Quality Inn & Suites Grinnell near University — Hotel in Grinnell

We were excited to find a new hotel to stay at during our annual trip to Colorado. When we found this one online, it had a lot of good reviews and the price was very reasonable.

What we got when we checked into our room was a very disappointing experience: a toilet that overflowed, a manager who didn't care about our situation, and a front desk clerk who did her best to solve the issue that was dropped in her lap. No one was happy!

Details on the above:

Arrived around 11 pm local time in Grinnell and manager checked us in. We got into room and used the toilet...it immediately overflowed. We called front desk and by then, manager had left for the night and the night clerk (Patty) was on duty. She came up to the room with a plunger and an armful of towels. She tried to plunge the toilet several times--nothing came up (we had used very little toilet paper and used the toilet only twice) and it was obvious to all of us that the toilet just wasn't working properly.

First, we were told not to put toilet paper in the toilet when we used it...to throw it in the trash instead. Then we were told to use the plunger and keep the towels on the floor around the toilet. We told Patty we wanted a different room with a toilet that worked and here's where the real customer service issue occurred...she said the manager told her to tell us there were no other available rooms! Looking outside at the number of cars in the parking lot (this was a Wednesday night) and comparing that to the number of rooms in the hotel, that made no sense at all. After much coaxing and some conversation, Patty eventually checked for available rooms and guess what...there were several. We want to note that Patty did her best to help us and we felt very bad for her being put in the situation of first trying to fix our broken toilet and then being told by her manager to lie to us about available rooms. What a poor manager and what horrible customer service. The light at the end of the tunnel late that night was that we were placed in a different room with a toilet that worked. But, it was late, we were tired, we had a long day of driving ahead of us the next day, and more than anything, we were aghast at that kind of customer service at a Choice Hotel property. Any other hotel manager in the hotels I've stayed at in over 30 years of traveling would have gone out of their way to resolve the situation somehow, even if they had to find me a room in a different hotel. And by the way, there ARE other hotels adjacent to this property. We stayed at one of them on the return trip. I have to say...this was the worst experience I've ever had a Choice Hotel property. Again, thanks to Patty for helping us when her manager obviously could not have cared less about us. The poor Customer Service rating below does NOT...

The photo will speak for itself. Didn't find this gem until the morning of checkout. Thankful we didn't use the room (#117) anymore than we did. It was close to our venue, that's the only reason we booked. Went to the front desk, was told the manager wasn't there, front desk employee was walked back to the room after pretending to not understand English, and shown this disgusting display. We were told the manager would have to be the one to issue a refund. OK cool. We headed back to KC. Called when we got home. Spoke to the "manager" Jay Patel. Told him that we were the ones who found the dead mice on sticky traps behind the bed. Yelled at us that we should have asked for a new room. Let's pause here... So, it's my responsibility to flip mattresses and check under the bed, behind the fridge, pull out the dishwasher, etc??? No. It your responsibility to provide a clean and sanitary room to guests. Now let's think about this. Those mice hit that trap alive. They got stuck and suffered for DAYS before they died of starvation, poisoning or both. Plus the dried fruit back there. Ew. When was the last time the room was cleaned??? Really cleaned??? Let's continue... He blamed us. So we asked if the dead mice were our fault?? He said, very loudly, NO, no refund, you can call President Biden and the health department and anyone else! Then hung up. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Any positive reviews are likely friends of theirs. In a cowardly display, they'll probably deny this if they see it. The health department will be notified. Choice has been notified. The group I was with has been notified to never recommend this hotel to anyone, and they strongly agree. I also know they helped themselves into my room, even with the DND on the door. Not going to give them the satisfaction of how I know. But set your traps my good people, they will fall into it!! Didn't see anything missing, but my clothes and everything else went straight to a bag and a sanitizing wash. Do not give this epitome of trash your hard...

On May 18th, I left Wisconsin to begin my road trip to Lake Tahoe, NV. After a long drive, I was tired, flustered and far away from home. I thought I would be able to drive to Des Moines to find a hotel for the night, but I was wrong. It was around 9:40pm, and I pulled off I-80 into Grinnell to hopefully find a hotel for the night. I thought it would be easy, but many of the hotel's parking lots were full, which was very discouraging. I first went to the Country Inn & Suites knowing the hotel would be a good stay, but they were fully booked. I next tried the Quality Inn & Suites right down the road. By this time I was desperate for a place to stay and I was hoping Quality Inn & Suites would have rooms available. To my luck they did. The gentleman at the front desk whose name I should have asked (I would have like to put it into this review) but whose initials were VP as per my receipt, greeted me warmly with a smile. I was relieved after he told me he had rooms available. I paid, what I felt, was a very fair price for the following reasons. The room itself was in okay shape. There was obvious wear and tear among the room, but these kinds of things do not bother me. At that time, all I cared about was a comfortable bed and working shower. The bed was more comfortable than I expected, the sheets felt freshly pressed, and the bathroom had more than enough hot water for me. The price is not the only reason to why I am giving a long and good review for this hotel. The other reason is the people that work there. I never expected the kindness, warmth and small talk VP gave to me after my long and arduous day. These kind acts can come so unexpectedly, yet they make such a difference in my eyes. I highly recommend this hotel for any traveler who finds themselves on I-80. There you will find Quality Inn & Suites which for a great price will bring a great place to sleep, shower, eat and most importantly will deliver a spectacular...