Gateway Hotel and Conference Center

Select services venue

The venue will provide the space, plus a few extras.

Full wedding (ceremony and reception) pricing

Starting at $2,550

Catering services pricing

$20 per person for off-peak dates, with a minimum total spend of $4,500

Guest capacity

Up to 400 seated guests

About this venue

Gateway Hotel & Conference Center is a premier and newly renovated Ames, IA, hotel wedding venue offering timeless indoor and outdoor spaces for ceremonies, receptions, and wedding weekend celebrations. From intimate gatherings to grand receptions surrounded by family and friends, we blend classic elegance with modern comfort for life's most meaningful celebrations. From the moment you begin planning, to the final dance of the evening, our experienced and passionate team is dedicated to making every detail feel effortless and every moment truly special. With more than 30 years of experience hosting weddings and special events, the Gateway offers a variety of in house accommodations and a team that truly understands what it takes to create a seamless and joyful celebration. We believe your love story deserves a beautiful beginning, and we would be honored to help you create a day that will be remembered for a lifetime!

Seated guest capacity

  • 25-400

Venue type

  • Ballrooms, Banquet Halls
  • Hotels, Inns, Resorts
  • Parks, Gardens

Venue setting

  • Indoor
  • Outdoor
2100 Green Hills Dr, Ames, IA 50014

Our event spaces

Garden Room

Where Exceptional Hospitality Meets Memorable Weddings!

The Garden Room is our most popular space for wedding receptions. It features a stunning gold inlay ceiling with beautiful chandeliers and a wall of floor to ceiling windows. The opportunities are endless in the room!

Guest capacity

50-200 Seated

50-200 Standing

Square footage

4,389

Ideal for

Wedding ceremony, Wedding reception, Wedding shower, Welcome party, Cocktail hour, Engagement party

Guests often feel this space is

“Warm and cozy”

Included in this room:

- Light dimmers - LED light strip around the room to be a custom color - General set up and tear down - White or black table linens - Basic decor options - Access to rent from our partner's decor closet - Complimentary hospitality room - Discounted guest room block - Complimentary one-night stay for newlyweds in a junior suite - Menu tasting for couple + 4 guests - Complimentary champagne toast - Cutting and service of wedding cake

Room cost

$1,850 room rental + a $4,500 food and beverage minimum

Prairie Ballroom

Where Exceptional Hospitality Meets Memorable Weddings!

This is the ideal space for larger weddings. It features ample room for up to 400 guests and a wonderful airwall that can open up to the foyer area where you can house food, welcome tables, bars, photobooths, etc. creating one big open space for your guests.

Guest capacity

220-400 Seated

220-400 Standing

Square footage

7,280

Ideal for

Wedding reception, Wedding shower

Guests often feel this space is

“Warm and cozy”

Included in this room:

- Light dimmers - LED light strip around the room to be a custom color - General set up and tear down - White or black table linens - Basic decor options - Access to rent from our partner's decor closet - Complimentary hospitality room - Discounted guest room block - Complimentary one-night stay for newlyweds in a junior suite - Menu tasting for couple + 4 guests - Complimentary champagne toast - Cutting and service of wedding cake

Room cost

$2,850 + $6,500 food + beverage minimum

Waterfall Garden Patio

Where Exceptional Hospitality Meets Memorable Weddings!

This outdoor space features a beautiful waterfall backdrop with mature trees and beautiful greenery and flowers surrounding. The area is ideal for wedding ceremonies, cocktail hours, welcome parties and more!

Guest capacity

25-225 Seated

25-225 Standing

Square footage

2,385

Ideal for

Wedding ceremony, Welcome party, Cocktail hour, Engagement party, Elopement

Guests often feel this space is

“Warm and cozy”

Included in this room:

- General set up and tear down - Water service for guests - Tables for programs, altar, etc. - Designated rehearsal time - Waived room rent for rehearsal dinner (up to $520) **Ceremony chairs will have to be rented. This is something that we can source, or you can outsource them yourself as well.

Room cost

$700

Garden Room

Where Exceptional Hospitality Meets Memorable Weddings!

The Garden Room is our most popular space for wedding receptions. It features a stunning gold inlay ceiling with beautiful chandeliers and a wall of floor to ceiling windows. The opportunities are endless in the room!

Guest capacity

50-200 Seated

50-200 Standing

Square footage

4,389

Ideal for

Wedding ceremony, Wedding reception, Wedding shower, Welcome party, Cocktail hour, Engagement party

Guests often feel this space is

“Warm and cozy”

Included in this room:

- Light dimmers - LED light strip around the room to be a custom color - General set up and tear down - White or black table linens - Basic decor options - Access to rent from our partner's decor closet - Complimentary hospitality room - Discounted guest room block - Complimentary one-night stay for newlyweds in a junior suite - Menu tasting for couple + 4 guests - Complimentary champagne toast - Cutting and service of wedding cake

Room cost

$1,850 room rental + a $4,500 food and beverage minimum

Prairie Ballroom

Where Exceptional Hospitality Meets Memorable Weddings!

This is the ideal space for larger weddings. It features ample room for up to 400 guests and a wonderful airwall that can open up to the foyer area where you can house food, welcome tables, bars, photobooths, etc. creating one big open space for your guests.

Guest capacity

220-400 Seated

220-400 Standing

Square footage

7,280

Ideal for

Wedding reception, Wedding shower

Guests often feel this space is

“Warm and cozy”

Included in this room:

- Light dimmers - LED light strip around the room to be a custom color - General set up and tear down - White or black table linens - Basic decor options - Access to rent from our partner's decor closet - Complimentary hospitality room - Discounted guest room block - Complimentary one-night stay for newlyweds in a junior suite - Menu tasting for couple + 4 guests - Complimentary champagne toast - Cutting and service of wedding cake

Room cost

$2,850 + $6,500 food + beverage minimum

Waterfall Garden Patio

Where Exceptional Hospitality Meets Memorable Weddings!

This outdoor space features a beautiful waterfall backdrop with mature trees and beautiful greenery and flowers surrounding. The area is ideal for wedding ceremonies, cocktail hours, welcome parties and more!

Guest capacity

25-225 Seated

25-225 Standing

Square footage

2,385

Ideal for

Wedding ceremony, Welcome party, Cocktail hour, Engagement party, Elopement

Guests often feel this space is

“Warm and cozy”

Included in this room:

- General set up and tear down - Water service for guests - Tables for programs, altar, etc. - Designated rehearsal time - Waived room rent for rehearsal dinner (up to $520) **Ceremony chairs will have to be rented. This is something that we can source, or you can outsource them yourself as well.

Room cost

$700

Available services that can be provided by Gateway Hotel and Conference Center

Services & amenities

  • Bar services
  • Catering services
  • Clean up
  • Dance floor
  • Dressing room / Bridal Suite
  • Event coordinator
  • Event rentals
  • Event staff
  • On-site accommodations
  • Pet friendly
  • Service staff
  • Set up
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Wifi

Transportation & access

  • Self parking - free
  • Wheelchair accessible

Rentals

  • Barware
  • Flatware
  • Glassware
  • Linens
  • Standard Chairs

Accommodations

  • Bedroom suites
  • Double bed rooms
  • Honeymoon suite
  • Room blocks offered
  • Single king rooms

Reviews

Write a review
Rating: 5.0

5.0 out of 5

1 review

  • BF

    Briar F.

    Rating: 5
    •Zola
    •Sep 10

    Incredible service at a fantastic venue!

    Gateway Hotel and Conference Center is a hidden gem in the Central Iowa area! Don’t picture the dated venue of yesteryear, it’s gone through a very thoughtful renovation that created spaces that have a “touch of ISU” rather than it being the forefront. At Gateway, we signed ONE contract that covered: the ceremony, reception, CATERING, rehearsal, room blocks, linens, dancefloor, chair rental, etc. Truly a full-service venue that knows weddings inside and out. I can’t mention Gateway without talking about the FOOD. I swear, prepare to have your guests rave about the food at your wedding for the next decade. The planning process covered every minor detail, right down to the napkin fold. At times I thought, there’s no way this is just included—yes, it was included—and yes, you can pick out exactly what you want. Zoie and the team were amazing to work with. My post-nuptial blues have me wishing that I could get married every year so I can continue to work with them. The Gateway Hotel and Conference Center is the perfect place to get married and have a party that will be talked about for a long time. From Friday morning until Sunday afternoon—you, your family, and your guests are treated to incredible service at a fantastic venue.

Gateway Hotel and Conference Center is the sole provider of food and beverage, with the exception of cake and specialty desserts. Groups that disregard this will be charged for damages caused by the loss in revenue. A penalty of $1,000.00 will be charged to the group if outside alcohol is brought into any of the function areas. The discovery of outside alcohol may also result in the immediate end of the function.
We treat all months of the year the same, there is no pricing difference month to month. However, we do host the ISU football team on home game weekends. What this means is that we have every Friday and Saturday blocked off from the end of August through the end of November until the official schedule for the year comes out. Talk to your wedding coordinator for more details on this. We do offer a 25% discount to weddings booked on a Sunday through Thursday. Chat with your coordinator for the details on this. We also offer a 10% discount to active duty military members and veterans. Chat with your coordinator for these details.
We treat all months of the year the same, there is no pricing difference month to month. However, we do host the ISU football team on home game weekends. What this means is that we have every Friday and Saturday blocked off from the end of August through the end of November until the official schedule for the year comes out. Talk to your wedding coordinator for more details on this. We do offer a 25% discount to weddings booked on a Sunday through Thursday. Chat with your coordinator for the details on this. We also offer a 10% discount to active duty military members and veterans. Chat with your coordinator for these details.
We have 300+ parking spots a the hotel that are self park. We do not offer valet services or transportation of any kind.
All of our facility is handicap accessible. We also have wheelchair accessible hotel rooms available for booking.
- Unlimited consultations with your coordinator - General set up and tear down for the space - Tables and chairs - White or black table linens - Variety of basic decor items - Access to our partner's decor closet for rental items - 15 x 18 wooden dance floor - 1 complimentary hospitality room - Discounted hotel room block for guests - Complimentary one-night stay for newlyweds in a junior suite - Menu tasting for couple + 4 guests - Complimentary champagne toast - Cutting and service of wedding cake
You will have access to the space at 7:00AM on the day of your wedding with the party over by 11:59PM (end time exceptions are given for New Years Eve weddings). I try my hardest to give access the day before for decorating. If you would like the guarantee access the day before, talk with your coordinator on how to make that possible.
All deposits are non-refundable and applied towards your final invoice. Any function cancelled less than 5 months prior to start date, 100% of the food and beverage minimum plus the room rent is due to us.
Yes! If you book your ceremony with us, you will get designated rehearsal time the night before, along with a room to host your rehearsal dinner. We waive the rental fee for the room, meaning you will only have to pay for the food and beverage at your dinner.
In order to book your wedding with us, we require a $2,000 deposit. Six months prior to your wedding, another $2,000 deposit is due. Your final headcount and all dietary restrictions are due to your wedding coordinator 10 days prior to your reception. Your coordinator will then create a final estimate minus your deposits. That amount is due before you walk down the aisle on your wedding day.
If you have booked our Waterfall Garden Patio for your ceremony, we automatically hold an indoor ceremony space for you at time of booking. Your coordinator will confirm the final ceremony location with you four hours in advance of the ceremony start time based on the forecast.
While we have exclusivity over food and beverage in the conference center, there is an open policy for all other vendors. We do have a list of vendors who have familiarity with us if you need a starting point on your outside vendor search. We are happy to work directly with your wedding vendors to coordinate set-up times, load-in, and timeline logistics on the day of your wedding.