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Waterloo · Hotel shortlist

Waterloo hotels with a spa

Stefan Bauer

Stefan Bauer The American west

Updated 1 September 2026 · 20 Waterloo hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in Waterloo, out of the 20 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, 5 down to 4.2.

The Baillie is the one I would book myself.

The Baillie

Highest rated of the five

The Baillie

★★★★★5 from 129 reviews

The Baillie comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 5 from 129 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 2 star property and found under the university district.

20 hotels in Waterloo qualified for this list and five made it. Staybridge Suites Seattle - Fremont by IHG is the one I would book if the first is full.

Why it works for this trip

  • Spatreatment rooms on site, no booking a taxi for it
  • Air conditioningthe one that decides a summer trip
  • Family roomscots and larger rooms rather than a squeeze
  • Parkinga real consideration if you are driving in

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All five, ranked

  1. The Baillie1

    The Baillie

    ★★★★★5 from 129 reviews

    • Spa
    • Parking
    • Kid friendly
    • Air conditioning

    Check rates Read more

  2. Staybridge Suites Seattle - Fremont by IHG2

    Staybridge Suites Seattle - Fremont by IHG

    ★★★★★4.4 from 1,187 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Parking
    • Kitchen

    Check rates Read more

  3. Residence Inn by Marriott Seattle University District3

    Residence Inn by Marriott Seattle University District

    ★★★★★4.5 from 822 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Parking
    • Kitchen
    • Pet friendly

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  4. Comfort Suites Cedar Falls Industrial Park4

    Comfort Suites Cedar Falls Industrial Park

    ★★★★★4.3 from 518 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Parking
    • Pet friendly
    • Kid friendly

    Check rates Read more

  5. Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Cedar Falls near University5

    Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Cedar Falls near University

    ★★★★★4.2 from 567 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Parking
    • Kitchen
    • Kid friendly

    Check rates Read more

How this list was put together

20 Waterloo 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.

Stefan Bauer

Stefan Bauer The American west

Chases total solar eclipses. Seven of them on four continents, from Wyoming to a fishing town in Chile. Banks days off through the on-call rota and books the trips years ahead, because eclipse dates do not move.

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.