We have stayed twice in another Americinn in another city and were very satisfied. Less so with this one. The maintenance and cleanliness of the room could have been improved. The first thing I did when I came in the room was pick up a gum wrapper off the floor which led me to believe that it had not been vacuumed. The room itself looked "cheap," small TV, worn carpeting, etc. something I'd expect in a motel which had a lesser rate than this one. Vanity is outside the bathroom and the bathroom itself is tiny. On the plus side, the internet access worked well, and the front desk clerk was helpful and accommodating. I wouldn't stay here again, however.

The Ames Americinn is a standard member of the Americinn chain, they meet the expectations I have of that chain. The main entrance has a nice "prairie house" decor, breakfast area and balcony above to the second floor. The staff are limited as is the trend in budget hotels, though they were generally kind and helpful.

Our room was a small suite. The entry room had a sleeper sofa, table with chairs, coffee table (that;s where the linens hide!) a TV and a refreshment center with fridge and micro. French doors separate this room from the main sleeping area. The vanity is outside the bath/toilet room. Our king sized bed was acceptable, though not especially great. Cable TV was standard, and wifi was provided free.

The pool is in a great sized room off the side of the building, as with most Americinn's. The room was COLD... yes it is January, but just a touch of heat would have been nice. The water was warm, so we still had a good time with the kids.

Breakfast is continental with a waffle machine. The coffee stinks, plan on a stop on your way out.

This hotel was a stopover point for us on a longer trip, but I am told that it is a prime location for Iowa State U folks.

I love this hotel! I stayed here during the ACVP exam and it was wonderful. The people were amazing and made my stay so pleasant (or as pleasant can be expected given the reason I was in town). First, it is convenient to the testing center--only about 10 minutes by car. Not really close to restaurants other than Subway and Dairy Queen, but only 5 minutes up the road and there are many offerings. Second, the hotel is clean and quiet. The lighting is good for studying. Only a table, not a desk, so if you spread out when you study, it might be a little crunched. Some rooms have executive desks. Beds are heavenly--large and just firm enough with tons of pillows. The bathrooms are no-frills, just a shower/tub and a toilet with the sink is in the room. All rooms have microwave and fridge. Breakfast is great! Bagels, toast, cereal, biscuits & gravy, waffles, coffee, tea, juice, milk, various giant pastries, frest fruit, yogurt. You won't starve, although the offerings are lacking in protein. There is a pool and a hot tub that seemed fine but I didn't use. I got a late check-out because the gen path section doesn't end until noon and didn't want to check out before the test--it was absolutely no problem (although I did give them plenty of warning). And I must say the hotel is lucky because I won't be having to go back to Ames next year! =-)

We stayed In Ames the weekend of Oct 5th with a group of 5 rooms. Two of the rooms were at the americinn and three were across the road at the Country Inn and Suites. Lets just say those of us at the americinn felt cheated.
The one upside is that they have a great pet policy and allowed our dogs to stay free of charge with no deposit, which I have never run in to before.
The downside.. well the lobby was insanely hot and muggy. It was cooler outside. It smelled dirty as well.The furniture in the lobby was worn and dirty. The locks on the rooms didn't work well at all..it took forever to get in to the room. The room was never cleaned and the beds were never made the entire stay and clean towels had to be retrieved from the front desk. Then due to a mistake on the part of the front desk, my card was overcharged $500!! It took 2 days of phone calls to resolve.
The manager did handle the situation and refund one night of our stay due to the mishap, but it was way to much effort for what was going to be a relaxing weekend with family as my daughter looked at colleges out of state. Bottom line.. only if you have pets and can stand the heat and the smell.