DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Cedar Rapids Convention Complex - Hotel in Cedar Rapids - 350 1st Ave NE, USA

About what you’d expect from a Double Tree, which is not bad. It’s a good solid three star hotel. It’s not fancy by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s not a country road flea bag hotel with no toilet seat and a broken neon sign. It’s dependable, it’s predictable - it’s a Double Tree. ||We were in town for a one night pass-thru and the Double Tree was our hotel of choice. I’d wanted to roam around downtown Cedar Rapids but the weather during our stay changed our mind. ||Check-in and parking were a breeze. Front desk staff was awesome. They offered freshly baked cookies - a nice treat. Even nicer was that they also had some gluten-free/dairy-free cookies that my allergic wife could enjoy. Thank you! The hotel gift store was reasonable - three bucks each for an ice cream bar and a bag of candy - stuff that would cost four bucks or more and other, more fanciful hotels. ||Lobby was clean, uncluttered, spacious. Elevators were plentiful.||Room was generously sized - furnished as one would expect a Double Tree to be furnished. The bed was very comfortable and provided a good night’s sleep for both my wife and I. Furnishings, while somewhat dated (as noted in other reviews) were clean and functional. Bathroom was motel-style - with the toilet and tub/shower in one room and the sink in the main room. Toilet had to be an original from when the hotel was built - definitely not the higher level bowl we’ve become accustomed to from visits to other hotels that have received renovations. ||Desk in room had a little note along with a pair of disposable earplugs to help folks deal with the noises of the train just east of the building. While my first fear was of the 0500 train from “My Cousin Vinny” - it was nowhere near as bad. If there were passing trains in the middle of the night - we certainly did not hear them. That said - what did wake us up at 0600 was the alarm clock which had been set by a previous guest. Hotel staff - if checking for set alarms isn’t on your list of things to do when prepping a room - it should be. Annoying. And hotel guests - if you set an alarm - please try to remember to remove it when you check out. ||We ate breakfast at the hotel restaurant - 350. It was OK, not a great deal of choices or menu flexibility.||Check-out was as smooth as check-in. ||If you do stay at this hotel and have the time to explore the downtown area - be aware of the devastating 2008 Cedar River floods that caused heavy damage to many downtown buildings. The hotel itself had like eight feet of water in what is now the first floor lobby area. The city and its people suffered tremendously and their cleanup efforts show in the vibrancy of the city today.

We had a pleasant stay overall, but for a 5 star rating and the price, I would expect a lot more. The train was the most obnoxious part - we had the farthest room from the tracks, but there's no way to sleep through that when it keeps blaring for 5-10 minutes at 3am. Happened both nights we were there. A handheld shower sprayer would have been nice, as would a jacuzzi by the pool - which was fairly dirty and very small. The bathroom is tiny so getting to the toilet and closing the door could be hard if you're on the bigger side. The pros - the room seemed clean, nice views, enough space. The staff was great, connected/covered parking, 350 1st is delicious and convenient, the free cookies at check-in were amazing. Even with a couple weddings the weekend we went, it didn't feel crowded at all. I would stay again next time we're back. I'm hoping that those reviews mentioning a plan for 'quiet hours' for the train actually happen, that would do a lot.

Reception very helpful and friendly. The room was clean and comfortable. On a main drag in downtown, so there is the street-noise issue. (They provide ear plugs free of charge) There is a Skywalk access to parking garage across the street with elevator service. Avoid traffic and weather. As with downtown hotels, restaurant is essential. The food and service were wonderful.

Positive: The staff member who checked us in, had impeccable customer service! We got there a little early but she allowed us to check in. Her bubbly personality is a rarely experienced these days. I wish I could remember her name. She?s a keeper!?? Negative: N/A

I love a Double Tree. I've been to this one before, but they changed it since last I was there. You could only access your floor with your key card... Which normally, would be fine, but we needed to get to Grandma on a different floor (multiple times) and it made the experience very annoying. Seems like an interesting choice for the hotel attached to the conference center. Cedar Rapids is also an industrial town and the hotel is right next to pretty active train tracks, so be aware if you're sensitive to that sound. They did provide one pair of ear plugs. There isn't really any on-site parking, so you need to park in a garage across the street and use the skywalk, and an elevator or two, to get to the hotel lobby. They charge the parking garage fee to your room.

This hotel gives my the creeps. Just never feel clean. I really hate staying here for work. Rooms smell and have very dusty, dirty, grungy carpet, Allergies flare every single time! Filters need changing. All rooms need deep cleaning. The Staff is nice!

The excellent? Staff was wonderful! Friendly, helpful, and really made me feel welcomed and at home. The good? Rooms were spacious, everybody was clean. The bad? The freaking train that went by 3 times a night. Woke me up at midnight and 3am every night.

We backtracked from the airport to stay at Hilton because we saw 5 star rating. Not 5 star and wished we had stayed at the others which were 1/2+ the price. Front desk nice and helpful, but bathroom terrible. Shower did not drain and once ready to sleep all we could hear was the water dripping into the tub. Finally got to sleep and the wonderful train started blowing the horn!!!! Didn’t need an alarm as the train had us up at 0600 on Sunday. Stay closer to the airport.