A lovely Marriott in the heart of the Capitol of Iowa. This is an updated Marriott property and the staff has been great, as you would expect from this family of hotels. We had a company meeting for two days and they really took care of us. We went to their "River Rock" tavern for lunch, and everybody who had it really liked the Pasta Buffet. I had a pulled pork sandwich that was delicious. Of course, the Marriott beds are heavenly to sleep on, but if you are allergic to down, make sure to request a "feather-free" room (and accept my condolences because you're missing out on something special!) If you are at least "gold" elite with Marriott, the lounge on the mezzanine level is quite nice and the ladies who staff it were both friendly and attentive. If you're NOT an elite member, know this: the Marriott program is worth belonging to, if you travel a lot. There are other programs who cater to occasional travelers, but for those of us who spend a lot of time on the road (we're talking 50+ nights a year) the Elite program is pretty sweet. Regardless, the staff at all levels of the Marriott family are exceptional. Treat them as you would be treated (hey, I think I read that in a famous book somewhere!) and you will feel the love! To paraphrase my (ex-)Governor, "I'll be back!" read more

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Friendly staff and an overall nice and clean hotel. Large bar/lounge area in the lobby for anyone needing a plush chair to relax or catch up on work. The valet was also quite pleasant and efficient. Note that you do have to pay for wi-fi, but it is worthwhile since the connection is solid and fast. read more

The hotel seems to be in a good area surrounded by a lot of food choices. It's also attached to the sky walkways all through downtown so you'll never have to walk outside in the frigid cold if you don't want to! I was staying there during the state wrestling tournament, and they successfully kept the loud wrestlers to their own floors so other guests weren't disturbed. They also did a good job with security. There were cops and extra security at entrances so only hotel guests were allowed in. The amenities in the guest rooms at this hotel are very nice as well. I have always thought that I need to carry a little squeeze bottle of hand soap to use at hotels because it is such a waste to use a whole bar of soap to wash your hands with just a couple of times. My room had a small squeeze bottle of handsoap in it and a bar soap for the shower. No more wasted bars of hand soap! Ingenious! read more

Checked in last night. At 9:15 in the morning called the front desk and ask for an additional day to be added. A girl name Alyssa answered. She stated I had to do that online, which in years of running hotels all over the United States I have never heard of. Booked a room left for the day. Came back they had packed up our stuff and money was missing. Offered no accountability no apology, and proceeded to make it seem like it was our fault. Called corporate about a similar situation and they said it was not their problem.Not only was the theft involved but zero accountability would never recommend any business traveler or anybody on a vacation to stay at one of these properties. It has now been over a month and have not heard a word from any management. Not only that Marriott had the nerve to call my partners manager to ask me to take down my reviews. Sorry Marriott I do not work for you and I will not take down my reviews. read more

They tell me this hotel is old but you'd never know it. Sparkling clean, modern and a wonderful, friendly staff. Nice lobby bar. The food served to us during our convention was good but nothing special. read more

The morning after our first stay we found a bug on the bathroom carpet mat. When we brought it to the manager of duty's attention, we were made to feel like we did something wrong. We were temporarily moved to a queen bed while we waited for a king room. Although the manager claimed we were his "number 1 priority" when we checked on the king room hours later he had forgotten us, and didn't have anyone triple check the room before giving us the king. Since it was a bug, no one wanted to talk to us until a third party company investigated and everyone just talked about a claim. I have NEVER been treated so poorly in a hotel. All we wanted was a enjoyable stay in Des Moines. We choose to check out early and stay at a neighboring hotel for the rest of the visit. On a side note the bathroom also smelled like a stinky wet mop and the corners of the floors were in badly need of a vacuuming (very dusty). read more

This place gets five stars. If what the attendant in the concierge lounge told me was true, when a Des Moines and Urbandale police officer had services for their funerals after being killed while on duty, the Marriott opened up theirs doors at a low cost or free of charge for all out of town police officers. The staff was very friendly, but they need to quit using stinky thann products. Thanks for a great experience! read more

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I was here about a year ago and compared to now for some reason it was better before. First of all the toilet takes awhile to flush. The desk people were great and moved us to a different room but it was still the same for the toilet. Coming in to the entrance the valet person was rude asked if I wanted to valet and I told her I justed wanted to check in and she was reluctant to let me park in front. I thought she could've been nicer but I guess not. read more

Likely the worst Marriott I have stayed at. Rooms were not cleaned like most Marriott and frankly were dated for what their nightly rate is. Front desk staff clearly hasn't had enough training either and doesn't seem like the quality of employees you would expect from this brand. . Also wasn't excited that the hot tub in online photos was taken out and no longer exists. Really I'm clueless to what you are paying a premium for at this hotel?? read more

Several things sticking in my craw regarding yesterday's stay here. 1) Pulled in to check in and was told the options for parking were valet at $21 (yes, $21 in Des Moines) or we could park free across the street. We chose the latter which took all of 3 minutes. 2) You have to pay something like $10 per 24 hours to get Wi-Fi in your room. Please... it's 2014, not 1996. Not providing Wi-Fi is like not giving guests soap for their shower. Guests *need* and *expect* it without having to pay. I opted for not paying it and spent more time in the lobby where it's free. 3) $26 for two glasses of wine. Options for pours are 3, 6, and 9 ounce pours. Rarely see that. Oh, and those bottles, I'm a wine snob and they're $10 retail bottles, meaning Marriott paid probably $6. I get the profit need, but ouch. Note to cleaning staff: please set the shower knob to bathtub from shower. That blast of unexpected ice cold water on one's body early a.m. is not a pleasant lasting memory. Hotel and room clean, help pleasant, but at $239 for a night I'm feeling like I'm being charged New York rates. This ain't New York. Convenient location, plenty of good dining spots within a few blocks. Not a bad place to stay but I'll look elsewhere next time. read more

Average Marriott with phenomenal shuttle service and bell staff. Here's my review by hotel feature and function (each out of 5 stars): 1. Rooms (3)- Standard Marriott rooms and size. Nice views of DSM. Noise factor is comparable to most Marriott's. Some rooms are noisier than others, particularly those in high-traffic areas by elevators, close to elevators, and by the ice machines. 2. TV Service (5) - Digital / HD TV Channels 3. Bell Service / Shuttle (5) - Outstanding. They have numerous shuttles, all in good condition and varying sizes. The staff does a great job of transporting people around town, far more convenient than taking a taxi. 4. Concierge floor (3) - Adequate size room, but food lacks in quality. 5. Elevators (1) - Awful. Signs are posted saying that they are being "renovated". I've been staying at this Marriott for 6 months and the elevators are a hit or a miss. Sometimes it could take 10-15 minutes to make it down. My co-workers have experienced the same problems. 6. Bar (3) - Recently renovated. Colors are very odd and blue lighting under the bar is blinding. Mediocre food selection / small menu. 7. Fitness Room (3) - Nice size room and facilities. Treadmills need maintenance. 8. Onsite restaurant (2) - Subpar. Experienced poor service and not so good food. read more

I wanted to thank Zack for taking such good care of us during our stay for my 50th birthday. He went above our expectations, and answered all our questions. Thank you Zack for your high level of customer service!! read more

Not a bad hotel. Right in downtown, so it's more business and not much restaurant close by. Staff is helpful and friendly. The lobby can be busy all throughout the day bc of business affairs. I do have to say that the gym is fully equipped and clean. I will stay in this hotel again. read more

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The only complaints I have are the usual complaints for hotels of this caliber. Why do we pay for extras like internet or parking when the hotels that are half this price give it all to you for free? Seriously, this is maddening to me. I know I could get free wireless in the lobby, but still. Beyond that, clean, comfortable rooms. Great conference facilities (although it does sort of lack a common space to meet and greet people), friendly staff, excellent workout space, fast elevators, modern enough, etc. etc. etc. Centrally located to walk to most other destinations. I'd stay here again if needed. read more

I travel a fair amount and am a Marriot Rewards customer and this is by far one of the worst Marriots I have stayed at. The front desk lady was pleasant and welcoming but beyond that I would not recommend staying here. The walls are extremely thin and as I am out with clients until late I felt bad coming in at 11:30 and could hear everything (especially couple a room away, if you know what I mean). The room does not have a mini-refrigerator and the rooms are just ok. Also a fair warning it is valet parking only on main entrance which is $21 per night and self parking is $10 or something. The only reason to stay here is for a conference as meeting rooms looked ok. If you like your privacy (yes couple down the hall I am talking to you) and want to leave when you please with convienent self parking this is NOT your hotel! read more

I arrived at the Des Moines Marriott at approximately 12:30PM on a Thursday. The room was not ready yet, as to be expected so we checked our bags and went out for lunch. While at lunch they called and let me know my room was ready which I found very nice. When we picked up our keys they informed us that there was a wrestling tournament of some kind happening and they asked that we wear a plastic wrist band after 5PM otherwise we would not be allowed to get to our room. This was ridiculous to me. They said it was because of the high amount of teenagers there due to the wrestling thing. This did nothing to curb the teens from running around the hotel while their parents got drunk in the hotel bar from the ice chests that they were hiding under their tables. Speaking of the bar, I recommend sticking to bottled beer. I tried having a rum and coke and a friend had a gin and tonic and they were the worst drinks we have ever had. They tasted liked like the liquor had been watered down or maybe the bar tender didn't know what he was doing. As for the room, it was average. Clean but not sparkling. There was no in room fridge which I found strange but we made due with ice. The bed is very comfortable and I was a fan of the sheets. There are inputs to the TV on the wall where you can plug in an xbox or something which I thought was pretty cool. Didn't have anything to plug into it, but the option was nice. Wi-Fi internet is not free, which bothers me especially in this day and age. I don't know if wired was free since I only had a ipad with me. I did find that if I went down to the Starbucks in the lobby there was free wireless and I was able to connect there and then go back to my room on the 8th floor and was still connected. Over all, our stay was just okay. I have stayed in nicer hotels and I have stayed in much worse hotels. The staff was very nice and helpful but the bizarre wrist band thing left me with a bad taste in my mouth. If I am ever in Des Moines again, I will look in to staying elsewhere. read more

Da wife and I wanted to get away for a 4-day weekend for our anniversary. So we came to scenic Des Moines. How boring does that get? But in fact the riverwalk, botanical gardens,sculpture gardens, downtown bars and restaurants, the capitol, the nearby John Wayne museum and covered bridges, made it a fantastic trip. The Marriott was the icing. It's a very nice place. I used points. We were on the 26th floor, with a great view, and access to the concierge lounge. Our room was large, clean, and quiet. The valets, front desk, wait staff, EVERYBODY was very friendly and helpful with directions, suggestions, and basic functions. The young lady in charge of the member lounge on Sunday night was fantastic. We got there a little late for the food, but she rolled it back out for us anyway, and chatted with us. Since the lounge is closed for most of the weekend, they comped us with breakfast. Their buffet was good. Wi-fi was very good. Not used to that in most of my business hotels. One of the bellmen, I *think* his name was Loren (sp?), was especially helpful. I tried tracking him down before we left for home, but was unable. He arranged for a surprise tray of chocolate and champagne on our last night, and he gave us a GREAT suggestion for a scenic route to nearby Winterset that was off the highway, through hills and farms. This was one of our best non-Hawaii anniversary trips ever, and the staff at the Marriott made it all the better. Thumbs up to Loren, and the rest of the crew there. This is why I'm a Marriott guy for business and personal travel. read more

This is my second week staying at this hotel. Both times I've stayed in one of the renovated rooms. Pros: 1) The bed is SUPER DUPER comfortable!!! Soft bed, soft and comfortable pillows (not too fat), soft sheets. 2) The new renovations are awesome - the rooms are contemporary, comfortable and well designed. I am more of a carpet person, but I really like the wood floors, and they've put nice quality rugs next to the bed. Cozy and contemporary chaise lounge. Plenty of outlets and USB ports including on the nightstand. Has the soft close closet/bathroom door, to prevent door slamming. A small refrigerator...well placed lights...central A/C and heat..large TV...coffee machine (although I never use the coffee machine in a hotel room)...standing shower is nice/modern...nice lights on the mirrors...lots of nice touches. 3) Great service - everyone has been nice and accommodating - valet staff and bellhops, front desk staff, bar staff, concierge staff, restaurant staff 4) The food quality/options in the evenings at the concierge lounge has been great - probably one of the best of any Marriott I've stayed. They served things like pho, mini egg rolls, mini quiche bites, shrimp tempura, spinach and chicken parmesan soup, cheese and crackers with quality sliced turkey/ham/pepperoni...the salad is great with fresh options for toppings including beets, strawberries, etc. Desserts have been good as well. They have a cooler with sodas and waters, and they sometimes leave out snacks like yogurt covered raisins, wasabi peas, nuts, etc. Liquor options were not to my preference (I like Baileys, Kahlua...they didn't have that) and were reduced price but not free. Breakfast was ok, not much variety but the fruit was always very fresh and good quality. 5) Elevators are pretty fast for a hotel with 30 floors 6) I've been told by my coworker the gym and swimming pool facility is nice, although I haven't personally been there yet 7) They put out snack bags to celebrate...the beginning of May?.... M&Ms, licorice, and popcorn (nice little touch) 8) There is a Scooters coffee shop in the building on the way to the parking deck....it has nice staff and great coffee (I tried the caramelicious frap and the honey vanilla frap)...the breakfast options also look good although I haven't tried them Cons: 1) The hotel is somewhat hard to find when driving, and also confusing when walking from the parking garage through the maze of halls 2) The hotel doesn't have free parking and valet is a whopping $24 per night (they will tell you you can go in/out all day without additional cost, and that the security of your car is guaranteed there whereas in the parking deck it's not) 3) If you do self park, it's $10 and a bit of a hike to reach the hotel. On the plus side though, it is a covered walkway/tunnel so you don't have to go outside. Also there's an attendant there and you can pay with a credit card. 4) They are currently doing hotel renovations and it's been loud and inconvenient 5) I do not like the soap and toiletry items provided, a very strong citric scent (personal preference) 6) Shower pressure was a little weak 7) The chair at the desk is too low and not comfortable for working. Couldn't work on my laptop there without putting a pillow in the chair (wish they had an adjustable office chair) 8) TV doesn't turn/swivel 9) They are renovating, so it can get pretty loud at times 10) Hotel is extremely pricey unless you have a special rate read more

We stayed at the Marriott downtown this weekend for a wedding. When we made the reservations months ago we requested adjoining rooms so Grandma can help take care of the little one. When we checked in they didn't have any. What a bummer! I asked if they could upgrade us to a suite or have any other options explaining our situation with the baby. The reception guy looked in the computer and they were able to upgrade us to a special concierge level of the hotel with adjoining rooms. When we got to the rooms they were just standard rooms on a special floor. When we called the front desk to ask about the concierge floor we were told the only thing special about the floor is the lounge, however the lounge is closed on the weekend. BTW - Closed on the weekend is an understatement. Everything in Des Moines is closed on the weekend! Everything about the Marriott was enjoyable; friendly staff, clean rooms and common areas. We got the room for $99 a night which seemed reasonable to me coming from Chicago. read more

NEVER again. I stayed for business, instead of my normal hotel, on the recommendation of colleagues. It was horrible from the minute I checked in. I had never stayed here before. I am a Marriott Rewards member and have never had a bad experience. The staff always acknowledges my membership and are, usually, quite pleasant. The guy at the front desk was rude and very stand offish. He never mentioned my membership. "Where do you work? I have never seen this room rate." His tone was accusatory. Almost like I hacked into the computer and fixed my room rate. He handed me my room key and turned away. Never told me my room number, I had to open up the little packet to find it. I had to ask where the elevators were. The room was unpleasant. The tub was so dirty, I wore my flip flops to take a shower. I could hear every little noise. The room next door had a very early wake up call, which woke me up. I could hear them using the hair dryer. I heard everybody in the hallway. The elevators were scary. I would not recommend this place to anyone. The only reason they stay open is because of convenience. The one good thing is they are hooked to "The Hub." You can get to most of the businesses in the area without ever stepping foot outdoors. read more

This hotel is amazing! The beds were very comfortable and you will definitely get a good night sleep. The rooms and bathrooms are decorated nicely and everything is easy to access. If you're a platinum elite member, you get access to the club lounge. If you're looking for a nice place to relax or eat a meal, you should definitely go here. They serve breakfast, snacks, dinner, and dessert. Overall, their food is pretty good and there's many places and tables to sit down at. Not to mention, they also have free coffee! We decided to order room service a day in advance so we wouldn't have to make a call in the morning. They have many options for breakfast and they deliver it right at the time you arrange for it to come. Most importantly, all of the employees are very friendly and always try to make your stay the best it can be. read more

I stayed here on a Tuesday night for a residency interview. I was greeted by a man that I was told was the finance manager. I just got out of the car after a four hour drive and needed to use the restroom before going up to find my room. This gentleman greeted me cheerfully and offered to watch my things while I used the restroom. It was being cleaned but he made sure I was able to use it regardless which I really appreciated. The room was super nice with a great view. It's modern and the temperature was just right. I loved that I could use my Netflix account on their TV. Everything was clean and all the staff I encountered were cheerful and very friendly. I would definitely stay here again. read more

I am thrilled by the kindhearted customer service this hotel offers!!! In fact, Marie Eikenberry went way above and beyond with welcoming each of us at our business dinner at the River Rock Grille & Tavern. She made a point of memorizing each of our names (there were 13 of us) and also our beverage of choice! As our server, she used our names at every opportunity and looked us each in the eye when speaking to us!! At the end our meal she wrote each of us a personal note and welcomed us all to Des Moines!! Talk about an amazing experience!!! Thanks Marie for setting the stage for a wonderful stay in your lovely hotel! read more

I was recently in Des Moines for a trade show that was held at the Downtown Marriott. I set up my booth and went to check in early and was greeted by Mindy at the front desk with a bright smile. She thought she might not have a room available but upon further notice she was able to find me a double instead of a king which was just fine for me. I was placed on a higher floor with access to concierge lounge which provided a delicious breakfast. Housekeeping was excellent and the housekeeping staff was very friendly. The hotel was located near everything and is connected to the Des Moines skyway system. I will stay here again on my next trip to Des Moines. read more

In town for a wedding and this was the hotel for guests. Good location in downtown. We were warmly greeted by the valet. Once inside we were greeted by the front desk staff who were very helpful. The room was clean and well designed. Nice in room amenities. The pillows were a little too soft for my preference. The downside was the hotel bar and restaurant. We stopped in after the wedding for some food and it took over two minutes for anyone to acknowledge us and when they did it was not warm. We were told the kitchen was open to midnight but apparently they went to a late night menu after ten with really limited options. As such we went to our room and got room service which had a much larger menu. The food was very good. read more

Had a lovely lunch yesterday. I ordered the chorizo turkey burger with Pico. It was pretty good. I keep hearing about unlimited pasta on Wednesdays. Can't wait to try that out! read more

We had a great stay here for the Hy-Vee Tri. We checked in Saturday and the front desk was quick and friendly. Our room was clean and fairly big. It had a mini fridge AND a microwave which was a plus for us. We were on the 21st floor and the elevators were quick and they had plenty. The pool on the 3rd floor is actually really nice and had lap lanes. The gym looked nice as well and way more than just the usual 2 treadmills and an elliptical that grace most places. It was also walking distance to Zombie Burger as well as the bar scene on Court Avenue. We still had to drive to the race, but would definitely stay here again for the race next year. We were also easily able to find street parking EASILY both nights to avoid the $20/parking fee. read more

Stayed here for a soccer tourney. In the heart of downtown. Nice views and clean rooms. You can walk downtown very easily as well as use skywalks. There is also some parking ramps around the area and may take some weaving and one-ways and wrap arounds to find. Might wanna valet. Staff is nice and friendly and even brought up a small fridge to keep in my room. Kinda pricey, parking is a b!tch, but events and downtown life is walkable, so a plus. Would I stay here again. Yes. and when I do I will update with more details. read more

We stayed here on our wedding night, along with the rest of our wedding party. We had two choices, the Savery or the Marriott - the Savery had very prohibitive policies on reserving a wedding block, and the Marriott didn't, so they won. I've never stayed in a bad Marriott, and this one is just fine. Nothing overly special, but predictable and nice. The staff was exceptionally helpful, I appreciated that. I'd stay here again, and would not hesitate to recommend it to friends or family staying in Des Moines. read more

We spent two nights here for an Indycar race. I barely spent any time in the room, mostly hung out at the two bars. The staff was awesome, and the facilities were nice. The bartenders mixed the drinks well and the food was incredible. The parking is valet only. read more

Um...I went to Des Moines for business. I stayed at the Marriott. That's about it. ALTHOUGH, being able to walk around downtown Des Moines via catwalk and avoid not only rain but cold, was certainly a plus. Staff was ok. A tad unhelpful when asking if they had a cellphone charger (Left mine in the rental car...which I returned) and there isn't really a "convenience" type area near or in the hotel so that makes finding some toiletries a bit challenging. The concierge seemed a bit confused that I expected that in a hotel. But then again it's Iowa. read more

The hotel is pretty decent.... I was here for 4 days 2 weeks ago. The restaurant in the lobby is good with some great vegetarian options, we ordered a veg nachos, veg flatbread pizza and soup and cheese sticks.... Everything was very good. The Starbucks in the lobby is really bad though..... It was the worst chai tea latte I ever had, clearly they are not trained but I must say the guy was trying hard. read more

I just stayed here for a few days for a work conference. Pros: The room was nice & clean! Front desk, waitstaff (in the City Center Bar), and housekeepers were very nice and friendly! Good location--walking distance to restaurants and convention center. Shuttle service to airport and nearby places! Cons: No free wi-fi. Food at City Center was nothing exciting (but drinks were good). If I ever have to go back to Des Moines, I would consider staying here again! read more

I'm giving two stars simply because the staff was very friendly. The hotel rooms within look like a two star hotels, very simple looking with nothing special inside. The bed was uncomfortable to day the least and the pillows slowly push to the side of your head till you are basically laying on nothing. They charge for parking, Internet, breakfast, I'm honestly surprised there isn't a quarter slot next to the toilet so they can change per flush. This hotel seems to think it's in a prime location with the price they charge for a room but reality is the skywalk just walks you past an endless stream of closed businesses. I'd you have lots of money and enjoy overpaying for things then come on down and be disappointed, otherwise I'd say keep looking. This is not Los Angeles and a 3 and a half star hotel should not be 250 dollars a night. read more

Just had the finance officer buy me a drink after I told him that I had been looking for my car for 2 hours. Goes to show me that there are good people here! Merry Christmas read more

The room was clean and nice. However, the air conditioning didn't work. When we checked in, we turned the air down to 62 hoping that by the time we got back from a wedding reception later that night, it would be cool in the room. When we got back, the thermostat read 70 degrees. It was after 10:00 p.m. We ended up asking the front desk to bring up a couple of fans. However, that didn't cool things down as much as the air conditioning would have. Also, we returned to the hotel from the wedding reception earlier than we planned with the hopes of using the swimming pool for a while. When we got to the swimming pool, we learned that it was closed because there had been "an accident" in the pool and it wouldn't be opened again for the rest of the night. We complained to the front desk about both of these situations and all they would do is give us a ticket for a free drink at the coffee shop. Then, to make matters worse, when we left we had to wait over 45 minutes for the valet to bring our vehicle to the front. This made us late for an appointment we had. We were told they would "take care of the parking", but we didn't notice any credit on our credit card bill. The hotel is nice, but these three incidents and them unwilling to do anything, will make us not stay there again. read more

This hotel is beautiful but the on cal staff was awful. I asked for an extra toilet paper roll to be delivered to my room when I only had half of one to begin with and the on staff member told me if I wanted the roll I had to come down to get it myself. I was here for my brothers wedding and was expected to be treated well. I was very disappointed. Do not book this place. read more

The gym has.....frozen eucalyptus towels !!!!! I LOVED the gym! For gym lovers - three different life fitness upper body machines and three different life fitness lower body machines - tons of treadmills and other equipment, really nice pool area. Starbucks cafe with muscle milk for sale , actual Keurig coffee makers and fridge in your room. Small bathroom, and poor working A/C, but Netflix on TV! read more

Our son was married in Des Moines during COVID. We had 20 people in town. The AC staff was friendly and professional. The rooms were clean and precautions were taken to promote safety. Staff graciously let us use the lobby to talk and snack after our formal events. The AC played an important role in a wonderful weekend. read more

Hotel is pretty fancy. Love that the pool is open late. Check in was a bit of a nightmare since I was double charged and they couldn't figure it out. I got a bit upset but did apologize once it was taken care of but it was something so simple it could've been handled better. The room was mostly clean but there were beer bottle Caps on the ground and we didn't drink any beer and what looked like blood on the shower curtain,yikes! Overall it wasn't bad and I'll prolly stay again, only if my card gets refunded on time. read more