The weekends that book out hotels in Ames — plan ahead so you're not stuck paying peak rates or driving in from Des Moines.
Ames hotel demand is driven almost entirely by Iowa State University. On these dates, hotels across town sell out and prices peak — reserve several weeks ahead.
Home games at Jack Trice Stadium are the single biggest driver of hotel demand. Every hotel in this guide fills up, and the near-campus cluster goes first. For the official home schedule, check cyclones.com.
Men's and women's basketball at Hilton Coliseum and other winter events bring steady weekend demand from November through March.
ISU commencement (early–mid May and December) and student move-in (August) are guaranteed sell-outs. Families book these months in advance.
Concerts and performances at Stephens Auditorium and events at the Scheman Building add spikes throughout the year. See the Iowa State Center calendar.
For festivals, conferences and everything else happening in town, the Discover Ames events calendar is the best official source.