Dubuque Hotel Cited for Roaches, Bed Bugs, and an Array of Filth

A Dubuque hotel has been cited for over two dozen health-and-safety violations, the details of which both disgusting and damning in equal measure.

Per KCRG, a city inspector visited the Canfield Hotel, located at 36 West 4th Street, in Dubuque. The 98-year-old hotel was cited for an obscenely high 14 regulatory violations, followed by another 12 violations two weeks letter. KCRG published the details of the inspector's findings on Monday, February 24th.

Here is a breakdown of some of the city inspector's findings:

• VERMIN: Multiple hotel rooms were cited as having not been adequately treated to eliminate infestations of cockroaches and bedbugs. Two of those rooms were in use at the time of inspection.
• HALLWAYS: The hallways on several floors were littered with dirt and garbage, on top of being damaged. Even the housekeeping closets on various floors were filthy.
• GARBAGE: In one particular room, the inspector found an accumulation of garbage in the shower as well as "litter throughout the room."
• BEDDING: The bedding in multiple rooms hadn't been cleaned, resulting in guests having to sleep on and use dirty sheets. The sink in another room was broken.
• GUEST RECORDS: The staff couldn't locate guest registration records from June - October 2024. Existing records didn't provide the city and state of residence for a number of guests.

Per KCRG, on January 14th, City Inspector Tim Link spoke to the owner and discussed the need to keep all bedding clean, guests should have clean towels every today, and pillows should have clean pillow slips. These are basic amenities for any hotel of any size. He added that guests had registered for weekly, biweekly, and monthly stays, and those individuals were not receiving housekeeping nor linen services as required by regulations.

Ten days later, Link revisited the Canfield Hotel, noting progress but still pointing out several issues, including:

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• Rooms still being marred in disrepair, including one guest room were multiple beds were stored.
• Hallways still not maintained, underscored by the presence of peeling plaster and a soiled radiator harboring insects.
• Evidence of pests and pest-control powder in many areas, including bed bugs in one room's mattress and box spring.
• Dirty drapes and bedding in multiple rooms
• Multiple rooms with inadequate or simply no hot water, as well as a "dry toilet," suggesting insufficient water supply.
• Posted room rates not reflecting the rates provided to city officials.

State records show that prior to Link's visits to the Canfield Hotel in January 2025, the business was last inspected in June 2023, prior to reopening under new ownership. City records show the 54-unit hotel was built in 1927, and purchased in June 2023 by Krupa LLC, a company managed by Mihir Patel. Since assuming ownership of the hotel, the net assessed value of the location has dropped from $923,700 to $717,700.

Patel revealed that he had hired four new housekeepers, increased pest control in the building, and hired a general contractor to address the issues brought forth by the city inspector. He added that there are approximately 25 people living in the building, paying rent on a week-to-week basis.

Read more about a city inspector's findings on the Canfield Hotel on KCRG's website.