Name: Ameristar Casino Hotel Council Bluffs
Address: 2200 River Road, Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States of America, Council Bluffs, Iowa, US
Price range: $93–$254 per night
Rating: 7.53

What guests think

At Ameristar Casino Hotel Council Bluffs, guests report a mixed stay, with many appreciating the casino access, spacious whirlpool suites, and easy parking, while recurring smoke odors, limited dining hours, and uneven maintenance detract from comfort.

Many reviews praise friendly staff and occasional housekeeping responsiveness, as well as comfortable beds in some rooms. Common complaints include pervasive cigarette smell (even on nonsmoking floors), periodic check-in delays or early check-in fees, elevator/key glitches, closed or chilly pools, and dated rooms with inconsistent in-room amenities or malfunctioning whirlpools. Expect a casino-focused stay with variable quality, especially if dining hours align with your plans.

Facilities

Cleanliness

Rooms

Service

Location

Dining

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Facilities

On-site casino and ample free parking are positives. However, guests report elevator outages and digital key failures, intermittent pool or hot tub closures or temperature issues, and no airport shuttle despite expectations.

Related guest reviews

10

Ashley

Mar 10, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Pool was closed for repairs but I’ve stayed here multiple times and it’s great if you’re looking to get away and stay at a casino!

6

James

Oct 22, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

No parking close to property and no valet parking; No TV guide and difficulty operating TV; No room service; Confusing billing statement.

6

Scott

Mar 24, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

There was a hairball in the shower. An elevator wasn't working--so only 1 elevator to use. they had a medical issue on one floor necessitating the EMTS to use and hold the elevator for much time--it meant the entire elevator system was totally useless. Pool was not functional

8

Vincent

Aug 26, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Nice facility with indoor pool and hot tub.

10

Michael

Feb 15, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Definitely a top casino/hotel in a smaller town. Tons of food options. The casino is very nice and just steps from the hotel. The parking is easy and definitely safe when they have a parking garage. The staff are very friendly and easy to work with.

6

Jill

Oct 6, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

I booked this property specifically because it was listed on Expedia that they had an airport shuttle. They have not offered this service since 2020 I was told. Luckily a nearby hotel allowed us to use their shuttle for airport transfer.

8

Lacey

Jul 7, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Hotel was good, but don't expect to eat dinner here without a reservation and breakfast at 7AM took over and hour and a half. Hotel bathroom was not clean when we checked in, the housekeeper forgot to get the sink, bathroom counter and mirror. However, housekeeping came right away and cleaned it up. Beds were nice and the gambling was fun. The pool was also great for the kids. This is the better of the two casino in the area by far.

10

Rosslyn

Oct 22, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Easy check in. Plenty of free parking in front of hotel. Comfortable temperature throughout the facility (not too hot, not too cold). We had the jacuzzi suite and it was fantastic. The jacuzzi was very big. Exceeded my expectations. I did not like that a complimentary breakfast was not offered.

6

Jacqueline

Apr 2, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Elevator in casino did not work and down escalator was moving faster than normal. I have vertigo and walk with a cane. I could not use the escalator to get down and out of the casino. I was forced to use the stairs. Due to current health conditions with my knees this was not a good situation! Then, in the hotel, only one of the 2 elevators was working. I would hate to be in that place and have to evacuate. No doubt plenty of building code violations.

2

Thomas

Oct 10, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Check in was a disaster. Waited over an hour and they still couldn’t make a room key. The entire digital key service was inoperable. They took us to the room a hour later but we couldn’t leave as we had no way back into the room or elevator. They called the room hours later to say a key was ready but they wouldn’t deliver it as they needed identification and wouldn’t look at our ID in the hallway or room. Couldn’t go to the Casino. The lobby reeked of smoke. The bar didn’t have the menu Cabernet wine and the replacement wine was horrible for the same price.

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Cleanliness

Feedback is mixed: many found rooms clean, but several cite dirty bathrooms or tubs, hair and dust, stained or worn fixtures, and lingering smoke odors in corridors and some rooms.

Related guest reviews

2

Amanda

Mar 16, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

The hotel should not be advertised as non smoking. Our room was so smoky that I felt nauseous and had a horrible headache. My daughter has asthma and the secondhand smoke impacts her safety. The front desk staff asked if I would like an air purifier for the room. We chose to leave after a few hours and me re cleaning the room at the hotel instead. The odor was saturated into the curtains and carpet. The king whirpool suite with river view would have been lovely if it were not smoky. My boyfriend's room on the second floor was worse. Clearly they are used to complaints if they offer air purifiers. I wiped the edges of the bathroom, entryway hard floor and the lysol wipes were black and lots of small hairs. I did not feel safe for my family using the pool area or workout space, mirrors covered in brown soot. If it were not for the smoke, the hotel was nice. Unfortunately, the cigarette smoke was enough to make this the worst hotel stay we have had. Having to spend an hour on the phone with expedia while at the zoo with young kids was not in my original plans. I am so disappointed that Expedia partners with this hotel.

10

Kenneth

Oct 30, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

clean

6

Lynn

Aug 12, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Our room was very dirty. Hairs on the bathroom floor and in the bathtub. Fingerprints on table and very dusty dresser.

4

Tayler

Jun 26, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Whatever you do don’t stay on the 2nd floor. It stinks from the smoke in the casino and we had bugs in our room.

6

Emelie

Dec 3, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Room is not that clean

4

HaLee

Feb 2, 2025

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Stayed 2 nights

When we arrived in our room we found blood on one of the pillows and a dirty wash cloth hanging in the shower. The shower drain barely drained. The sink drain very slow as well. The mirror was also dirty. When I called to get a clean pillow the front desk did not apologize and say they would give us any time of discount. We also never got the trash removed from our room or clean towels for the next nights stay. For what we paid it was not up to standard

6

Richelle

Oct 8, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

The room was incredibly dirty. Staff was not overly friendly. Our feet were black from walking barefoot on the carpet in our room. Room also did not smell very pleasant.

2

Tim

Apr 21, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The entire building smelled like cigarettes. The room was not very well cleaned and the water pressure was terrible.

8

Lacey

Jul 7, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Hotel was good, but don't expect to eat dinner here without a reservation and breakfast at 7AM took over and hour and a half. Hotel bathroom was not clean when we checked in, the housekeeper forgot to get the sink, bathroom counter and mirror. However, housekeeping came right away and cleaned it up. Beds were nice and the gambling was fun. The pool was also great for the kids. This is the better of the two casino in the area by far.

10

Lacy

Jul 12, 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

Everything was very clean, the casino was fun, the restaurants have great food and drinks, the pool was well maintained, and the staff everywhere was wonderfully friendly.

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Rooms

Rooms are often spacious, some with whirlpool tubs and river views, but decor feels dated for several guests. Comfort varies due to hard beds, TV or Wi‑Fi issues, weak A/C, and missing microwaves in some rooms.

Related guest reviews

6

Cheryl

Nov 14, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Beds were too hard and pillows too soft, could not get to sleep and woke up with neck hurting. Tv didn’t work, and lamp didn’t work.

8

Melissa

Jul 26, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The property was clean, felt safe, and the bed was really comfortable.

10

Laura

Jul 30, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Room was older but clean. Exactly what we needed for one night stay

10

Jillian

Jun 7, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

We stayed in the Whirlpool room and it was totally worth it, you could even turn the TV to watch it at the same time while in the whirlpool! Only downside was it is not a smart TV, so if you want streaming services bring a fire stick or roku, which is an easy fix! It was quiet in the hotel on our floor and had great burgers at the bar and grill. Will be coming back for sure!

6

Mara

Oct 19, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

My stay at Ameristar was just….neutral. The service was excellent (shoutout to Jeanne @ Front Desk and Sam @ 1853) as everyone was super accommodating and nice. But the hotel itself had issues. The WiFi was terribly slow, and my cell service in the room was nonexistent so that was concerning. Additionally the TV in my room would cut in and out seemingly every 30 seconds or so. It only did it on a handful of channels but it was not great. Also allowing smoking in casinos should be outlawed as it was gross and you could not escape the smell. However my room was nice, and clean, and the whirlpool tub was wonderful and the food at 1853 was excellent. ++ for service + for room cleanliness - - - for technology (WiFi & TV service

8

Krystal

Jul 8, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Hotel could use a few updates.

8

Dereck

Oct 6, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Bed were so uncomfortable

8

Gary

Oct 7, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Room was very good but didn’t have a microwave.

8

Robert

Oct 17, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Only thing I didn't like was the view out the window of the roof of the floor below me

10

Lee

Oct 26, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Room was amazing. Very large suite with whirlpool tub. Clean.

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Service

Service ranges from very friendly, helpful staff and good problem solving to frustrating experiences with long or disorganized check-ins, overbooking, rigid early check-in fees, and inconsistent follow‑through on issues or refunds.

Related guest reviews

10

Nicole

Jun 22, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Front desk staff was great. There was an issue with payment because of a reservation change id made and it took a little but to figure out but another staff memver came over and chatted easily while the 1st gal could just focus and get this issue fixed. Then wed misplaced our keys and they were more then happy to call house keeping to go to the room and even help us look for the keys which we found. Overall it was a great stay. Chatted with the door gaurda to casino Thursday night for sometime. All the staff were just incredibly pleasent. Rooms were clean and comfortable and i didnt notice any surrounding noise. The pool and hot tub were also nice and were open until midnight which was great!

2

Michael

Feb 5, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

This property was terrible from delays in check in to extremely limited food on a Monday evening. Refused to discount room for the 3.5 hour delay to be able to check in, and told me I had to get discount from Expedia. No courtesy call back with refund update which manager promised. Over all VERY DISAPPOINTED

10

Kay

Apr 20, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

I left my jacket that was a gift from a grandson. I called and after checking housekeeping found it and took it to lost and found. My son went to pick it back up. After much explanation and verifying again that it was found and in lost and found they gave him my jacket. Much appreciated.

6

Christopher

Nov 21, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Checking in was sloppily performed by a young lady that was rude and unprofessional.

4

Morgan

Nov 27, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

The hotel was basically empty I showed up 20 minutes before my check-in time. They said the only way they could allow me into my room was if I paid an extra $30 even though the room was ready and the hotel was empty. The front desk crew was very dismissive and were not familiar with the property enough to direct me to my room. The staff could use some training on customer service.

8

Jennifer

Nov 6, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Clean room and friendly staff

8

carmen

Mar 11, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Hotel manager was amazing, he was so helpful

2

John

Oct 28, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The toilet was for someone 4 ft tall. Check in awful. Arrived 3:15 and was told no rooms released and check in at 4. Ten minutes later saw a couple successfully check in. When I asked about it I was told the other party was a certain level member. No one asked if I wanted to pursue that level, nor did I find being lied to about no rooms available a proper treatment.

10

Heather

Sep 24, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

We stayed at the Ameristar as our son had a golf tournament and why not make it a little more fun! We loved the food at the sports bar. The room was nice and clean and the service was excellent. We will definitely go back.

2

Thomas

Oct 10, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Check in was a disaster. Waited over an hour and they still couldn’t make a room key. The entire digital key service was inoperable. They took us to the room a hour later but we couldn’t leave as we had no way back into the room or elevator. They called the room hours later to say a key was ready but they wouldn’t deliver it as they needed identification and wouldn’t look at our ID in the hallway or room. Couldn’t go to the Casino. The lobby reeked of smoke. The bar didn’t have the menu Cabernet wine and the replacement wine was horrible for the same price.

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Location

Convenient for Omaha attractions and easy highway access, with several guests noting abundant parking. Some found the property layout a long walk and the site a bit out of the way for non‑casino dining.

Related guest reviews

10

Robert

Jul 29, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

First time checking in. Very easy to find park and register. Rooms are clean and spacious.

8

Billy

Jul 20, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Hard to get to

4

Katy

Jun 7, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Very average hotel and out of the way from the rest of town. No options for dining nearby.

10

Andrew Scott

Jun 3, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Always enjoy Ameristar. Close location to many events, great food and hot tub rooms.

10

Tommy

Aug 17, 2025

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Stayed 2 nights

The Hotel is one of the best in Omaha, offering clean and comfortable rooms and baths at very competitive prices compared to other establishments in the area. Whether you're here to try your luck at the casino or explore downtown Omaha, you'll find great value. Don't miss the all-you-can-eat crab leg buffet offered on weekends!

10

Michael

Feb 15, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Definitely a top casino/hotel in a smaller town. Tons of food options. The casino is very nice and just steps from the hotel. The parking is easy and definitely safe when they have a parking garage. The staff are very friendly and easy to work with.

10

Jeff

Sep 27, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Iowa is a great alternative to Omaha if you like to gamble go to Council Bluffs

10

Sheliah

Jun 26, 2024

·

Stayed 4 nights

We loved that it was so easy to get to the CWS from the AmeriStar. Loved having a place on site for breakfast. One thing that we did not like was the price of the room:( we would stay again though.

10

Melony

Apr 18, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Would be nice to have carts for luggage, long walk to get to the hotel

10

Steven

Sep 18, 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

Very close to all the spots you wanna see in Omaha. Staff very friendly.

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Dining

Quality can be good at the sports bar and weekend buffet, and some praise breakfast. Still, many report limited hours or closures (especially Sundays/weekdays), long waits, no complimentary breakfast, and scarce late‑night options or room service.

Related guest reviews

10

Paul

Sep 24, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Nice property. Love the real wood trim. Only thing negative: no free breakfast. But its a casino. So i bought breakfast that day

10

Michael

Jun 14, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Dinner Buffet-5 Star, Prime rib, all you can eat crab legs, pho bar, dessert bar, vegs and starches, oven pizzas, etc. Look for elevator to rooms in center, right past restaurant. They are on the opposite side of wall. You don’t want to walk past them to casino or parking lot hallways. Must have key to access elevators. Casino was average, free drinks for people gambling. Rooms comfortable. Good beds. Lots of pillows.

8

Jeffrey

Oct 8, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

stopped here on our trip to Las Vegas very nice property like other reviews cigarette smoke in hotel area rooms (its a casino) not a game changer for us not much eating choses we ate at the sports bar very good service and food I think more food places are open on weekends

6

Eileen

Jul 17, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The only reason I’m giving the three star rating Is we purposely picked this hotel for the dining Options and then when we got there, nothing was open on Sunday

10

Judy

Nov 12, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Breakfast is always excellent here

4

Alyssa

Jul 10, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Stayed for 1 night while driving through. Would not stay again. AC in the room did not work very well, so it was a very hot night with not much sleep. Property, including rooms, is VERY dated. Room was dusty. Most restaurants on the property were closed for the 1 night we were there.

10

Heather

Sep 24, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

We stayed at the Ameristar as our son had a golf tournament and why not make it a little more fun! We loved the food at the sports bar. The room was nice and clean and the service was excellent. We will definitely go back.

8

Lacey

Jul 7, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Hotel was good, but don't expect to eat dinner here without a reservation and breakfast at 7AM took over and hour and a half. Hotel bathroom was not clean when we checked in, the housekeeper forgot to get the sink, bathroom counter and mirror. However, housekeeping came right away and cleaned it up. Beds were nice and the gambling was fun. The pool was also great for the kids. This is the better of the two casino in the area by far.

8

Dawn

Oct 9, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

We had a great hot tub in the room. We were disappointed that the buffet isn’t open during the week.

10

PHILIP R

Oct 1, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

we didn't like the limited dining options available

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Month	Average price
January	$119
February	$138
March	$135
April	$142
May	$158
June	$201
July	$144
August	$127
September	$127
October	$115
November	$109
December	$93

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16 $106	17 $113	18 $169	19 $184
20 $107	21 $99	22 $100	23 $99	24 $114	25 $168	26 $178
27 $108	28 $100	29 $99	30 $100

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
				1 $118	2 $220	3 $230
4 $118	5 $101	6 $93	7 $94	8 $102	9 $185	10 $197
11 $102	12 $93	13 $94	14 $99	15 $110	16 $195	17 $207
18 $101	19 $101	20 $102	21 $104	22 $101	23 $235	24 $254
25 $119	26 $109	27 $110	28 $110	29 $129	30 $235	31 $209

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Monthly average prices

About this property

Location

Room options

Deluxe King

Deluxe Two Queen

Whirlpool Suite Riverview King

Deluxe Riverview King

Deluxe Riverview 2 Queen

Whirlpool Suite King

Guest reviews

Good

Who stays here?

What guests think

Property Policies

Check-in instructions

Security deposit

Good to know

Optional extras

FAQs about Ameristar Casino Hotel Council Bluffs

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