Name: Sonesta Essential Ames
Address: 1400 S Dayton Place, Ames, Iowa, United States of America, Ames, Iowa, US
Price range: $62–$166 per night
Rating: 7.6

What guests think

At Sonesta Essential Ames, guests describe a budget, pet-friendly stop with generally friendly staff, but they also report variable upkeep across rooms and common areas, with cleanliness and maintenance standards ranging from solid to disappointing.

Common room issues include squeaky metal platform beds, malfunctioning TVs or A/C, laminate floors that can amplify noise, and occasional hallway or pet noise; a few rooms were notably quiet. Facilities are basic: ice machines are often down, the small gym underwhelms, pool feedback is mixed, and parking can be disrupted during maintenance, though the lot is well lit. Breakfast is usually decent with waffles, eggs, yogurt, fruit, and breads, but some note limited protein or minor setup gaps. Overall, expect a no-frills overnight stay where value is balanced by inconsistent upkeep.

Facilities

Cleanliness

Rooms

Service

Location

Dining

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Facilities

Facilities are basic: multiple reviews cite broken ice machines; the small gym underwhelms; pool feedback is mixed; parking is available and well lit, with occasional disruptions during maintenance.

Related guest reviews

6

Susan

Aug 11, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

This was one of the only hotels with availability for three nights due to an event nearby. Location was great (close to ISU) and the staff was very friendly. I appreciated the breakfast options, though it was your basic breakfast with cereal, oatmeal, bagels, muffins, bananas, oranges, a waffle maker, and egg patties and sausage. The issue for us was the condition of the room. When we arrived, the A/C was off so the room was stuffy and had a strong smoke smell. Once I turned on the A/C and it cooled down, the smell improved but it was still faint throughout our stay. There was a used towel hanging on the back of the bathroom door and a hair on the toilet seat. I left the towel hoping they'd take it the next day, but it was still there when we got back (they took other towels, but missed that one again). I put it on the floor and they finally took it the next day. Also, on one of the bedsheets there was what I'd describe as a "scuff" mark from someone's shoe. The wood floors are nicer than carpet, but they weren't clean and felt dirty (so I wore sandals when walking around). There is daily maid service, but it didn't seem very thorough. None of the ice machines were working, but the front desk was happy to provide ice upon request. There also isn't an easy option to fill water bottles (just a water fountain with a small spigot). It was affordable & an "ok" stay, but next time I think I would pay more to stay somewhere else.

8

Michael

Jun 28, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Pool looked good. Nice to have vending machines with a unique variety - including chocolate milk and strawberry milk.

6

Lori

Jul 31, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Had to call for staff to check in and none available when checked out. Dirty stained sheets and pillows otherwise room clean. All ice machines broken but could get ice at the desk. Positives ok breakfast, ample parking, room temperature good and also quiet.

8

Tracie

Aug 16, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

hotel was clean and comfortable. Decent breakfast. only problem we had was when we got to hotel they were redoing parking lot and the work crew swore at us because we wanted to get into parking lot so we could check in through the front door as I am disabled and didnt want to walk through the entire building from the back.

8

Liz

Jul 23, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Wish the gym was better, everything else was good overall.

8

Nicole

Aug 25, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Clean, quiet, well lit parking lot, and the AC worked.:)

4

Jason

Jul 28, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

We stayed two nights at this property. First off the ice machine was broken. The hotel is very out dated and had a funny smell. They tried to make updates to the rooms but it was a swing and a miss. The room was damp feeling and when the AC wasn't running it got very stuffy during the night. We had to push the door shut otherwise it wouldn't shut on it's own. The bathroom did not have a vent fan for showering. The shower had repairs done but they didn't bother to hide the repairs. The towel rack was broken. We had no tissues in the room either. The breakfast was decent which surprised me. I guess you get what you pay for.

2

Charity

Aug 1, 2025

·

Stayed 15 nights

The pool was dirty and we had an issue getting towels everyday. They tried to charge us extra money when we prepaid up.

6

Norma

Jul 25, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Esta bien solo necesitan arreglar las cosas que estan fallando como la televiciones.aires.y maquina de hielo

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8

Samantha

Feb 5, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The staff was friendly, the lobby and room were clean, and overall it was a very pleasant experience. The only thing I was bummed about was the jets in our jacuzzi tub were not working, but that wasn’t a huge deal. Just a bummer!

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Cleanliness

Cleanliness is inconsistent: some guests found very clean rooms and public areas, while others reported stained or unwashed linens, mold in bathrooms, strong masking fragrances or smoke/mildew odors, and occasional bugs.

Related guest reviews

4

Michael

Sep 3, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

There's a reason this was one of the last available rooms in Ames due to a convention in town. The crickets on the linoleum floor were easy to catch before I laid down on the moist bed to rest, decided to get up, get my bag and sleep in the car.

4

Hannah

Oct 3, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Bugs in my room. like so many bugs

6

Bruce

Oct 6, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

This property is fine for a place to crash over night for a "guys trip" or similar, but would not use for a trip with my family, just due to general cleanliness and location. Bathrooms showed signs of light mold on caulking and around the tub, but "touch" surfaces were clean. Staff was very friendly and helpful (1st room had issue with AC unit and they quickly got me moved to another room).

8

Mary

Oct 19, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Stains all over the sheets and pillows.

4

Candy

Jun 20, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The lobby and hallway reeked of a cologne smell, as if other smells were trying to be masked. There were hairs on the pillows, and the bathtubs was filthy. The room had a strong mildew smell.

2

Angela

Jun 16, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Dirty comforter & sheets. TV not working. Switched rooms for it to dirty, dried blood in bathroom. No refund offered. Booked a new hotel & left. Never stayed the night.

2

Theresa

Aug 3, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

First room reeked of cigarette smoke the second one they gave looked to be clean but had damp sheets on top of a made bed and smelled liked pee and an 80’s men’s locker room

10

Diana

Sep 7, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The room was extremely clean. I would stay here again. Breakfast was sufficient.

2

Raegen

Oct 10, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The hotel was disgusting! Checked in late at night very odd people in the lobby. Bloodstain on the curtains, dirty floor, dirty bathtub, hair all over. It was the most disgusting hotel I’ve ever been in.

4

Jeanne

Aug 22, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

First room we checked into had a moldy lampshade and mold on the bathroom wall.

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Rooms

Rooms are dated and basic, with recurring squeaky metal platform beds and maintenance issues such as malfunctioning TVs or A/C; laminate floors can amplify noise. Some guests reported hallway or pet noise and occasional Wi-Fi problems, though a few rooms were quiet.

Related guest reviews

6

Cheyenne

Aug 10, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The beds were terrible, really springy and hard to sleep on. The hallway was super noisy with people yelling and running down the hallways. The staff were super kind.

4

Ryan

Oct 21, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

This property is dated and overdue for an overhaul. Delayed in checking in and room had hair in various places in the bathroom and dead bugs by the window. TV did not work. I will not be returning to this establishment.

6

Manuel

Aug 3, 2025

·

Stayed 6 nights

Poor tv service

8

Sheldon

Mar 23, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

There was no WiFi service/ connection. The television was not working.

4

Linda

Jul 15, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

The first room they tried to put us in, the a/c didn't work, plus the bathroom door would stick on the floor when trying to close it. It wouldn't close all the way. The second room had the same problem. Finally, the third room was okay. The a/c worked and the shower was good. The quality of the entire room, in my opinion, was sub-par. I won't stay in another Red Roof Inn.

6

Marco

Aug 18, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

TV was not working. Otherwise

6

Kallie

Oct 7, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

A little outdated, but bed was comfortable and room was cleaned daily. A/C was held on by duck tape and TV remote didnt work, but we were basically only there to sleep, so it was fine.

6

Olga

Aug 17, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Definately a budget hotel. Our bed was creeky, haven't had that in a hotel in a while! There was also a lot of noise from the parking lot outside. It was August but people were grillling and yelling out there at 11 pm. Nothing horrible, nothing great. It was inexpensive.

6

John

Sep 14, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

We choose this home because we have a small (7#) pet. I really liked the fact that the room had no carpet. All engineered vinyl flooring. The disadvantage of that is that it's noisy. Not a criticism of the hotel, just a downside of non carpeted hotel rooms. The hotel needed a little TLC. Nothing horrible. The stainless steel grab bar in the shower was literally broken off the wall on one end, which is definitely a safety issue. The king size bed was clean but hard. I think this hotel was a GREAT value. Much cheaper than neighboring properties and the additional charge for having a power was only $15. If they would just do a little maintenance, their start rating would improve greatly.

6

Dave

Sep 5, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

It’s a nice economy hotel. Their bedframes are a thin metal platform style that make a bunch of noise and you get woken up by squeaks when you roll over.

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Service

Service skews friendly and helpful, with shout-outs to front desk staff and quick room moves when issues arose. Some guests experienced lapses, including no one at the desk, keying errors, and occasional rudeness.

Related guest reviews

6

Lyle

Oct 26, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

There was no worker at the front desk- waited for over 5 minutes. The hotel is average. You get what you pay for. Nothing great.

6

William

Aug 15, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Front desk person was helpful. Cleaning ladies were nice.

10

Kimberly

Jun 28, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Booking and check-in were hassle free. Anything I needed staff was immediately ready to assist. Quiet and close to good food and gas stations only about 5 minutes away from anything else you might need. Close to the highway. And great rates. Clean rooms and pet friendly.

4

Jordan

Aug 7, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

For the price, this is a good hotel. My issue is that they checked a guest into our room and gave the guest a key. At midnight or so, we were awoken by someone coming into our room--obviously scared both parties. Management did very little to address this.

6

Bruce

Oct 6, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

This property is fine for a place to crash over night for a "guys trip" or similar, but would not use for a trip with my family, just due to general cleanliness and location. Bathrooms showed signs of light mold on caulking and around the tub, but "touch" surfaces were clean. Staff was very friendly and helpful (1st room had issue with AC unit and they quickly got me moved to another room).

10

Jennifer

Apr 21, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Quiet and friendly.

8

Clyde

Apr 17, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Very friendly staff to work with.

10

Joshua

Feb 26, 2026

·

Stayed 1 night

Hotel was clean and the staff was accommodating

8

Crystal

Aug 22, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Staff was extremely friendly. They are in the process of making upgrades to the property. Could be cleaner but not bad when your on a budget and for a quick stay.

2

Kenya

Jul 31, 2024

·

Stayed 6 nights

Extremely rude staff poorly cleaned room

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Location

Convenient for Iowa State University and highway access; several note it feels safe and makes getting around town easy.

Related guest reviews

8

Jack

Jul 20, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Convenient. A little dirty

10

Kimberly

Jun 28, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Booking and check-in were hassle free. Anything I needed staff was immediately ready to assist. Quiet and close to good food and gas stations only about 5 minutes away from anything else you might need. Close to the highway. And great rates. Clean rooms and pet friendly.

10

bob

Oct 25, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Safe and quiet. Easy checkin.

6

Susan

Aug 11, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

This was one of the only hotels with availability for three nights due to an event nearby. Location was great (close to ISU) and the staff was very friendly. I appreciated the breakfast options, though it was your basic breakfast with cereal, oatmeal, bagels, muffins, bananas, oranges, a waffle maker, and egg patties and sausage. The issue for us was the condition of the room. When we arrived, the A/C was off so the room was stuffy and had a strong smoke smell. Once I turned on the A/C and it cooled down, the smell improved but it was still faint throughout our stay. There was a used towel hanging on the back of the bathroom door and a hair on the toilet seat. I left the towel hoping they'd take it the next day, but it was still there when we got back (they took other towels, but missed that one again). I put it on the floor and they finally took it the next day. Also, on one of the bedsheets there was what I'd describe as a "scuff" mark from someone's shoe. The wood floors are nicer than carpet, but they weren't clean and felt dirty (so I wore sandals when walking around). There is daily maid service, but it didn't seem very thorough. None of the ice machines were working, but the front desk was happy to provide ice upon request. There also isn't an easy option to fill water bottles (just a water fountain with a small spigot). It was affordable & an "ok" stay, but next time I think I would pay more to stay somewhere else.

8

Elizabeth

Aug 7, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Very nice for the price. Safe and quiet. Easy to get around town.

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Dining

Breakfast is generally decent to good with staples like waffles, eggs, yogurt, fruit, and breads, and some guests praise the variety. Others mention limited protein or minor setup gaps.

Related guest reviews

10

James

Sep 8, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Our room was clean, bed was fairly comfortable, and the breakfast was above average for a budget friendly hotel. The hotel staff was friendly as well. Overall, we were pleased with our stay and would stay again if needed. The motel fit our needs and our budget.

8

Michelle

Sep 28, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Shower was very very worn which did not match the rest of the updated bathroom. Nice flooring instead of carpet which gives the room a cleaner feeling. Beds were squeaky as other reviews mentioned however they were very comfortable and I slept well. Breakfast was decent and the area was kept very clean and well stocked. All in all, not a bad stay, replace the worn shower walls and it would be better.

10

MICHAEL

Aug 3, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

great breakfast

10

Soechun

Nov 6, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Love the free breakfest and variety or chooses and the ac worked good as well as the shower, enjoyed my stay and had excellent service

10

Diane

Aug 1, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The rooms were clean and neat. I like the "no carpet" rooms. They feel cleaner. The water was hot and i liked having a refrigerator in my room. The breakfast was good and the people were friendly

8

Leonard

Jun 16, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The hotel and room were ok. Staff was fine. The hotel was quiet at night, and the ac worked fine but a bit noisy. The bathroom had two small bath towels. The room did not have a safe but did have a fridge and microwave. The free breakfast was fine and included waffles, eggs, breads, yogurt, bananas and some cereals. I had to find a wall plug for the toaster to work.

10

Marvin

Oct 5, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The room was clean. The front desk was helpful and breakfast was good

8

Suzanne

Jul 20, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

It was overall a nice place to stay. Had an odd smell in hallways but was very clean. Not much protein choices for breakfast.

6

Sofia

Aug 21, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Mohammad at the front desk was a highlight. He was very friendly over the phone when I asked about checking in late, and he was very friendly when I actually did come for check in and at breakfast. Our actual room was a bit disappointing— there were stains on our sheets and blankets, and our shower curtain rod was falling off the wall. Also, they did not bother to remove the old Red Roof Inn branding that was posted in our room. The breakfast was also just okay— they had oatmeal out but no heat-safe bowls to make it in, and they had no drinking water out either. The price was good though so I appreciated that. Overall this place was just okay to stay in.

10

Diana

Sep 7, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The room was extremely clean. I would stay here again. Breakfast was sufficient.

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16 $62	17 $62	18 $155	19 $153
20 $72	21 $72	22 $70	23 $70	24 $69	25 $166	26
27 $70	28 $70	29 $70	30 $70

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
				1 $70	2 $157	3 $166
4 $77	5 $64	6 $64	7 $109	8 $64	9 $67	10 $67
11 $64	12 $65	13 $64	14 $64	15 $64	16 $67	17 $75
18 $64	19 $64	20 $72	21 $72	22 $82	23 $131	24 $112
25 $64	26 $64	27 $64	28 $64	29 $64	30 $147	31 $166

Select dates to see prices and availability

About this property

Location

Room options

Room, 2 Queen Beds

Room, 1 King Bed

Room, 1 King Bed, Roll-In Shower

Room, 1 King Bed with Sofa Bed

Room, 1 King Bed, Jetted Tub

Room, 1 King Bed, Accessible

Guest reviews

Good

What guests think

Property Policies

Check-in instructions

Security deposit

Good to know

Optional extras

FAQs about Sonesta Essential Ames

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Prices for upcoming dates