The 7 Most Expensive Hotel Rooms We Found in Iowa
We searched publicly listed hotel room rates across multiple dates and found seven Iowa hotel rooms priced at $500 or more per night — including one that topped $1,600.
Hotel room prices change constantly. Rates can shift based on the day of the week, season, availability, special events, booking platform, taxes, fees, and how far in advance you book.
For this search, we checked rates across more than one date range. We looked at weekday dates in August, then also checked dates in mid-September to help make sure the prices were not only tied to one major event or one unusually busy weekend. Weekend rates may be higher, but the goal was to find a solid base price for some of Iowa’s highest-priced hotel rooms.
This list ranks specific hotel rooms, not the hotel overall. Some properties may have specialty suites that are call-to-book, casino-hosted, comped, or not always shown in public booking engines. For consistency, we focused on rooms where we could find publicly listed pricing online.
When a hotel showed extra resort fees or taxes separately, we noted that where possible. Final checkout totals may be higher than the nightly rates listed here. Screenshots from hotel booking pages were saved as part of the research because rates may change after publication.
None of the hotels paid to be included.
Now, let’s count down the seven most expensive hotel rooms we found in Iowa, starting with number seven.
7. Hotel Julien Dubuque — $599 per night
Address: 200 Main Street, Dubuque, IA 52001
Website: https://www.hoteljuliendubuque.com/
Room: Al Capone Suite
Price found: $599 per night, excluding taxes and fees
Hotel Julien Dubuque has one of the most memorable rooms in Iowa: the Al Capone Suite. During our research, the hotel website showed this suite at $599 per night, excluding taxes and fees.
The suite is named for the hotel’s long-running Al Capone connection, and the room leans into that history with an Old Hollywood, Prohibition-era feel. Inside, it is much more than a standard hotel room. The hotel description lists the Capone Suite as a two-bedroom, 2.5-bath suite with two king bedrooms, a queen-size sleeper sofa, a living room, dining room, and full kitchen.
One of the most interesting features is the built-in vault, which gives the room a different personality than most luxury hotel suites. The room also includes dark wood cabinetry, a full kitchen area, and a large living room with vintage-style furnishings.
The hotel’s room description says the suite includes two large bedrooms, each with a full bathroom, plus a whirlpool tub that is separated from the bathroom. The suite also includes a full kitchen with breakfast bar, coffee maker, dishwasher, cooktop, refrigerator, microwave, glassware, dinnerware, and silverware. The executive table seats eight, making the room work not only as an overnight suite, but also as a small meeting or gathering space.
6. The Merrill Hotel — from $650 per night
Address: 119 West Mississippi Drive, Muscatine, IA 52761
Website: https://www.themerrill.com/
Room: Club Lounge Access, Presidential Suite, King, Alternate: sofa bed, River view
Price found: Rates from $650 per night
The Merrill Hotel in Muscatine came in at number six on this list, with its river-view Presidential Suite showing rates from $650 per night.
This suite stands out because of its location along the Mississippi River. The screenshots show a separate living area with large windows facing the river, a fireplace, lounge seating, and a wall-mounted TV. It feels more like a private apartment than a standard hotel room, especially with the extra entertaining space and river-facing views.
The room listing identifies it as a Club Lounge Access Presidential Suite with a king bed, sofa bed, and river view. The room photos also show a wet bar area, dining table, glassware, beverage setup, and multiple windows looking out toward the riverfront.
The bathroom photos show a double vanity, soaking tub, and separate walk-in shower, giving the room one of the stronger luxury-suite setups among the hotels researched. For travelers looking for a high-end Mississippi River stay in Iowa, this was one of the most expensive publicly listed rooms found during the search.
Research note: The booking screenshot showed the room as “Almost Sold Out” and listed the rate as from $650 USD/night, before any final taxes or fees shown later in the booking process.
5. Harrah’s Council Bluffs Casino & Hotel — $714 per night
Address: 1 Harrah’s Boulevard, Council Bluffs, IA 51501
Website: https://www.caesars.com/harrahs-council-bluffs
Room: Junior Suite | 1 King | Non-Smoking
Price found: $714 per night, excluding taxes
At number five on the list is the Junior Suite 1 King at Harrah’s Council Bluffs Casino & Hotel. During our research, the hotel website showed this room at $714 per night, excluding taxes.
The booking screenshot breaks that down as a $699 room rate plus a $15 daily resort fee, bringing the displayed nightly price to $714 before taxes.
This suite is smaller than some of the other rooms on the list, but the price still pushed it into the top five. The room description lists it as a 300-square-foot suite with a king bed, modern décor, and skyline, Stir Cove, and river views. It also includes a couch, chaise lounge chair, dining table with four chairs, dedicated workspace, refrigerator, coffee maker, and 42-inch HD TV.
The room’s best feature may be the view. From the room photos, guests can see across the Missouri River toward Omaha, giving the suite a more urban feel than many Iowa hotel rooms.
The bathroom details also help explain why this room made the research list. The room listing shows a walk-in shower, jetted tub, vanity, makeup mirror, Gilchrist & Soames bath products, and multiple-setting shower head.
Research note: The displayed nightly price included a $699 room rate plus a $15 daily resort fee, for a total of $714/night before taxes.
4. Des Lux Hotel — $799 per night
Address: 800 Locust Street, Des Moines, IA 50309
Website: https://www.desluxhotel.com/
Room: Presidential Suite w/Atrium
Price found: $799 per night
At number four on the list is the Presidential Suite w/Atrium at Des Lux Hotel in downtown Des Moines. During our research, the hotel booking page showed this room at $799 per night.
This suite is one of the most distinctive rooms in the research because of its private atrium. The hotel describes it as “The One and Only,” and the room details list the suite at 1,400 square feet. That gives it considerably more space than a standard hotel room, with room to relax, entertain, work, and spread out.
The room description lists a spacious living room, four-season atrium with skylight, large wet bar with seating, workstation, fireplace, whirlpool tub, and separate shower. The screenshots show hardwood floors, blue accent chairs, a leather sofa, fireplace, and a lounge-style setup that feels more like a private apartment than a typical hotel room.
The suite also includes practical overnight amenities, including a coffee maker, refrigerator, honor bar, hair dryer, iron and ironing board, two robes, umbrella, flat-screen television, cable TV, 16-inch pillow-top mattresses, and goose-down pillows.
The bathroom screenshot shows another reason this room made the list: a whirlpool tub, separate glass shower, and chandelier-style lighting above the tub. Combined with the atrium and large living area, this is one of the more dramatic hotel suites found in Des Moines.
3. The Rewind West Des Moines — from $1,094 per night
Address: 6075 Mills Civic Parkway, West Des Moines, IA 50266
Website: https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/dsmmcup-the-rewind-west-des-moines/
Room: 1 King Presidential Suite
Price found: Book from $1,094 per night
At number three on the list is the 1 King Presidential Suite at The Rewind West Des Moines. During our research, the hotel website showed this room as Book From $1,094, making it one of the most expensive hotel rooms found in Iowa.
The screenshots list this as a 1,215-square-foot guest room, which puts it among the largest rooms in the research. The room is described as a spacious two-room suite that sleeps four, with a king bed, seating area with sofa sleeper, chaise lounge, dining table, workstation, and separate toilet area.
The room details also show a full kitchen, with listed kitchen and dining features including a dishwasher, microwave, mini refrigerator, dining table, and chairs. Other amenities include 55-inch flat-panel HDTVs, air conditioning, blackout curtains, HD channels, premium TV options, 250-thread-count sheets, down pillows, bathrobe, and adjustable thermostat.
This suite also seems designed for more than just a one-night stay. The hotel description notes that the room works for a getaway or for a wedding group getting ready, which makes sense given the size, seating areas, kitchen features, and extra sleeping capacity.
2. Surety Hotel — $1,359 per night
Address: 206 6th Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50309
Website: https://suretyhotel.com/
Room: Marchande Suite, 1 Bedroom Presidential Suite, 1 King
Price found: $1,359 per night
At number two on the list is the Marchande Suite at Surety Hotel in downtown Des Moines. During our research, the hotel booking page showed this room at $1,359 per night.
The booking page identifies it as the Marchande Suite, 1 Bedroom Presidential Suite, 1 King, and the room details show it as a 951-square-foot suite with a separate living room, dining area, and space to entertain. The screenshots show tall windows, downtown views, leather seating, a large coffee table, and a warm modern design that feels more like a private apartment than a standard hotel room.
The room details list a maximum occupancy of two guests, one king bed, 1.5 bathrooms, and a table that seats four. Other listed features include air conditioning, individual climate control, USB outlets, a sofa, chair, in-room safe, writing desk, minibar, coffee maker, purified drinking water, and room service from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The bathroom details also add to the luxury setup. The room listing notes a marble bathroom, shower, whirlpool tub, lighted makeup mirror, Byredo bathroom amenities, Frette robes, Frette slippers, hair dryer, and shampoo, conditioner, and body wash.
1. Hotel Fort Des Moines — from $1,642 per night
Address: 1000 Walnut Street, Des Moines, IA 50309
Website: https://www.hotelfortdesmoines.com/
Room: 1 King One Bedroom Presidential Suite
Price found: Book from $1,642 per night
The most expensive hotel room we found in Iowa was the 1 King One Bedroom Presidential Suite at Hotel Fort Des Moines. The hotel website showed this room as Book From $1,642, putting it at the top of the list.
Hotel Fort Des Moines already has a strong sense of history, and this suite leans into that. The hotel description says the Presidential Suite uses preserved materials and artifacts original to the hotel’s 1918 construction, giving the room a Prohibition-era feel.
The suite is listed as a spacious two-room setup with 1.5 bathrooms, a small kitchenette, microwave, refrigerator, wet bar, dining area, and fireplace. The room highlights also list a parlor room, workspace, sofa, sofa bed, full kitchen, kitchenette, full-size refrigerator, and dual vanity.
The comfort features include 300-thread-count sheets, air conditioning, blackout curtains, bathrobe, bath slippers, seating area with sofa, workstation, adjustable thermostat, HD channels, premium TV options, and two HDTVs. The room sleeps two, but it is clearly designed with more space than a standard overnight stay.
Other Iowa Hotel Rooms We Researched
The seven rooms above were the ones we found at $500 or more per night. We also searched a number of other Iowa hotels and suites that came in below that cutoff.
Those included:
- Hotel Blackhawk, Davenport — King Apartment Suite — $389 per night
- Prairie Meadows Casino, Racetrack & Hotel, Altoona — Premium Exec King Suite — $380 per night
- Hotel Blackhawk, Davenport — Jacuzzi King Guest Room — $352 per night
- Hotel Grinnell, Grinnell — The Bunk Room — $350 per night
- Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sioux City, Sioux City — Rock Star Suite — $309 per night
- The Warrior Hotel, Sioux City — Presidential Suite, 1 King — $292 per night
- Ameristar Casino Hotel Council Bluffs, Council Bluffs — Whirlpool Suite King — $269 per night
- Graduate by Hilton Iowa City, Iowa City — Graduate King Larger Suite — $266 per night
- Isle Casino Hotel Waterloo, Waterloo — Junior Suite — $231 per night
- Hyatt Regency Coralville Hotel & Conference Center, Coralville — 1 King Bed River View — $215 per night
Those prices may still be expensive compared with an average overnight stay, but they did not meet the $500 cutoff for the main countdown.
Did We Miss One?
And to any Iowa hotels reading this: if you have a suite we missed, or if you’d like to invite Iowa Road Trip for a closer look, let us know. We’re always open to seeing what makes an Iowa stay worth the splurge — and a complimentary overnight visit for research purposes would not be turned down.
Final Thoughts
This search turned up a surprisingly wide range of high-end hotel rooms in Iowa, from historic downtown suites in Des Moines and Dubuque to river-view rooms in Muscatine and Council Bluffs.
The biggest surprise may be that Iowa has multiple hotel rooms publicly listed above $1,000 per night, with the top room we found coming in at more than $1,600. For most travelers, that is far beyond a normal overnight stay. But as a look inside Iowa’s most expensive hotel rooms, these suites show another side of the state’s hotel scene: historic properties, skyline views, Mississippi River views, private atriums, full kitchens, whirlpool tubs, fireplaces, and plenty of space to spread out.
