Originally Posted by Horace

The phrase "least bad" suggests that you think all hotels in Des Moines are bad. There's no Ritz-Carlton or St. Regis in Des Moines, but there are decent downtown hotels. I can't speak from direct experience about the three hotels you mentioned, but I can tell you about three Marriott properties downtown.

The Des Moines Marriott Downtown is not a luxury property, but it'a a well-run, well-maintained standard Marriott. The room renovation that's supposed to begin later this year should make the rooms more contemporary, but, even now, they're in good shape.

The Renaissance Des Moines Savery Hotel is closed for a massive, year-long renovation. It was my favorite Des Moines hotel before it closed, and it's likely to be the best hotel in Des Moines when it reopens. Ideally, it will bring together the personalty of the historical 1919 building with the latest Renaissance Hotels specifications and enhancements. Marriott.com allows room reservations for dates beginning October 1, but I understand it's likely to reopen before then.

I've also stayed at the Residence Inn Des Moines Downtown. Of course, it's not a luxury property, but it's fairly new and quite nicely designed. The location is convenient for the Court Avenue area and the huge farmers market on Saturday mornings. A freight train track goes by one side of the building, but I didn't hear any trains from our room on the other side.