We were going to stay in this facility for three nights. When we got to our room it smelled of smoke (supposed to be smoke free) and the cobwebs and spiders in the corners, the toilet was dirty -- ick! I asked to get a different room -- same story in the second room. At the check in desk I asked the clerk for a refund, that the room was filthy and unacceptable. She told me I could not get a refund that night because the manager was on on site. I asked for the manager's phone number. She said she did not have it. Then my husband intervened. She still would not give us a refund. He asked to use the phone and he called the police. In about 20 minutes the manage showed up and we got the refund! Do not stay at this hotel -- run! We filed a report with the police and it will be reported to the health department.

My family planned to stay 2 nites at this motel. We reserved it over the internet a few months in advance. The pictures on the internet were fantastic. We were sure it would be very nice. When we arrived we were worried as the parking lot was a disaster and the breezeway was dripping something and had pieces falling off of it. The receptionist was vary unorganized but insisted we had to complete check in real quick because a tour bus was coming. What we found was a pool area with mold. The pool was a health risk. The maid informed us that it hadn't been filtered because the maintenance man was busy on other jobs. The rooms smelled of intense cigarette smoke and musty mold and the bed mattresses were years old and stained. There was no restaurant but plenty of empty beer can strewn all over. The other fun things (miniature golf, pool table, ping pong table were either old and broken down or non existant. We tried to get our money back to go somewhere else and was denied because we didn't give 24 hours cancellation. This place is truely a travellers worst nightmare!

This hotel has evidently been under construction for 2 years , has no A/C on the inside so they have to leave all the doors open to the get any air moving. A/C doesn't work in most rooms and rooms are filthy. Our first room seemed ok until I went to get in the shower and there was mold all over the shower curtain and inside of the shower. We then were moved to a suite to compensate us for our displeasure only to notice this room had been left open and was filled with flies, handle was broken on the sink and there was a timer on the only light in the bathroom, so the light would go out while someone would be showering. There was only one front desk staff to assist people so it took 1 hr to even be transferred to a different room and then when we went to ask for clean towels they said they had run out and they would not have anymore until later tonight. Why should I have to wait for towels in a hotel. They should have plenty. Oh and their Continental breakfast only lasted til 9 and consisted of 2 types of cereal, toast and juice. Some breakfast. I couldn't get filled up on that if I wanted to. When I'm on vacation I expect to have something more than cereal. Oh and to top it all off, they decided they were going to change out all the keys to the rooms on a Saturday so if anyone wanted into their room for anything they had to go up to the front desk to be let into your room. I felt like such a prisoner in that hotel. Little to eat, dirty rooms, and poor service. DO NOT STAY HERE!!!!! Their fitness center consisted of 3 pieces of equipment that were in the middle of a hallway to the rooms and the hot tub hasn't worked in ages.

Judging from other reviews, this place has a checkered history. It seems to have once been the Iowan Inn, then a Travelodge, and is now the Iowan again. I had planned to stay in Burlington, but continued to Fort Madison because streets in Burlington were under construction with complicated detours, and Fort Madison put me closer to Nauvoo. In fact, the desk clerk said they got a lot of Nauvoo visitors.

The sign is a temporary one, and there are still Travelodge reminders around, including on the wi-fi network name and my receipt. The management change must be recent. There also seem to be some better conditions since the last unfavorable review.

The hotel advertises glowingly in the Iowa visitor brochures and its website, touting a beautiful park setting with stoves and picnic tables, a full restaurant with "American and some international" cuisine, and an indoor pool, spa, and game area with a tropical setting. The rates were good and the staff couldn’t have been nicer, but this has to be a work in progress.

The “park” has great potential. It’s a grassy area with trees, set back from the building and parking lot. Two young dogs were tied to doghouses and began barking and carrying on as I approached. The few picnic tables were old and decrepit. There were a couple of old rusty grills, one full of trash. With new equipment and regular upkeep, this could be a nice spot for guest picnics; with the other features the hotel has, it could legitimately promote itself as a destination for family reunions or other gatherings.

The “gourmet restaurant” served only breakfast, which the clerk said was from 6:00 to 9:00 or “whenever it’s over”—-which I assumed meant when the food was gone. I wasn’t clear on whether breakfast was included, but I didn’t go. For dinner after I arrived, I went across the road to the Fort Colony restaurant, where many patrons seemed to be locals. Like many of my Midwest meals, it was comfort food and more than I could handle.

My room overlooked the pool and recreation area. Like all indoor pools it was warm and humid. It was saved from being overwhelmingly damp and chlorine-fetid by the high ceiling and decent ventilation. The mini golf course was flat and very “mini.” There were a few exercise machines, a pool table, video game room, coin laundry, and wi-fi. As advertised, there were lots of tropical plants--something that a hotel in hot, humid thunderstorm country next to the Mississippi River may need to rethink. There was an advertised low rate, but I stayed on a Saturday night so my rate was higher but still very reasonable. I found it to be clean, safe, and (despite the large indoor rec area) quiet.