Country Haven Guest Home Ltd in Winterset, IA

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Pros

• The staff are friendly and helpful.
• The rooms are clean and comfortable.
• The beds are incredibly comfortable, with good pillows.
• The showers deliver excellent water pressure and hot water.
• Check-in and check-out are seamless.
• Breakfast options are nice and reasonably priced.
• The location is convenient.
• The hotel is quiet, offering restful nights.
• The lounge areas are inviting and well kept.
• The front desk staff are courteous and accommodating.
• The hotel is a gem with great service.
• Guests would definitely recommend this place.

Cons

• The room had a dirty carpet and unpleasant smells.
• Breakfast was lacking, with no juices offered and limited options like milk, coffee, and water alongside scrambled eggs and seasoned beef for breakfast burritos.
• There is no elevator, which makes it difficult for guests with mobility issues to haul luggage.
• The room was far from the guest’s expectations, with subpar cleanliness (stains on the carpet, musty smell), an uncomfortable bed, and a bathroom with mold and missing basic amenities like clean towels and toiletries; noise levels were unbearable due to thin walls.
• The room was dirty and not cleaned during the stay, and attempts to refund a partially unused night were denied.
• The mattresses were old and had a dip in the middle; sheets kept slipping off the mattress.
• Reservations did not honor a request for a first-floor room; there was confusion about the booking contact number.
• Breakfast offerings were limited, with few gluten-free options.
• The rooms were overpriced for the area.
• Guests upstairs were very loud at night, making it hard to sleep.

Review

Country Haven Guest Home Ltd in Winterset is best suited for mature travelers who prize a quiet, clean, home-like setting and staff who treat each stay with personal care. Families visiting loved ones or seniors seeking a low-stress base will find a dependable home away from home: rooms that feel comfortable, corridors that stay calm, and a check-in/out process that is straightforward and smooth. A consistent emphasis on cleanliness and a solid bed-to-pillow mix sets the tone for many stays, while the location remains convenient for Winterset’s attractions. This is not a luxury resort, but it reliably delivers stability, warmth, and a sense of being looked after.

Those who may want to consider alternatives include guests with robust mobility needs or a hard requirement for an elevator. The absence of an elevator is a recurring and meaningful hurdle for travelers carrying luggage or relying on mobility aids, and it informs room selection, requesting a ground-floor option becomes a practical necessity rather than a preference. Additional alternatives may be wise for anyone seeking consistently top-tier breakfast offerings or a level of maid/service cadence that is uniform across all stays. While breakfast is often decent and reasonably priced, several reviews flag mornings that feel short of expectations, and a few isolated reports mention odors or dated carpeting in certain rooms.

Where the property excels, making the overall value proposition compelling, centers on the staff and the fundamentals of a comfortable stay. Reviewers repeatedly praise staff for warmth, approachability, and responsiveness, with seamless check-in and check-out noted as a standout. Rooms are described as clean and well appointed, featuring comfortable beds, strong water pressure in showers, and reliable climate control. The on-site lounge adds a social dimension that many guests appreciate, and breakfast, where offered, earns praise for its variety and presentation. When coupled with a quiet, safe environment and straightforward pricing, these strengths become a decisive edge for guests who value stability and daily predictability.

Nevertheless, the drawbacks do surface for a subset of guests. The lack of an elevator remains the most tangible limitation, affecting those with heavy luggage or limited mobility more than others. A few reports note cleanliness or odor issues in isolated rooms, and some experiences mention thin walls or noisy neighbors that disrupt sleep. Breakfast quality is not universally consistent, with some mornings delivering solid results and others delivering only adequate options. A handful of reviews describe miscommunications around reservations or billing, and a few isolated maintenance hiccups remind that even well-run stays can produce glitches. Taken together, these factors necessitate clear expectations and proactive planning, particularly for mobility-conscious families.

Despite the drawbacks, the positives tend to outweigh the negatives when the right traveler profile is in play. The staff’s proactive problem-solving, whether relocating guests to a more suitable floor, accommodating special requests, or maintaining a welcoming lounge, creates a dependable safety net that many families rely on. Cleanliness and comfort translate into real rest for aging parents or caregivers, and the quiet, secure environment reinforces that peace of mind. The location’s proximity to Winterset’s sights plus accessible parking and a friendly, inviting reception experience contribute additional value, making a short stay feel refreshingly uncomplicated. In price-to-service terms, Country Haven often rings up as a prudent choice for those who prioritize care, consistency, and a comfortable, homey atmosphere over flashier amenities.

The practical conclusion is straightforward: this community is a strong fit for families prioritizing stability, personal attention, and clean, comfortable spaces in a convenient Winterset setting. It serves well those who can manage with stairs or who can secure a ground-floor room to offset elevator limitations, and who value a genuinely friendly, capable staff that can adapt to varied needs. For seniors or guests with high accessibility requirements, or for anyone insisting on an elevator and a uniformly premium breakfast, exploring alternatives with guaranteed accessibility and a more consistent dining program is warranted. For everyone else, Country Haven offers a practical, reassuring stay where care, cleanliness, and a welcoming environment are the core deliverables.

Parks

• Winterset City Park (3.8 miles)
• City Park Hedge Maze (3.9 miles)
• George Washington Carver Memorial Park (4.4 miles)
• Winterset Parks & Recreation (4.5 miles)
• Memory Lane Park (4.6 miles)
• Whistle Stop Park (4.8 miles)
• Giffin Fields (4.9 miles)

Places of Worship

• Faith Lutheran Church (4.2 miles)
• Foursquare Gospel Church (4.4 miles)
• Winterset United Methodist Church, Pastor's Study (4.4 miles)
• First United Methodist Church (4.4 miles)
• Church of the Nazarene (4.4 miles)
• Road To Freedom Biker Church (4.4 miles)
• Saint Paul Lutheran Church (4.5 miles)

Hospitals

• Madison County Memorial Hospital (4.3 miles)
• Madison County Health Care System (4.3 miles)
• Health Trust Physicians Clinic (4.3 miles)

Restaurants

• Rudy's Restaurant (4.3 miles)
• Mi Pueblito Mexican Restaurant (4.4 miles)
• Bakery Unlimited (4.5 miles)
• The Drift (4.5 miles)
• China Cafe (4.5 miles)
• Flying Pan Bistro (4.5 miles)
• Frostee's (4.5 miles)

Physicians

• Winterset Medical Clinic (4.4 miles)
• Madison County Medical Associates (4.4 miles)
• Bluebird Integrative Health (4.5 miles)
• Earlham Medical Clinic (16.6 miles)
• Jones Family Dental (19.6 miles)
• Norwalk Family Physicians (20 miles)
• Osceola Vision Center (20.1 miles)

Cafes

• Anything Sweet & More Cafe (4.5 miles)
• The Cellar (4.5 miles)
• Northside Cafe (4.5 miles)
• Cabin Coffee Co. (5.2 miles)
• Heartland (20.1 miles)
• Gina's Cakes (20.2 miles)

Pharmacies

• Montross Pharmacy (4.5 miles)
• Pamida Pharmacy (4.8 miles)
• Medicap (4.9 miles)
• Montross Pharmacy (7.7 miles)
• Montross Pharmacy (16.6 miles)
• Walmart Pharmacy (19.9 miles)
• Medicap Pharmacy (20.2 miles)

Transportation

• U-Haul Neighborhood Dealer (19.5 miles)
• Osceola Cab (19.8 miles)
• Amtrak-Osc (19.9 miles)
• Amtrak (19.9 miles)