We stayed at the Econo Lodge Fairgrounds Hotel in Des Moines and I expected an average place, but was pleasantly surprised to find a much nicer place than I expected. Great breakfast, great rooms, and is is all pretty new. The only downside was the small parking lot which gets overfilled when they are near occupancy. But there is on street parking in the neighborhood for overflow. It is right across from the Iowa State Fairgrounds. The price was the most reasonable in the area. But note that it is not within walking distance of anything but the Fairgrounds. So if you want a steak dinner, you will have to get in the car and drive somewhere.

Decided on EconoLodge after reading other reviews....couldn't be happier. Probably the nicest EconoLodge I've ever seen, let alone stayed in. The property seems nearly brand new. Don't get me wrong, the room is overall small, and simple (cheaper furniture, fixtures, etc), but it's all nearly new, so it is still in excellent condition, and it's at EconoLodge prices. Parking lot seems to fill up after 8pm, but for price, free WiFi, and breakfast in morning, this property can't be beat. The photos on the hotels website accurately depict what the rooms look like, and are current. Finally, for what its worth, I was checked in by the manager, and he seemed friendly and professional. A definite recommend.

I wanted to stay at this hotel and called several months prior to my booking! To my suprise, the cheapest room was $179.00 plus tax!!!! (Aug 7-17) I think that is taking advantage of people when you have an event and you triple your prices! This is NOT the crown plaza and does not deserve a price hike like that!

After reading previous good reveiws of this property we spent one night while traveling through Des Moines. The hotel is clean, very new and in immaculate condition. It's relatively easy to get to from I-80 but the exit from I-235 is rather odd; access an online map for details before arriving. We arrived approximately 11PM after seeing an Iowa Cubs game and having a beer at one of the brewpubs on Court Ave. Downtown Des Moines is a fine destination! Despite our rather late arrival we were greeted courteously and the manager (who happened to be working the desk at the time) had our reservation printed out and keys all ready before we showed up. He had obviously reveiwed the "special requests" section always available when you book through the Choice website. He stated that the standard rooms didn't have a fridge or micro as we'd asked but noted that since we're Choice Privileges members he'd give us a free upgrade to a suite that did have a refrigerator. Excellent customer service! We stay at quite a few different Choice properties over a year and this was one of the few that took the trouble to notice our loyalty membership and fully understand the benefits expected therefrom. I was very impressed. I've stayed at plenty of Comforts and Qualitys where there was nowhere near this level of attention to all the little details that make a stay memorable. The pool area was spotless and open, although the hot tub was a couple degrees cooler than desired. Housekeeping was friendly and the breakfast good. They had biscuits & gravy in addition to the usual waffle/coffee/juice/cereal/bagel/muffin. A nice touch was the peanut butter spread for the bagels and Tazo teas for the non-coffee crowd (like me!). We usually get to Des Moines a couple times a year and will always plan to look at this location first.

For a business hotel, this was a great place to stay with my family. Nice clean room, clean lobby, and friendly hotel staff. Pool and whirlpool were very clean. Pool was for registered guest only. Have to have key card to go in. This is much nicer than hotels that sell pool passes. Being an economy hotel, it does not have a lot of extras. Only one ice machine on the main floor, but with the money you are saving, it is worth it. I like the fact that it is promoting saving the environment by teaching hotel guests how to conserve. This hotel will be our go to place in Des Moines.