Hotel Manning
100 Van Buren St
Keosauqua, IA
A community-owned river landmark on a quiet bend of the Des Moines
This property is an Honorable Mention. It has been vetted and approved for our highest standards of cleanliness, safety, and operational excellence. While it is still evolving toward our full design-led designation, it is a proven, reliable anchor for any road trip. We recommend it with confidence.
About Hotel Manning
The hotel dates to the 1890s, a Steamboat Gothic landmark built when the Des Moines River was a working waterway. It has since become community-owned, run for and by the town of Keosauqua, with the historic hotel restored and a classic 1960s motor lodge added beside it. For Boutels, the qualifying stay is that motor lodge, with its private exterior entrances and easy, comfortable rooms.
What Hotel Manning Is Known For
This is a community-owned river landmark that a whole town keeps standing, which is a rare thing. The classic motor lodge beside it gives road-trippers an honest, comfortable place to sleep right in the heart of it.
Amenities
- Pets Welcome
- Riverfront setting
- Classic exterior-door motor-lodge rooms
- Park-at-your-door entrances
- Historic 1890s hotel on site
- Wrap-around porch
- Pet-friendly
- Free WiFi
What Guests Love
- A community-owned historic landmark right on the Des Moines River
- Classic motor-lodge rooms with private outdoor entrances and park-at-your-door ease
- Steps from Lacey-Keosauqua State Park and the Villages of Van Buren
- Simple, clean, honest rooms in a genuinely charming river town
Worth Knowing
- The exterior-entrance motor-lodge rooms are the classic-motel option here, alongside the historic hotel's interior rooms
- This is a small, community-run property, not a full-service hotel
- Keosauqua is a quiet river town, so plan on a slower, small-town pace
The Room
The motor-lodge rooms are the classic exterior-door kind, each with its own outdoor entrance and parking right outside. Inside they are simple, clean, and comfortable, with the basics a traveler wants after a day on the river or the back roads. It is honest, functional lodging, not a themed suite.
The Grounds
The property sits on the riverfront in downtown Keosauqua, with the historic hotel's wrap-around porch a few steps away. The Des Moines River bends past just below, and the small downtown is an easy walk. It is a quiet, unhurried spot to land for a night or two.
The Experience
Keosauqua anchors the Villages of Van Buren, a loose string of small river towns full of antique shops, old mills, covered-bridge country, and slow scenic drives. Lacey-Keosauqua State Park spreads along the river just outside town, with wooded trails, a lake, and one of Iowa's largest state parks. The pace here is gentle, and the hotel makes a friendly base for it.
Details
Keosauqua, IA 52565
The Boutel designation is earned, not purchased. Boutels is editorially independent and has no financial relationship with any listed property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hotel Manning pet friendly?
Yes. Hotel Manning welcomes pets. Contact the property to confirm current pet fees and any restrictions before you book.
Does Hotel Manning serve breakfast?
No, breakfast is not included at Hotel Manning.
What is there to do near Hotel Manning?
Lacey-Keosauqua State Park: 1 mile, about a 5 minute drive, or you can walk. Villages of Van Buren: 3 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can bike there. Des Moines River: 0.1 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can walk.
How far is Hotel Manning from Lacey-Keosauqua State Park?
Lacey-Keosauqua State Park is about 1 mile from Hotel Manning, close enough to walk (roughly a 5 minute drive).
How far is Hotel Manning from Villages of Van Buren?
Villages of Van Buren is about 3 miles from Hotel Manning, roughly a 5 minute drive or a short bike ride.
How far is Hotel Manning from Des Moines River?
Des Moines River is about 0.1 miles from Hotel Manning, close enough to walk (roughly a 5 minute drive).
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Things to Do Near Keosauqua and the Villages of Van Buren
Lacey-Keosauqua State Park
1.2 miles away
Lacey-Keosauqua State Park fills a big bend of the Des Moines River near Keosauqua, among the largest parks in Iowa.
Villages of Van Buren and Bentonsport
2.0 miles away
The Villages of Van Buren are a set of small, deeply preserved river towns along the Des Moines River in southeast Iowa, a corner of the state that time mostly passed over.
American Gothic House
19 miles away
In the little town of Eldon stands a plain white farmhouse that almost every American has seen without knowing where it is.
Des Moines River
0.1 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can walk.
The slow, wooded river that bends right past town and gave Keosauqua its start.