The Best Hotels for First Time Visitors in Iowa City

Where to Stay on Your First Trip to Iowa City

Visiting Iowa City, Iowa for the first time can be an exciting, yet overwhelming experience. With so many incredible hotels to choose from, it can be difficult to know where to stay. If you're deciding where to stay for your first visit to Iowa City, we've compiled a list of the best hotels for first time visitors. We analyzed all of the hotels in Iowa City based on price, location, amenities, guest ratings, and more to determine which would be the ideal places to stay for first timers. Whether you're here for just a few days or longer, these hotels offer the perfect combination of amenities, location, and price. For those visiting Iowa City for the first time, it's important to choose a hotel in a safe and convenient area to make the most of your first visit. You'll want to be close to the activities, shopping, and dining options, of course. When looking for hotels, consider the amenities they offer. Some hotels may have a fitness center, a bar or restaurant, a pool, or even a spa. All of these features can add to your overall enjoyment if you've never been to Iowa City before. Also, guest ratings and reviews are also important to consider when choosing a hotel. Whether you're visiting Iowa City for the first time, or you're a seasoned traveler, the best hotels in Iowa City for first-timers offer the perfect combination of comfort, convenience, and affordability. So, here's our list of suggestions for your next trip.

(Prices are listed in U.S. Dollars.)

The Highlander Hotel Iowa City, an Ascend Collection Hotel

4-star Hotel with prices starting at $127 (before taxes) - See All Prices
A Good Stay for Your First Trip
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 4-star hotels.
  • Heated pool

Located at 2525 Highlander Place, The Highlander Hotel Iowa City, an Ascend Collection Hotel has great rooms from $127 (before taxes). It offers a pool bar, room service, a casino, a restaurant, and a fitness center. It has a terrific 8.20 rating out of 10 from previous guests who have stayed here. Only 2.6 miles from the city center, first time visitors will especially love a bar, pet-friendly rooms, a hot tub, a game room, and an indoor pool at this relaxing hotel. The heated pool is comfortable, relaxing, and fun for everyone. The price of this hotel is less than average for first time trip hotels, which makes it a great value.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Room service
  • Indoor pool
  • Airport shuttle
More Great Amenities
  • Pool bar
  • Casino
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Pets allowed
  • Hot tub
  • Game room
  • Free parking
  • Bicycle rental
  • Family rooms
  • Heated pool
  • Coffee shop
  • Refrigerator


View hotels on the map:

Courtyard by Marriott Iowa City University Heights

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $169 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for Your First Time in Iowa City
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Heated pool

A great place to stay is Courtyard by Marriott Iowa City University Heights which has nice rooms starting at $169. Offering room service, a restaurant, a fitness center, a bar, and laundry services, it also has a great guest rating of 9.50 out of 10 from many previous guests. It's located at 901 Melrose Avenue. This convenient hotel is also nice because it offers golf, an indoor pool, free parking, horse riding, and laundry facilities which visitors will enjoy. Also, it's just 1.2 miles from the city center. The service at the restaurant is terrific, and so is the food.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Room service
  • Indoor pool
  • Horse riding
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Laundry service
  • Free parking
  • Bicycle rental
  • Heated pool
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator


Hilton Garden Inn Iowa City Downtown University

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $120 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for First-Timers
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 3-star hotels.
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.

We found Hilton Garden Inn Iowa City Downtown University to be a great place to stay, and the price starts at $120. We loved that is has room service, a restaurant, a fitness center, a bar, and parking, and it also has a terrific guest rating of 9.00 out of 10 from previous guests. It's located at 328 S. Clinton Street. You'll also find pet-friendly rooms, a hot tub, an indoor pool, air-conditioning, and a 24-hour desk which travelers will love. And this fun hotel is just 0.3 miles from the center of town. The indoor pool here is terrific, and makes for a great place to relax and have fun no matter what the weather is like. It's a great value, too, because it's less than the average price for first time trip hotels.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Room service
  • Parking
  • Indoor pool
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Pets allowed
  • Hot tub
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator


Graduate by Hilton Iowa City

4-star Hotel with prices starting at $139 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Among the Best Places to Stay for a First Visit to Iowa City
  • Family-Friendly

With terrific rooms from $139, Graduate by Hilton Iowa City, at 210 South Dubuque Street provides a restaurant, a fitness center, a bar, parking, and pet-friendly rooms. Its terrific guest rating is 8.30 out of 10 from previous guests staying here. New visitors will really like this amazing hotel which also offers family rooms, air-conditioning, a 24-hour desk, a refrigerator, and an EV charging station. It's located just 0.2 miles from the city center, too.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Parking
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Pets allowed
  • Family rooms
  • Refrigerator


Element Iowa City

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $112 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect Hotel to Make the Most of Your First Visit
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 3-star hotels.

Element Iowa City has a great guest rating of 8.40 out of 10, and offers a casino, a fitness center, parking, laundry services, and golf. The great rooms here start at $112 before taxes and depending on the season. It can be found at 314 South Clinton Street. Furthermore, it also offers a free breakfast, pet-friendly rooms, an indoor pool, a pool table, and laundry facilities, which is nice for first time visitors. Just 0.3 miles from the city center, this fantastic hotel is a terrific choice. We found the price of this hotel to be a great value because the price is less than average for first time trip hotels.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Parking
  • Free breakfast
  • Indoor pool
More Great Amenities
  • Casino
  • Fitness center
  • Laundry service
  • Pets allowed
  • Bicycle rental
  • Family rooms
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator
  • Breakfast in the room


Hampton Inn Iowa City/University Area

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $140 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Great Hotel for First Time Visitors
  • Family-Friendly

The great guest rating of Hampton Inn Iowa City/University Area is 8.50 out of 10. This place has a fitness center, laundry services, pet-friendly rooms, a hot tub, and an indoor pool. Prices for the terrific rooms are from $140, and it's located at 4 Sturgis Corner Drive. We also love the free parking, laundry facilities, air-conditioning, a 24-hour desk, and a microwave which are great for visitors. And since it's just 1 miles from the center of the town, the location is great, too. We love relaxing in a hot tub after a long day, and the one here is really nice.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Indoor pool
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Fitness center
  • Laundry service
  • Pets allowed
  • Hot tub
  • Free parking
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator


Also, take a look at the first time trip hotels in nearby destinations: Cedar Rapids, Coralville, Davenport, Waterloo, and Iowa City.

For more terrific hotel ideas in Iowa City, make sure you also see Best Pet-Friendly Hotels in Iowa City, Best Hotels for First Time Visitors in Iowa City, Best Hotels for a Weekend Getaway in Iowa City, Best Hotels for One Week in Iowa City, Best Hotels for One Night in Iowa City, or Best Business Hotels in Iowa City.


How much do hotels for first-time visitors cost in Iowa City?

Iowa City Average First Time Trip Hotel Price
$135

Visitors will find a large range of terrific first time trip hotel choices when planning a visit to Iowa City, Iowa. The price of these first time trip hotels can vary according to location, type, and amenities. The average first time trip hotel price in Iowa City, Iowa based on data from 6 hotels is an affordable $135. If you're interested in more information about hotels here, see our guide to hotel prices in Iowa City.

The average prices of our suggested first time trip hotels by star rating:

  • 4-star hotels: $133
  • 3-star hotels: $135


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Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. On this website you can also find travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.
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