Embassy Suites by Hilton Des Moines Downtown
The verdict
Pick a traveller type to re-weight the scores and re-rank the rooms around what you actually care about.
Every line below traces back to something a traveler actually wrote — open a line to read the original sentence and follow it to the source.
Who it's for
- — travelers who walk everywhere instead of booking cars
- — long-shower, slow-morning travelers
- — anyone who cares more about the room than the lobby
- — travelers who want staff who actually follow through
Read from the sub-scores above, not written by hand.
Skip it if
- — you can't choose your room — room 811 comes up repeatedly
Seen on camera
5 moments · 2 videos · Embassy Suites by Hilton Des Moines Downtown
Each moment is pulled at the second a cited reviewer said the words. Play it here, or open the original video at that timestamp.
“The hotel is close to Simon Estus Amphitheater, the Walnut Street Bridge, and the Public Library. It's ideal if you want…”
youtube.com0:18“Start your day with a complimentary breakfast. This can save you money and time, especially if you're traveling with fam…”
youtube.com0:36“Embassy suites are known for their spacious suites, which include a living area and a separate bedroom. This extra space…”
youtube.com0:47“this is probably one of the best hotels I've stayed at that is situated around so many things”
youtube.com0:31“Besides the free breakfast buffet, there is a restaurant on site. Liberties and Iowa Grill offers American cuisine so yo…”
youtube.com1:32Frames are citations: each one links to its second in the source video, attributed to the creator who filmed it. Nothing here is supplied by the hotel. Creators who want a moment removed can ask and we take it down.
Booking direct costs no more here and keeps Hilton Honors points, elite nights and eligible benefits.
Prices shown are an estimated range, not a live quote — the booking site confirms the real rate for your dates.
This sits inside our estimated range for this hotel.
Confidence: low · modelled estimate, not a live quote. Check the supplier for the real rate on your dates.
Score breakdown
How the 82/100 is built, category by category — each one with the strongest thing travelers actually said, and the source it came from.
Bathroom
87- “it was definitely an older embassy suites you could tell that it needed a little bit of love and attention there were some places in the bathroom that just showed its age but overall again it was pretty good” 8
Location
93- “Skip the rental car for local exploring; the Principal Riverwalk is right outside the door, providing easy pedestrian access to Principal Park and downtown attractions.” 7
- “The hotel is close to Simon Estus Amphitheater, the Walnut Street Bridge, and the Public Library. It's ideal if you want to be near the action, but still be able to relax.” 20:18
Room
87- “Opt for a high-floor suite facing West to enjoy stunning sunset views over the Des Moines River and the downtown skyline.” 7
- “Embassy suites are known for their spacious suites, which include a living area and a separate bedroom. This extra space makes it great for families or those who like to spread out.” 20:47
Service
87Nothing quotable yet on this one — the score leans on the rest of the coverage.
Bed & Sleep
87Nothing quotable yet on this one — the score leans on the rest of the coverage.
Value
80Nothing quotable yet on this one — the score leans on the rest of the coverage.
Where it is, how to reach it
Details checked 2026-08-29
Stay value
How this property reads against the hotels we cover alongside it. Measured on review evidence, not on a nightly rate.
Falls short of what $ usually buys
Scores 4 points below the modest median of 86, across 223 hotels in the same bracket.
- This hotel
- 82
- Bracket median
- 86
- Index median
- 90
Based on 223 comparable hotels.
Which room to ask for
What reviewers say about where to sleep inside this building — by room number where one is named, and otherwise by floor, wing, aspect and position. Every line opens onto the quotes behind it.
- 1 mention
- 1 mention
- 1 mention
Where travelers agree — and don’t
The topics reviewers split on most. A wide bar means your experience depends on which room you get — or whose opinion you trust.
View the 11 things travelers said behind this verdict▾
Quotes run exactly as travelers wrote them — spelling and all. We trim for length, never for tidiness.
- “Opt for a high-floor suite facing West to enjoy stunning sunset views over the Des Moines River and the downtown skyline.” 7
- “the reason that i used to love the mc suites the breakfast in the morning and the suite and having the room just i don't know if they fit in to my travel style right now it's often just me and my partner going so having the suite is great but we could also just do one room since it's just the two of us” 8
- “Embassy suites are known for their spacious suites, which include a living area and a separate bedroom. This extra space makes it great for families or those who like to spread out.” On camera20:47
- “High-floor west-facing river-view rooms are the strongest choice. They face the Des Moines River and offer the most open sightlines toward the riverfront, bridges, and Downtown Des Moines skyline.” 7
- “Skip the rental car for local exploring; the Principal Riverwalk is right outside the door, providing easy pedestrian access to Principal Park and downtown attractions.” 7
- “The hotel is close to Simon Estus Amphitheater, the Walnut Street Bridge, and the Public Library. It's ideal if you want to be near the action, but still be able to relax.” On camera20:18
- “The location works particularly well for business and government travelers visiting downtown offices or the Iowa State Capitol, convention and event guests attending functions at the Iowa Events Center or Casey's Center, and leisure travelers who want walkable access to the Historic East Village, Des Moines River waterfront, Principal Riverwalk, Court Avenue, and downtown attractions.” 7
- “Start your day with a complimentary breakfast. This can save you money and time, especially if you're traveling with family.” On camera20:36
- “We had two double beds and a fold-out couch, all in use. There are good restaurants right nearby. And not too far from there you'll find a Borders AND a Barnes and Noble ACROSS from each other!” 12
- “Besides the free breakfast buffet, there is a restaurant on site. Liberties and Iowa Grill offers American cuisine so you won't need to go far for a good meal.” On camera21:32
- “it was definitely an older embassy suites you could tell that it needed a little bit of love and attention there were some places in the bathroom that just showed its age but overall again it was pretty good” 8
What we still don't know
What we can’t tell you yet, said plainly. These close as we read more coverage of this hotel.
- Nothing reliable said about room types.
- Nothing reliable said about building or wing.
- Nothing reliable said about which side it faces.
- Nothing reliable said about view.
- Nothing reliable said about position on the floor.
- 7 sources carry no publication date, so we cannot tell how current they are.
Ask about Embassy Suites by Hilton Des Moines Downtown
Answered only from the coverage cited on this page. If nobody has written about your question, it will say so rather than guess.
How much we read
Deep coverage · 20/100We read 0 sources for this property, covering 0 traveler mentions, boiled down to 0 traveler insights worth knowing. Last checked 2026-08-29.
Watch this hotel
We keep reading Embassy Suites by Hilton Des Moines Downtown. Tell us when you're staying and we'll follow it until then — you'll hear from us only when the verdict is rewritten, the score moves, or new reviews land. No daily mail, and the watch closes itself after your stay.
Sources
Everything quoted on this page, grouped by traveler insights, outlets, and video & podcast. Counts beside each group show everything we’ve read of that kind; no one kind can carry the score on its own.
View all 12 cited sources▾
Everything quoted on this page.
- 1Hotel Review: Des Moines Embassy Suites : r/desmoinesreddit.comForum thread2026-08-18CurrentRead originalreddit.com
- 5
- 11
- 3Hotel Fort Des Moines - Des Moines, IA : r/Hiltonreddit.comForum thread2024-03-28AgeingRead originalreddit.com
- 12Hotels near Des Moinesforums.welltrainedmind.comForum thread2008-07-17Ageing3 quotes used
“But the pool is nice. It's roomy, with big pubic areas for overflow, and free breakfast. We had two double beds and a fold-out couch, all in use.”
Read originalforums.welltrainedmind.com - 2Embassy Suites by Hilton Des Moines Downtownyoutube.comVideoDate not statedListened for quotes only4 quotes used
“Start your day with a complimentary breakfast. This can save you money and time, especially if you're traveling with family.”
Read originalyoutube.com
More in Des Moines
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