Great place to have a wedding reception. The Hickory Park food is the bomb and the price is right…read more People can sit up in the upper levels and watch the dancing queens on the dance floor shake their money maker. Friendly service.

The Octagon Center of the Arts has since moved down the block a few spots. I recently wandered into…read morethe shop and the adjacent gallery that was featuring a sign history of Ames. Great Stuff.

I really love this place! Cool art store/gallery/space to rent!…read more I have enjoyed concerts, classes, and art shows here! The rooms are beautiful and big enough for a nice crew to be in, but not huge enough to make things not feel intimate! The store is full of hand made, art stuff! Like Prints, one of a kind things, local art, jewelry, kitchen items, books, dvd's, cd's you name it! If it's art they probably have it! Perfect store for gift shopping for the unique someone who has everything...

This theater is usually pretty good, but I must warn you it has its bad side too. My boyfriend…read moredrove all the way from Cedar Rapids IA. to take me to see Gladiator 2. I had called the theater previously and asked about times for the matinee. I was told it would be playing all week at 3.40 pm. The next day we drove to the theater only to be told that the movies started at 12.20 and was over. Well needless to say we were mad as hornets. The men or boys that were the cashiers. didn't even offer compensation for their blunderbuss misinformation, not even a rain check. MJS

i like movies. i used to work at the mall movie theatre when cinemark owned it. recently i began to…read morego on cheap ticket tuesday and it has been great. the employees are great. the problem is my keys fell out of my pocket and i could not find them under my seat. i didnt ask them about it the next couple times i went because it seemed too busy to ask them about a lost item and i had a spare. got around to asking today and they said they throw away lost items after a month. car keys. the manager said they turn wallets into the police at that point, but car keys go in the trash. rude.

This hotel surprised me. The manager Jennifer, was able to ascertain i was in a jam---and she took…read morecare of me. Room was clean, and comfy, and I'd come back again, next time I'm in Ames.

This property is NOT pet friendly. We generally try to stay at pet-friendly locations even if we…read moredon't have dogs with us. We ended up here because all the IHG properties in Des Moines were fully booked. We stopped here on the way back to Minneapolis from Tulsa. Front desk staff were friendly and helpful when checking in. Morning staff was efficient and social on check out. Room was clean and comfortable. Free breakfast had lots of options from sweet to savory.

5/5 experience. I attended a 4 course (5 if you include the wedge salad) Italian style menu/demo…read more This reminded me of a supper club I attended years ago in south Florida. This concept was slightly different as the pasta portion was hands on. I really enjoyed that because I learned a good bit about pasta & Ive made it in the past but it was so dense. Food was delicious throughout. They also have a bar & have some seasonable cocktails so that was a nice touch. I enjoyed that it was interactive & open. The space itself is designed well & the kitchen is what I dream of having in my own home one day! Haha. They offer so many different events all with different price points.

Beautiful venue. The staff are super friendly. Greeted the minute we entered the door. We…read moreattended a cooking demo and the place is set up perfectly for this. My only disappointment was I didn't read the offering properly and when I got there I was disappointed to find it was a demo not hands on. I really wanted to see if I could make them. French Macarons really intimidate me. So I thought there might have been a disconnect with the price and it not being hands on and only receiving 2 macarons. I know they are refining the experience so please give them a try. They offer many kinds of classes from savory to sweet! Give this super cool and hip joint a try!

This was my second stay. First was about four years ago and it was lovely! Large, full rooms with…read morefull kitchens, friendly and helpful staff. Things have changed, my friends. First, I want to be clear that the person at the front desk was very friendly. He had our cards ready to go at check in. I'm wondering however, if our first stay four years ago was the last time the place was cleaned. Cockroaches in the bathroom, blood stain on the bed (yuck!!) guess your stains and gunk everywhere else. People fighting loudly next door, maybe long term tenants. Possibly under new management? Regardless. Stay ANYWHERE else at this point. Even if its sleeping in your car. Sad to say this place is filthy.

Booked this hotel room while in town for graduation. Big mistake. Checked in, saw the state of our…read more2 queen bed room, reported our concerns to the gentleman working the front desk who was only able to offer us a 1 bedroom with a pull-out sofa, and immediately asked to be checked out and refunded for the room. The walls were scuffed, dishes left in dishwasher, stains on couch and chair, poor job vacuuming, and there was mold in the bathroom in addition to water on the floor from some leak. Additionally, the supposedly secure entrance on the side of the building was unlocked. See for yourself.

Great Wine! Good Food! Amazing friendly service! I try to stop passing thru Iowa every chance I get.read more

A beautiful setting with nice trees for lovely days outside. Plenty of friendly faces to help while…read moreyou're there. It would be good if they had more organization to help speed the process of sampling and ordering. There are many wine choices especially if you prefer sweeter varieties. Hopefully they get more dry and less sweet varieties.

Awesome place that really surprised. Clearly a farm to table concept with a varied but overwhelming…read moremenu. Came in on a weeknight with coworkers and received good service and fantastic food. Nice drink menu (I enjoyed their take on the old fashioned) with cocktails and a nice craft beer selection. Everyone loved their food, from the barley soup to the ravioli, burger, Brussels salad, and the salmon I got. Hidden gem perhaps was their incredible dessert selection. The cherry tart was a pleasant surprise and the salted caramel chocolate cake will def fix a choc craving. Would gladly come back.

Provisions Lot F in Ames…read more If you like fresh baked breads and bomb desserts, along with amazing food, head to Provisions if you're in the area. Pork Belly app: thick cut pork belly in lettuce cups, topped with sweet thai glaze, pickled carrots, onions, celery, mint, thai basil, cilantro, scallions and crushed peanuts. A tad sweet for me but overall this was a great app. Slice of Sourdough: delish. Chicken Japchae: since my mom has celiac disease, we were very excited to see this on their menu - dining out with her can be a challenge. Especially at a place specializing in breads! The only unfortunate part about this dish is (I think) they forgot they already salted the chicken and salted it again...and then again. I'm not one to say something is too salty, I love my sodium but this was mouth-puckering salty. Inedible, actually, but the noodle dish itself was SO GOOD that she set the chicken aside and ate the entree. NY Strip Steak: perfectly med-rare, served with a garlic-rosemary potato pavé (like a potato casserole of sorts), roasted broccolini and a house steak sauce that was similar to a demi glaze. Not a bite left - no leftovers with this one. I ate the whole dang thing. Myself. And I have zero regrets. Crème Brûlée: I also couldn't leave without ordering a crème brûlée because there are some really bad ones out there. This did not disappoint. I also took home a Dubai Chocolate tort, Raspberry Crumble and a Flourless Chocolate cake. ZERO regrets but if you love Dubai chocolate then you know there are some discusting renditions of this in the market. However, the Dubai chocolate tort at Provisions Lot F is . I can't even describe how delicious this was and is worth the drive to Ames just for this dessert. If you're north of DSM for a game or whatever, I highly recommend Provisions! I'm already scheming a way to get back there...soon!

My go to place when In travel to Ames for work!…read more Super friendly staff. Highly recommend getting the Marriot Bonvoy rewards if you will be coming more than once. With the app, and Gold status, I often get upgraded to a nicer room and late checkout. Which is always appreciated! Great free breakfast daily! Always very clean! I love the kitchens and kitchenettes - Super great if you are staying for multiple consecutive nights.

Gayle and I stayed her for 2 nights a few weeks ago. I had booked a 2BR (and bath) unit, as Gayle,…read moremy Son, and I would be staying here. Unfortunately, David's travel arrangements were compromised, and he was unable to make the trip. I've already booked a make-up trip in December, primarily to see his 96 year-old grandfather. Although you couldn't do cartwheels in this suite, it was very roomy and comfortable. And with 2 bathrooms, Gayle and I each picked one. The spare bedroom became a place to store or suitcases (and repack). We slept well in our bedroom and spend a lot of time in the living room, largely catching up on all of our volunteer work back home. There's also a nice small kitchen, which makes this and other suites a good choice for extended or larger family stays. Front desk staff were very engaged and keen to make sure we had a nice stay. The "free hot breakfast" was relatively standard, but tasty. I especially appreciated that coffee was available in the Lobby at all hours and that the breakfast food was out earlier than the stated time. This hotel is relatively new and has worn its age very well so far. Parking was free and plentiful and there was easy access to US 30. Having also stayed at the Fairfield Inn sister hotel, I would probably choose this TownePlace depending on the price comparisons at the time.