“Absolutely beyond expectations.”
This hotel was a great surprise! We were given a King room with fireplace. The room was gorgeous, with high ceilings. The bathroom was huge, with two sinks & a full bathtub. The bed was comfortable, the pillows fluffy, & the towels were somehow softer than I can even get mine at home!
Staff at the front desk were always charming, friendly, & helpful. On the first night we requested pillows for our room, then went to look at the fitness room. By the time we came back (<10 minutes) we had our pillows.
Though the hotel doesn't have a restaurant, they offer a full complimentary breakfast. A chef is brought in with everything needed for made to order omelettes, etc.. Everything was fresh & well made and the pastries were very good.
The fitness facilities are better than one might expect for a small hotel. There's a hot tub as well as saunas & top of the line exercise equipment.
We will definitely stay there again if we ever return to Des Moines.
There are some negatives. There's no pool. There's no hotel parking, so you do have to either park on the street or at one of the pay lots. If a flat screen television is part of your requirements for a hotel room, you will be disappointed.
Lastly, & this is not any fault of the hotel, but apparently there is nothing else to do in Des Moines than drive around in loud cars & hoot & hollar out ones windows. Leaving the windows open on a street view room is not an option, but it's not an issue if you close the windows.
Area recommendations
Downtown was the only area we visited, though it was quite nice. Small and easily walkable.
Dining
For tasty and funky, try Fongs Pizzeria which used to be a Chinese restaurant but now serves extremely tasty pizzas with an exotic twist. Right across the street is a little bar called "The Lift" which makes tasty drinks indeed.
