Des Lux Hotel

The hotel’s look and atmosphere are a real highlight, and the bar had good drinks at reasonable hotel prices. Our room was roomy, with a nicely sized bathroom, and was mostly clean. I did spot a bit of dust on the minibar snacks, which made me wonder how fresh they were. A few outlets by the beds would help too, so guests don’t have to move the end tables to plug things in.

We spent time walking downtown and through the sculpture park, which was only about two blocks away, and found a lovely dinner spot on foot. The room itself was nice, with a very comfortable bed and an especially soft faux fur throw. The king suite’s whirlpool tub didn’t work, though the bath was still enjoyable. I also noticed a few small things like scuffed furniture and imperfect paint.

Mary at the front desk made our anniversary stay feel special. She arranged champagne, showed us the Presidential suite after we mentioned wanting to see it, and offered dinner suggestions. Our corner suite had lovely furnishings and decor, plus great views. Sherry at the bar was sweet and kept the drinks and good times going. We also had fun taking photos in the lobby. It’s a really cool place.

We used the Des Lux as our base for our wedding weekend in Des Moines, and the suites were spacious and clean. Sandy and the staff were accommodating well before the wedding, even showing us the suites months ahead. My husband got ready with the in-house barber, breakfast was delicious, and we used the fun-looking bar for our first look. Staff also changed our rooms over on the wedding day so we could return to fresh bedding. There was some confusion about the night before: we called two weeks ahead to ask about inviting our wedding party and guests to the bar, and were told that was fine. One guest later said the bartender made passive-aggressive remarks about us needing to call ahead. The bartender treated us well and made great drinks, though. We love the Des Lux and will definitely be back.