The Merrill Hotel & Conference Center, Muscatine, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel

Our stay at The Merrill was delightful. It is an elegant hotel with a beautiful view of the Mississippi River. We were greeted by friendly and efficient staff who offered us, as Titanium Marriott members, welcome gifts and a $32 credit toward breakfast. In addition we had access to free snacks from the 5th floor pantry. The room was comfortable and nicely appointed. Parking is free and baggage handling is self-service at curbside. Dinner at Maxwell’s was delicious (especially the strawberry salad) and service was perfect. My husband and I try to stop here at least once on every road trip. Of the many places we have stayed, The Merrill is our favorite!

We had been planning a weekend trip to the Merrill Hotel in Muscatine for my birthday and Valentine weekend. We had the "romance" package which includes $40.00 brunch for two and $75 food and beverage for dinner at the restaurant. The restaurant has great reviews and the menu sounded wonderful.
We got to the Merrill House about 3:30 today, and got a packet with our beverage/meal credit for the restaurant for dinner and brunch. The two women that checked us in, Emma and Kelsie, said to make our Valentine's dinner reservations soon. We went to our room and talked about time and looked over the menu. About 5-10 minutes later, we came back, saw them, and were ready to reserve for dinner Friday, brunch and dinner Saturday, and brunch Sunday. We had purchased the package that gave us this credit on meals. They called the restaurant but they were completely booked Valentine's dinner. They were also not taking reservations anytime for brunch on Saturday. They did say we could have a reduction in room rate paid (although not as much as our credits were for). We told them to please make a reservation for Friday night. Again, they called the restaurant and said they were completely booked for the entire evening. Come on! We paid for this package and reserved six months ago! My husband and I looked at each other and said we were upset at how we could use NONE of our credit. We wanted to just go home
(about three hours away). They told us they would cancel our room. We got our things, and by 4:30 or so we were on our way home. They said that they had no control over the restaurant (which is located right in their lobby area) and that it was run independently. How can you have it run independently and offer "romance" packages that include credits for the restaurant? When we were ready to leave, they suddenly said we could eat there Friday night, but still not anytime Saturday. This is a terrible way to run a hotel. It is a beautiful building, but I would never ever stay there again. They promised things they knew they couldn't deliver. If they had let us know, we would have never made the three hour trip today. If reservations were a problem, they had both our cell phone numbers. This was a mess!

Staff was so accommodating and friendly! The location was ideal! Very classy decor!

The breakfast was absolutely phenomenal! I had the country fried steak and let me just tell you, it was definitely the BEST ONE!

Beautiful! We went when the lobby was decorated for Christmas.

Shae was excellent in getting us checked in and making sure our Marriot Bon Voy perks were added. Facility is beautiful. Location is great. Food was outstanding for supper and brunch.

Great quiet room with a river view. Food at Maxwells on the River was incredible!! All the staff that we encountered were so nice as well. Heated pool was a big hit with the kids

The hotel service is excellent, Anna in the restaurant and Shae in the front desk. They always try to make you feel valued.

I’ve been wanting to bring my wife to this hotel for the longest time and finally was able to. We arrived on Friday November 28, 2025 just before a major snowstorm hit the Midwest. Driving up to the main hotel entrance was very convenient. The lobby was very elegant with Christmas decorations and a tree as well as the dining area and the bar. I can’t say enough kind words for all the hotel staff as well as our server for breakfast, which was absolutely fantastic. Parking was convenient with either garage parking (but you have to get there early enough as spots were limited) or plenty of parking in outdoor lots. Our room was a King with a view of the Mississippi River. Rooms are very clean and decorated very nicely. The only downside with this type room was the bathroom counter which we felt was a little too small as well as only half door to the shower (burr!). Waking up the next morning after the snowfall over night was a breathtaking view of the riverfront and the fesh fallen snow covered trees on the Illinois side of the river. Other than that The Merrill Hotel has my highest recommendation to stay here. My wife is hard to please and has excellent taste when it comes to hotels and she definitely wants to come back here and stay in the Chairman Suite.

Anna was our server at Maxwells restaurant. Anns was sweet, professional, and attentive. Every employee acknowledged us.

Great hotel with wonderful amenities and even better people.
I’d like to call out Mackenzie at the bar in particular. She’s just a wonderful person-made me feel right at home.

Stayed her for one night with my teen daughter. As a mom traveling alone with a teen I felt very safe. Parking was close and well lit. There was no valet on duty. Emma at the front desk made check-in easy. I was able to stay parked in front of the hotel until my daughter was settled into our room with our belongings. A huge plus since we were traveling with her giant upright double bass. We didn’t realize there is a football game in Iowa City tomorrow until we tried booking a last-minute hotel room. This has been a lovely detour on our little trip up from St Louis. Beautiful hotel. Room appears to be updated. It’s got the Marriott fresh smell and crisp bedding. Bonus: smart tv thank goodness. I’m still shocked many properties don’t have them. I need my Netflix and forgot the streaming stick I usually carry “just in case”. My only silly complaint is that the hotel dinner menu doesn’t have pizza or fries for the teen. There are plenty of places to dine close by, and the hotel dining looks lovely if you have a more refined palate… lol. Marriott status was recognized with multiple options of welcome gifts. I think I currently only have gold status but we had the option for nicer perks than you typically get with gold status. It was reminiscent of my platinum days before I became a hermit. Probably the best “value” for a nice Marriott property ever.

Clean, modern, and comfortable.

Breakfast was very good, the waitress was very good

Excellent hotel, very clean, nice restaurant, awesome staff. Our stay was just for a night and we had great time. Will come to this place for sure.

The front desk staff were exceptionally kind and helpful. The hotel, in general was very clean and well kept. Our only hiccup was the shower. The water wouldn't drain properly so while taking a shower, the tub was filling with water. Also, there isn't a full shower door or curtain so the bathroom walls and floor get wet while you are showering. We thought it was just our room that there was only half a shower door but when we called down to the front desk, they said all the rooms are like that and they get complaints about it. They did offer to switch us to a different room because of the drain issue but we were already settled in for the night and didn't want to move. We appreciated the suggestion.

My first trip to Iowa and The Merrill did not disappoint!! Muscatine is a must-see gem, with a ton of history and charm. Don’t miss this pearl of the US!