We read of the Park Motel in a guidebook about the Lincoln Highway. Located in Denison, IA (the home of Donna Reed), it is nicely located on the highway, close to downtown and right across the street from a very nice restaurant. The managers were very welcoming and helpful. Some of the rooms in the original 1940's section are themed. We had the Moose Room and it was very charming. The chair was a little iffy, with a super soft cushion that made standing up a challenge, but the bed was great and the shower was superb. There were tables and chairs to sit outside in the evening to enjoy the night air. If you like a little history in a nice, un-chainlike setting, the Park Motel is a great place to stay with reasonable rates and they take dogs!

I spent three nights at the Park for work. I specifically requested a room in the original section, which was built in 1940. For $50 with tax, I got a big corner room on the second floor. The owners are nice people, and are really proud of the history behind their motel. There's some interesting stuff in the lobby about the place.
The room was really nice. It was roomy, but not huge, and had a large TV in a bureau, as well as a desk and chair. There were some vintage fixtures in the room, including a really cool built in steel wall kitchen, which hid a fridge and microwave. Sadly, the bathroom had been remodeled in the '90s. It was clean, but the bland budget fixtures must have replaced a nice tile bath. The bed was nice, and had a blanket and quilt. My room was quiet at night. They do have laundry machines down in the basement of the old building, and the prices are reasonable.

I have to admit that I was already expecting greatness as this hotel is rated #1 in Denison and I was not at all disappointed. We have been driving from the Caribbean (Mexico) to California and now out to the midwest before heading home and we're getting a little tired of constant motel rooms. This hotel was a nice change of pace. The heat was WONDERFUL, the bathroom, while decorated in period tile was SPOTLESSLY clean. Honestly, if I could get my bathroom tiles at home as clean as that bathroom I'd be a Very Happy person. The furniture was very nice for such an economical hotel and I was really surprised at how nice they were.

For wintertime, especially if you're a runner, the heater is perfectly located to dry out your damp running attire. You can do a nice 5 mile loop with a couple decent hills (well, I'm from the Yucatan and anything with a slight rise is a hill to me) by heading out to Frontier Road (see mapmyrun for details). The hotel desk lady (not sure if she's the owner or not) was so incredibly kind, it was a treat just to walk into the office. When we left (after extending our stay another night) she gifted us a book on the Lincoln highway. What a LOVELY gift! I was SO TOUCHED by her kindness - we have been traveling the byways (highway 50 and 30) and this book is such a treat to read.

The breakfast consisted of bananas, oranges, coffee, hot chocolate, cereals, oatmeal and breakfast bars. Oh, and bread and toppings also. We are coffee snobs (well, we buy our beans direct from the grower and have them roasted by an old Italian at home, so we're pretty spoiled) and didn't even try the hotel coffee - we always bring our own along with a grinder and coffeepot, so I have no idea what the coffee was like, but the kids LOVED the hot chocolate offered. And I really appreciated the paper (not styrofoam) cups.

The only worry I had was with the floor. We were in the east wing and i was always worried the kids were making too much noise walking across the floor as it was pretty creaky (just a function of the age of the hotel). Not really a complaint, just a concern for other travelers who might be under us. Internet worked PERFECTLY, we've been in higher priced hotels with much worse internet. They might have had one of the best of the trip. There is a German (original to the opening of the hotel) restaurant across the street and KFC next door. But up in Ida Grove, you can get $1.0 root beer floats (special) and 5-cent coffee (normal price) at the drugstore/soda fountain.

Make sure to visit all the lovely Victorians in town and then head up to Ida Grove and check out the castles. We loved our visit to lovely Denison and the Park Hotel turned an overnight stop into a lovely 2-night stay.

I would not only stay here again, but am going to look into planning our return trip through Denison so we can stay here again. They are very pet friendly, kid friendly, people friendly; heck - they're just FRIENDLY and really, very kind with a hotel in wonderful condition.

My sisters and our families stayed at this nicely renovated motel. Has very nice rooms. Continental breakfast was included. Cereal, toast, muffins, bagels, coffee, oj, hot chocolate, tea and fruit. Very friendly and accomodating staff. Nice outdoor areas to sit and visit with family. No coffee pots in rooms but coffee was available when wanted during lobby hours. Many eating places available within walking distance.
Already planning our next family get together in Denison! Frig and Microwaves in all of our rooms.. kids had sodas and popcorn.. Adults had cold beer!!