Name: Element by Marriott Iowa City
Address: 314 South Clinton Street, Downtown, Iowa City, Iowa, United States of America, Iowa City, Johnson County, US
Price range: US$144–US$769 per night
Rating: 8.87

What guests think

Element Iowa City earns strong praise for its walkable downtown location near campus and a complimentary breakfast with made-to-order options, while reviews also note modern rooms with kitchenettes, friendly staff, and convenient parking despite occasional confusion about access and fees.

Many rooms are spacious and comfortable with in-room kitchens, but some guests received smaller layouts, reported street or hallway noise, and noted maintenance quirks like faulty shades, loud A/C, or slow drains. Cleanliness is frequently commended, though a few reviews cite missed housekeeping and serious pest concerns (bed bugs), and service feedback ranges from warm and proactive to periods of unavailability or slow follow-up. Expect a modern, central stay with good amenities, but be mindful of room size, noise, and occasional service or cleanliness inconsistencies.

Facilities

Cleanliness

Rooms

Service

Location

Dining

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Facilities

Attached parking garage is convenient but can be confusing and may incur a fee. Guests like the patio/fire pit, gym, and pool, though the pool is small and has occasionally been under maintenance.

Related guest reviews

10

Aleczander

4 Jan 2026

·

Stayed 2 nights

Great place, walking distance to food, we did a family Christmas and Iowa City was the half way mark for the group- only downside was the pool was being worked on, but we could use the pool next door- breakfast was nice to be served but the grill gets really backed up

10

Christian

27 Jul 2023

·

Stayed 3 nights

Our favorite perk of this lovely hotel is the second floor patio. It is large, comfortable and perfectly designed. We used the fire pit in the morning and evening, the tables for work and dining and the couches for reading and relaxing.

10

Keegan

16 Dec 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Clean, good parking setup (free!) I would go back

10

Timothy

26 Apr 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Nice, convenient hotel to the University of Iowa campus. Made walking to campus simple. The only confusing aspect was the parking, but definitely not as bad as some downtown hotels.

8

Bonnie

17 Jul 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Free coffee all day. Super convenient attached parking garage.

6

Maryia

30 Apr 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

This hotel is updated and looks very nice, the rooms are very clean and large, located walking distance to everything that you might need. The parking for the hotel is impossible to find, we ended up parking elsewhere. They also put us on the 3rd floor and we had a lovely view of air conditioning units and a wall, absolutely nothing else. We have never been to Iowa and we’re expecting to see at least something out of our window but absolutely nothing, that room might as well not have any windows. I would not be returning to this hotel.

10

Roxanne

5 Apr 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

We were visiting the University of Iowa campus, and the Element is less than a block from campus. The room was spacious, very clean, and comfortable. The breakfasts were great, with 2 hot options each day. My one quibble is that the front desk staff, while friendly, could have been a bit more forthcoming with information, like where the entrance to the parking garage is and the fact that we would need to get a new "exit ticket" to get us out of the garage on the day we left.

10

Susanne

19 Jul 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Clean room, great location. They could use better signage for the parking garage.

10

Cristina

27 Jul 2022

·

Stayed 1 night

The receptionist was friendly and helpful. The room was nice, the only thing was the shower drain was very slow. Pool was on the smaller side but the kids still had fun. The outside patio with fire pit was amazing to enjoy the night.

6

James

15 Sept 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

No housekeeping during my entire three-night stay. I was out of the room nearly the whole day, every day. Inexcusable. They also charged me $15 for self-parking. I Ubered there and back.

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Cleanliness

Many reviews describe Element Iowa City as very clean, but there are notable reports of missed cleaning and odors in common areas. A few guests reported bed bugs.

Related guest reviews

8

Kristy

27 Sept 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

Staff seemed burned out on customers. My room at check in was pretty nasty on the couch (dried crusty food n huge stains between n under couch cushions). Mattress covers are worn out n discolored n not the kind that protect the mattress n guests from other peoples body stuff . Looked like what my grandma would have for 30 years. Staff clusters n talks at front desk n it feels uncomfortable to have to interrupt to ask anything like when the times are for the wine served at night , where ice is, if i can switch towels out… after the room reclean it was fine i just didnt feel welcome or liked . I travel 230 -240 days a year - ive not ever left a review commenting on unwelcoming staff- it needs to be said . Three stand n talk at counter to eachother though . Lobby was very clean . Gym was good.

10

PAM

3 Nov 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Rooms were quiet, clean & very nice

10

Paul

24 Nov 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Clean room. Great staff. Comfortable bed. Good breakfast. Perfect location.

2

Hannah

29 Nov 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

We left the hotel because of bed bugs and didnt even stay. We left and had to find a different hotel late and are very upset. We want a refund!!!

2

brittany

11 Jul 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

BE AWARE…..BED BUGS!!!!!!!

8

Devon

16 Jan 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

The hotel overall is wonderful! Great breakfast, right downtown, up-to-date decor and furnishings. But our room had not been cleaned well at all. Barely enough to pass as acceptable. The walls were very dirty, counters had some crumbs and small sticky area, floors had maybe been swept by a blind person, and there were whippet canisters all over around and in the couch. No ice buckets in room but they did have an ice machine? Parking in an extra $15. And no hot tub. That may seem like a lot of compaints, but I will return again because I don't think that was the norm for rooms and everything else was great.

6

Sara

30 Apr 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

When we checked in there were dirty Qtips on the floor next to the garbage can and the floor was not cleaned.

10

Rufus

20 Dec 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Very clean overall

10

Kristen

2 Sept 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Super clean and functional rooms. We were there for the weekend for Hawkeye football and other than getting the hang of the parking situation, it's walkable to all things Iowa City! Staff and breakfast were great too!

6

Christopher M

8 Mar 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

This is our favorite hotel chain, but each time we come to this location it reeks of marijuana in all hallways, stairwells, and elevators.

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Rooms

Rooms are modern, many spacious with kitchenettes and comfortable beds. Some guests received smaller layouts, reported noise from streets or hallways, awkward or slippery showers, and occasional maintenance issues like faulty shades, loud A/C, or nonworking in-room coffee.

Related guest reviews

2

Dana

24 Nov 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The staff was lovely but I paid over $650 for a 2 queen bed & 1 sofa bed room (Hotels.com offered it to me and said it was for 6 people) BUT was given a TINY room with only 2 (barely) queen beds. The staff said the tiny room was all they offered so we crammed 2 twin sized cots into the room as we had arrived so late at night and just wanted to sleep. (Definitely not fire safe as you couldn’t open the door with the cots laid down.) The staff said since I booked 3rd party, that was the issue, but also said Marriott globally was to blame for not advertising properly and I am not going to see any kind of compensation or apology for the error because neither Hotels.com or Marriott will take responsibility. While we were all thankful for a place to sleep, paying an outrageous amount of money for a 12’x18’ room for 6 adults was INSANE.

10

Ruth

10 Jun 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Great proximity to campus, right next to the Voxman. Ped mall nearby had lots of food options and a cool vibe. Very convenient. Helpful front desk staff! Calm interior spaces and the room set up was generous … had a kitchenette which was fantastic!

8

Kelly

20 Jun 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

This was a lovely property. Very clean and super close to the fun downtown area of Iowa City. The only downfall was there was quite a bit of loud traffic noise all through the night. Motorcycles and other vehicles racing down the street at all hours. I would stay again but will turn my white noise machine up a bit more or wear ear plugs.

6

Cathy

13 Dec 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The shower was extremely slippery! Felt unsafe the entire time I was using it.

4

Karin

1 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The hotel itself looks good, with clean modern styling. The room was very nicely appointed, and the kitchenette area was very impressive with more features than expected. The first problem was that the air conditioning wasn’t working welland hardly any air was blowing. The air was damp and stale. The A/C filter was extremely dirty and hadn’t been changed for a long time. We unscrewed the cover over the air conditioner and removed the air filter which helped immensely. The AC worked well after that, although it was very loud. The real issue became in the early morning hours when delivery trucks arrived at nearby areas. The beeping from their backup warnings was extremely loud through the windows, so much that it woke me up. Then, as soon as people started waking up and going through the hallway, the noise was unbearable. The door slamming of adjacent rooms was extremely loud, and just normal talking in the hallway was easily overheard in the room. The windows and hallway doors definitely need much more soundproofing. Breakfast was better than most similar hotels, and they even have a chef that prepares simple eggs and avocado toast. Unfortunately, the noise through the windows and doors was too much to make me want to stay at this hotel again.

10

Andrea

6 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

We had a corner room that was spacious and quiet. The location is close to everything, and the breakfast was phenomenal!

10

Cristina

27 Jul 2022

·

Stayed 1 night

The receptionist was friendly and helpful. The room was nice, the only thing was the shower drain was very slow. Pool was on the smaller side but the kids still had fun. The outside patio with fire pit was amazing to enjoy the night.

10

Nicole

2 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

This is a great place with great breakfast and huge rooms with kitchen amenities.

8

Carl

10 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

We like this hotel to stay en route between Indiana and Nebraska. This time the room was not as comfortable as usual. It liked an ice bucket and a luggage stand for each of us, and the window shades didn’t work. Nothing serious but not up to usual standards.

8

Ishwaree

14 Jul 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

For a less busy weekend, to get a corner room facing the back side seemed unfair. The coffee machine in the room didn’t work and wasn’t replaced even after notifying the front desk. Other than that everything was average

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Service

Staff are often described as friendly and helpful, with some proactive follow-up and prompt maintenance. However, several reviews cite unwelcoming or unmanned front desks, slow or unhelpful responses, and one report of a theft concern.

Related guest reviews

2

Marriyon

7 Jul 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Bad customer service

10

Peter

20 Apr 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Staff was very helpful at checking in and out. The room was nice and comfortable.

8

Kristy

27 Sept 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

Staff seemed burned out on customers. My room at check in was pretty nasty on the couch (dried crusty food n huge stains between n under couch cushions). Mattress covers are worn out n discolored n not the kind that protect the mattress n guests from other peoples body stuff . Looked like what my grandma would have for 30 years. Staff clusters n talks at front desk n it feels uncomfortable to have to interrupt to ask anything like when the times are for the wine served at night , where ice is, if i can switch towels out… after the room reclean it was fine i just didnt feel welcome or liked . I travel 230 -240 days a year - ive not ever left a review commenting on unwelcoming staff- it needs to be said . Three stand n talk at counter to eachother though . Lobby was very clean . Gym was good.

8

Laurie

21 Nov 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

I love the Element Hotels and always check to see if there is one when I travel. However, this room was very small. The TV was positioned so you could only see it from the bed. Not the most comfortable spot to sit and watch TV. I had to move the table and desk chair when I ate so I could watch TV. staff were less than helpful when I had a problem with the WiFi. Luckily I figured it out on my own.

2

carter

9 Sept 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

they weren’t able to give me a room key so i had to wait at front desk for them to walk my to my room

10

Kim

24 Nov 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Helpful front desk. Very clear explanations. Clean room.

10

Paul

24 Nov 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Clean room. Great staff. Comfortable bed. Good breakfast. Perfect location.

2

Michael

31 May 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The hotel was pretty and in a nice location, but the front desk was unmanned plenty of times to where anyone off the street could take the merchandise for sale. Also our room was unoccupied while me and my family went for a walk and when we got back to the room my wallet was gone through and took $60 to $80. I called the manager who said she would check the records but never called me back. The guy at the front desk was asleep when I walked up to purchase some goodies. He was also on my floor walking around leaving the front desk unattended and the manager said he shouldn’t be. Do not trust some of the staff there.

10

Carlota

21 Jun 2025

·

Stayed 15 nights

Knowing we'll be staying for a while, Ms Paige Klein had reached out to us to ask what they could do to make our stay comfortable. They accommodated our request. Housekeeping - I noticed that when housekeeping made our beds, the pillows and sheets that were going to be re-used were never put on the floor before it's returned to the bed. I've seen other hotel housekeeping do that (put sheets on the floor). Element's housekeeping is very hygienic. Kudos to them. Breakfast and front desk staff are very friendly. They even followed up on some issues we reported. Maintenance response to issues reported was very prompt.

8

Steven

10 Aug 2022

·

Stayed 1 night

The element was a nice place to stay. Clean with a nice complement great breakfast. Check-in staff could use some training.

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Location

Consistently praised for a central, walkable location near the University of Iowa, the Ped Mall, restaurants, and the Englert. A few guests noted traffic noise at night and some confusion around parking access.

Related guest reviews

10

Payton

3 Jan 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Very close to everything downtown.

8

Kelly

20 Jun 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

This was a lovely property. Very clean and super close to the fun downtown area of Iowa City. The only downfall was there was quite a bit of loud traffic noise all through the night. Motorcycles and other vehicles racing down the street at all hours. I would stay again but will turn my white noise machine up a bit more or wear ear plugs.

10

Kelly

16 Mar 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Always great! Location is perfect to visit Iowa students!

10

Timothy

26 Apr 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Nice, convenient hotel to the University of Iowa campus. Made walking to campus simple. The only confusing aspect was the parking, but definitely not as bad as some downtown hotels.

10

Roxanne

5 Apr 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

We were visiting the University of Iowa campus, and the Element is less than a block from campus. The room was spacious, very clean, and comfortable. The breakfasts were great, with 2 hot options each day. My one quibble is that the front desk staff, while friendly, could have been a bit more forthcoming with information, like where the entrance to the parking garage is and the fact that we would need to get a new "exit ticket" to get us out of the garage on the day we left.

10

Grace

7 Sept 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

I came to Iowa City for a music show downtown at the Englert. It was so convenient to stay at a nice hotel right there with everything so walkable! I would definitely come again!

10

Cara M

15 Sept 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Location is excellent, modern clean rooms, awesome amenities. Loved this hotel and will be back!

8

Kathryn

6 Aug 2024

·

Stayed 6 nights

In the heart of downtown Iowa City with lots of restaurants and nightlife.

10

Denise

8 Sept 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Great place, great location

10

Lucia

7 Jul 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Great stay! Well-appointed room; had everything we needed and then some for our family of five. Very comfortable beds and exceptionally clean. The made-to-order breakfast was great and the portion size was perfect - not too much or too little. Excellent location. We’d stay again!

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Dining

Breakfast is a standout, frequently praised for quality and made-to-order items; the evening beer and wine happy hour is also appreciated. Some guests found the breakfast area understocked or the selection limited at busy times.

Related guest reviews

10

Susan

29 Sept 2022

·

Stayed 6 nights

All was good. Nice breakfast but could use some meat. Wine and nibbles in evening was nice touch.

10

Richard

16 Sept 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Fantastic breakfast and happy hour!

10

Miki

13 Oct 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Complimentary happy hour was a nice touch! Great breakfast too. Close to everything to walk to dinner.

6

Maria

4 Feb 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Breakfast was not enjoyable. Food and drink was not kept stocked and breakfast station does not work for number of guests.

10

Mary

4 Jul 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

Breakfast and Happy Hour

10

Andrea

6 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

We had a corner room that was spacious and quiet. The location is close to everything, and the breakfast was phenomenal!

8

SING NAM

30 Aug 2023

·

Stayed 3 nights

All are fine but just very simple less breakfast options.

10

Charlotte

16 Jul 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The hotel is convenient to parking, clean, modern, and spacious. The employees were all very nice and helpful. The made to order eggs at breakfast were a nice surprise. We would definitely stay here again!

10

Theresa

9 Jun 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

Great breakfast

10

james

2 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Very nice breakfast

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
				1 $168	2	3
4 $144	5 $153	6 $158	7 $153	8 $163	9	10
11 $153	12 $163	13 $158	14 $163	15 $173	16 $182	17 $225
18 $153	19 $163	20 $158	21 $206	22 $264	23	24
25 $153	26 $153	27 $158	28 $163	29 $192	30 $769	31

Element by Marriott Iowa City

About this property

Location

Room options

Studio, 1 King Bed

Studio, 1 King Bed (Mobility Accessible, Transfer Shower)

Suite, 1 Bedroom (Hearing Accessible)

Studio, Multiple Beds (Hearing Accessible)

Studio, Multiple Beds

Suite, 1 Bedroom (Mobility Accessible, Roll-In Shower)

Room, 1 King Bed

Room, 1 King Bed (Hearing Accessible)

Room, 1 King Bed (Mobility Hearing Access, Roll-In Shower)

Suite, 1 Bedroom

Studio, 1 King Bed (Hearing Accessible)

Studio, Multiple Beds (Mobility Accessible, Roll-In Shower)

Guest reviews of Element by Marriott Iowa City

What guests think

Property policies

Check-in instructions

Good to know

Optional extras

FAQs about Element by Marriott Iowa City

Prices for upcoming dates

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16	17	18	19 $668
20 $158	21 $173	22 $192	23 $163	24 $153	25 $153	26 $229
27 $162	28 $163	29 $153	30 $173