By clicking “Sign up for free,” you agree to Engines Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Getting Married in Iowa

Engine ranks wedding hotels in Iowa by their reception and event space, drawing from bookable properties across the state. The Holiday Inn & Suites Cedar Falls - Waterloo Event Ctr by IHG in Cedar Falls leads the list with about 14,000 square feet in its Grand Ballroom, 13 event spaces, and 126 guest rooms. Couples, planners, and guests needing accommodations for a celebration anywhere in Iowa can search, compare, and book these properties on Engine.

Iowa offers couples a range of settings for their big day, from riverside cities to rolling prairie landscapes, and the hotels on this list are spread across the state's communities. Each property features ballrooms and event space built for receptions and gatherings, with guest rooms available for out-of-town family and friends. You can search and book guest rooms at these hotels on Engine, and for a block of 9 or more rooms, Engine Groups handles the room-block booking. The hotel's event space for your reception can be booked through Engine Spaces, Engine's free marketplace of hotel meeting and event spaces across the U.S. and Canada, or arranged with the hotel directly.

Submit an RFP to multiple properties at once with the help of Engine Groups.

Showing 50 properties (sorted by distance)

Why no public rates?

Hotel partners contractually require business-email verification before showing the negotiated B2B rate. Hotel partners offer Engine exclusive business-traveler rates that aren't available to the public.

100% free and without commitment. Leave anytime.

Unlock exclusive rates

Compare wedding hotels in Iowa

Same order as the list above: ranked by event space, with a tilt toward hotels that list wedding services, a reception hall, or banquet space. Space and amenity details come from each hotel's own records. A dash means the hotel's data doesn't list that detail, not that it's unavailable.

# Hotel CityLargest event spaceMax occupancyEvent spacesGuest roomsGuest rating
1 Holiday Inn & Suites Cedar Falls - Waterloo Event Ctr by IHG Cedar Falls 14,000 sq ft 1,000 13 126 4.6 (615)
2 Doubletree by Hilton Cedar Rapids Convention Complex Cedar Rapids 13,000 sq ft 2,335 30 267 4.3 (1,001)
3 Prairie Meadows Hotel Casino And Racetrack Altoona 14,000 sq ft 1,300 2 168 5.0 (2)
4 Riverside Casino & Golf Resort Riverside 12,420 sq ft 1,200 9 200 4.4 (397)
5 Radisson Hotel Cedar Rapids Cedar Rapids 11,250 sq ft 1,000 19 220 3.8 (1,000)
6 Embassy Suites Hotel Des Moines Downtown Des Moines 10,725 sq ft 1,183 23 234 4.2 (1,003)
7 Hilton Des Moines Downtown Des Moines 10,032 sq ft 600 5 330 4.5 (1,002)
8 Des Moines Marriott Downtown Des Moines 9,360 sq ft 2,200 22 413 4.4 (1,002)
9 The Hotel at Kirkwood Center Cedar Rapids 7,500 sq ft 700 24 71 4.9 (764)
10 Holiday Inn Des Moines-Airport/Conf Center by IHG Des Moines 7,449 sq ft 1,500 20 214 4.2 (727)
11 Renaissance Des Moines Savery Hotel Des Moines 6,496 sq ft 450 14 209 4.3 (1,000)
12 Stoney Creek Hotel Sioux City Sioux City 6,500 sq ft 625 12 161 4.5 (2,325)
13 Graduate by Hilton Iowa City Iowa City 6,200 sq ft 600 12 231 4.5 (1,059)
14 Hilton Garden Inn Sioux City Riverfront Sioux City 5,850 sq ft 450 7 123 4.4 (1,000)
15 Hilton Garden Inn Des Moines West West Des Moines 5,600 sq ft 500 12 176 4.3 (870)
16 The Highlander Hotel Iowa City, an Ascend Collection Hotel Iowa City 5,600 sq ft 600 3 90 4.4 (1,001)
17 Hilton Garden Inn Cedar Falls Cedar Falls 5,167 sq ft 1,000 17 113 4.4 (654)
18 Eagle Ridge Resort and Spa Galena 5,301 sq ft 600 14 260 4.2 (423)
19 Courtyard Marriott Ankeny Ankeny 5,280 sq ft 577 7 119 4.4 (630)
20 Ramada Tropics Resort & Conf Center by Wyndham Des Moines Des Moines 5,200 sq ft 500 3 166 2.7 (1,232)
21 Carrollton Inn Carroll 5,000 sq ft 500 10 86 4.2 (540)
22 Ameristar Casino Hotel Council Bluffs Council Bluffs 4,958 sq ft 550 9 160 4.0 (1,002)
23 Isle Casino Hotel Waterloo - A Caesars Rewards Destination Waterloo 5,000 sq ft 300 5 195 4.2 (1,004)
24 West Des Moines Marriott West Des Moines 4,602 sq ft 400 16 219 4.5 (1,001)
25 Gateway Hotel and Conference Center at Iowa State University Ames 4,389 sq ft 850 19 187 4.6 (1,393)
26 Holiday Inn Downtown - Mercy Area by IHG Des Moines 4,554 sq ft 350 10 251 3.8 (1,001)
27 Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Des Moines - Northwest by IHG Urbandale 4,500 sq ft 500 18 198 4.1 (1,001)
28 The Rewind West Des Moines, Tapestry Collection by Hilton West Des Moines 4,420 sq ft 320 9 137 4.5 (807)
29 Courtyard by Marriott Waterloo Cedar Falls Waterloo 4,500 sq ft 260 1 166 4.4 (588)
30 Hampton Inn Iowa City/Coralville Coralville 4,400 sq ft 400 5 114 4.3 (1,000)
31 Holiday Inn Coralville Iowa City by IHG Coralville 4,400 sq ft 400 2 95 3.6 (947)
32 Hilton Garden Inn Des Moines/Urbandale Johnston 4,320 sq ft 600 5 148 4.5 (1,000)
33 Best Western Plus Dubuque Hotel & Conference Center Dubuque 4,006 sq ft 450 8 150 4.1 (1,192)
34 The Warrior Hotel, Autograph Collection Sioux City 3,961 sq ft 400 9 148 4.5 (687)
35 Hilton Garden Inn Cedar Rapids Cedar Rapids 3,744 sq ft 360 6 100 4.5 (259)
36 Crossroads Hotel and Event Center Fort Dodge 3,724 sq ft 400 1 99 4.0 (608)
37 Hotel Julien Dubuque Dubuque 3,450 sq ft 300 10 133 4.6 (1,948)
38 Best Western Holiday Lodge Clear Lake 3,456 sq ft 600 8 136 4.1 (730)
39 Suburban Studios Fort Dodge Fort Dodge 3,315 sq ft 276 3 47 3.3 (75)
40 Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Council Bluffs I-29 by IHG Council Bluffs 3,080 sq ft 200 9 185 4.3 (1,157)
41 Hampton Inn Council Bluffs Council Bluffs 2,888 sq ft 200 5 98 4.4 (1,002)
42 Hilton Garden Inn Iowa City Downtown University Iowa City 2,800 sq ft 250 6 143 4.7 (985)
43 King's Pointe Waterpark Resort Storm Lake 2,751 sq ft 305 10 100 3.9 (261)
44 The Historic Park Inn Hotel Mason City 2,400 sq ft 192 8 27 4.7 (296)
45 Hilton Garden Inn Ames Ames 2,240 sq ft 200 5 112 4.3 (903)
46 The Continental Hotel Centerville 2,268 sq ft 160 1 21 4.7 (253)
47 Wyndham Garden Ankeny/Des Moines Ankeny 2,225 sq ft 165 1 113 3.1 (1,001)
48 Hotel Ottumwa Ottumwa 1,972 sq ft 225 5 40 3.8 (316)
49 Quality Inn & Suites Ames Conference Center Near ISU Campus Ames 8,400 sq ft 933 8 120 3.5 (514)
50 Comfort Suites Burlington Burlington 7,372 sq ft 776 11 86 4.3 (851)

Frequently asked questions

Which cities in Iowa have hotels with large ballrooms and event space for weddings?
Cedar Rapids, Cedar Falls, and Altoona all offer hotels with substantial reception and event space. Doubletree by Hilton Cedar Rapids Convention Complex features about 13,000 square feet in its Grand Ballroom and 30 event spaces, while Holiday Inn & Suites Cedar Falls has a Grand Ballroom of about 14,000 square feet. Prairie Meadows Hotel Casino And Racetrack in Altoona offers the Bishop Ballroom at about 14,000 square feet, with capacity for up to 1,300 guests.
How does billing work when I book a block of rooms for out-of-town wedding guests?
Engine offers consolidated invoicing and multiple payment options, with no membership fee. If you need 9 or more guest rooms, Engine Groups handles the room-block booking. For 8 or fewer rooms, you can book directly through the platform yourself.
What can wedding guests typically expect at these hotels?
Amenities vary by property, but many offer on-site parking, wifi, dining options, and airport shuttles. The hotels on this list range from 126 to 267 guest rooms, so you can choose a size that fits your group. It's worth confirming specific amenities with each property when you compare options.
What should I compare when choosing where to put wedding guests across different Iowa cities?
Look at proximity to your ceremony and reception venue, the number of guest rooms available, and whether the hotel has event space that fits your needs. Doubletree by Hilton Cedar Rapids Convention Complex has 267 rooms and 30 event spaces, while Holiday Inn & Suites Cedar Falls offers 126 rooms and 13 event spaces. Also consider parking, on-site dining, and how easy it is for guests to get to and from the airport or your venue.
How far ahead should I reserve a hotel room block for my wedding?
Six to twelve months in advance is common, especially if your date falls during a popular season or weekend. Booking earlier gives your guests more time to make travel plans and helps ensure availability. You can search and compare these hotels on Engine, and the reception space itself can be booked through Engine Spaces or arranged with the property directly.

Wedding hotels in other states