We were in town and decided to stay here because it looked different and unique, and we really enjoyed it! The vintage feel was really fun and the king suite we stayed in was large. The spa tub in the room was so nice. The free breakfast was nice and people were friendly. The bed and pillows were just okay, and the main thing I would change. read more

See all

The breakfast coupon that came with the room covered a hot breakfast from the restaurant for each day I was here. That's a real plus. Hotel rooms are dated but clean. read more

Loved our stay here! Very friendly! The rooms were spacious and clean. Breakfast was delicious! We would stay here again in a heartbeat!

Our stay was ok. First room we were assigned had a broken fan and the sink was clogged. Th front desk was very apologetic and offered us a different room. The room was better, however, the carpet was stained and appeared dirty. From the website it sounded like there were lots of places to eat and things to do within walking distance...not the case. The staff was very nice and that was the best part of our stay. Probably will not stay here again. read more

I am currently staying at Hotel Ottumwa. I really wanted to enjoy my stay here, but I was disappointed and distracted by the overall cleanliness. Our first room was stale and the refrigerator was full of mold. We were moved to another room. We are currently in our second room, and it appears to be cleaner other than a few cobwebs in the corner by the ac unit. DO NOT use the ice machine! My wife checked the dispenser and it is full of mold. It's fine for a few days since we are here, but we will not return. read more

If you enjoy exploring history by experiencing time and space first-hand, Hotel Ottumwa is definitely not a location to miss. The hospitality is genuine & the accommodations are truly neat. Be sure to save some time for breakfast. Official review provided by Mad Cock Media, LLC madcockmedia.com read more

The hotel was pretty decent. Especially for the price. Yes the building could use some renovations (mainly hallways and the rooms themselves) but you can't complain to much for the price. The rooms were clean, bed was comfortable, decent amount of channels on TV. The restaurant was pretty good. Again, you can't complain too much when you get free breakfast vouchers. The best thing about the hotel is it's location. It's walkable to all the great spots in Ottumwa like parks, shops, the Canteen, train station, and convenient stores. I really enjoyed the town and will definetly come back. When I do I will use this hotel. read more

Lori and the staff were great! She walked us through all the details and was SO knowledgeable. The whole weekend I felt like we were on a cruise because every time we asked -they responded SO quickly. The front desk staff always knew how to get me what I needed. We had compliments on the food from everyone -even the last to go through the line. Our rooms were clean, comfortable and what you expect from a historic hotel. It was a picture perfect setting and the service was perfect! read more

See all

We booked this room online and wasn't sure what to expect but we walked through the door and saw a wedding party with a lovely couple. The desk clerk was so welcoming and professional. Yes, the hotel was a bit dated but in a quaint way. Our room was spacious and clean. I would not hesitate to stay here again. read more

Really enjoyed our stay here. Friendly staff at check-in, room was clean enough for $70, and the hotel clientele definitely kept things interesting. The location is perfect for walking around Ottumwa. The bar connected to the hotel is awesome. Great music playing, great old fashioneds to select from, and lots of happy hour specials. read more

Great service, friendly and welcoming people. I reserved one of the rooms at this hotel. The room was very clean and the view outside the window was nice. Despite being a very old hotel everything worked perfectly fine. I recommend those of you new to the area to give this place a try. Just know that the breakfast is complimentary not continental. Meaning they'll give you a ticket to order a certain amount. It's just not an all-you-can-eat breakfast, but it's filling regardless and the food is very delicious! read more

I'll be brutally honest- I love Iowa but I don't love Ottumwa. So I write this review in the context of this not being any kind of destination town, but assuming you're in Ottumwa for some reason and need a place to stay. Hotel Ottumwa is a large, historic building in the heart of downtown Ottumwa. The building is not very well maintained, but it is historic with a nice facade. The hotel is old fashioned in that it has its own restaurant(so-so) and its own bar(best full bar in town). It also has copious amounts of meeting and available office space on the first floor. If you're holding some kind of business meeting Ottumwa for some reason, this is the place to do it. The rooms aren't bad. They're large(larger than contemporary hotels make them) and the bed was clean and the fixtures in good shape. It's also very competitively priced with the chain hotels in town(60-70 dollars per night). If you've gotta do Ottumwa, stay here and drink at the bar. Just be realistic about your expectations. read more

We had to stay at Hotel Ottumwa while in town for a wedding. While pulling up to the disheveled building, with exterior trim falling off, garbage on the sidewalk and a huge lack of signing, you shall know what you're in for. Walk in the front door and you're hit with a stench that makes you cringe and ready to head back to the parking lot. But the potential of the lobby and its grand appearance will leave you hopeful. The front desk clerk was minimally friendly, and stumbled through the process, eventually requiring me to sign off on my $95 room and sent me to the sixth floor. The elevator reeked of moldy beer, but eventually dropped us off to a lack luster hallway, which somehow smelled worse than the rest of the building. Entering the room, we found a single window, most of which was taken up by the air conditioner, and condensation which didn't allow you to even look outside. Every surface was old and stained. A simple scrub down, carpet shampoo and coat of paint would increase the value for the money. We enjoyed the bed, very soft and comfy, also clean. (My sister in another room wouldn't agree though, her son found an empty booze bottle and pool noodle under their bed). Overall, this isn't the worst hotel I've stayed at, and has a boatload of POTENTIAL, therefore earning it two stars. Let me know when they get different management or housekeeping, and I may be back to see what could be an outstanding estate. read more

Our go to hotel when in the area. Can't beat the price and it includes a hot breakfast! Charming old hotel that has been kept clean and comfortable. Can't give it 5 stars because they went with the blinds only (no curtains). Hard to sleep in on vacation when morning light is streaming in, but many hotels are going that route lately. Hotel restaurant is great! Nothing fancy. Just good food served by friendly staff. We always see locals eating here. read more

Vintage Elegance Ruined by Remodeling. This hotel retains some of its 1940 charm, but most of it has been plastered over with 1970s junk. If you love posh, modern hotels, this is not the place for you. I was traveling by train and visiting Ottumwa on business. I wanted a nostalgic experience - hence the train - and the hotel. You can walk to it from the train station. The counter staff varies - from grumpy cows to charming people. The little restaurant is alright...but the waitress I had was delightful. I got what I came for - I wanted a old school hotel. Yes, idiots had covered up a lot of its old elegance, but its like a pretty older woman - you can still see the girl she once was. It wasnt remarkable, but it beats the hell out of any of those damn lower end chain hotels. Do not expect much and you wont be disappointed. read more

What a dump, I had to stay at this hotel for work over a 7 yr period. I have seen everything there from bed bugs to urine in the toilet after the room was (cleaned) and not changing the sheets between guests, yeah gross I know! Body hair was common to be on the toilet or floor upon check in. Half of this hotel is rented rooms to senior citizens which give it that nursing home feeling. Nobody was happy staying here so we changed hotels to the new quality inn up the road. Totally redone from floor to ceiling. I would definitely check it out before staying in this ancient hole. read more

Classic old style grand hotel. Clean rooms, digital TV, priced right. Friendly help at the desk, with a breakfast coupon to a buffet that smokes the chain hotels. No complaints. Will visit again! read more

We were given a room on the sixth floor. It was dated and the furniture was all banged up. When we opened the door it had to be 90 degrees in the room. The person at the desk when we checked in did not know about a government rate and was chatting on the phone and made us wait. I went down to get our breakfast the next morning and the attendant in the dining room said my ticket only entitled me to one breakfast and made me go to the front desk and make them prove there was two of us! WTH! Then at check out it was another big fiasco because I wanted to pay cash! OMG! they made me sit in the lobby for 20 minutes while someone went to make sure two older government employees didn't trash their room. All I can say is wow! Finally a man who didn't introduce himself came out to talk to me but never offered nothing. Bad stay! read more

Three years ago I stayed at the Hotel Ottumwa and had hopes that the management would have some nice quaint rooms to match the historic nature of the building--no. First, I was given keys to an OCCUPIED room. I let myself in and discovered someone's possessions already in the room and they were in the shower. I wish I were making this up, folks. When I went to the front desk to report the problem there was barely an apology and certainly no financial compensation. I was also put in a room on the inside of the hotel. This was the weekend of the Fireman's Ball, so the music was loud and went late and I got to hear every bit of it because the type of room I had requested wasn't available. Additionally, I had called ahead to ask about the availability of wi-fi, which they said they had. I arrived and they said they might have it when I asked about log on information. Didn't work for the first day of my stay, though it did for the second day. At this point I'm trying to get work done on the phone instead of on a computer--not ideal. I love the building and have great memories of the restaurant from when I was a kid, but this place was amateur hour. read more

I stayed here for a wedding. I reserved two rooms and got two confirmation numbers. Then when we showed up, they only had one room for the two couples. They put all four of us in a slightly larger room and we got two roll-aways. They charged us for an extra occupant even though they screwed up our reservation. Then when I got home I checked my credit card bill and they charged us for two rooms. I called and they refunded the lesser of the two charges. I would probably stay at the Americinn next time. Other people at the wedding had problems with their reservations, too. Not sure what the deal is. There was free breakfast that was pretty solid. And there is a refrigerator. Bathrooms are decades old, though. At least they don't use bedspreads. read more

A good, rare example of the respectable downtown hotel of Iowa small towns of the mid-20th century. It is on the National Register of Historic Places. If you want the lobby floor tiling and old worn wood trim to be replaced with contemporary design materials, go somewhere else. The piano is an antique; do not try to play it. My room was clean and everything worked. The cocktail lounge has real customers in it, and hours befitting a bar. read more

Ladies at the front desk were very rude...hallways smelled like must...you'd have to be 5 ft nothing to fit in the bathroom. But other than that it was alright. read more

I have stayed at this hotel many times it comes in handy ecspecially where I was working when bad weather would hit I could just walk if needed right down the street to this hotel. The price was okay. The rooms were very clean, neat, organized. The beds were very comfortable, great views out the windows, great tv reception. It is nice they also have like a mini store as well downstairs available 24 hours a day or night, includes magazines, toothpaste, pop, candy, breakfast juice and or food, beer and many more items. I'd recommend this hotel. read more

Spent a weekend recently in Ottumwa and stayed at the Hotel of the same name,all I can say is never again and wish we had checked other places first. Rooms were small and the linens were filthy, not changed from the previous guests no shampoo and when called on it they said they would send someone up with shampoo if they could find it, sheets were never changed. After reading some of the other reviews I am wondering what other things we might have brought home. We p[aid way too much for this 4th rate hotel. read more