This Hotel in Southern Iowa is a Diamond in the Rough [PHOTOS]

A few weeks ago, I went on a first date at Maxwell's on The River in Muscatine. After matching with a girl on Bumble in December, we finally were able to go and meet one another for drinks. She lives in Davenport and I live in Iowa City, so we sort of met in the middle.

After a simple Google search, it was easy to decide Maxwell's would be the place -- we had no idea what we were in for.

Not only did we underestimate how gorgeous the place was, but we also were completely unaware it was in the lobby of The Merrill Hotel.

After meeting and speaking with the Director of Sales and Marketing, Kathy, and a coworker of hers from the corporate offices in Chicago, Trenor, we learned way more than we expected.

Check out this absolutely beautiful hotel.

So, I'm sure you're desperately curious as to how the date went.

It was fine.

She was a pretty girl who loves kids -- that's a big deal for me. While I don't have any children of my own, I do love kids, especially my nephew. If there's a woman out there that can get far enough to meet my family and my nephew loves her, it'd be a done deal.

She also chatted up Kathy and Trenor out of nowhere, which I thought was cool. Having the social skills to connect with people you've just met is awesome -- my parents did an awesome job providing those skills to me. If I can share that with a future girlfriend or wife, I'd love it.

The pair were nice enough to send over champagne and a piece of incredibly rich cheesecake with a side of homemade whip cream that was just phenomenal. We ultimately sat down and talked with them and the owner of The Merrill for about an hour and a half.

I love when a night goes in a completely different direction and you make friends with people you've never met before. Maybe that's the 'Iowa Nice' in me, who knows.

Ultimately, there won't be a second date. I've done long-distance before, and I have no desire to do it again. My date and I are on the same page there, so we decided not to pursue things amicably.

If there were a way for a date to go that wouldn't result in another, I'd prefer it to go this way, for sure.