First the good. The two front desk people I dealt with were very nice - I know one was named Bonnie. I wish I could give 5 stars to them alone. The other reviews regarding the smell are unfortunately correct. At first it smells like smoke, but over time I could tell it was more like mildew - very musty smelling. Stains on bedspread, cobwebs in corners (mid upper), the refrigerator doesn't keep things very cold, and the bottom of the fridge needed cleaning - something from before had leaked. As for safety, there are two doors at the end of the hallway that you are only supposed to be able to use to get in from outside with a key to one of the rooms. We were told that one wasn't working and would have to use the other one. That's ok. What WASN'T ok is that the non-working door wouldn't shut all the way unless you were purposely trying to do so. So if you walked out that door and just let it shut, it wouldn't shut all the way so any creep off the street could get in. The door that did work would SLAM shut - and it did all night. When we checked out, my husband was asked if we had a blowup mattress in there, and that someone had seen us carrying one out. I will add that it was STILL IN THE BOX. What - you have spies??? As nice as the front desk ladies were, we won't be stay there again. read more

I've never wrote a negative review for a hotel before now. Like a previous review said, you have 3 minutes for the time you receive your keys to get a refund. It's not possible to park get your bags, get to the room and find it's not been cleaned in 3 mins. That was our experience see pictures attached. The front desk guy came up checked to make sure our room was in fact not cleaned. He then unlocked the room next door peaked in to make sure it was clean then told us to take that room. No apologies nothing, just walked out. The rooms smell of cigarette smoke and a musky scent. The hallways had trash all over them and looked like a vacuum hadn't been used in months. The next morning we found we had no bath towels, my husband went to the desk to ask for some and no one was around. He ended up finding an open laundry closet and grab us 4. The towels were so small and worn out we ended up going to Walmart to buy bath towels, shampoo, body wash and a large candle to cover the smell of the room. The security doors either didn't shut or they were always propped open. The only good thing about the motel was the brand new refrigerator and the water pressure. We will not be staying there again when in town for the State Fair. read more

Motel 6 - This is the first room we were offered. - Hotels Near Me - Altoona, Iowa

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Stayed the night on our way to the airport. Was exhausted so just needed a few hours of sleep but didn't get much! The place was disgusting! There was toothpaste in the sink, bm in the toilet,from the previous person. The place was filthy. When we checked out we informed the desk clerk and she didn't seem to care. Definitely not worth the $140 they charged!! read more

The room was clean and comfortable, with a good-sized mini fridge and microwave--great value for the low price. It's also pet friendly and has a nice-sized pool. However, the rest of the hotel is pretty run down, and there's no elevator, which could be a downside for some guests. read more

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Rat poop on the floors. Stained blankets. Bugs in the rooms. And they have a policy of NO refund for any reason 3 MINUTES after they give you the key card. Disgusting! read more

Honestly everything could improve my peep whole on the door was shattered like someone shot or broken it with something read more

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Save your money. Room had this horrible smell that hit u right away. No coffee maker, fridge did not work, loop warm water in shower. Outside doors were missing any sort of lock or security anyone could walk right in. In the court yard pile of old air conditioning and junk piled up. Very poor lighting, mattress and pillows flat and uncomfortable. Seems to me not alot of money is used for upkeep of the motel. Giving zero stars read more

I wish I could rate this a big fat "0". Room was disgusting and completely unsafe. Rude staff! Stained towels, two very flat pillows per bed, no local television programs, no phone, no shampoo and conditioner, no coffee pot in room. And coffee offered in the lobby was empty with no staff in sight to refill it. Smells really bad! Almost like mold or something similar. We were in a room near the back entrance labeled "Rooms A Door". One door was "do not use" , the other door had a key card access and should be locked, but the door didn't close securely unless you intentionally pulled it closed tight. (Every time I went to that door it was open for anyone to access). Cigerette butts everywhere, empty booze bottles on the ground. Do not stay here! Not to mention they charged us a little over $200 for this dumpy room. I wish I had taken pictures to post. But trust me, you do not want to see it in person! read more

This place is absolutely DISGUSTING! Stains and holes in all of the bedding Roaches crawling on the floor Reeks of cigarettes DO NOT STAY HERE read more

Motel 6 - Stained top over Bed #2 Cigarette burn holes - Hotels Near Me - Altoona, Iowa

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The worst hotel experiences I've ever had. They did not have both of our rooms when we for there reserved. Our rooms had pubic hair in the bed sheets. One of the rooms appeared to have feces on one of the sheets. We did get new bedding. Gum stuck to the wall. The hotel was also loud in the morning with workers beating on the roof. No shampoo or coffee in the rooms. Staff the night we checked in was not that friendly. The lady the next morning did what she could to make up for the stay which was a 30% discount off our stay. Do your research on this place before booking. PS the drug addicts were everywhere. Just not a safe feeling place on top of it all. There was also gum left on the wall. The kids didn't even want to shower before we left. read more

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It's really gross here. After walking in there a few minutes with white socks they turned black. The bed has pieces of other people in it. Cockroaches in the bathroom and overall everything is sticky like a fast food table. The price Is cheep. But if it's warm enough save the 50$ and sleep outside somewhere. You'll probably be cleaner. I ended up eating the 50$ and hobbled all the way to comfort in. Seriously do you really wanna risk taking home bugs or diseases. The cost of avoiding pest control at your own house is worth it. Thanks and no hard feelings motel 6 read more

This rating is based on value. This is by far the best Motel 6 I have stayed at. Not my normal chain, but I needed a quick stay and this sufficed. Very clean room with the basics of what I needed. Nice sized room with comfortable beds. This location did have street noise, hallways smelled a little of smokers, and the pool was closed. None of these bothered me in regards to the good price I paid. Many entertainment and dining options nearby with theme park(seasonal), racing and gaming casino, movie theater, and outlet mall for shopping. Staff was very friendly. Check in and check out were super smooth and fast. Again, this is a no frills hotel, but for a quick place to crash for the night with nearby options, well worth the price. read more

Motel 6 - Hotels Near Me - Altoona, Iowa

Things that were wrong during our stay: 1. Stated our room wasn't available so tried to upcharge to another room even though it was pre-paid. 2. Told us our room was in a different building and we needed to drive around- turns out our room was in that first building so we had to walk back through both buildings, annoying but forgivable. 3. Hallways smelled strongly of smoke. 4. Carpet in entryway had some sort of chunky bodily expulsion (feces or vomit) 5. Ice maker did not work. 6. Guest room had a strong chemical odor. 7. Toilet did not flush. 8. There was a flat screen TV in the room, however there was no power cord. read more

The employees acknowledged me every chance they got and made me feel appreciated for my business. I had a special request and they fulfilled it immediately - I asked to use a tape measurer to measure my daughter so I knew what rides she could get on the following day at Adventure Land. When I walked into my room, you could smell the cleaning products. Everything was very clean in my room. I had a non-smoking room and it didn't smell like smoke. The common areas (hallways, vending areas) were disgusting. There were dirty towels piled up in the corner of a stairway. The pool was VERY nice and warm, my young child was very comfortable. The pool has three doors to it but we had to walk all the way around because they weren't all unlocked and able to get through (even with my room key). read more

I haven't stayed in a Motel 6 since I was in college and could not afford a Holiday Inn, but last weekend as my buddies and I road tripped it to Iowa City for the Gopher/Hawkeye football game I found myself staying at the Altoona Motel 6. Got to say I was impressed with our accommodations, especially at the price ($60 a night for a double queen bed room). It was obvious that the entire motel had been recently renovated so the rooms were nicer than we expected. No stains, broken chairs, or needles under the covers. Easily the nicest, cheap hotel I've stayed in. It's still a Motel 6, so you're not going to get eucalyptus shampoo, or more than the absolute minimum number of towels, but if the staff keeps this place in good shape I would definitely go back. read more

I stayed here for just one night after a late night flight. I was quite impressed with the condition and amenities of the motel; it was much cleaner and well-kept than other Motel 6s I've utilized. It looks like the motel has recently undergone renovations; it now has a modern and trendy appeal to it and I really enjoyed it. Convenient location: right off of I-80 and it has groceries, restaurants, and entertainment nearby; Adventureland is right across the street. The only con to this motel, I think, is its placement. In order to reach the motel parking lot, you must drive through the parking lot of a truck stop/gas station and a diner. It's a little inconvenient and odd, but the motel is of great value for the price. Also, I stayed in a non-smoking room, but the hallway smelled of smoke rather heavily. EDIT: I stayed here again when returning to the airport. Still a great experience; however, the smoke smell remained. read more

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Ah, this one's goes in the "No Bueno" column of Life. Just a few of the larger grievances: 1. WIFI. You pay for it. Come on, man. It's not much: $2.99 (for emails/FB) or $4.99 (for streaming), but this is 2015. I get that Motel 6 is a no-frills motel -- big fan of that. But in this day and age, WIFI isn't a "frill". It's like a pillow, or sheets on the bed. Not necessarily the main event -- but it definitely supports it. 2. Cleanliness. I've been lenient on Motel 6 towels before, but EVERY single one in my room looked like it'd been used to clean the wheels of an off-road vehicle. 3. Maintenance. Clogged sink. An A/C unit that doesn't work. These aren't NEWS, you know? At 0200 in the morning, numb with road hypnosis, I'm not going to put in a trouble ticket. But I'm also not going to stay here again. Chintzy and gross. read more

Parking lot looks like demilitarized zone due to construction and barely anywhere that felt safe to park that was not right by a giant dumpster. Parking lot dark and sketchy. Garbage (garbage bags, boxes, random junk) strewn all over on grass by front. Very dirty and dingy/rundown everywhere in public areas. Got into room...didn't set anything down. Dirty blankets just at surface without looking into bedding, multiple holes in walls, marker drawing all over walls in our room, smelled bad (smoky, very musty/moldy) in room---basically just felt very run down and grimy. Only positive I can say is desk lady was very kind. Thankfully we were able to get a full refund and found a place close for the night. Do yourself a favor---splurge extra $30-40 for the night and go somewhere else. read more

Do not stay at this hotel motel dump whatever. Bedbugs blood feces roaches semen and who knows what else that's just what I could see the most disgusting motel I've ever stayed at room smelled like poop. Staff was incredibly rude and unhelpfulDemanded a refund and was told to basically F off do not stay not worth $20. read more

1/2 star would bee too much credit. DO NOT RECOMMEND. My family made a last minute arrangement to stay at the Motel 6 Altoona IA  3225 Adventureland Dr, Altoona, IA 50009 on 7/31/2021.  This was by far the worst motel stay that I have ever had. While the rooms were designated "non smoking"  the entry area reeked of smoke.  There were people smoking right outside of the entry way.  The bed spreads in our non smoking room were covered in cigarette burn holes.  The room smelled of smoke and urine. We didn't bother getting beneath the covers. The room we were given was on the first floor immediately next to the reception desk.  The noise was intolerable.  This included a customer screaming at the desk person about the fact that their room did not have a television (it was 2 AM!).  People were in and out constantly, doors slamming and voices loud. We paid $ 141.24 for one night.  We arrived after 10pm and were so disgusted and unable to rest that we left by 4:30 am. This was a ridiculous amount of money to stay in a place as disgusting as this motel. read more

I don't expect much when staying at motel 6 but this place is the worst. Shower doesn't work, heat hardly works and the door leading outside slamming every 20 minutes is terrible. I don't recommend staying here read more

From the last time we as a family stayed here the motel has went down hill. There is only small bars of soap, no shampoo, hair dryers or small refrigerators in the room. The pictures are very deceiving for the price I paid for this room verses other rooms that I have stayed in for a lesser price. This is the first motel that I have ever stayed at, that I wasn't able to check in before the allotted check in time. Still after the given check in time I had to wait because the rooms still had not been completely cleaned. After this visit I will be going elsewhere the next time I come to this area. It's very disappointing when you walk into the motel and see dried dog poo on the carpet walking to your room and see a rag holding the hallway door open. Then going into the room I noticed the tub did not have a plug there was a white rubber seal to be used to plug the tub for a bath . read more

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No frills hotel is all I can say-you get what you pay for but this was bare bones No shampoo, cream rinse or lotion, flimsy furnishings at best 20 bucks more makes a world of difference read more

1st off the room stinks like mildew coming from the bathroom area 2nd the floors are noticeable warped and squeaks when your walking around 3rd I got my door knocked on at 9pm 11:30pm 02:30 am by women with obvious drug use asking if I wanted some company 4th people are coming in and out all day and all hours of the night and they are loud very loud 5th no coffee in room and coffee in lobby is watered down 6th no continental breakfast nothing 7th pool area is fine and actually the best part of my stay except some people that are not quests because no key cards to get in and they show up and drink and smoke indoor pool area and yell which echoes indoor pool and they are not thin and they jump in the pool to splash water every where and on every one the security camera had been taped over with blue tape 8th when I complained at the service desk I was met with a rude individual which appeared to be a previous prison inmate and drug user the twitching gave the 1st impression the 2nd was the needle marks and I was told "what do you want me to do about it" attitude 9th there is no do not disturb sign for the house cleaning 10th a lot I mean a lot of dogs 11th if you have to pay extra for wifi $3 for standard $5 for premium 12th the local people called this motel 6 the ghetto or druggy dungeon I'm not sure but I think this place is used as some 1/2 way house for jail and prison inmates returning to society that is the impression I got and possibly just a drug hang out who knows? read more

My semi broke down and this motel was offered by my company for a safe stay while waiting for repairs. As I checked in I seen the maids working in rooms used night before. I noticed floors in hallways are pretty dirty thinking ok, they will vacuum them shortly and spiff the place up. NOT!! HERE ITS 9:17 PM AND ALL THE HALLWAYS ARE STILL NASTY. most exit doors will not take key card to open if you leave the building hoping to return. Laundry facility is available but most machines are out of order. I hope they get their cituation fixed soon, I have never seen an unkempt place like this before! read more

This may rank as on of my worst hotel stays ever. I'm a pretty generous and forgiving guy, but this was a nightmare. We checked in only to use the restroom. We then found that there was no toilet paper in the bathroom. I had to go down to the front desk and specifically ask them to supply toilet paper for the room, which is not easy when you're in a compromised position on the toilet. My wife went to use the show, only to find that there was no soap or shampoo provided by housekeeping either ... Housekeeping didn't even bother to clean the shower ... The last guests old bar of soap (encrusted with their pubic hair) was left sitting on a ledge in the shower ... And there was only one towel ... There were multiple small face towels, but only one actual towel. Which ment that we both had to use that same towel when showering, which also ment that I got to use a damp cold towel because she showered first. But the worst was the bed .... I could have slept on any number of Medieval torture devices that would have given more comfort than that bed! It was hard, flat and wiry ... My body was in searing pain when I woke up, it was like I'd been stabbed multiple times in the back and abdomen. The price was ridiculous. It's also overpriced. I don't ever expect a lot from a hotel room under $100 per night, but I do expect it to be cleaned, provided basic toiletries (shampoo, soap (no a gross bar of soap left by the last guest doesn't count) at $78 per night, this always a horrible value. Just cough up the extra $20 and stay at a Holliday Inn Express ... You'll thank me later. read more

Just recently stayed and this Motel 6 overnight and what I was expecting was more like the other Motel 6 is, but this one turned out to be better then I thought like the others said, it in look like it had been recently renovated. I have no complaints it, even has an indoor pool. Only cons I had about the hotel that the vending machines only a set change, they don't have the updated debit card machines like other hotels have which sucks if you don't have spare change in your pockets. read more

Do not waste your money. You would have a more comfortable sleep in your car. The bed was lumpy and had black hairs on the sheets. The small shower had no hot/cold labels. And once you do figure out how to operate the shower, get excited to dry off with a "towel"...or sand paper. Same thing right? It sure is at this hotel. The smoke smelling hallways were incredibly dirty...every turn you made you could guarantee to find something that didn't belong: cigarette butts (maybe this explains the smoke smell), dirty socks, bugs, etc. Never again will I stay at a Motel 6. read more

Yes, the rooms are bare and have a weird Tokyo theme, but it is just a $63 room. It's worth every bit of the $63! Hotels nearby compared in price to twice as much. The room we got was clean and stocked. The hallway to or room was also clean, but other hallways were not. The pool was closed for maintenance, so that was a bummer. Customer service was fine as well. read more

Come on people you got to be kidding, I came from Kansas to Iowa for businessand have to stay for a few weeks, this motel is not worthy 50.00 buck a night, no free internet, no house keeping if you stay for a week, you gonna have only 2 times a housekeeper, Soap bars too little and cheap kind, no shampoo, microwave did not work, well the list can go on and on, I moved to a Comfort inn for the same price, but with a 100% better every thing! Service, and accommodations 'nuff said. read more

This is one of the better Motel 6's that I've stayed at. The rooms are mostly clean, except the wood floor was sticky. I thought the beds were nice, the shower had a ton of pressure, and overall it was a decent room. I know its a Motel 6 thing, but it's complete garbage to charge for Wi-Fi. This should be part of the room rate like electricity or water. That's really the only problem I have with this motel is that they charge for Wi-Fi, otherwise its a nice place to stay. read more

The motel was very clean and the staff was very friendly. However, the air conditioner and heater in the room did not work. The ice machine was broken and I had to pay for wifi, which was a complete rip off. The connection was so slow that it was basically unusable. I would not recommend staying at this hotel. read more

This property could've gotten four or even five stars if it were not for the horrific housekeeping. It really does have a lot going for it--it's convenient to I - 80, it's within long walking distance to the casino, and it has a 24 hour restaurant right next door. However, the housekeeping and maintenance still has my skin crawling. We arrived at 4 PM to keep our reservation (just saying that we didn't arrive late at night and had to be given the last available room). I immediately noticed that all the television cords were torn out of the TV and hanging loose while my wife went to use the bathroom. She stepped in a puddle that literally filled the bathroom. The room also reeked of cigarette smoke and we are non-smokers. We went back to the front desk and asked for another room. The woman at the front desk was friendly and had us assigned to another room with in a couple minutes. We enter that room and I noticed an M&M on the floor of the entryway and it went downhill from there.... I'm no clean freak, but was tempted to walk out when I saw cobwebs behind the entry door and lots of black hair all over the toilet (neither of us have black hair), and what appeared to be blood stains all over one of the blankets on the bed. What I found most disturbing though was the white powdery substance on the bathroom's vanity that I strongly suspect was an illegal drug. We were exhausted after a long drive and had already paid with a credit card so we decided to just stick it out after doing some cleaning ourselves. Needless to say, the housekeeper did not get a tip from us. We checked out the next morning after a reasonably quiet night and mentioned our concerns in the housekeeping department expecting that we might get a reduction in our bill. Nope. We are all done with Motel 6's--especially this property read more

It was all we needed for a night. The AC unit didn't work efficiently in room 263 but better than nothing and the rooms had been updated so were very clean. Paul at front desk offered me two different rooms, one that was specifically more quiet than the other which I appreciated! I would consider a silly thing, but new towels. I consider myself small average female and that towel barely covered me! read more

In the beginning there was a friendly staff, and a clean room, and great outlets and light fixtures, and it was good. That's the end of that book, now let's Trump this place! No free internet! Boom out of the box! Internet is available for the low low price of $4.99 a day for "fast" internet. And you must pay the front desk for the privilege, they will give you a code. Next, no gym, no extra things like a complimentary tooth brush. They have no breakfast. While my room was clean looking with a microwave and a refrigerator (that I had to request) I noticed a couple problems. The fridge had food in it. Spoiled milk and something in a bag. The shower isn't designed well and water runs down to the cheap hard wood floor. There was a bleach smell in the bathroom that was very distracting and reassuring at the same time. Finally the thing that bothered me most was that the staff said that they had no extras to keep the rooms at such a low rate. The price was a little lower than other places in the area but not much. Not worth another visit for me. P.S. They have an indoor pool. Full of fat kids with weak bladders. Presumably. read more

It was late, we needed a place to sleep, we saw this one and checked in. It is awful. It stinks inside and out. We were on the side away from the road and the diesel trucks sit a short distance away in the lot of the truck stop and run their engines all night. Although the room looked like it had been cleaned there was a cigarette butt in the toilet in a nonsmoking room. Apparently down the hall you can smoke in the rooms; that part reeked worse than the part we were in. We got one towel and one washcloth. It's a Motel 6 so it's economy, but I've stayed in them before and never had one as awful as this. Stay away. read more

Air conditioning does not work. Don't shoot me orange wall paint, very bare. No coffee pot , no hair dryer, very cheap towels, if you are bigger than.average size you won't fit on the tiny toilet or in the tiny bathroom .the beds are not comfortable. This is 24.99 a night quality hotel, Not 60.00 plus a night hotel. Several non smoking rooms however, the hallways , entryways reek of stale.cig. smoke. Won't stay here again and will not recommend to anyone. read more

Motel staff was very pleasant; however, we had to change the sheets as the ones on the bed were, let's say, soiled. Our door did not lock with the card key and the 3 staff we mentioned it to didn't seem concerned. I'll drive a it further net time visiting Des Moines. read more

Worst place ever!! We had a long day at Adventureland and we were all ready to head back to the hotel to put our stuff down and check out the pools. When we got in the hotel it smelled awful! Like cat pee and cigarettes. The smoke alarm was covered with a plastic bag(we were in a non smoking area) and there was cheese under our mattress! Not to mention pubic hair everywhere so gross! And then when we went to the pool the cameras were taped.. how safe. read more

Were it possible to rate by negative intergers, this would be a -10 Star Rating. There is one star because.....somewhere in this place is a demented and contented cockroach without the ability to post. Yes, it is dirty. The same piles of dirt, trash and debris are outside our door. Just as they were yesterday and the day before. You may ask....so why are we staying here? Simple enough, it is pet friendly and with a family emergency we are staying at a nearby Hospice. Our pets, (2 declawed, elderly cats) are staying here and we WERE using it to sleep in shifts and shower. There is an emphasis on WERE. After talking to three desk people, once upon check in, and twice after on various shifts, explaining our situation, that money wasn't an issue, if there was a problem, my card was on file, just please do not give the room away because we were spending all our time in Hospice, I was just informed we are getting the boot, for overbooking. Mind you, less than 24 hours ago, I was assured there was no problem. So......this Motel is dirty. Not as bad as some, and much worse than others. The A/C does not work, or works very poorly. Which is fine if you accustomed to sleeping in a room with an average temp of 80. We are in a "No Smoking Room" which in this Motel means absolutely nothing because all the smokers gather at the exit door, which is 3 doors away. The entire hallway reeks of smoke and most of the butts end up on the carpet in the main hallway. (Same ones that were there yesterday) If you are larger than a toddler, beware the bathroom. Especially the commode! Potty Chairs for my grandchildren are larger with a larger capacity. Speaking of the commode and sewer drainage in general, flush multiple times here to dispose of anything belonging in a sewer. Whether it's rationing, lousy plumbing, or poor pressure, there is not enough water to get various jobs done expeditiously. Shower, shaving, commode just to name a few. In closing, should you choose to stay here, it's your problem. You've been duly warned. And should you choose to stay elsewhere in the general area, probably a few hundred miles radius, flush your commode twice, Motel 6, 3225 Adventureland Dr. Altoona, Ia could use the water. read more