Holiday Inn Des Moines DTWN Mercy Area

I’d come back here over the years because it was convenient for the convention center and I’d had good past stays. I regret not checking recent reviews before booking again. The rate was comparable to nearby Hilton and Marriott hotels, but this place is a dump. From my bed on the seventh floor, I can hear the wind coming through the windows. Since the parking structure is now considered unsound, we had to walk two blocks in the rain. Apparently it’s been this way for a while. We were told the owner had passed away and the children who inherited the property didn’t want to invest in repairs. I’m hugely disappointed. Don’t stay here.

I liked the hotel, and the free shuttle to the Casey's center was nice. Parking was a mess, though. The entire lot was closed, and the small lot across the street was full when I arrived. I parked in the Mercy employee lot next door without any trouble, but then had to haul my bags across the street and through the closed lot.

I stayed here last year while it was under construction, and when I visited again yesterday, it was still going on. The parking lot reconstruction was a real hassle. Smoke detectors went off all night and kept me from sleeping. When I notified the supervisor, he showed no compassion and basically said that since he hadn’t heard them, it hadn’t happened. I’m from Illinois and stay here often, but this was my last visit.

The rooms were nice and clean, and the location is good, but the service after the Paul McCartney concert was awful. Only one person was working the front desk, and she was stressed, busy, and rude. Management left her understaffed, so I can see why she was frustrated. I was on the first floor, just one level above the lobby, but waited 20 minutes for the elevator because there are no interior stairs to use. Everyone staying there seemed to have been at the concert. The bar wasn’t open afterward either, which was ridiculous after an event like that. The situation felt stupid, and the lack of stairs sounds like it could be against code.