Name: Hampton Inn & Suites Des Moines Downtown
Address: 120 Sw Water St, Court District, Des Moines, Iowa, United States of America, Des Moines, Polk County, US
Price range: $114–$178 per night
Rating: 8.4

What guests think

Across the reviews for Hampton Inn & Suites Des Moines Downtown, guests consistently praise the walkable riverfront location and generally comfortable, spacious rooms with views, while feedback about the pool and hot tub, breakfast quality, and parking fees is mixed.

Many travelers highlight friendly, accommodating staff, though some report curt interactions and uneven communication. Cleanliness is often solid, but recurring comments note odors, worn carpets, and occasional maintenance issues. Expect a convenient downtown base with solid rooms and uneven extras.

Facilities

Cleanliness

Rooms

Service

Location

Dining

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Facilities

Attached garage parking is available for an added fee, and several guests found access and signage confusing. The pool and hot tub are often closed or not heated properly, though a few mentioned using a neighboring facility or enjoying the gym.

Related guest reviews

6

Natasha

Oct 6, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

I was aupwr disappointed the hot tub was not hot and the jets weren't working. That was the only reason I booked here. The elevators were also not working, however the front desk moved me to a room and had me park on that level so the elevator wasn't necessary. That was so convenient! Walking to grab dinner across the street at High Life was so simple and took less than 10 minutes.

6

Lori

Sep 29, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The bathroom floor was not very clean. Lot's of dust, and rust color around the walls. Carpets were not very clean looking. For a Hilton, I was extremely disappointed. Rooms are not checked every day. No new towels were given, until we called the front desk. The front desk lady seemed annoyed that we wanted fresh towels. Though the pool was not open, the neighbor hotel allowed guests to use their pool and hot tub. There is a 20 dollar charge to park in the parking ramp, as there's no real parking area for hotel guests. At check out, the same desk attendant who seemed annoyed about the towels, checked us out. She made no eye contact, did not ask us if we enjoyed our stay, did not thank us for choosing Hampton Inn, and was not personable with guests. Did not smile, and seemed short with everyone. I will think twice about staying there. I did not receive a receipt for my stay, only for parking. Also, Hotel.com's rates were more expensive than the hotel site.

8

Robert

Jul 14, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Could use better signage. If the flag is not flying, hard to distinguish from adjoining hotel. (Residence Inn)

8

Elissa

Sep 3, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Our family stayed one evening. Hotel was very clean and updated along with the rooms. The shower had very weak water pressure and had scaling built up on it. We used the fitness room and pool, and were disappointed to find the hot tub/whirlpool was the same temp as the pool- something wasn’t working. Fitness room was nice and had a Peloton I used - I used my own subscription but they had a hotel one you could also use. Parking in the garage was an additional $15 per night, which was fine. Would have rated 5 stars if not for the hot tub being cold and the shower needing some maintenance.

6

PATRICK

Sep 9, 2023

·

Stayed 3 nights

Beware of the $15 per day parking fee that was not mentioned anywhere till you check in. Also no heat in the hot tub. The water was shutoff for a couple hours one day, so we couldn’t flush the toilet or take a shower when we wanted too.

8

Joshua

Oct 12, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Everything was great except the hot tub wasn’t working so they gave us access to the hotel next to them to use their hot tub, but that also wasn’t working.

4

Lisa

Sep 11, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

This is our "go to" hotel in Des Moines, because of the Hot Tub. The heater was broken. We were not informed upon check-in, and only found out by getting in the cold water. Also the registration clerk was completely frustrated -- her wi-fi was not working to process reservations, and having trouble with the key programming. A couple passing through the pool room mentioned that the entire hotel was without water that morning as well. We lucked out on that count. Would appreciate a partial refund or something -- we're reluctant to stay again.

10

Julie

Jul 20, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Pool was out of order but staff gave key to building next door to use thier pool.

10

Jillian

Dec 7, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Breakfast wasnt great. Room was good. 4th floor parking was not shoveled

6

Robin

Oct 22, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Staff was not friendly. Felt like we were a bother just being there. The hot tub didn't work. Paper and plastic and every other day maid service for such an expensive place is odd. And the parking situation was very confusing. No one told us that 2 different hotels are attached to the parking garage. We kept getting frustrated that our key wouldn't let us enter from the parking garage, but in fact only some doors were for our hotel. Yes, the doors were marked BUT not by a name we knew bc our hotel key said Hilton, but our hotel was Hampton. The other hotel was called Marriot, but got labelled The Residence. This led to a frustrating comedy of errors. I highly recommend each hotel informs guest that the parking garage doors are labeled and one cannot enter the hotel except through the X door, etc.

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Cleanliness

Many guests found rooms and common areas clean, but repeated comments mention strong odors, stained or worn carpets, dust, and occasional mold or grime in bathrooms and breakfast areas.

Related guest reviews

2

Amina

Jun 16, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

The rooms were dusty and outdated. The carpets were also dirty and had a terrible stench. Will not check in again.

6

Don

Aug 14, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The staff at check in wasn’t very welcoming, and breakfast staff was shutting the doors on guests several minutes prior to breakfast ending, so it didn’t seem as though the staff appreciated their customers. Our room was also not as clean as I’d expect, with popcorn and chunks of food in the corners.

6

Lori

Sep 29, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The bathroom floor was not very clean. Lot's of dust, and rust color around the walls. Carpets were not very clean looking. For a Hilton, I was extremely disappointed. Rooms are not checked every day. No new towels were given, until we called the front desk. The front desk lady seemed annoyed that we wanted fresh towels. Though the pool was not open, the neighbor hotel allowed guests to use their pool and hot tub. There is a 20 dollar charge to park in the parking ramp, as there's no real parking area for hotel guests. At check out, the same desk attendant who seemed annoyed about the towels, checked us out. She made no eye contact, did not ask us if we enjoyed our stay, did not thank us for choosing Hampton Inn, and was not personable with guests. Did not smile, and seemed short with everyone. I will think twice about staying there. I did not receive a receipt for my stay, only for parking. Also, Hotel.com's rates were more expensive than the hotel site.

6

Katherine

Jul 14, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

We stayed here on a busy weekend. When we arrived, we waited for several minutes to be checked in since there was no one at the desk. There was only one hotel representative for check in despite how busy it was that weekend. We were switched to a room with double beds with a handicap accessible bathroom which had a walk in shower without a longer shower curtain. Water was everywhere with each shower and had to use bath towel to mop the floor with each shower. Bathroom fan was not working which appeared to be causing mold to grow on the walls inside the bathroom over time. Pool was closed for repairs on our third night there so we had to go to the sister property next door to use their pool. We did inform the hotel staff about the bathroom issue. The best they could do was provide us with more towel since we couldn't switch rooms as they were sold out. The tables in the dining area could be cleaned throughout the breakfast hours as they were sticky with syrup, etc. Overall the hotel was clean and quiet despite how many people were staying there. Parking was convenient.

10

Lisa

Jul 14, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Very clean

6

Carolyn

Mar 28, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Good breakfast and coffee. Very quiet. Didn't know we'd have to pay for parking. Hot tub was barely luke warm. There was mold in the shower caulking.

8

Michael

Oct 7, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Room seemed clean, dust ruffle was stained, dirt under cushion of chair.. Could use some updating/replacement of some carpets. Card readers on doors, elevators and parking garage gates are not very responsive, you have to hold your key card over the reader just right. Breakfast was ok, not a lot of options. Very walkable area close to restaurants downtown.

8

Kathryn

Oct 14, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Room smelled like fake perfume. Not sure if they have some type of air fresheners or what. Didn’t see any, but that fake smell is horrible for people with allergies.

8

Erica

Sep 14, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

We paid the extreme cost so we were close to everything and that was wonderful. The room was dirty. Hair in sink and carpet was ripped and really needed a shampooer to it. My kids socks were black after being on carpet. The pull out couch was horrible. If you like to sleep with stained mattress and a bar in your back. Then sleep on that one. Breakfast was great and staff was nice. Can’t say I will stay there again.

8

Stephanie

Jan 12, 2026

·

Stayed 1 night

Room was clean amd beds were comfortable.

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Rooms

Rooms are generally spacious and comfortable, with some offering balconies and river or Capitol views. Several reviews note dated furnishings, maintenance quirks, and very firm mattresses.

Related guest reviews

10

Angela

Aug 30, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Loved the view

6

christopher

Jun 18, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

We booked for handicap access the toilet was way to short to be ADA compliant I had to physically lift my husband off of it! Air flow to the bed sleeping area was horrible maybe a small ceiling fan in that area would help. Balcony was covered in cobwebs and live spiders. Room was very clean just a few little adjustments would help

10

Ruth

Nov 4, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Nice room. Quiet even though lots of families. Just a broken luggage rack

8

Paul

Aug 22, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

The breakfast was great. The room was fine, but not worth the price. I've had better towels in a Holiday Inn. The pool room is super dark. The bed is hard. No USB outlets. Small for $250/night.

8

Derrick

Dec 2, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Staff was great! My room 314 was nice with a balcony facing the river. However i woke up with a spider crawling above me on the ceiling.

10

Gabrielle

Jul 31, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The room was very spacious. The bathroom was huge. Loved having a balcony to sit on in the morning. The neighborhood just smelled like weed. Parking was convenient but you have to pay for it.

10

Melissa

Aug 22, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

My A/C stopped working so stayed here for the night. First time & definitely won't be my last. Found my new stay cation spot. Balcony room was amazing. My only issue is that i purchased the faster wifi option for $4.99. My card was charged $39.84 & $29.84. Had to call number given on my cc statement to get reversed, so definitely check your bank statement if you do purchase.

6

Andrea

Sep 19, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

I have no real complaints about the hotel as a whole. My one complaint is the beds. We had a king size bed room 408 downtown Des Moines, Iowa. It was hard as a rock. We could feel every single spring. We didn’t get much sleep and I woke up with terrible back and hip pain. I’m so sore from your bed that I had to make a call to my doctor this morning to get in for an appointment. Please consider new updated bed for all the rooms.

10

Brandon

Dec 12, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

We had a spacious room with some signs of age but it was very clean and comfortable. We booked last minute to stay in a snowstorm and it was very nice to have garage parking (with an extra charge).

10

Ryan

Oct 10, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

It was a very nice clean room with a balcony that overlooked the river. A nice little touch was the tv said welcome and my name. We didn't arrive until 10 pm which the pool was closed. So we didn't try it out. Good breakfast. Would like to see biscuits and gravy. Very nice stay

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Service

Staff are often friendly, helpful, and accommodating, with smooth check-ins reported. However, multiple reviews describe curt or unwelcoming interactions and limited follow up on issues.

Related guest reviews

10

Amy

Nov 17, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

It was seamless and quick for me to combine two different reservations on two consecutive days and not have to switch rooms. The desk staff was so accommodating.

4

Angie

Aug 27, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Positive: Great view of the river and Capitol Building. Comfortable bed. Clean. Negative: While waiting to check in we listened to a very helpful lady with the hotel guests checking in in front of us. When it got to be our turn, we got, here are your keys. Maybe the guests in front of us were VIP guests? Our toilet was plugged, had to go ourselves to front desk and get the plunger & take it back. Key card for garage parking ramp did not work. Dogs barking in the room across the hall made it difficult to sleep.

4

Teuta

Sep 4, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Rude staff. Poorly maintained property

6

Lori

Sep 29, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The bathroom floor was not very clean. Lot's of dust, and rust color around the walls. Carpets were not very clean looking. For a Hilton, I was extremely disappointed. Rooms are not checked every day. No new towels were given, until we called the front desk. The front desk lady seemed annoyed that we wanted fresh towels. Though the pool was not open, the neighbor hotel allowed guests to use their pool and hot tub. There is a 20 dollar charge to park in the parking ramp, as there's no real parking area for hotel guests. At check out, the same desk attendant who seemed annoyed about the towels, checked us out. She made no eye contact, did not ask us if we enjoyed our stay, did not thank us for choosing Hampton Inn, and was not personable with guests. Did not smile, and seemed short with everyone. I will think twice about staying there. I did not receive a receipt for my stay, only for parking. Also, Hotel.com's rates were more expensive than the hotel site.

10

Axel

Oct 17, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Receptionist Tania extremely helpful. Fast checkin & checkout. Walkable to Casey Center, restaurants& ballpark. Quite & relaxing, never crowded. Big elevators, free adequate breakfast. They also have bag & go breakfast for those in a hurry. Room spacious, comfortable bed & pillows. Nice pool & gym. Plenty of towels. Rooms have refrigerator & microwave.

4

Carolyn

Jul 10, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Good location, room was clean and comfortable. Check in and check out weren’t good. Check in lady was very rude to the family ahead of us, and very abrupt but competent when we checked in. Check out was terrible. After waiting about 8 minutes for staff member to show up, she arrived with breakfast from the kitchen. She was unpleasant and took forever to check us out seemingly having a problem figuring out how to split our bill. She made us feel we were being unreasonable. We were polite at all times.

10

Mary

May 13, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Perfect location! Checking in was so easy and pleasant. Our beautiful room and view overlooking courtyard and the river was wonderful. Later, we asked another desk clerk about ordering pizza. He, too, couldnt have been nicer or more professional. We highly recommend this hotel!!

6

JEFFREY

Jul 1, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

The location was great. Staff could have been more friendly and helpful. Did their job, just not customer friendly in my opinion.

10

Raquel

Jan 9, 2026

·

Stayed 1 night

Check in was seamless and the woman who checked us in was so nice. She even had dog treats for our two pooches. Room was clean and we love the location. Great river walk, close to restaurants and shopping. We love the multiple breweries in the area so it’s nice to not have to drive and have a safe place to stay. Great breakfast choices as well.

10

Timothy

Sep 7, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Staff was great

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Location

Downtown riverfront location is walkable to restaurants, bars, the farmers market, Iowa Cubs/Principal Park, and event venues. Well suited for visitors wanting easy access to city attractions.

Related guest reviews

8

David

Apr 17, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Well located for science museum and iowa cubs. Convenient parking. Walking distance to entertainment area. Great view od Capital Building and river.

10

Kirstin

Jul 5, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Great property and convenient location.

10

Bill

Sep 18, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

The location is perfect for down town Des Moines.

10

Robin

Jun 6, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

We came to DM for an I-Cubs game and had a phenomenal stay here! We could walk to the game, the Farmer's Market, endless bars & restaurants, it was amazing!

10

William

Aug 23, 2023

·

Stayed 3 nights

Location convenient to downtown. Walking distance to mot offices and restaurants.

10

Raquel

Jan 9, 2026

·

Stayed 1 night

Check in was seamless and the woman who checked us in was so nice. She even had dog treats for our two pooches. Room was clean and we love the location. Great river walk, close to restaurants and shopping. We love the multiple breweries in the area so it’s nice to not have to drive and have a safe place to stay. Great breakfast choices as well.

10

Jean

May 16, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Great location for Iowa Cubs game!

10

Jamie

May 24, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Clean and convenient location

10

Alex

Jul 11, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Very easy to get to from the interstate. The river walk is right out the front door. It was a quick walk to many awesome restaurants and the kids science museum.

10

Jeffrey

Aug 31, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

It’s a great location with fantastic access to local restaurants and the I-Cubs.

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Dining

Breakfast is complimentary and often described as good, but feedback is inconsistent, with limited variety, items sitting out or cold, and occasional restocking and table-cleaning lapses.

Related guest reviews

10

Angela

Dec 12, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Room was great. Breakfast had obvisiously been sitting out for quite a while.

6

MARK

Sep 21, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Breakfast wasnot good rooms ok

10

Mark

Oct 18, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Breakfast was fine, just not a great variety.

10

Glenda

Dec 14, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The hotel was conveniently located to restaurants and the Civic Center. The room and bathroom were very clean. Breakfast was really good… nice variety. Helpful staff and covered parking.

10

Raquel

Jan 9, 2026

·

Stayed 1 night

Check in was seamless and the woman who checked us in was so nice. She even had dog treats for our two pooches. Room was clean and we love the location. Great river walk, close to restaurants and shopping. We love the multiple breweries in the area so it’s nice to not have to drive and have a safe place to stay. Great breakfast choices as well.

6

Steven

Sep 30, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

My TV didn’t work. The cable box is mounted behind the TV so you have to get up to point the remote behind the TV…so what’s the point of the remote? I called the front desk but was told they had no maintenance working so nobody could fix it. Once I got it working with the help of ChatGpt, the screen was so dark you couldn’t hardly see the picture. The breakfast was gross.

8

Michael

Oct 7, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Room seemed clean, dust ruffle was stained, dirt under cushion of chair.. Could use some updating/replacement of some carpets. Card readers on doors, elevators and parking garage gates are not very responsive, you have to hold your key card over the reader just right. Breakfast was ok, not a lot of options. Very walkable area close to restaurants downtown.

10

Jillian

Dec 7, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Breakfast wasnt great. Room was good. 4th floor parking was not shoveled

8

Brooks

Oct 6, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The Hampton is conveniently located in the downtown area. It met all of our expectations except that there is a fee for parking. During breakfast, the eggs were short supplied. Otherwise it was enjoyable.

10

Ronald

May 15, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Good breakfast

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Month	Average price
January	$114
February	$162
March	$125
April	$153
May	$150
June	$156
July	$152
August	$206
September	$142
October	$148
November	$109
December	$105

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9 $150	10 $153	11 $168	12 $165
13 $146	14 $146	15 $146	16 $146	17 $123	18 $165	19 $175
20 $114	21 $114	22 $131	23 $140	24 $140	25 $178	26 $178
27 $140	28 $129	29 $140	30 $119

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
				1 $125	2 $144	3 $145
4 $114	5 $140	6 $140	7 $138	8 $140	9 $159	10 $159
11 $114	12 $120	13 $119	14 $114	15 $117	16 $144	17
18 $122	19 $127	20 $130	21 $127	22 $137	23 $150	24 $150
25 $114	26 $122	27 $127	28 $137	29 $137	30 $150	31 $150

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Monthly average prices

About this property

Location

Guest reviews

Very good

Who stays here?

What guests think

Property Policies

Check-in instructions

Security deposit

Good to know

Optional extras

FAQs about Hampton Inn & Suites Des Moines Downtown

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