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Ankeny · Hotel shortlist

High end hotels in the old town, Ankeny

Rosa Iglesias

Rosa Iglesias The American south

Updated 1 September 2026 · 16 Ankeny hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in Ankeny, out of the 16 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, all five scoring 4.9.

The Oakwood Inn Okoboji is the one I would book myself.

The Oakwood Inn Okoboji

Highest rated of the five

The Oakwood Inn Okoboji

★★★★★4.9 from 441 reviews

The Oakwood Inn Okoboji comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 4.9 from 441 guest reviews is a score that holds up at that volume, which is the whole test here. A perfect ten from nine people does not beat it.

It is a 4 star property, found under old town and around $197 a night on the dates we checked.

16 hotels in Ankeny qualified for this list and five made it. Bridges Bay spacious, well-stocked kid-friendly home. 6 Pool Passes. Sleeps Ten is the one I would book if the first is full.

Why it works for this trip

  • Air conditioningthe one that decides a summer trip
  • Parkinga real consideration if you are driving in
  • Step free accesslevel entry and a lift
  • Dogs allowedno kennel to arrange before you fly

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All five, ranked

  1. The Oakwood Inn Okoboji1

    The Oakwood Inn Okoboji

    ★★★★★4.9 from 441 reviews

    • Parking
    • Pet friendly
    • Air conditioning
    • Accessible

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  2. Bridges Bay spacious, well-stocked kid-friendly home. 6 Pool Passes. Sleeps Ten2

    Bridges Bay spacious, well-stocked kid-friendly home. 6 Pool Passes. Sleeps Ten

    ★★★★★5 from 320 reviews

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    • Lake Front Condo on East Lake Okoboji in Bridges Bay Resort.3

      Lake Front Condo on East Lake Okoboji in Bridges Bay Resort.

      ★★★★★4.9089885 from 178 reviews

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      • Charming remodeled 4-Bedroom home with fire pit4

        Charming remodeled 4-Bedroom home with fire pit

        ★★★★★4.977008 from 127 reviews

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        • Poolside Cabin 178 at Bridges Bay Resort on East Okoboji Lake5

          Poolside Cabin 178 at Bridges Bay Resort on East Okoboji Lake

          ★★★★★5 from 119 reviews

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          How this list was put together

          16 Ankeny hotels qualify for this list. We ranked them on guest rating, then on class, and took the top five.

          Two things decide these lists. The first is my own time in the city: every hotel on this page is one I have stayed in, walked into and looked at, or gone back to check. That is where the shortlist starts, and it is why some well reviewed places are not on it.

          The second is the numbers, and those are what set the order. The rating and review count come from the big travel sites, pooled through Google, so a score here reflects Expedia, Booking, Hotels.com and the rest together rather than any one of them. I also read the review breakdown by topic, which is where the figures on service, breakfast and location come from. Hotels with fewer than forty reviews are left out altogether, because a rating that thin is not a rating. No more than two come from one neighbourhood.

          What I do not do is move anyone up the order. The ranking is the guest score, highest first, and nobody pays to be on the list.

          Distances are straight lines from published coordinates, so the real walk is a little longer. Amenities are as recorded by Google Hotels and can change without notice. Rates are an indicative nightly figure for a midweek autumn stay, not a quote. Check the booking page before you commit.

          Rosa Iglesias

          Rosa Iglesias The American south

          Teaches in term time and plays weddings in summer, which pays for the travel. Goes where the music is, usually festivals in small unrecommended towns. Owns three unnecessary accordions.

          Trip Grapevine earns a commission on bookings made through the links on this page. It costs you nothing, and it does not change the order of the list, which is set by the measurements above.