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UPDATED: Mason City hotel shuttered, deemed “unfit for human habitation”

American Best Inn and Suites
American Best Inn and Suites
MASON CITY – A troubled Mason City hotel is out of business at this time after officials deemed it “unfit for human habitation.”

American Best Inn and Suites, located at 24 Fifth Street SW in Mason City, has had its share of police visits in recent months, and the latest one was enough to shut the place down. Apparently this week, city and county inspectors were in the building along with police conducting inspections. As a result of how the hotel was being operated as a long-term residence versus a short-term actual hotel, and other issues found during these inspections, the hotel license for American Best Inn and Suites was rescinded by the Cerro Gordo County Health Department for multiple hotel code violations on November 14. City inspector and Housing Official Ray Quayle white tagged the facility as unfit for human habitation shortly after that.

They do have the right to appeal, Mason City police tell NIT this afternoon.

At the scene, the office has a “closed” sign in the window. Child’s bicycles could be seen on the second level hallway, along with grills and other items. No one was around at all, and the parking lot was empty. A call to the business phone number went to message.

More to come on this developing story.

UPDATE FROM CERRO GORDO COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT, 11-16-2016:

Our department did not shut the hotel down. Our department conducted an inspection and based upon the findings, we revoked the hotel license. Once the license is revoked, the hotel license holder has 30 days to request in writing a hearing before the County Board of Health. When the license was revoked on the facility, the facility is then deemed rental property and jurisdiction is turned over to the city. The city made the decision to white tag and close the facility. Feel free to contact Ray Quail for more details on that piece.

License revocations for hotels occur for a variety of reasons. Some of the things that are required by Iowa Code to deem a property a hotel are as follows:
– Iowa law defines a hotel to be “any building or structure, equipped, used, advertised as, or held out the public to be an inn, hotel, motel, motor inn, or place where sleeping accommodations are furnished transient guests for hire.” Transient guests means an overnight lodging guest who does not intend to stay for any permanent length of time. Any guest who rents a room for more than 31 consecutive days is not classified as a transient guest.
– Administrative rules state:
o Owners or managers are expected to keep hotels clean and free of refuse.
o Keep the floors, ceilings, and walls in good repair.
o Furniture, drapes, and accessories shall be kept clean and in good repair.
o All bedding and linens kept in clean and good repair.
– These items were deemed not in compliance in one form or another.
– Guests were living in this facility long-term. They received mail at this facility, use their own linens, furniture, appliances, etc. and provide their own housekeeping.

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