Downtown Des Moines, Iowa

Hotels

Hotel Tips

Ask to be shown a room before you check-in which signals the front desk agent to show the best room available to sell it right away. This can put you in the best room available at that time and gives you the ability to check for cleanliness, smells and sounds before transacting with the hotel.

Always announce during booking if the trip is for a special event, anniversary or reunion. Group rates can be pre-negotiated and you may qualify for a lower cost and better upgrades for your stay. If you are the one setting up the event, always work directly with the front desk manager to make sure the best service is offered to your party.

Elevators are notorious for being a nuisance so ask to be roomed on the top floor and as far away as possible. Most hotels book nearby rooms last so hopefully they have availability elsewhere.

Things To Do

Des Moines brings smiles by way of doughnuts and pastries made fresh daily for your enjoyment. Everyone has their favorite of course but having a variety of bakeries is what makes downtown so special. Fritters, scones and pies oh my!

Des Moines offers on-the-go dining when you visit your favorite food truck. Pick up some corn tortilla tacos with freshly made pico with a fresh squeeze of lemon to give your day a boost. Food trucks can offer a wide variety of niche ethnic blends.

Des Moines brings musicians together and finding your local musical instrument shop can be a great way to get to try new and used guitars. Be sure to start your search downtown if you are looking to upgrade, trade-in or add to your collection.

Why Do You Love Downtown?

Robby
High quality group of restaurants and wonderful shops! Authentic old fashioned down-town atmosphere brings it all together very well.

Snow Charpentier
It's grown and changed so much since I moved away for a few years and came back. Great to see a lot of smaller businesses expanding and hoping to contribute to the growth of downtown Medford.

Alison Barlow
Charming, lovely downtown. Love the antique shops!

Christie
Downtown Salem is getting better and better - love the small businesses!

Heather
Community, responsiblity, friends who feel like family. Every downtown has it's own culture, something not experienced in the mall or at big box stores. Merchants are the cornerstone of our local economies.

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