first week of November. The conference was also held…read moreat the hotel. As a note, the conference area is under construction but they did a nice job of making sure it didn't impact us (besides s set of closed restrooms). The room was an average hotel room - typical 3 stars. My only complaint was the heating/air in the room. My first night it was too cold in the room but not enough for the heater to be turned on. So I turned the system off only to have another duct to continue to blow freezing air. There is not much around but the on site restaurant (especially if you shuttled in and no access to a car). I wrote a separate review but it was not the best in my opinion.

Love, love, love this hotel. We stayed a night last summer visiting my mom and spent 4 nights this…read moresummer. Great prices and great rooms. Very clean hotel and fantastic customer service. If you are an Iowa State fan you will love this place as they have Iowa State stuff all over. Pictures of campus and athletics. Will definitely be staying here again next time. Didn't have time to try the Iowa Stater but we will next time we are back. Indoor pool is great.

This hotel surprised me. The manager Jennifer, was able to ascertain i was in a jam---and she took…read morecare of me. Room was clean, and comfy, and I'd come back again, next time I'm in Ames.

This property is NOT pet friendly. We generally try to stay at pet-friendly locations even if we…read moredon't have dogs with us. We ended up here because all the IHG properties in Des Moines were fully booked. We stopped here on the way back to Minneapolis from Tulsa. Front desk staff were friendly and helpful when checking in. Morning staff was efficient and social on check out. Room was clean and comfortable. Free breakfast had lots of options from sweet to savory.