Hampton Inn & Suites des Moines Downtown

We booked a two queen bed hotel room with river view, but got a room with a king bed and couch with the view of the HVAC units at check-in. Perhaps that would have been an acceptable change, but we needed two beds. We were told by the front desk that because of a water issue, 20 queen rooms were not available. The only extra bedding in the room for the couch was one pillow in the closet. This hotel jacked up their rates for the weekend we were there due to the events at the ballpark, so I spent $500 to sleep on a couch for two nights at this hotel. Save your money and book a different hotel. Downtown Des Moines is safe and walkable, so you don't need the closest hotel to the ballpark.

Great location in downtown Des Moines. Lots of great food very close by and their rates were reasonable. We had one of the balcony rooms which was very large. It was clean and comfortable as we expect from this chain. It was great sitting out on the balcony at night, Des Moines was pretty quiet on those nights and the weather was perfect. Across the street are walking/bike paths that run along the Des Moines river too. They offer a parking garage and it is attached directly to the hotel, no walking outside is necessary. There is street parking there too but the garage is cheaper for long stays. Enjoyed our stay here and would come back again.

It's a nice hotel in a great location. But when you splurge for a balcony suite, you don't expect any negatives...and there were a couple of big ones. First, the window in the bedroom area did not have curtains you could close. Meaning, they want the sun to shine through the sheers and wake you up early so you get out of the room sooner. Second, the balcony had an incredibly bright light on it that could not be turned off. It had a light sensor and when it came on, it was on, period. We got back from the ballgame and wanted to sit out on the balcony and enjoy the beautiful night and view. The very bright light ruined it for us. They put the appearance of their building ahead of their customers.

We were moving our daughter to Des Moines, booked a room online through a 3rd party, and called earlier in the day to inform them that we would be arriving late as we were driving from Milwaukee. The front desk staff was unable to check us in due to a computer issue. We ended up walking the street at 1:30 am looking for a place to stay. The neighboring hotel had a nice front desk worker who called around and found us a place for the night. I went back to the Hampton the next day, and was told it was a computer glitch, no apologies. The online booking agency contacted the Hampton Inn, and was told that we were a "no show" and could not get a refund. We have to pay over $300 for a room we did not step foot in. I tried contacting the Hampton general manager, left a message and she did not return my phone call.

The front desk staff was very friendly, the parking garage had plenty of space and was easy to get in and out of. Our balcony room was OK, The door to the balcony, however, would not lock and we had a storm so it kept blowing the door open, the rooms are decently clean however, the bed and the pillows were extremely uncomfortable. I was surprised there was no housekeeping when you stay multiple nights.

This location left a lot to be desired. I’ll start with the good. The location is pretty good. Right next to the river and while not in downtown proper, the downtown area is walking distance away. Parking is validated by the hotel. Ashley at the front desk was professional. Now the bad. The bedsheets is what really gave this review a low score. The comforter had a large bloodstain. I called Ashley about the situation and thankfully she sent up housekeeping to get the sheets changed. As I noticed the housekeepers changing sheets, I noticed the mattress was stained up good as well. Overall cleanliness needs improvement in the hotel. The hallways were quite beat up and aging with sagging carpets, scuffed up walls and smelled musty. The hotel was busy with a lot of kids and it seems like there was a school trip. Kids shouting and running down the halls all night. The breakfast was very sorry excuse especially for Hampton/Hilton. I got there at 8 and they already ran out of hot food only having waffles, very stale bread, cereal, yogurt and rotting fruit. Again with there being a school trip, there was no where to sit and had to eat in my room. For being a downtown Hilton location, I expected better. While not the worst experience, it was far from good.

Overall, a very solid place to spend a night. This hotel is conveniently located in downtown Des Moines. The staff was friendly and the room was clean. The breakfast was also satisfying with plenty of options to get full.

Very clean and tidy, staff friendly and helpful. Breakfast included, had a good choice to help yourself to. Great location, recommend room with a view of river and Capitol building. Rooms are well equipped. Noise from adjacent rooms heard but not disturbing.

We were in town with friends for three nights. This hotel is right next to the ballpark so it was perfect for us. The room with a king bed was clean but smaller than we expected. A nice big bathroom and a good shower. Decent breakfast. Strong wifi. A $15 per night fee to park your car seemed a bit pricey. Front desk staff hit or miss on attention to detail, for instance we asked to have housekeeping clean our room and the guy just stared at his monitor and said nothing. Turns out he never told housekeeping.