Iowa Lodging Recommendations

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I went down there with my wife and some of her family in '09. They are all Iowans and for the most part are pretty good. My sister-in-law (a U of I alum) set up the whole thing...at the time she traveled for work and was good at handling all that crap.
I can't remember the place but I remember it was right near the train track that takes fans to the football game. We arrived around 9pm Friday night to check in. Front desk said we didn't have a reservation. My s-i-l showed them a printout of the confirmation. They said they didn't have the room and they were completely full. S-i-l asked if they gave it away because we were from Minnesota (aside from me, the entire party were Iowa fans even though we were all Minnesota residents...and I was wearing my Gopher sweatshirt). Front desk denied it, but they did call the manager at home. After hanging up we were told there was nothing they could do.
Then it started to get a little testy, especially when we saw Hawkeye guests check in without problems. By now voices were raised and other guests that were drinking/hanging out in the lobby started to chime in...pretty much telling us to get lost. That was it. My s-i-l went ALL. OUT. BITCH. It was fun to watch. She told them how she has worked in hotels before, and travels for work all the time and knew there were always...ALWAYS...open rooms. She demanded they call the manager again. This time after hanging up they said to wait here, the manager will be coming in to work this out. When the manager got there she hardly said a word. Punched a bunch of keys on the computer and gave us some keys to a room. As easy as that. F-ing liars.
As we grabbed our bags and walked to our room some Hawkeye fans booed us. When we got to our room my s-i-l said in hindsight my Gopher sweatshirt didn't help.
Anyway we had plans to tailgate with a large group of her college buddies and their friends and family, etc...some who were even Gopher fans. S-i-l was still pretty worked up and told most everyone there what had happened. We about died when one of the Gophers in the group laughed and said the same thing happened to him a few years earlier at a different hotel. They ended up driving to Cedar Rapids to find a shitty place for the night.
Not sure if this is a common thing, but it does give me more reason to hate them.

Oh...and, I'll never go back. Kinnick is a shit hole.
 

Cameras are real. Slowing down is advised. Major money generator...

cbs2iowa.com

Iowa's News Now Investigates: Following the money from Cedar Rapids traffic camera tickets

There is a lot of skepticism about the money pouring into Cedar Rapids from traffic cameras on I-380 and other spots dotted around the city. In March, Iowa's News Now Investigates reported on how traffic cameras or as the city calls them, Automatic Traffic Enforcement, generates millions of...
cbs2iowa.com cbs2iowa.com
 

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We parked in lot 11 last time about 3 hours before game time. The bar scene is just north of Burlingon St on that side anyway. Stayed in Cedar Rapids due to availability
 


There are plentiful good hotels in Davenport, about a 50 minute drive from IC.
 

FredCoxRocks said:
I went down there with my wife and some of her family in '09. They are all Iowans and for the most part are pretty good. My sister-in-law (a U of I alum) set up the whole thing...at the time she traveled for work and was good at handling all that crap.
I can't remember the place but I remember it was right near the train track that takes fans to the football game. We arrived around 9pm Friday night to check in. Front desk said we didn't have a reservation. My s-i-l showed them a printout of the confirmation. They said they didn't have the room and they were completely full. S-i-l asked if they gave it away because we were from Minnesota (aside from me, the entire party were Iowa fans even though we were all Minnesota residents...and I was wearing my Gopher sweatshirt). Front desk denied it, but they did call the manager at home. After hanging up we were told there was nothing they could do.
Then it started to get a little testy, especially when we saw Hawkeye guests check in without problems. By now voices were raised and other guests that were drinking/hanging out in the lobby started to chime in...pretty much telling us to get lost. That was it. My s-i-l went ALL. OUT. BITCH. It was fun to watch. She told them how she has worked in hotels before, and travels for work all the time and knew there were always...ALWAYS...open rooms. She demanded they call the manager again. This time after hanging up they said to wait here, the manager will be coming in to work this out. When the manager got there she hardly said a word. Punched a bunch of keys on the computer and gave us some keys to a room. As easy as that. F-ing liars.
As we grabbed our bags and walked to our room some Hawkeye fans booed us. When we got to our room my s-i-l said in hindsight my Gopher sweatshirt didn't help.
Anyway we had plans to tailgate with a large group of her college buddies and their friends and family, etc...some who were even Gopher fans. S-i-l was still pretty worked up and told most everyone there what had happened. We about died when one of the Gophers in the group laughed and said the same thing happened to him a few years earlier at a different hotel. They ended up driving to Cedar Rapids to find a shitty place for the night.
Not sure if this is a common thing, but it does give me more reason to hate them.

Oh...and, I'll never go back. Kinnick is a shit hole.
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When I was driving around the university area there were many homes / lots that refused me service even though they had open parking spots. It was clear that four people in maroon clothing in a car with Minnesota plates were persona non grata
 


TheUzbekistanHuskers said:
We are making the trip down to Iowa City on 11/13, and are starting to look into lodging options. Any tips? Looks like Cedar Rapids might be the best/more affordable option?

Go Gophers!
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My parents used to stay in some boring hotel in Cedar Rapids, which worked for them, but for me is not very appealing.

I used to stay nearby in C-ville and walk south to the Stadium, which was OK, but the last trip I stayed overnight was in 2013? and I overpaid by a lot and stayed at the big hotel downtown on the Ped Mall, which was well worth it.

There are some places to hang out on that Coralville strip though, but getting back from downtown late is a big problem with spotty cab service, and the walk back is a lot harder than the pre-game walk.

For me the main appeal of Iowa City is hitting the taverns downtown before and after the game and enjoying later evening Iowa City, regardless of my age.

Last time in 2019 I drove in and out the day of the game, had we won i would have found a way to stay overnight.

Driving past the Melrose exit on US218 a couple of miles south to the Highway 1 exit,, then driving NE back into Iowa City, then North on Riverside Ave was a pretty good way to avoid any real traffic. I was able to park in a big ramp south of downtown a block or two and got out quickly with a great burrito from some shop by the ramp. The whole thing seemed like a pretty good idea until I got to Stewartville MN on 63 and felt like I was ready to die, with two full hours of driving left. With a win it all would have been better.
 



TheUzbekistanHuskers said:
We are making the trip down to Iowa City on 11/13, and are starting to look into lodging options. Any tips? Looks like Cedar Rapids might be the best/more affordable option?

Go Gophers!
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there's a lot of dirty dump hotels in CR...it's Cedar Rapids...a sh*thole of a city as you will find out. I grew and played sports in the Mississippi Valley Conference and we always played CR Wash, CR Jeff and CR Kennedy. I'd find a hotel closer to Iowa City or the Quad Cities. Cedar Rapids is just a dump.
 

BilldGopher said:
Give AirBNB a look. Might be interesting. Coralville is close...still have to park somewhere near campus. Locals go to the golf course to park and party. Good luck.
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Coralville is a better option than Cedar Rapids Sh*thole. Pay the extra to NOT stay in CR...you'll be glad and thankful.
 

I don't live there anymore but Cedar Rapids is not that bad. A lot of good restaurants in town.
 

harley_gopher said:
there's a lot of dirty dump hotels in CR...it's Cedar Rapids...a sh*thole of a city as you will find out. I grew and played sports in the Mississippi Valley Conference and we always played CR Wash, CR Jeff and CR Kennedy. I'd find a hotel closer to Iowa City or the Quad Cities. Cedar Rapids is just a dump.
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The Quad Cities: a fine example of Iowa hospitality, especially when it adds nearly 2 hours to the drive from MN.
 



Cedar Rapids Gopher said:
I don't live there anymore but Cedar Rapids is not that bad. A lot of good restaurants in town.
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images
 


Ope3 said:
Underrated movie, pretty good.

Also I stayed in Cedar Rapids in 2019 at a Marriott Residence Inn. Thought it was fine, plus reasonably priced.
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Did you smoke crystal meth? ;)
 


I may have an extra room or two booked at the Super 8 in IC. Would be willing to "sell" to Gopher fans for a reasonable fee.
 

Hard to make recommendations in a state that confuses restrooms for the honeymoon suite.
 

We stayed at the Motel 6 in Cedar Rapids. It was OK. The rooms were spartan but clean and adequate. The beds were comfortable enough, although it had all the charm of a college dorm. One group in another room didn't have pillows. Never seen that before. Our room had pillows.
 

edit: forget the deleted long story......

Moral of new much shortened story... beware of food under heat lamps in forlorn midwestern villages......

and of course the usual angry villagers
 
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RodentRampage said:
We stayed at the Motel 6 in Cedar Rapids. It was OK. The rooms were spartan but clean and adequate. The beds were comfortable enough, although it had all the charm of a college dorm. One group in another room didn't have pillows. Never seen that before. Our room had pillows.
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Motel 6? Rooms for $19.95? And a can of Raid, included.
 

Boomtime said:
Motel 6? Rooms for $19.95? And a can of Raid, included.
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Ifit is not too cold (above 25 degrees or so) , and you have an SUV do what my running, triathlon pals do, put down the seat and sleep in the back! Just make sure if you drink a "snootful" (great old timey term), hide your keys under a rock 100 feet away!
 

Went twice during the early Mason years and expected a drink poured down my back at any minute.

Unfortunately the Gophers did not show on the field at all...so no need for the natives to be restless at all. That was probably good.

Still, a lot of energy and Kinnick is not like any other place to see a game.
 


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