Econo Lodge Inn & Suites Des Moines Fairgrounds Area

Breakfast was delicious, and the coffee was good too. The place felt a bit cramped, and the location seemed sketchy, but the staff were really polite and nice. I’d come back.

We were nervous after reading the reviews, but this is the only hotel within walking distance of the Iowa State Fair, so we booked anyway. We liked the stay enough to reserve again for next year. The breakfast was very minimal, though that mattered less with the fair right across the street. We did miss having a hot tub and towels in the pool area. The hotel could use some remodeling and feels a little dated, but we preferred it to a luxurious Marriott where we’d stayed earlier this summer. The bathrooms were clean and the beds super comfortable. They were also very accommodating, providing two rooms and extra towels, and offering to keep a large item in their freezer.

The bed was really comfortable, and everything worked as it should. Both the common area and our room were clean. It had been remodeled sometime in the last year or so, and the breakfast choices were a nice surprise for an Econolodge. I’ll be back!

Snow was forecast for our home area, so we canceled our plans and called to cancel this reservation just outside the 24-hour window. We were told the Friday night was too late to cancel, but after talking it over we canceled Saturday as well. Then the hotel charged us for trying to cancel Friday, and the amount was half again as much as the quoted price. They said the multi-night rate had been lost and the room had gone back to normal pricing. The charge went from $65 to $95 because our notice was just outside the 24-hour policy. Everyone we spoke to passed responsibility to someone else.