I have stayed at this Holiday Inn several times on business. The front desk, among other hotel staff, always greet & acknowledge me with a friendly 'welcome back, mr.....'. The front desk staff is young but all seem very friendly and motivated. The Lobby, Restaurant, and Lounge all flow right into each other and are very convenient. There is a buffet for breakfast, lunch, and dinner which is also a nice quick option. The pool is nice, it is bigger than most. There is no hot tub, but there were tons of skylights and a sundeck and a lot of space around the pool for relaxing. The rooms are clean, spacious and comfortable. I stayed on the South side of the building (faces a freeway) and expected it to be noisy. I was pleasantly surprised b/c it didn't affect my sleep at all. The best thing about this hotel was their free parking and shuttle service. It was so helpful in getting around the area. The building is definitely older yet it appears that it has been kept up pretty well. I would definitely recommend this hotel, especially if you are staying in downtown and want a lot for your money.

Typical run down holiday inn. Heat and AC in rooms to not work. In poor condition as a whole, stay somewhere else.

I've stayed here a couple of times while on business in Des Moines. Its cheaper than most of the other downtown hotels...recently I paid $76 for a single non-smoking king bed. Doubles are the same. They gave me the same rate as is shown on their advanced purchase Internet site.

The hotel itself is one of those past-its-prime kind of places, and is in need of some remodeling. The lobby carpets are worn, and old-looking. The rooms themselves are large and clean, but also have that faded look and style. The bathrooms are small and don't have enough shelf space for toiletries and shaving gear. The rooms facing the south look down on to I-235 so there can be traffic noise during morning rush hour. Its probably better to ask for a room facing the north, which is quieter.

The hotel staff seemed to be efficient and helpful, and they do have a shuttle driver who will drive you to your destinations within the downtown/state capital area.

This hotel is near the Mercy Hospital complex, but there are no other restaurants or bars within walking distance. You'll need to drive or take the shuttle to go out on the town. The neighborhood to the north of this hotel is also a little run-down.

I like this hotel's swimming pool, which is actually bigger than most hotel pools, and it has both a shallow and deep end. No hot tub though.

The bar and the breakfast area are OK, and are convenient if you need quick refueling. Prices for food and beverages are about mid-range.
This is certainly not one of HI's better hotels, but it is quite serviceable, and except for some of the aformentioned style and aging issues, should be OK for budget trvellers who need quick access to the downtown area.