Hampton Inn & Suites West Des Moines/SW Mall Area

The front desk worker saw me once and remembered my name afterward. He called me Jimmy instead of just saying “sir,” and I appreciated that. It’s a comfortable place, and breakfast was great, running from 6 to 10 a.m.

The pool worked well for our two little kids, with a good depth and plenty of towels. Our room was spotless, the bathroom had towels, there were extra pillows on the beds, and we had both a mini fridge and microwave. Breakfast was free, varied, and well stocked, which was a big help while traveling with kids. We were a family of four at the Hampton Inn & Suites in West Des Moines, IA near Jordan Creek. We picked it for the pool and breakfast, and night manager Liz made us feel welcome right away. She got us checked in easily, brought extra pillows, and suggested a delivery option, which was a lifesaver for our tired crew. We followed her tip and ordered delicious pizza from a local place after a long day. Clean rooms, useful amenities, good food, and Liz’s warm service made this a wonderful stop for our family.

I’ve stayed here before and had good service, but this visit didn’t feel like the Hilton standard I’m used to. We checked in late, around 8 p.m., and the desk clerk took a while to show up and wasn’t friendly. Our room had no heat. He said he’d come up in five minutes, but it took more than 20. He adjusted the thermostat, though it still took about four hours for the room to reach 72. At checkout, the morning clerk apologized when asked about the stay, but didn’t seem to care.

The check-in staff were wonderful, and the room was clean and a good size. We booked one night for a staycation with our two kids, and the location near Jordan Creek Mall was perfect for what we had planned. We’d hoped the kids could enjoy the pool, but the chlorine was so strong that we all had trouble breathing. Other guests weren’t keeping an eye on their preteens, who threw towels, some clean and some from the floor, into the pool and used them as balls. In our room, the shower head was mounted so high that at 5’8” I had trouble feeling rinsed off. We didn’t find the beds or pillows comfortable, though someone else might.