Ramada Tropics Resort & Conf Center by Wyndham Des Moines

The pool and arcade were the best part of our stay, especially if you're traveling with kids. The room itself was comfortable enough for a short visit, though nothing fancy. The bathroom needs work. Water backed up in both the shower and sink, and the pocket door wouldn't shut all the way or lock, which made privacy awkward. A few maintenance fixes would make this place much better.

The price and location were decent, and the shower had great water pressure. But the glass wasn't caulked along the bottom, so water ended up pooling on the bathroom floor. The bathroom door also wouldn't close completely, so there wasn't much privacy. The waterpark is a few small pools, some equipment and slides, with pirate themed things for kids. I never saw anyone use the two big slides, and there was no water coming down them, so they may have been out of order. The hot tub was colder than one of the kiddie pools. We couldn't use any of the pools because they were closed by the time we got back to our room, maybe around 8 p.m. Our TV didn't work, and the room phone wasn't plugged in. We plugged it in ourselves, but it didn't work either. Getting back and forth to the car with luggage was quite an expedition because the exits were so far from our room. Breakfast was called continental, but there was almost no protein besides little yogurt cups. Kids had been through before us, and everything was sticky with syrup. For the price, the place had some things going for it, but the room had plenty of issues.

What should've been a fun night away turned into a disaster. My kids and I saw mice in the room, so at 1 a.m. I packed up my family because I wasn't going to sleep with rodents. The room smelled bad, the curtains had holes, and the bathroom door wouldn't stay shut. The whole place felt outdated, filthy and smelly. The waterpark area was disgusting, with poop in the pirate ship. The arcade was open, but the card machine didn't work, so my kids couldn't play. The staff were nice, but very unprofessional. Please don't book here. Take your hard earned dollars somewhere else.

The kids had fun at the waterpark, which was the best part, but the rest of the stay was disappointing for the price. Our room was very worn. Some furniture was held together with tape, several appliances were rusty, and the carpet was so waterlogged from the humidity it felt almost squishy. Being near the pool may explain some dampness, but it made me worry about mold. I called the office three times, an hour apart each time, before I finally got extra bedding for the sofa bed. The staff, the facility and the breakfast all left a lot to be desired. I was quite disappointed and won't be back.