Marriott Bonvoy Hotels in Des Moines and West Des Moines, Iowa [Master Thread]
May 10, 2016, 11:42 am
#31
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My first stay, several years ago, was disappointing because it was a tired property and there were numerous annoyances.
Before my second stay, last summer, the hotel had been nicely renovated to current Marriott standards. My only real complaint was the lack of a refrigerator. The weekend Gold/Platinum breakfast in the restaurant was a typical full-service Marriott buffet, complete with an omelette station.
This past weekend, there was no omelette station. Each morning, after I mentioned the lack of an omelette station, the server offered to have the kitchen make an omelette -- but only after I brought up the subject. Fruit was sparse, with no strawberries. The potatoes had spent hardly any time on a griddle. And the buffet options were the bare minimum. How hard is it for a hotel to provide salsa and shredded cheese next to the vat of scrambled eggs? (Apparently too hard for the West Des Moines Marriott to have this.) In fairness, the breakfast was better than what one typically gets at a Fairfield Inn.
Parking at the West Des Moines Marriott is convenient and free. Freeway access is excellent. If you like chain restaurants, there are a bunch of them along Mills Civic Parkway, around a mile south of the hotel (we prefer the one-of-kind restaurants in Des Moines, including Django and Centro).
The West Des Moines Marriott tends to have some of the best weekend rates in the Des Moines area. The downtown Renaissance and Marriott used to have good weekend rates too, but apparently business is good and they can now charge much more.
I can see us returning to the West Des Moines Marriott. I'll just have lower expectations for breakfast. Then, if it turns out this past weekend was an anomaly, I'll be happier again.
By the way, there are five suites on the 8th floor and probably several on the 9th floor too. Even though I'm Platinum, I've never been upgraded to one of them. My Platinum "upgrade" all three time was to a concierge room on the 8th or 9th floor, identical to other regular rooms. I asked this time. I was told they try to upgrade Platinum guests, but the hotel was full.
At least the West Des Moines Marriott has suites. The Downtown Marriott does not, except for a large hospitality suite. The historical Renaissance Savery seems to have rooms in all sorts of different sizes, so I've always been upgraded to a spacious Junior Suite.
Last edited by Horace; May 10, 2016 at 11:48 am
May 12, 2016, 9:25 am
#32
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The Renaissance Des Moines Savery Hotel is closing for a major renovation.
The last night currently available for reservations is July 31, 2016.
In 2015, the hotel announced it would close for 3 months beginning December 1, 2015, but that never happened.
Here's a Des Moines Register article from August 4, 2015, about the plans: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/sto...ines/31083571/
The article includes news of a new hotel planned for part of the Renaissance Savery site:
The last night currently available for reservations is July 31, 2016.
In 2015, the hotel announced it would close for 3 months beginning December 1, 2015, but that never happened.
Here's a Des Moines Register article from August 4, 2015, about the plans: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/sto...ines/31083571/
The article includes news of a new hotel planned for part of the Renaissance Savery site:
Louisville-based Schulte Hospitality Group, which bought the Savery in 2013, plans to build a business-oriented hotel with about 140 rooms at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Locust Street. The brand of the hotel hasn't been released.
To make room, Schulte will demolish the annex buildings that house ballrooms and mechanical systems on the west side of the Savery.
To make room, Schulte will demolish the annex buildings that house ballrooms and mechanical systems on the west side of the Savery.
May 12, 2016, 10:35 am
#33
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May 28, 2016, 8:02 am
#35
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I've stayed at the West Des Moines Marriott three times.
My first stay, several years ago, was disappointing because it was a tired property and there were numerous annoyances.
Before my second stay, last summer, the hotel had been nicely renovated to current Marriott standards. My only real complaint was the lack of a refrigerator. The weekend Gold/Platinum breakfast in the restaurant was a typical full-service Marriott buffet, complete with an omelette station.
This past weekend, there was no omelette station. Each morning, after I mentioned the lack of an omelette station, the server offered to have the kitchen make an omelette -- but only after I brought up the subject. Fruit was sparse, with no strawberries. The potatoes had spent hardly any time on a griddle. And the buffet options were the bare minimum. How hard is it for a hotel to provide salsa and shredded cheese next to the vat of scrambled eggs? (Apparently too hard for the West Des Moines Marriott to have this.) In fairness, the breakfast was better than what one typically gets at a Fairfield Inn.
Parking at the West Des Moines Marriott is convenient and free. Freeway access is excellent. If you like chain restaurants, there are a bunch of them along Mills Civic Parkway, around a mile south of the hotel (we prefer the one-of-kind restaurants in Des Moines, including Django and Centro).
The West Des Moines Marriott tends to have some of the best weekend rates in the Des Moines area. The downtown Renaissance and Marriott used to have good weekend rates too, but apparently business is good and they can now charge much more.
I can see us returning to the West Des Moines Marriott. I'll just have lower expectations for breakfast. Then, if it turns out this past weekend was an anomaly, I'll be happier again.
By the way, there are five suites on the 8th floor and probably several on the 9th floor too. Even though I'm Platinum, I've never been upgraded to one of them. My Platinum "upgrade" all three time was to a concierge room on the 8th or 9th floor, identical to other regular rooms. I asked this time. I was told they try to upgrade Platinum guests, but the hotel was full.
At least the West Des Moines Marriott has suites. The Downtown Marriott does not, except for a large hospitality suite. The historical Renaissance Savery seems to have rooms in all sorts of different sizes, so I've always been upgraded to a spacious Junior Suite.
My first stay, several years ago, was disappointing because it was a tired property and there were numerous annoyances.
Before my second stay, last summer, the hotel had been nicely renovated to current Marriott standards. My only real complaint was the lack of a refrigerator. The weekend Gold/Platinum breakfast in the restaurant was a typical full-service Marriott buffet, complete with an omelette station.
This past weekend, there was no omelette station. Each morning, after I mentioned the lack of an omelette station, the server offered to have the kitchen make an omelette -- but only after I brought up the subject. Fruit was sparse, with no strawberries. The potatoes had spent hardly any time on a griddle. And the buffet options were the bare minimum. How hard is it for a hotel to provide salsa and shredded cheese next to the vat of scrambled eggs? (Apparently too hard for the West Des Moines Marriott to have this.) In fairness, the breakfast was better than what one typically gets at a Fairfield Inn.
Parking at the West Des Moines Marriott is convenient and free. Freeway access is excellent. If you like chain restaurants, there are a bunch of them along Mills Civic Parkway, around a mile south of the hotel (we prefer the one-of-kind restaurants in Des Moines, including Django and Centro).
The West Des Moines Marriott tends to have some of the best weekend rates in the Des Moines area. The downtown Renaissance and Marriott used to have good weekend rates too, but apparently business is good and they can now charge much more.
I can see us returning to the West Des Moines Marriott. I'll just have lower expectations for breakfast. Then, if it turns out this past weekend was an anomaly, I'll be happier again.
By the way, there are five suites on the 8th floor and probably several on the 9th floor too. Even though I'm Platinum, I've never been upgraded to one of them. My Platinum "upgrade" all three time was to a concierge room on the 8th or 9th floor, identical to other regular rooms. I asked this time. I was told they try to upgrade Platinum guests, but the hotel was full.
At least the West Des Moines Marriott has suites. The Downtown Marriott does not, except for a large hospitality suite. The historical Renaissance Savery seems to have rooms in all sorts of different sizes, so I've always been upgraded to a spacious Junior Suite.
King suite which did have a fridge but I didn't use it. I agree about the Buffett but the servers mentioned right off the bat that we could order an omelet. Service was a little slow and they keep saying you have the buffet. It made me feel kind of dirty
. I do wish they had some cold water/pop/coffee available on weekends. I love the Omaha FS Marriott for that (and the exuberant omelet station guy). I would stay again if the rate was right.
Aug 29, 2016, 9:34 pm
#37
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I've stayed in the West Des Moines Marriott twice in the past month. I was pleasantly surprised. The lobby and hallways are dated, but the rooms are actually fairly modern and very nice. The CL, while a bit dated and pretty much a standard Midwest lounge, I found the staff to be nice and helpful. Not sure about the other two, but they seemed standard format properties. I'd go with the FS any day if given the choice.
Aug 30, 2016, 1:44 pm
#38
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We had a good stay this year at the Fairfield Inn Ankeny (northeast edge of town along I-35 towards Minnesota). Relatively new hotel. Everything was in excellent condition and the staff were friendly. Good roadtrip stop if you don't want to deal with downtown.
Sep 17, 2016, 10:15 pm
#39
Join Date: May 2016
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The Ren is easily the better hotel, but all hotels in downtown are showing signs of their age (I'm looking at you Embassy Suites, Marriott, Ren, and HI). It's closer to Court St for some restaurants and bars. I've not stayed at the West Des Moines Marriott, but unless you want a 20-30 minute drive each way or are working in West Des Moines, pick the Ren
Jul 9, 2017, 7:37 am
#43
Join Date: May 2002
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I stayed at the Des Moines Marriott Downtown recently. Here'a a quick report on it and two other Marriott properties in/near downtown Des Moines.
The full-service Des Moines Marriott Downtown continues to be a hotel I would recommend. The 365-foot, 33-floor tower is the third tallest building in Des Moines, so there are great views of the city from the higher floors. When the hotel has built in 1981, it must have seemed like a good idea for every room to be exactly the same size (except for a hospitality suite on a low floor). Even the end units don't have additional windows or any other distinguishing features. So don't expect an upgrade to a larger room or suite. The hotel is well-maintained, but the rooms look like those at a typical midwestern Marriott a decade ago. The hotel is planning a major room update beginning later in 2017.
In 2016, the convenient parking structure across the street (connected to the Des Moines Marriott Downtown through the skywalk system) was demolished for new construction. The hotel offers paid valet parking, but there are other options -- including completely free street parking on weekends (after 6 p.m. Friday).
The full-service Renaissance Des Moines Savery Hotel, which closed in August 2016 for a thorough renovation, has still not reopened. The historical hotel looks unchanged from the outside, but I'm sure it's a different story on the inside. Marriott.com still indicates, "We have an anticipated reopening in the summer of 2017," but is currently only taking room reservations for dates beginning October 1. I always liked pre-renovation Renaissance Savery, despite its tiny bathrooms and substandard breakfast in the lounge (but excellent breakfast in the restaurant when the lounge was closed). I'm looking forward to the "new" Renaissance Savery.
I was walking by the new select-service AC Hotel in the East Village neighborhood just east of downtown Des Moines, so I looked inside the lobby. Sharing Marriott's "Distinctive Select" classification with Aloft hotels and Moxy, I expected the AC Hotel to be youthful and playful like an Aloft. I was surprised how the stylish and elegant the AC Hotel lobby looks. The AC Hotel is diagonally across the very popular Zombie Burger + Drink Lab. The AC Hotel tends to be most expensive hotel in the Des Moines metro area.
The full-service Des Moines Marriott Downtown continues to be a hotel I would recommend. The 365-foot, 33-floor tower is the third tallest building in Des Moines, so there are great views of the city from the higher floors. When the hotel has built in 1981, it must have seemed like a good idea for every room to be exactly the same size (except for a hospitality suite on a low floor). Even the end units don't have additional windows or any other distinguishing features. So don't expect an upgrade to a larger room or suite. The hotel is well-maintained, but the rooms look like those at a typical midwestern Marriott a decade ago. The hotel is planning a major room update beginning later in 2017.
In 2016, the convenient parking structure across the street (connected to the Des Moines Marriott Downtown through the skywalk system) was demolished for new construction. The hotel offers paid valet parking, but there are other options -- including completely free street parking on weekends (after 6 p.m. Friday).
The full-service Renaissance Des Moines Savery Hotel, which closed in August 2016 for a thorough renovation, has still not reopened. The historical hotel looks unchanged from the outside, but I'm sure it's a different story on the inside. Marriott.com still indicates, "We have an anticipated reopening in the summer of 2017," but is currently only taking room reservations for dates beginning October 1. I always liked pre-renovation Renaissance Savery, despite its tiny bathrooms and substandard breakfast in the lounge (but excellent breakfast in the restaurant when the lounge was closed). I'm looking forward to the "new" Renaissance Savery.
I was walking by the new select-service AC Hotel in the East Village neighborhood just east of downtown Des Moines, so I looked inside the lobby. Sharing Marriott's "Distinctive Select" classification with Aloft hotels and Moxy, I expected the AC Hotel to be youthful and playful like an Aloft. I was surprised how the stylish and elegant the AC Hotel lobby looks. The AC Hotel is diagonally across the very popular Zombie Burger + Drink Lab. The AC Hotel tends to be most expensive hotel in the Des Moines metro area.
Last edited by Horace; Jul 9, 2017 at 7:57 am
Jul 9, 2017, 5:45 pm
#45
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