Name: Econo Lodge Inn & Suites Waterloo Downtown
Address: 226 West 5th Street, Waterloo, Iowa, United States of America, Waterloo, Iowa, US
Price range: $44–$88 per night
Rating: 6.35

What guests think

At Econo Lodge Inn & Suites Waterloo Downtown, travellers describe a budget stay with good value, friendly staff, and basic amenities, but note dated spaces, maintenance issues at times, and inconsistent cleanliness with smoke or marijuana odors in corridors.

Rooms are simple and sometimes spacious, with comfortable beds, but guests report noise from nearby bars or traffic and occasional heating, air conditioning, or fixture problems. The downtown location is convenient for restaurants and the convention center, yet several reviews felt the surrounding area and parking lot could be loud or uneasy late at night. Breakfast feedback ranges from good to very limited, typically centered on waffles and a few basics. Overall, expect a budget-friendly, no-frills stay with trade-offs.

Facilities

Cleanliness

Rooms

Service

Location

Dining

Was this helpful?

AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Facilities

Older property with repeated elevator problems and occasionally limited parking.

Related guest reviews

2

Andrea

Feb 19, 2024

·

Stayed 5 nights

They have no sense of security and when there are homeless people sleeping under the benches and drug addicts hanging around the building it makes it a little uncomfortable to come and go. We found a crack pipe under the couch the first night of our stay. The last night of our stay the bathroom light was out so we had to shower in the dark. They only had one elevator working, and its been that way for years. We did not get house keeping until 3 days in. The place is WAY too expensive for what you are getting or do I say not getting.

2

Cindy

Jun 9, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The elevator sounded like it would break down at any minute, the hallways smelled like marijuana. We were even on no smoking floor. It was so noisy outside with emergency vehicles, motorcycles, drunk people it made it hard to sleep. There were cigarette holes in the bedding. Bad neighborhood. Felt very unsafe, almost didn't stay. My son said the breakfast was good- cereal and waffles.

2

Steven

May 16, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

This property is right next to clubs and bars where there is loud music and loud college students. The hotel is on a one way street so if you dont have good gps or dont know the area all I can say good luck. The staff is rude and when I got there they wanted 50 more dollars for a deposit. I asked what the deposit was for all he said was it was a requirement of the hotel. If you have other people coming to your room to visit or anything like that then they will have to park somewhere else due to the fact is each room is allowed 1 vehicle due to limited parking. If you have kids this would be the last place you would want to be at. I wouldnt recommend this hotel to my worst enemy and that includes the devil

6

Daniel

Feb 24, 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

Knowing this stay was not an upscale hotel chain, we stayed there for 4 days due to close proximity to the convention center. The facility was full so parking was limited. Hot breakfast available but we went to a great mom/pop diner 1/2 block away. We were fine with the minimal housekeeping. We got fresh towels and garbage pickups daily. There were issues with the elevator but we were on the 2nd floor so not a problem. Hot coffee in the lobby every day.

6

Carl

Sep 10, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The property is a bit worn. The window did not lock. The elevator buttons had to be pushed twice—once for floor, and again to open when it stopped—maintenance or repairs needed on the button panels/wiring. Location is OK, there are a slew of mediocre bars 1/2 block away.

6

gil

Jan 5, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

It was once a nice place. Now lobby and entrance is poorly lit and frightening. Heaters in room dont work. Was freezing in January. No extra blankets. Needs a redo.

4

SERIF

May 15, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

OLD BUILDING , NOT FRIENDLY STAFF , HORRIBLE BREAKFAST , THIS WAS A BAAAAD EXPERIENCE /THERE WAS FEW HOMELESS PEOPLE SITTING AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE HOTEL ??

8

Jodi

Nov 17, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Well light parking. Room was a little dirty and there was a hole in the sheet from a cigarette burn. The person working was super helpful! Brought towels and pillows to the room and our remote didn’t work and he brought up a new one.

4

Lila

Aug 11, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

It’s an older property that has been updated. The rooms are nice and big for large families. I waited for 10 minutes at the desk to ask for another key and several people passed through and said someone would be there soon to help me but no one came. I gave up. Breakfast is skimpy. No tea to cold water. Parking lot is a party zone all night long. Very noisy part of town. The people working there are trying but I wouldn’t go there again.

6

Ross

May 20, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

A little dirty, smelled like weed outside and the elevator was sketchy as heck. The hallways were unwelcoming as well.

Was this helpful?

AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Cleanliness

Feedback is inconsistent: some guests found rooms clean, while others reported dirty bathrooms, lingering smoke or marijuana smells in halls or rooms, and stained or worn bedding and carpets.

Related guest reviews

4

Cody

Aug 31, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The bathroom was very dirty. The whole hotel smelled like weed. They make you put a 50 dollar deposit down even though you paid for a room.I did not see any bed bugs, the tv had good channels and the bed was comfortable.

10

Steve

Oct 28, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The room was great. Very clean.

8

Daniel

Aug 21, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Mildew smell dirty carpets

4

wesley

Mar 6, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

The cleanliness outside the rooms was not great, the personalities that stayed there were sketchy, and the hallways reeked of Marijuana. The staff was all VERY nice. Thanks.

8

Aaron

Jun 6, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Fuys running the desk where super friendly and informative about the area. Rooms were clean

2

Heather

Oct 22, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

Had no clue how bad this hotel location was/is! Horrible area of dwntwn Waterloo! The staff was awful…rude and did not care about guests at all! Were more concerned about their phones or talking to eCh other in their native tongue…again was rude bc the guests should be showed that they were glad to have us. Not that we were bothering them. Had a room issue, but they ignored request to fix it. Whole place wreaked of smoking when description said non smoking hotel. Rooms were a nice size, but not clean…would not take my sandals off anywhere…including the shower! Only ‘good thing’ was that the bed was comfy and smelled/looked clean. Nothing else redeemable about this Econo lodge .

10

Curstyan

Jul 5, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Nice and clean

8

John

Jun 7, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Our room was clean and the bed was great. It was really quiet. We had a great stay. I would give it 5 stars but I was disappointed in the breakfast. No bacon or sausage. I would stay there again.

10

Damien

Sep 19, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Long strains of hair were in the bathroom all over the towels and toilet tissue.

10

Tiffany

Aug 28, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The staff is always nice at check in and I go often and se familiar faces and it’s my first choice coming to Waterloo. No it’s not the ritz but it’s bug free and clean and the staff is nice to me when I visit and I visit often and if there’s not a room available and I have to go elsewhere the staff is helpful finding something else but it’s my first choice when I visit Waterloo

Was this helpful?

AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Rooms

Rooms are simple, sometimes spacious, with comfortable beds. Guests cite outside noise from bars or traffic and periodic issues like loud A C, weak heating, or fixtures not working.

Related guest reviews

6

Ed

Jun 8, 2025

·

Stayed 7 nights

Room was ok. Brings you back to the 80 with lamps and TVs. Staff was rude. Area motel is in ain’t the greatest. For the price is a place to put your head down

8

Swanand

Sep 14, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Excellent room and staff. Vending machine had problem. But staff helped. Room was spacious with large TV with good amount of channels. Locality was not great, with limited vegetarian restaurants nearby.

6

Carl

Sep 10, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The property is a bit worn. The window did not lock. The elevator buttons had to be pushed twice—once for floor, and again to open when it stopped—maintenance or repairs needed on the button panels/wiring. Location is OK, there are a slew of mediocre bars 1/2 block away.

6

gil

Jan 5, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

It was once a nice place. Now lobby and entrance is poorly lit and frightening. Heaters in room dont work. Was freezing in January. No extra blankets. Needs a redo.

8

Debra

Aug 6, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

This spot was just what we needed for a quick overnight stay. It was unique to us to stay in downtown Waterloo. We were greeted kindly and in response to my booking request for a handicapped height toilet (71 with wonky knees) we walked into not the non-smoking Kkng I’d booked, but a very nice two room suite! We regretted that we had just the one night to enjoy it!

4

Rick

Jul 11, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The air conditioner was so loud we had to turn it off to sleep. The continental breakfast had limited options. One of the ice machines qas broken. We had to track down fromt desk help when checking in amd checking out.

8

John

Jun 7, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Our room was clean and the bed was great. It was really quiet. We had a great stay. I would give it 5 stars but I was disappointed in the breakfast. No bacon or sausage. I would stay there again.

8

Salina

Oct 27, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

The person running behind the front desk was awesome. Loved that they upgraded me to a 2 room suite because they ran out of rooms that I had booked. No charge for that. Breakfast was ok. Need a few more choices. Room was great.

4

Lila

Aug 11, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

It’s an older property that has been updated. The rooms are nice and big for large families. I waited for 10 minutes at the desk to ask for another key and several people passed through and said someone would be there soon to help me but no one came. I gave up. Breakfast is skimpy. No tea to cold water. Parking lot is a party zone all night long. Very noisy part of town. The people working there are trying but I wouldn’t go there again.

6

Nancy

Oct 21, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Noisy. Motorcycles racing back and forth under our window afternoon and night. Tub was open to the sleeping area rather than the bathroom. No closet or hanging space. Bed was comfy. Breakfast included waffles and biscuits with sausage and gravy.

Was this helpful?

AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Service

Many guests praise friendly, helpful staff and smooth check ins, but there are also reports of rude or unresponsive service and delays at the desk.

Related guest reviews

8

Marcos

Oct 14, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Staff is very helpful..and are willing to go above and beyond what is expected

8

Marcos

Oct 13, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

I felt like the desk people treated me as if they were doing me a favor.. and when would ask for towels or soap it was a huge bother

2

Steven

May 16, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

This property is right next to clubs and bars where there is loud music and loud college students. The hotel is on a one way street so if you dont have good gps or dont know the area all I can say good luck. The staff is rude and when I got there they wanted 50 more dollars for a deposit. I asked what the deposit was for all he said was it was a requirement of the hotel. If you have other people coming to your room to visit or anything like that then they will have to park somewhere else due to the fact is each room is allowed 1 vehicle due to limited parking. If you have kids this would be the last place you would want to be at. I wouldnt recommend this hotel to my worst enemy and that includes the devil

8

Aaron

Jun 6, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Fuys running the desk where super friendly and informative about the area. Rooms were clean

2

Heather

Oct 22, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

Had no clue how bad this hotel location was/is! Horrible area of dwntwn Waterloo! The staff was awful…rude and did not care about guests at all! Were more concerned about their phones or talking to eCh other in their native tongue…again was rude bc the guests should be showed that they were glad to have us. Not that we were bothering them. Had a room issue, but they ignored request to fix it. Whole place wreaked of smoking when description said non smoking hotel. Rooms were a nice size, but not clean…would not take my sandals off anywhere…including the shower! Only ‘good thing’ was that the bed was comfy and smelled/looked clean. Nothing else redeemable about this Econo lodge .

10

Shari

Jul 25, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Staff was excellent! This is downtown Waterloo, so truck and train traffic, but overall we would stay again for the price!

8

Jodi

Nov 17, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Well light parking. Room was a little dirty and there was a hole in the sheet from a cigarette burn. The person working was super helpful! Brought towels and pillows to the room and our remote didn’t work and he brought up a new one.

8

Salina

Oct 27, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

The person running behind the front desk was awesome. Loved that they upgraded me to a 2 room suite because they ran out of rooms that I had booked. No charge for that. Breakfast was ok. Need a few more choices. Room was great.

4

Lila

Aug 11, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

It’s an older property that has been updated. The rooms are nice and big for large families. I waited for 10 minutes at the desk to ask for another key and several people passed through and said someone would be there soon to help me but no one came. I gave up. Breakfast is skimpy. No tea to cold water. Parking lot is a party zone all night long. Very noisy part of town. The people working there are trying but I wouldn’t go there again.

10

Tiffany

Aug 28, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The staff is always nice at check in and I go often and se familiar faces and it’s my first choice coming to Waterloo. No it’s not the ritz but it’s bug free and clean and the staff is nice to me when I visit and I visit often and if there’s not a room available and I have to go elsewhere the staff is helpful finding something else but it’s my first choice when I visit Waterloo

Was this helpful?

AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Location

Downtown setting is convenient for the convention center and restaurants, yet multiple reviews note late night noise, nearby bars or clubs, and an area that can feel rough or unsafe.

Related guest reviews

8

Leonard

Jul 26, 2025

·

Stayed 6 nights

The stay at the property was Great the location was very convenient for the events. The staff was very helpful and found the service for the room could of been better overall it was a Good place to stay.

8

Swanand

Sep 14, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Excellent room and staff. Vending machine had problem. But staff helped. Room was spacious with large TV with good amount of channels. Locality was not great, with limited vegetarian restaurants nearby.

2

Cindy

Jun 9, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The elevator sounded like it would break down at any minute, the hallways smelled like marijuana. We were even on no smoking floor. It was so noisy outside with emergency vehicles, motorcycles, drunk people it made it hard to sleep. There were cigarette holes in the bedding. Bad neighborhood. Felt very unsafe, almost didn't stay. My son said the breakfast was good- cereal and waffles.

2

Steven

May 16, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

This property is right next to clubs and bars where there is loud music and loud college students. The hotel is on a one way street so if you dont have good gps or dont know the area all I can say good luck. The staff is rude and when I got there they wanted 50 more dollars for a deposit. I asked what the deposit was for all he said was it was a requirement of the hotel. If you have other people coming to your room to visit or anything like that then they will have to park somewhere else due to the fact is each room is allowed 1 vehicle due to limited parking. If you have kids this would be the last place you would want to be at. I wouldnt recommend this hotel to my worst enemy and that includes the devil

6

Daniel

Feb 24, 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

Knowing this stay was not an upscale hotel chain, we stayed there for 4 days due to close proximity to the convention center. The facility was full so parking was limited. Hot breakfast available but we went to a great mom/pop diner 1/2 block away. We were fine with the minimal housekeeping. We got fresh towels and garbage pickups daily. There were issues with the elevator but we were on the 2nd floor so not a problem. Hot coffee in the lobby every day.

6

Carl

Sep 10, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The property is a bit worn. The window did not lock. The elevator buttons had to be pushed twice—once for floor, and again to open when it stopped—maintenance or repairs needed on the button panels/wiring. Location is OK, there are a slew of mediocre bars 1/2 block away.

10

Ethan

Apr 25, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

It’s really close to a couple of good restaurants

10

Shari

Jul 25, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Staff was excellent! This is downtown Waterloo, so truck and train traffic, but overall we would stay again for the price!

4

Lila

Aug 11, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

It’s an older property that has been updated. The rooms are nice and big for large families. I waited for 10 minutes at the desk to ask for another key and several people passed through and said someone would be there soon to help me but no one came. I gave up. Breakfast is skimpy. No tea to cold water. Parking lot is a party zone all night long. Very noisy part of town. The people working there are trying but I wouldn’t go there again.

6

Heidemarie

Jun 9, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Not in the best area

Was this helpful?

AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Dining

Breakfast is basic: some call it good, others say limited or skimpy; options often center on waffles with a few extras.

Related guest reviews

2

Cindy

Jun 9, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The elevator sounded like it would break down at any minute, the hallways smelled like marijuana. We were even on no smoking floor. It was so noisy outside with emergency vehicles, motorcycles, drunk people it made it hard to sleep. There were cigarette holes in the bedding. Bad neighborhood. Felt very unsafe, almost didn't stay. My son said the breakfast was good- cereal and waffles.

10

Crystal

Mar 15, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The breakfast is good and the rooms are nice and clean.

10

Marcos

Oct 15, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Breakfast good

6

Daniel

Feb 24, 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

Knowing this stay was not an upscale hotel chain, we stayed there for 4 days due to close proximity to the convention center. The facility was full so parking was limited. Hot breakfast available but we went to a great mom/pop diner 1/2 block away. We were fine with the minimal housekeeping. We got fresh towels and garbage pickups daily. There were issues with the elevator but we were on the 2nd floor so not a problem. Hot coffee in the lobby every day.

10

Moses

Dec 24, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Good place total complete make over from a year ago everything looked good and breakfast is a great plus

4

Rick

Jul 11, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The air conditioner was so loud we had to turn it off to sleep. The continental breakfast had limited options. One of the ice machines qas broken. We had to track down fromt desk help when checking in amd checking out.

4

David

Dec 11, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

The breakfast was essentially a waffle maker. Very little else to choose from. Location is worn and walking down the hallways smelled like cigarette smoke. The mattress had to be somewhat old... noticeable indention from years of use. Furniture- assuming old, or broken, piled up in the parking lot. If money is all that matters, the rate is very good compared to paying well over $100 elsewhere... just understand, you get what you pay for.

8

John

Jun 7, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Our room was clean and the bed was great. It was really quiet. We had a great stay. I would give it 5 stars but I was disappointed in the breakfast. No bacon or sausage. I would stay there again.

4

Lila

Aug 11, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

It’s an older property that has been updated. The rooms are nice and big for large families. I waited for 10 minutes at the desk to ask for another key and several people passed through and said someone would be there soon to help me but no one came. I gave up. Breakfast is skimpy. No tea to cold water. Parking lot is a party zone all night long. Very noisy part of town. The people working there are trying but I wouldn’t go there again.

6

Nancy

Oct 21, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Noisy. Motorcycles racing back and forth under our window afternoon and night. Tub was open to the sleeping area rather than the bathroom. No closet or hanging space. Bed was comfy. Breakfast included waffles and biscuits with sausage and gravy.

Was this helpful?

AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Month	Average price
January	$50
February	$43
March	$42
April	$39
May	$46
June	$60
July	$65
August	$68
September	$43
October	$47
November	$47
December	$40

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16 $48	17 $44	18 $63	19 $64
20 $51	21 $51	22 $48	23 $55	24 $55	25 $77	26 $79
27 $52	28 $52	29 $52	30 $54

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
				1 $54	2 $85	3 $87
4 $52	5 $52	6 $52	7 $88	8 $88	9 $88	10 $87
11 $77	12 $54	13 $55	14 $53	15 $53	16 $64	17 $65
18 $50	19 $49	20 $52	21 $52	22 $50	23 $60	24 $61
25 $50	26 $52	27 $52	28 $52	29 $52	30 $61	31 $62

Select dates to see prices and availability

Monthly average prices

About this property

Location

Room options

Suite, 1 King Bed

Suite, 1 King Bed, Accessible

Suite, 1 King Bed with Sofa Bed

Room, 1 King Bed

Room, 1 King Bed, Accessible

Room, 2 Double Beds

Suite, Multiple Beds

Guest reviews

Pleasant

Who stays here?

What guests think

Property Policies

Check-in instructions

Security deposit

Good to know

Optional extras

FAQs about Econo Lodge Inn & Suites Waterloo Downtown

Have a question?

Considering this hotel for your Waterloo trip?

Prices for upcoming dates