If you are visiting the Iowa State University campus, the Memorial House hotel has a great location, inside the Memorial Union. Other than location, there was significant room for improvement in every aspect of our stay.

Our assigned room had character: sloping ceilings, great views, several windows that begin at floor level (and ended around 5' tall). The doors and frames were original, quarter-sawn oak. Beds were creaky, on basic metal frames. The headboard, desk and end tables need to be updated from a dark, heavy wood, 1980s frat house feel. There was an over-stuffed 1970s armchair with a giant floor lamp. The TV didn't work well.

The bathroom was unacceptable. The shower hits you at your waist, the tub would not drain during a short shower, leaving me in ankle deep water after just seconds. The tub did not have any sort of useful handles or grab-rails and lacked an anti-slip bottom. The only place to set soap or shampoo was designed for the bathtub... more