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All 8 Clear Lake hotels »

Hilltop Motel

10 Allens Alley, Clear Lake, IA 50428
Hotel amenities
Hilltop Motel
Ranked #1 of 8 hotels in Clear Lake
4.0 of 5 stars 16 Reviews
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16 reviews from our community

    Trip type
Traveller rating
    7
    6
    1
    1
    1
Date Rating
Stewartville, Minnesota
2 reviews
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 15 May 2012
1
person found this review helpful

Room was very clean and very nicely decorated. You can tell the newer owners have put lots of sweat and muscle into refurbishing this motel. Comfortable beds with very nice bedding. Owner was very pleasant and accomodating. Located directly across from the Surf Ballroom, which is what we were looking for. No driving after the show. Very reasonable price.

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travelgirlfromiowa, Owner at Hilltop Motel, responded to this review
17 May 2012

Thank you for the great review. We look forward to seeing you this summer!!! More

Clinton
2 reviews
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 17 April 2012
1
person found this review helpful

I stayed here for a just over a week while in the area on business. The price is very reasonable, and the accommodations clean and tidy. I had the pleasure of staying in the rock n' roll room which was an added plus! Room has full sized fridge, microwave and kitchenette. The bathroom is small and the shower is tiny,... More

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Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
2 of 5 stars Reviewed 11 October 2011
2
people found this review helpful

My husband surprised me with this hotel stay for our 2nd anniversary. We live in clear lake so I was aware of the hotels background. The hotel looks worse than it is on the outside. Once you get to the center pool area the atmosphere changes and has a family summer party happy setting. It was very hot when we... More

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See 2 more reviews by mommybear111009 for Clear Lake
Chicago, Illinois
Contributor
15 reviews 15 reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
7 helpful votes 7 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 17 September 2011
1
person found this review helpful

Charming motel across the street from the Surf Ballroom where Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens & the Big Bopper played their last shows. (If you're lucky enough to be there when the 'Bop on in and have a look around' sign is hanging on the door - you'll see that the place is pretty amazing). The motel is also across from... More

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Saint Louis, Missouri
1 review
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
1 of 5 stars Reviewed 13 September 2011
1
person found this review helpful

We use trip advisor to find great hotels and have never been disappointed.. until now. It was dirty and needed maintenance work. The worst: there were brown smears on the toilet seat and white stains and multiple blond hairs on the bluesheets. The manager changed the sheets and washed the toilet: the replaced and cleaned items appeared OK. There were... More

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travelgirlfromiowa, Owner at Hilltop Motel, responded to this review
25 September 2011

Unfortunately we were unable to satisfy this guest. After several phone calls requesting history on the motel and the smoking status of this room (we were only able to confirm smoking status back to our ownership period of 4 1/2 years) - she did finally book the room. In hindsight I should have known the motel was not going to... More

Scales Mound, Illinois
1 review
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 5 September 2011

We rented the breakfast suite, it was huge! The breakfast was the best we have ever had! From the moment we arrived we were treated like old friends! They have an awesome patio area, pool and hot tub, many extras that are not offered at the best suites at the hilton, and my wife says the pool boy is not... More

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Overland Park, Kansas
1 review
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 31 August 2011
1
person found this review helpful

Found this lovely little place while wandering through the town. Already had a room at a name-brand chain hotel for that trip, but planned to return to Clear Lake and knew we just had to stay here, next time. We've stayed twice (2009 and 2010) and we're heading back this September. Gracious hosts, friendly "neighbors", fun pool and game areas,... More

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Waterloo, Iowa
Senior Reviewer
10 reviews 10 reviews
Reviews in 10 cities Reviews in 10 cities
43 helpful votes 43 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 21 August 2011

This was our first time at Clear Lake and we picked out this place based on the Trip Advisor ratings and reviews. We're a young family and had 3 kids along aged 8,6,4. We spent 2 nights at the motel. The owners are very friendly people who go out of their way to accommodate your needs. It's an old time... More

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Burlington VT
Top Contributor
51 reviews 51 reviews
Reviews in 44 cities Reviews in 44 cities
27 helpful votes 27 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 23 June 2011
3
people found this review helpful

This wonderful older motel is walking distance to the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake. That is where Buddy Holly's final concert took place in February 1959. I stayed here, in a lovely decorated room, and enjoyed the day in Clear Lake. During my stay, I took a pilgrimage to the spot where the plane went down; this sounds grisly, but... More

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United States
Senior Reviewer
9 reviews 9 reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
8 helpful votes 8 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 11 March 2011
2
people found this review helpful

Our group had been travelling on business with for an extended period of time. This place was refreshing because it had the feel of staying in the guest bedroom your aunt's house, but with the privacy of a hotel. Each room has a different theme (Coca-Cola Room, Waterski Room, etc.) giving the motel a fun and unique personality. The rooms... More

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Additional Information about Hilltop Motel

10 Allens Alley, Clear Lake, IA 50428
Price range (per night):* INR2,796 - 5,536

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