Holiday Inn Express Des Moines

The rooms were a good size and quiet, and the bathroom was spacious and clean. Staff were friendly and helpful, and the hotel was kept in good condition. Breakfast was pretty standard, and there’s no pool. The parking lot is a nice size, and the Drake Diner is right next door.

We were in town for my granddaughter’s high school graduation, and after a noisy first night, the staff helped make the rest of the stay comfortable. Our original room had a bench just outside the window where smokers gathered, talking and laughing loudly until early morning. The next day, staff understood the problem, moved us to a room away from the bench, and adjusted our bill. Breakfast was great and the staff were excellent. I’d suggest moving the smokers’ bench farther from the guest room windows. Aside from that, the location was convenient and we were comfortable.

The rooms were clean and the beds comfortable, but it was the staff who stood out. Stephanie was especially helpful and understanding. The morning manager, whose name I unfortunately didn’t get, even lent us her own ice scraper after we’d left ours back home. Everyone was incredibly kind.

The location worked really well for visiting Drake University, and I’d stay here again when visiting the college since it’s within walking distance. Our ground floor room had sliding doors opening onto a courtyard, which would be lovely in warm weather. The beds and pillows were fairly comfortable. Breakfast was available, though we didn’t try it, and the Drake Diner next door looked busy and was easy to reach on foot for any meal. A couple of small room issues bothered me. The outlets seemed loose throughout the room. A slight bump made the desk lamp turn off, and we had to prop our phone chargers in the outlets on the nightstand lamp. The bathroom toilet was unusually small in both bowl size and height, which I think could be uncomfortable for larger or taller people.