GrandStay Hotel & Suites Ames

Nice sized rooms. I was disappointed that the pool and spa were closed.

Pool and hot tub down. Restaurant closed down

Everything except hot tub out of service

Love this place its our go to. This time though the hot tub and pool were closed and i was looking forward to that for my back injury. I dont know what it is about Ames they have motels that close their pools etc. The top of the fridge was very dusty and someone had wrote stuff in it other then that the staff was wonderful the room was spacious we will return.

The property needs updating. We had problems with the keys for entering our room and the swimming pool. Breakfast was great and the pool was nice and warm for us.

Our room was in need of repair. Broken furniture, lamp missing bulb, dead bolt lock missing (just a lever that did nothing), grungy walls and windows, one window latch broken. No coffee maker in room. Exit door to parking lot did not lock- card reader looked like it was out of service for a while as card reader was caked with dirt. Pile of cig butts in gravel by door. Hallway dirty and was not vacuumed during our stay. Breakfast was good, staff nice. Just a terrible room. We have stayed before and this was a completely different experience. Makes me wonder if this was the “bargain rate” room as we had a discount rate and used Expedia credits to get the discount.

The facility was clean and convenient for our trip. The entry key stopped working and I could not find staff to reset it. Nice breakfast but again no staff to get help on questions and needs. We got by. The checkin fellow was efficient and friendly. The owner need to clone him.

Hot tub was broken. Shower didn't work properly. Breakfast was limited. Pool was fine, but small,no towels. Room was spacious with a nice kitchenette option.

We have stayed a few times here. Its an nice hotel. Wish they would get hot tub fixed lol

For the 4 days and nights we were there the hot tub did not work.

Basic hotel. The bathroom had one lightbulb of 3. The cauking had pink fungus growing. The swimming pool is super small and had hardly any chlorine. The hot tub was full of sand.

I do not believe our room was cleaned before we were given the keys to it—greasy bathroom counter, dishes in dishwasher, big red acrylic nail on bedroom floor, and missing towels. The shower head was lined with mold as was the trim along the bathroom floor. Neither the shower nor the bathroom sink would drain so when showering, you had to do so fast enough so that the tub wouldn’t overflow. We did not see a cleaning cart or staff cleaning any rooms the entire time we were there. We would not stay here again unless we could not find a room literally anywhere else.

Honest review. I should have known that pulling into the lot would have been a clear understanding about what my stay would consist of. Whoever does snow removal, that contract should be termed. Large patches of ice throughout the whole lot made it very dangerous just getting out of the car. Checking in was quick and easy. When I got to my room, immediately I could smell someone’s disgustingly stale home cooked meal from resident or staffs past. There chair stained with what appeared to be vomit or that meal I indicated earlier (cleaned up but stain residue permanently imprinted on the fabricated chair). The bathroom had blood on the wall. The bathroom tub drain was all jacked up. When the first the thing you do when entering the room is check under the covers and mattress for bed bugs, the stay isn’t going well. Immediately I addressed the issue with staff. Brought him to the room so he’s aware of the issues. He switched us to the room across the haul, and even though it was cleaner than the previous room it definitely did not meet my standard, but at this point it was 11:30 at night. Woke up at 7 left at 8. At this point didn’t even attempt a possibly decent breakfast. We left. Made my wife feel unsafe and that’s not okay to me. The clerk did well handling my situation didn’t make excuses just examined and resolved. There was, what appeared to be an employee living there walking around barefoot in shorts talking to staff helping them with advice, creeped us the Eff out.

First of all, he staff was very nice. However, the room was in very poor condition. There were major problems with the room. There were significant food smears and stains on furniture and curtains. I wiped gunk off walls. We opened the sofabed to a mess of chips, popsicle sticks and pens. The bathroom light was missing one of the glass diffusers, leaving a bare bulb and the metal was rusted. We mentioned it to the staff to make them away that the room needs attention and that it was obviously old dried stains not made by us. They were not surprised. We were very tired, coming from a blizzard when the interstate closed, so we still stayed since the sheets were clean and the table surfaces were clean. We appreciated the large size of our room. We just need staff to be aware the room needs major cleaning and repair. Unfortunately we would not stay here or any Grandstay hotel again.

Room was dirty, stains on curtains and furniture and bedding. Stayed in winter, window had large draft. Staff was pleasant.

Room had an unpleasant smell. Kitchenette was filthy. Couch smelled and had odd stains on it. One tv didn’t work. Pool area was dirty.

The outside of this property looked good and the staff was a new employee who tried his best. However, the room was not clean. There were dirty dishes in the dishwasher and detergent to use to clean the dishes. I needed a spoon and went to the breakfast area to look for one but they only had a plastic knife. The chair in the living room had a nasty stain (either food or vomit) not even my dog wanted to go near it. The couch also had an oder. Only one TV worked (the one in the living room) the one in the bedroom did not work. Last there was dark colored mold on the bathroom floor near the tub/shower. I’m not sure if that was black mold or not but it did not look clean or healthy. I expected a Grand stay to be nice, but I was very disappointed. Don’t be fooled by some of the reviews. Ask to check the room out before you put money down to stay. We did talk to the staff on duty about our room and allowed is to look two other ones but those rooms were not any better.

Dirty. Blood stains on pull out sofa bed, told manager about it and they dismissed us. Shower tub didn’t drain so the water just sat there and didn’t drain for the next person. How we even paid $150.00 for a bloody, unhygienic run down room is a crime. Most disgusting place I’ve ever stayed

Would not stay again. The hotel in general was not kept up well. Work done cheaply and things that need fixing. Just one example-our closet door was broken off its hinge. Not super clean. Vent was caked with dust. Bathroom had dirt and dust. It was SO hot in our room. Heat was off but it was still 79 degrees. Breakfast was lacking-eggs and sausage were empty. No milk for the cereal. Coffee was terrible. No staff replenishing anything. No front desk worker either. Lots of options in Ames for around this price-I only choose because it was different and thought it would be nice to try. Never again.

The guy at the front desk was the best part about the stay. He was very helpful and friendly. I dunno where all these 8.8 star reviews are coming from, though. They had an issue with our room earlier in the day and put us in a different room, which was fine. However, the new room was covered in dog hair (table, floor, everything, clearly hadn't been vacuumed in quite some time), which made me question what was wrong with the first room. The sitting chair had a stain on it that was either dried throw up or another bodily fluid. I didn't want to sit on the couch without being fully dressed because I didn't trust that the couch was clean. I talked to the guy at the desk and asked if someone could come vacuum at least, and he said no because he was the only one there. He also said he couldn't give any amount of refund because we went through Hotels.com. Showered, and got out to find we had only hand towels. If they hadn't replaced the towels, they certainly hadn't vacuumed the floor. I checked the bed twice, and the bed was clean and relatively comfortable, so decided it was fine enough to sleep there. The ac vent that is in the bedroom looks like it has never been cleaned, and the wall looked stained from some kind of dripping liquid. My husband stayed there for his friend's wedding 20+ years ago and they have evidently done little updating since. The room was unclean enough that I wouldn't even eat takeout back at the room. Pay a little more and stay elsewhere.

Everything is great, except it's a little weird that there are different types of cable services on the two televisions. What is available on one, is not the same on the other.

This property gets the job done. I love the location and that it’s connected to Old Chicago. The coffee in the morning was undrinkable. Everything in the rooms is very old, but the beds felt clean. For the price and location I would stay again, but it’s definitely in need of a renovation.

Comfortable bed, great shower, Usual adequate basic hot breakfast. Quiet. Using clothespins to completely shut the window curtains (which wouldn't stay completely shut and let in a significant crack of light) was needed. Good room fridge.

We had a room with a kitchen, living area and 2 bedrooms. The air conditioner in 1 bedroom blew really hard and that room was cold, the 2nd room hardly blew at all and it was too hot. Floors were sticky from too much soap cleaning so we had to wipe them. Walls were very thin. One of us was sick and trying to sleep but a baby in the next room was crying so sleep was difficult. We could hear everything in their room.

Our room was in need of repair. Broken furniture, lamp missing bulb, dead bolt lock missing (just a lever that did nothing), grungy walls and windows, one window latch broken. No coffee maker in room. Exit door to parking lot did not lock- card reader looked like it was out of service for a while as card reader was caked with dirt. Pile of cig butts in gravel by door. Hallway dirty and was not vacuumed during our stay. Breakfast was good, staff nice. Just a terrible room. We have stayed before and this was a completely different experience. Makes me wonder if this was the “bargain rate” room as we had a discount rate and used Expedia credits to get the discount.

Room had an unpleasant smell. Kitchenette was filthy. Couch smelled and had odd stains on it. One tv didn’t work. Pool area was dirty.

We had a nice big suite. Easy access to front desk and kitchen. Hotel had a nice feel.

Easy to get to. Executive suite is comfy and roomy. Convenient to shopping.

Walked into a 85° degree room, due to dead batteries in the thermostat, the bed wasn't made, and we didn't have any soap, or bath towels. Otherwise, the room was nice.

The hotel is well maintained and we enjoyed the suite. Much better than just a room.

We were coming from Wisconsin through a snowstorm to tour Iowa State the next day. The drive normally takes 5 1/2 hours but took 7 hours. We got to the hotel at 12:35am. I was exhausted from the drive and just wanted to get into my room. When I went in the attendant was sleeping around the corner. I didn't know it was him til I couldn't find anyone to help me. He got up and went into a room making it look like he was doing something so I asked him if he worked there and he said yes. I gave him my driver's license and told him that I booked and paid for our room through Expedia. He took so long and then finally gave us room keys to a room that was already occupied. He apparently didn't really look at my id. It is now after 1 am and we are exhausted, frustrated and angry. He couldn't find our reservation and had to call the manager. Keep in mind I showed him my reservation and receipt off my phone. After over a half hour and talking to the manager, he said the reservation must have booted out after midnight, and we needed to redo the reservation with a credit card to put down to pay again. I was so angry. I told him that I already paid for the room and I am not giving him my card. I just want the type of room I paid for so my daughter and I could get to sleep. He had to call the manager again and finally gave us a room. It was an upgrade which was nice but not needed. Never did the attendant apologize. Worst customer service. Hotel was nice tho.

The worst stay I have ever had at a hotel, the clerk was extremely rude, the hot tub was not working and the pool was filthy.

Front desk is always so caring

Stained carpets, dirty sofa bed and the bathroom had an odd smell. Other than the cleanliness it was a good stay. The one employee we saw was friendly but no one is ever at the desk. Pool was nice and warm but never any towels and hot tub down.

We drove 7 hours with 5 kids to this Grand Stay to be told they overbooked our handicap accessible RESERVED room. (I get it ..mistakes happen) We had to fit 7 people on one bed and a pull out couch. I then was given information to connect to the wifi, went to our room, tried connecting to the wifi to finish my work. Wifi wouldn't work. Called the desk and was told the wifi wasnt working because of road construction. This info came from the same person that gave me the wifi info at checkin just one hour prior. My husband requeated a partial refund for our smaller room and for not having wifi. The person at the desk said we need to search in THEIR policy to find where it says we have a right to a refund for these things. My husband also has a broken leg and could barely manage the bathroom because we couldn't get the room we reserved. It was horrible for him! How embarrassing for the GrandStay brand. We will not be back to this hotel.

The check in guy was happy too see each and every customer, The lady doing breakfast was friendly and working hard too run the desk and breakfast. Best part of staying here starts with your workers and they were great. Thanks for a place to stay this weekend. Will definitely stay there again if coming back to Ames. Thanks

The facility was clean and convenient for our trip. The entry key stopped working and I could not find staff to reset it. Nice breakfast but again no staff to get help on questions and needs. We got by. The checkin fellow was efficient and friendly. The owner need to clone him.

Man at check-in was super helpful and kind after a stressful day!

I arrived at the hotel and was informed that they were sold out and did not have a reservation. The hotel is blaming Expedia for the error. We will not be staying at this hotel or using Expedia again!

Front desk very friendly, everything clean as expected.

It was an acceptable hotel for 1-2 night stay for the cost. The staff was helpful, though we had little contact. Check in and Check out was quick. It's in a convenient area. Currently road construction near the hotel.

Good location to stay, close proximity to ISU. Current challenge is extensive road construction on only entrance street.

It doesn't look like much from the outside but the rooms appear to be renovated and are very clean. Plenty of hot water in the shower, spacious bathroom and a large frig in the room. Breakfast consists of waffles and biscuits & gravy....not much but it is tasty. Lobby is nice and the staff is very friendly and helpful. Hotel is located close to Iowa State campus. I would definitely stay here again.

Another great stay! John at the front desk remembered us from last time and was incredibly friendly and helpful (again!). Love the convenience of a shopping center across the street and yummy pizza restaurant/bar right next door (literally attached to the building and easy to access from the east stairs). Conveniently located near Iowa State so made family weekend an enjoyable and easy stay! Will definitely return again.

We liked the extra space and kitchen area even in a standard suite. We normally prefer short term rentals for this reason, but would definitely stay here again because GrandStay offers the same without the additional cleaning and service fees. The staff was friendly and the breakfast was basic and again something you wouldn’t from a STR. The location is excellent - walking distance to everything!! The hotel is a little dated but still not bad. Multiple light bulbs (>6) were burnt out but the front service provided replacements. There were some stains on the walls, especially by the vents, the couch was a little dusty, but generally the facility looked and smelled clean. The sleeper sofa was a bit uncomfortable, but it was still nice to have an extra bed for my daughter to sleep in the living room. I read some negative reviews, but I imagine during a busy football or other big event weekend, it’s possible that cleaning shortcuts may take place, but we would definitely look to stay here again if available.

Great location for visiting Iowa State

The property is conveniently located, and the rooms are clean and well appointed

Easy to get to. Executive suite is comfy and roomy. Convenient to shopping.

affordable, comfortable, quiet, plenty of good restaurants in walking distance

Convenient location

We have stayed in the past, were saddened the hot tub was gone. We were in a handicapped accessibility room, the shower leaked, but worked. The breakfast hours ended at 9 which seemed early. But its a great value in a great location

Check in was great, the rooms were spacious and clean. Breakfast was ok, could have used filling. The ice machine did not work too.

It doesn't look like much from the outside but the rooms appear to be renovated and are very clean. Plenty of hot water in the shower, spacious bathroom and a large frig in the room. Breakfast consists of waffles and biscuits & gravy....not much but it is tasty. Lobby is nice and the staff is very friendly and helpful. Hotel is located close to Iowa State campus. I would definitely stay here again.

This property gets the job done. I love the location and that it’s connected to Old Chicago. The coffee in the morning was undrinkable. Everything in the rooms is very old, but the beds felt clean. For the price and location I would stay again, but it’s definitely in need of a renovation.

An extensive variety of warm breakfast with different options daily.

Great value on a gameday Saturday night in Ames! Great water pressure in the shower, excellent breakfast. Thank you!

Breakfast was so lacking we only visited the breakfast area the first day of our stay. Wasn’t worth getting up for. Very limited and flavorless, not many options and out of most things 45 minutes before ending time. Front desk staff was lazy and never at the front. You have to wait forever to get someone to assist you bc they were in the back on their phones. Room was large and air worked good. Asked for housekeeping and all they did was empty trash and switch out towels! Nothing else!

Helpful staff, breakfast was decent, clean, and perfect for pets. Outdated and bed wasn't comfortable.

Breakfast could be better. Coffee is not good.

No hot water in the shower in the morning. The water was barely warm. I complained about it but the next morning it was the same. The breakfast options are very limited.