Overview
Located about a 4-minute drive from Des Moines International Airport (DSM) and a 3-minute drive from the nearest Highway 5 on-ramp, the Doubletree by Hilton Des Moines Airport is popular with air or car travellers who require a hotel with on-site dining, a free airport shuttle and easy highway access.
Each of the hotel's air-conditioned guest rooms and suites comes with free Wi-Fi, cable TV, a coffeemaker, a desk, weekday newspaper delivery and a hair dryer. Rooms with a microwave, a kitchenette, a dining table, a living area with a sofabed, a fireplace and a jetted tub are also available, as are wheelchair-accessible rooms.
Hotel amenities include an indoor pool, a hot tub, fitness facilities, meeting space, a business centre, laundry services, a gift shop, a convenience store and free parking. On-site dining is available at Johnny's Italian Steakhouse, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, and a free airport shuttle is also available (please contact the hotel for details). Pets are not permitted.
Downtown Des Moines can be found about 20 minutes away by car, while Southridge Mall and Blank Park Zoo are both roughly a 7-minute drive from the hotel. Willow Creek Golf Course is a 10-minute drive away. (All distances and travel time estimates: Google Maps)
Verified with a front desk agent: Free Wi-Fi, free parking, pets not permitted, wheelchair accessible. (Call Date: September 5, 2013)
The GoodThe majority of the reviews sourced for this analysis were positive, with much praise going to the hotel's staff, rooms and location.
Numerous patrons praised the hotel's staff, characterizing them as professional, accommodating, efficient and knowledgeable about the area.
The hotel's accommodations were the source of many compliments by reviewers. They described their rooms as clean, spacious, modern and well maintained, with comfortable beds and linens and good water pressure. It should be noted, however, that a few patrons were disappointed with their lodgings (see below).
Several guests were pleased with the hotel's location. They described it as safe, and close to the airport, highway access, downtown, Drake University, Adventureland Amusement Park and Blank Park Zoo.
The Bad
While the majority of reviews consulted for this analysis were positive, there were a few complaints about the rooms.
Although many guests enjoyed their clean and comfortable rooms, a few lodgers had complaints. They reported small-sized rooms and bathrooms, worn carpets, noisy in-room air-conditioning units and early morning noise from the airport.
Expedia.ca guest reviews rated the hotel 4.3 out of 5 with a 90% recommendation rate from 103 reviews.
TripAdvisor.com guest reviews ranked the hotel #3 of 44 Des Moines hotels with an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 from 102 reviews.
Hotels.com guest reviews rated the hotel 4.3 out of 5 from 75 reviews.
The author called the hotel on September 5, 2013 to verify some information.
