Second year in a row at this place for a conference. All our food during the conference was very good. Better than most conference buffets I have had. The staff was friendly. The bartenders made great Old Fashioneds in the Photo Finish Lounge. Our room was clean and comfortable. The downside to being here the first part of the week, sometimes the bar and the main restaurant are not open. read more

We spent a night here while traveling north. Although not big gamblers the casino was nice, clean and staff friendly. It was not over crowded however note that we stayed and played mid week. Our room was updated, spacious and comfortable. The shampoo and soaps were individual not coming out of a community dispenser. The bed was perfect for a hotel not to hard not to soft. We never really thought about staying at a casino hotel but this definitely makes for a much better stay than other budget hotels. We paid a budget price but felt more like a luxury experience. Note I'm not saying it felt like the Ritz or 4 Seasons, but definitely better than a traditional Hilton or Marriot. read more

Great Conference area, we'll organized with plenty of space for breakouts and lunch was delicious! read more

Prairie Meadows - Iowa Tourism Conference- Bishop A/B Conference Room - Casinos Near Me - Altoona, Iowa

AJ's steak house was very good! Went for Easter dinner! Delicious! Server was very good! Only thing after ordering a prime rib dinner, no steak knife was included with meal! Had to ask for it! read more

This is a great experience for families with young children. I have not thoroughly researched but I am under the impression that children-friendly, live horse racing venues are difficult to come by. Our family visited on a Friday and we arrived around 5:45 pm with plenty of parking and seating. Post time was 6 pm and programs are $4 each. There were 10 races scheduled and the wait time between each race is approximately 20-30 minutes. We watched three live races before heading out. It was a very enjoyable and memorable experience for our young girls. read more

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Card swipe Friday 01/10/2025 Late afternoon Quick swipe for entries Bathroom stop second Bathroom Floor was better this trip A few punters in and playing Quick swing in to high limit Both Top dollar still turned off Played the 7's machine Small hits for up 20 Cash out and quick loop to pop machine area for a splash of coke A walk through the track side machines as they are 5 and 10 classic machines Nothing called my name So left with gas money ahead and lived to play another day I would love to take a run at the new mo mummy machines in the high limit area But I need to do that with 2k as a min to walk up to the machine as they are a multi spin to see the features style of play I need to look at the spin mins and max on those to plan a good session Video games are not my thing Love classic IGT machines I wish they had a wild cherry or 2x 3x in the high limit area as a 5 denomination and 2 to load it up Easy machine to play when you are tired And you get lots of play back little hits read more

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Came for the racing at this pristine oval but realized you can play everything here! Vibrant, large CASINO and nice CAESAR'S SPORTS BOOK right next to the RACETRACK CLUBHOUSE! Free Parking. Free Admission and a huge Clubhouse with TV Table Seating for everyone! I'LL BE BACK!! read more

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Always a good time at Prairie Meadows. The casino floor is spacious with a huge variety of slots and table games, so it never feels too crowded even when it's busy. The atmosphere is lively, and the staff is generally helpful if you need a hand. It's a great spot in Altoona to kill a few hours, have a drink, and hopefully walk out with a bit more cash than you came in with. read more

Great experience here I love it and getting to be the Pitboss of Prairie meadows what a gift read more

Prairie Meadows - Me at the Klamath Cruise June 27, 2024. - Casinos Near Me - Altoona, Iowa

This casino is nice. Did I win NO!!!! Needless to say it was clean , spacious and vibrant. There was ample parking and lot was clean. Machines were up to date and they had a separate section for non smoking patrons which is always good. Drink selection is just ok. Food was good and reasonable. Only con I didn't win. Try your luck !!! read more

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They must have renovated the rooms recently. They even had new room smell (but not in a bad way). This would be a great hotel for someone with low vision to navigate as bump out by the room doors is a dark contrast to the otherwise white walls and large silver room numbers. They did seem to lack way-finding signs (maybe we missed them?) that tell you which range of room numbers in down which hall. And we weren't sure where the ice machine was, until we returned to the elevator and spotted it near it along with a vending machine. We had the accessible room and it was very spacious with a lower height bed that I think would make transfers from a wheelchair chair easier, along with a large shower stall, drain in the middle of the bathroom floor incase water gets out of the shower and lots of turning space in the bathroom. The room was very quiet. There was a desk, refrigerator and kerig, as well as a larger recliner. read more

They are forcing us to buy aluminum can beer at Finish Line bar because they ordered too much during racing season. Bartenders are standing around doing nothing while the customers have to go to other bars to get glass bottles. Not fair to the bartenders or the customers!!! read more

We made a stop here to do a little gambling. When we walked in we realized that Iowa allows smoking inside the casino, which resulted in our hard U-turn. Before leaving we noticed that the racetrack would be opening in an hour, so we stayed for a couple races. The first two races (and most thereafter) were only 300yd's. Not sure if this is an Iowa thing or what, but races are over in the blink of an eye. Then you have to wait a good 25 minutes for the next race. Two races were enough for us. Aside from this, everything here is well maintained and cigarette smoke aside, clean. Just wish the state would get with the program and abolish smoking indoors. It's 2024 folks. read more

We had a great day watching the horses. We had a table upstairs away from the heat. The staff was very friendly and helpful while placing our bets. They were sampling vodka. How could you go wrong with that. read more

Prairie Meadows - Casinos Near Me - Altoona, Iowa

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Response time to payout jackpots is ridiculous. First one over 45 minutes was told "oh shift change" causes delays. Second one 40 minutes was told by a floor manager to complain online as that is the only way higher ups pay attention. Both were under $3k with my current address license and social security card so nothing complicated. A host told me "I have no control over it" vs offering to pass on my complaints. Need to improve Prairie Meadows! read more

I played the penny progressive. I had played $5 of my $20. I never max a machine out. I was playing 50 cents. Went to the bonus round. I had hit little jackpots of $10 and $20. I won the $2757 progressive. The attendant told me he had never paid a progressive on a minimum bet. Well he paid me!!!! I got my money and went home. I always win at this casino. read more

Man I used to go to this casino all the time and as of this year you can't even hit a bonus on the games. The line hits aren't good either. It would be more fun flushing my money down the toilet and watching it swirl down. If you play here you'll pretty much just lose on every spin until your money is gone. Osceola is a much more fun casino to go too. read more

I go to Prairie Meadows quite a bit and have stayed at the hotel several times. The Casino: I don't gamble very much, but the little I do and what I have observed from those around me - it doesn't seem like they pay out as much as other casinos- or even as much as they did last year. They have a good variety of table games and slots, regardless of payout I do think you'll have a good time. The staff is very hit and miss. A lot of them are quite grouchy. The food: There are 4 main restaurants. Cafe at the Meadows is in the hotel area. Except for their limited and ever changing hours they are a pretty good value for money. I recommend their steak and eggs. The Buffet is hit and miss. If you like a lot of fried food it'll be right up your alley. The crab leg upgrade when they offer it is very worth it. AJ's is the best value for money - though their pasta is a pass for me. Just about anything else I have had has been great. The Padock used to be the 24 hour restaurant but now they close in the mornings- though they do have all day breakfast still. You are paying for the convenience. It's not bad but it's expensive and just sorta ok food. The Hotel: They talk about it being a 4 star hotel - id say it's more of a three. There is no room service or normal bell service. The bar doesn't have food. Their staff is constantly rotating. Their maid service isn't always reliable to show up before you get back into the hotel room for the evening - also check in is sometimes pushed back past posted times because of it. I've stayed in their standard single & double rooms (not pictured), as well as their jr king and executive king suites. I would say the best is the jr king. It's a two room suite divided by the bathroom. It has a really nice kitchenette and the microwaves are actually better in these than the executive suites. I would say if you can get it for around $120ish a night id say it's worth it. Any more I'd probably stay downtown Des Moines and commute in. read more

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Went to Prairie Meadows Casino for a Wedding reception and it was a fun time. The reception room we were in was nice and well decorated. My boyfriend and I went and did a little bit of gambling in the casino before and after the reception. I lost money but my boyfriend won $500. It was kind of small for a casino but ok in general. Staff inside were very kind and helpful. They had some craft beer on tap in the casino but not much. Overall, average experience. read more

This place is a smoke magnet for smokers. Good god! They even smoke in the non-smoking area and no one bothers to boot them out. HELLO Casino owners.... take some of your hard earned money () and buy some air handlers to provide ALL of your customers a better experience. Those of us that don't smoke would also like to gamble without catching cancer over a night out. Also on your sports book addition, love the fact you added that... but someone should of went to Vegas to see how it's done before you just threw up some TVs and added some table and chairs. -Millions of dollar addition..... wish I was that contractor! read more

Prairie Meadows - Sports Book - Cafe table and chairs - some TVs. - Casinos Near Me - Altoona, Iowa

My husband and I spent the day at the casino, it was a wonderful experience. Everyone was super friendly, the facility was clean open and spacious. We are non-smokers, so we enjoy the non-smoking area. However, the whole facility smells clean and fresh The bartending and wait staff, friendly, and efficient. We won a few times and we ended up staying longer than expected. The customer service for the players card was fun and exciting. Highly recommend it! read more

I grew up around Des Moines, Iowa and there wasn't anything like this back then. Prairie Meadows Hotel Casino and Horse Racing Track here in Altoona, Iowa not too awful far from Des Moines. Well done folks! Modern and nice so follow me through my experience: we arrived and hung out in the comfortable lobby awaiting friends who got us a nice discount. We checked into our room, clean, comfortable, just right! Down the hall and down a ramp to part of the casino. I must say the lobby bar looked inviting but it was closed on Sundays. So we went right to the Horse Track, grabbed a couple beers and looked at the racing forms. The racing forms were $2 a piece, the dates matched up but oddly the horses were different than the actual running horses? I'm not sure why but I played the odds and won a couple bucks (lost a little more) but I love horse racing! After 4 races we walked right to the casino. I'm not a gambler by any means but we played the slots including an interesting Automatic Craps Machine (there were real craps tables but this was fun) Slots are not my thing but I had fun. We then headed to AJ's Steakhouse in the hotel and I had an excellent Prime Rib Sandwich and my girl had a Steak Sandwich, both excellent! Cloth tablecloth and napkins, beautiful decor, soft lighting, I loved this place! I had a Bread n Butter Pinot Noir from California- excellent pairing! Our Server was named Adriyen, he knew his stuff, he joked with us and was all around the perfect host! I am really enjoying this place and I highly recommend it! I think the room was about $202, don't quote me. If you find yourself in this beautiful part of the country give Prairie Meadows a look, you won't be disappointed! read more

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This place is the worse casino I've ever been to, that's to mention the service at the bar. One should expect to pay full price for a drink with alcohol but that's not the case. They will charge full price and only give you olive juice. What is that about? I will not be coming back. read more

if i could stress how much this place sucks, i would. oh wait, i can, using the written word. damn, this place SUCKS. run down, dirty, staff just standing around. if you are naive enough to order a drink from one of the tired looking cocktail waitresses, be prepared to wait at least 15 minutes, and pretend to be happy with your watered down drink. i know people get spoiled, having free drinks when in las vegas, but seriously, how much did i just pay for half melted ice cubes in house gin? i watched people playing the machines around me, never once did i see anyone winning, even one woman who just kept feeding her machine and pulling the handle - it was like she was a zombie. when she finally stopped, i think she won $16.00, but i feel like she put in much more than that. i won $22.00 on a $3.00 investment, and felt lucky. i also felt embarrassed, since i was sitting in this nasty casino in the middle of the day, drinking a horrendous cocktail. i took my $22.00 and told myself never again at this casino. what was kind of weird to me was how many elderly people were there - is this what retirement in iowa looks like? not at all pretty. the last time i saw that many hoverounds in one room, i was watching a qvc pitch. what are multiple hoverounds called? a pride? a bunch? a legion? irritating? no one knows for sure. heed my warning - stay away from this horrendous nightmare. read more

This is a second review for us here....And we just can't find anything to complain about! We love it. The hotel is just as clean and crisp as it was when it opened. Service from all departments is excellent. We love the high styled bright decor. The whole casino/hotel experience is as good or better than what we experience when staying in other cities...including Las Vegas. We have even booked our next stay a year in advance. Thank you Prairie Meadows Hotel! Richard Hornaday read more

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These guys apparently use one of those "all black people look alike" facial recognition programs because I live in Iowa six months out of the year, and went here all the time. They said I was trespassing the last time and "we have your car information and all of your information." They said I was arguing with a dealer in July, even though I was not in Iowa in July. I'd never driven the car I drove today to that casino (it was my cousin's car, who was fixing my muffler on my car at the time). I didn't argue. I just left. This happened at a casino in Illinois too, one that I'd NEVER been in. Beware Black folks. This is the new norm. I won't be going to any casinos outside of Vegas ever again. This is crazy!! read more

10/10 would recommend. Stopped here on my travels and decided to see what the bar was like in the casino. Abbi is an exceptional bartender. Her sweet demeanor is sure to win anyone over. East to talk to and super personable. She's the reason I will be back. Keep it up. read more

Don't leave someone else's pizza the mini fridge!!! Wtf?!?!!? Other than that the place is pretty clean and pleasant.

It was July 4th and my wife and I stopped in to play some slots for a few hours. I rarely get "ID'd" when I go there, probably because I'm 38 years old but I could maybe pass as being 30, in my eyes at least. Anyways, the security guard at the door stopped me and ask me "can I see you ID," which is fine, he's just doing his job. I made a joke and said "sure, can I see yours?" He didn't respond to that but then asked me "have you been drinking?" I kind of rubbed my head for a second and thought to myself, well how do I answer that. It's 90 degrees in Iowa in the middle of the afternoon. Should I lie and say "no sir?" Or be honest and say "yes I have been," considering I had more then a few glasses of water and two Gatorades?" So, because of his demeanor I lied and said "no sir." He then checked my ID, looked at it, swiped it through their computer system, looked at me, then back at the computer and then back at me. I was so close to saying "give me my f*cking driver's license back and walk out. My wife knew I was getting upset and calmed me down so we eventually made our way up the yellow brick road to the Emerald City. We met three amazing friends. A Tin woodman, a cowardly lion and a scarecrow. We ended up having a pretty nice time. Before we left I went to use the restroom. Many times with my luck, at the slots and finding a restroom, the "men's side is closed," because the are cleaning it, fair enough. This time is was not closed. I went into the restroom and after I took care of my reason of using the restroom I proceeded to go wash my hands. There was a sign covering both sinks that said "this area is temporarily closed." Hmmmm..... This casino allows a restroom to be open while the hand sanitization part of it is closed. Minus the security guard not having a sense of humor and taking his "rent a cop" job to seriously, the restroom issue baffled me the most. Other then that, I had a great time because I was with my wife and we still had fun. read more

It was July 4th and my wife and I stopped in to play some slots for a few hours. I rarely get "ID'd" when I go there, probably because I'm 38 years old but I could maybe pass as being 30, in my eyes at least. Anyways, the security guard at the door stopped me and ask me "can I see you ID," which is fine, he's just doing his job. I made a joke and said "sure, can I see yours?" He didn't respond to that but then asked me "have you been drinking?" I kind of rubbed my head for a second and thought to myself, well how do I answer that. It's 90 degrees in Iowa in the middle of the afternoon. Should I lie and say "no sir?" Or be honest and say "yes I have been," considering I had more then a few glasses of water and two Gatorades?" So, because of his demeanor I lied and said "no sir." He then checked my ID, looked at it, swiped it through their computer system, looked at me, then back at the computer and then back at me. I was so close to saying "give me my f*cking driver's license back and walk out. My wife knew I was getting upset and calmed me down so we eventually made our way up the yellow brick road to the Emerald City. We met three amazing friends. A Tin woodman, a cowardly lion and a scarecrow. We ended up having a pretty nice time. Before we left I went to use the restroom. Many times with my luck, at the slots and finding a restroom, the "men's side is closed," because the are cleaning it, fair enough. This time is was not closed. I went into the restroom and after I took care of my reason of using the restroom I proceeded to go wash my hands. There was a sign covering both sinks that said "this area is temporarily closed." Hmmmm..... This casino allows a restroom to be open while the hand sanitization part of it is closed. Minus the security guard not having a sense of humor and taking his "rent a cop" job to seriously, the restroom issue baffled me the most. Other then that, I had a great time because I was with my wife and we still had fun. read more

Love the racebook (4th floor) and the casino! Both are huge!! Lots of tvs! I was able to get a Churchill Downs guide for derby day for only a buck! Betting is so easy here! The view of the race track from the restaurant tables is also really nice! Casino is easy to navigate through and is clean! I could do without the smoking! The roulette tables are great usually with a 10 dollar minimum! read more

Where do I start I am glorified to tell you that upon at 1st in a different hotel it being badd pre meadows racetrack casino hotel was perfect we had a beautiful Room soft bed clean was able to get in the pool if we wanted in joy going to the casino and We one holy cow We got to go to AJ steak house for dinner it was thoroughly enjoyable what a succulent meal delicious superbe I wanted to take everything home Had a wonderful 20 year anniversary there will thoroughly want to go back tipped many people and look forward to our return sometime soon thank you oh thank you To the front desk clerks to the gentleman that helped us to our vehicle we want to say thank you and we enjoyed our stay tremendously!!!! read more

Prairie Meadows - 20 wonderful years, my how time fly! - Casinos Near Me - Altoona, Iowa

The worst casino in the USA land. Buffet is closed and only junk food place is open. The cost of 2 times more than MCDONALD'S meal even thou the same thing but cost double. Table games and slots are 90% win for house/dealer. Save your money and stay away from this shiit hole. read more

So disappointed in Prairie Meadows and how they have changed since the pandemic . They closed the buffet in the clubhouse for horse racing. They closed all the drink stations. You have to go to another floor in the casino to get food and stand in a concession line. It is not user friendly at all for someone with limited Mobility. There are no longer tables of available on the betting floor. They are all reserved and patrons would need to go down stairs to a lower table. Again not doable for someone with a walker. My family is greatly disappointed and we will no longer be going to the horse races for Father's Day and Mother's Day which was a tradition for many years. read more

For the most part this was a very nice resort, the hotel staff is very nice, the rooms are large and you have easy access to the pool, casino and all restaurants. There needs were a little hard and it was weird having a shower only bathroom with a sliding door to enter the bathroom that didn't lock. Other than that it was nice and very central to a lot of things in the Altoona and Des Moines area. I will be going back. read more

To whom it may concern. Prairie Meadows hotel first of all was very disappointing! Loud parties in the hallway still going strong at 3;30 in the morning... also, they give You 4 pillows which were all lumpy! We never got any sleep to say the least.... now for the casino, from just arriving from Boothill casino in dodge city Kansas , it was very noticeable that the machines were very tight! It was extremely disappointing besides not even getting one free spin or breaking the pot on the Chinese machines after $500 is simply ridiculous I won't be back ..... read more

Hello all my casino friends I highly recommend staying away from this casino they are very cheap. Played over 20 machines and everyone of them just took and took and took no bonuses the lady next to me finally got a bonus she was betting $1.50 and she got $1.20 on 10 free spins that is absolutely ridiculous they do not pay out they're not the cleanest Casino The gift shop is overpriced the Christmas decorations were pretty the bathrooms were terrible and employees watch everybody like a hawk like they're afraid you're gonna win a penny I highly cannot stress enough stay away from this casino they also have more security guards than needed read more

This review is for the hotel, as we didn't go to the casino. A well designed room layout. We got the Junior King Suite. When you enter the room, there's a TV room with an L-shaped hide-a-bed couch. Then there's a middle area with a small kitchenette (microwave, fridge, counter-top and cupboards, the clothes closet and on the opposite side is good size bathroom with walk-in shower. A sliding door separates the bedroom that includes a desk, dresser and nightstands. The room was quiet and bed and pillows were very comfortable. The HVAC system kept the room at a comfortable temp without making a lot of noise. There's a small indoor pool. I didn't see the fitness room this trip. Near the lobby area is a nice bar and the convention center is between the hotel and casino. This is a good thing because they allow smoking in Iowa casinos. The parking for the casino and conference center is away from the hotel entrance, leaving plenty of parking right next to the hotel even when it's completely booked. One thing of note, there's no national brand associated with the hotel which is a bit of an anomaly for a 4-star conference center & hotel. I like to think this helps keep the overhead costs down and you get a better value for your money. There are plenty of restaurants, Adventureland amusement park, a Bass Pro Shop and a movie theater all within walking distance. A great place to spend a weekend getaway even if you don't like gambling. read more

Prairie Meadows - Junior King Suite - Casinos Near Me - Altoona, Iowa

Its connectors to the casino so you can stop in before and after the races. All the seats have a great view and it's never that crowded it's great to stop in and bet in the race. I don't go a lot but it's interesting watching bettors figure out which horses are going to win. After the races I stopped in the casino which has pretty good food. read more

Prairie Meadows - Casinos Near Me - Altoona, Iowa

I've come to realize that people outside of California are just nice! The weather at this time in Iowa is perfect. The rooms here were big and clean. I wish breakfast was included...I'm hungry read more