Hotel Fort Des Moines, Curio Collection by Hilton — Hotel in Des Moines

Beautiful building with access to sky bridge and plenty of dining options downtown. Staff have been friendly on the multiple stays I’ve had here.

There are a few complaints that have led to me leaving this review, with the straw that broke the camel’s back being a $1.10 food and beverage credit short.

Diamond status members get a $15 credit for the attached restaurants. I have always used it and never once has it posted correctly to my emailed receipt. Every stay I’ve had here, I’ve had to call and have the adjustment made manually. This is extra painful for business travelers that rely on receipt accuracy for expense reporting software.

On my most recent stay, I was shorted $1.10 on the food and beverage credit because I left the remainder of my tab (and credit) as a tip at the attached restaurant. This would seem inconsequential to anyone that hasn’t spent hours in expense reporting software itemizing every last cent to clear the software audit and eventually the HR overlords that review each line.

First, upon checkout, the automated email receipt sent to the expense reporting software included no food and beverage credit at all. No problem, this has happened every other stay I’ve had here. In fact last stay, it took 4 separate receipts being sent out before they got it right. They resend the receipt with the included credit less $1.10. Thinking this would be an easy fix, especially for a guest that has spent thousands of dollars here over the last year, I called to explain the situation and to get a third version of this receipt sent.

I was told that due to a recent change in their system, the tip could not be included in the f&b credit. This is not communicated during check-in, and when I suggested that it should be, the manager said their welcome spiel is already long as it is.

The one thing that’s more painful than writing and reading an essay length hotel review is navigating expense reporting software. Having to file multiple expense reports for something that would take the front desk 3 seconds to explain to guests, and then dismissing my suggestion, are the reason I won’t return.

Since the tone is already unpleasant, the other negative things I’ve experienced here:

-fire alarm went off last stay at around 10pm. I opened my door and smelled smoke, and quickly made my way down many flights of stairs with other bleary-eyed guests. We waited in the lobby for at least half an hour with nobody directing us what to do or where to go, and even crazier was the fire department wasn’t called. Eventually a security guard who went up to our floor came down and told us that we were safe to return to our rooms.

-multiple occasions of people sleeping in the stairway coming from the parking garage. Literally had to jump over one guy in the stairway while carrying my suitcase because I couldn’t wake him. The reason I was carrying my suitcase down the stairs?

-elevator from attached parking garage has been OOC for at least a year. You must carry your suitcases down 3 flights of stairs if you park in the attached garage.

-key card reader from attached garage doesn’t accept their room keys. So if you come back at night and park in the garage, you must go down 3 flights of stairs and walk around the entire building to the front door.

None of these issues on their own are reason enough for the review. But the unwillingness to help a historically loyal customer with something as minor as $1.10 has lost this establishment thousands of...

NO PARKING at the hotel or ANYWHERE in easy walking distance! This hotel and my room are BEAUTIFUL so far and I wish I could just enjoy it—I hate writing bad reviews for such a nice place—but the check-in experience was so horrific that I’m beaten. Why? It’s the worst parking setup of any nice hotel I’ve ever been to and they are too understaffed to take the time to explain it to you and more or less unapologetic about the MAJOR hassle.

I pull up at 10:30 pm to the surprise that it’s valet only at the hotel— at LA prices of $35 a night plus tip, in Des Moines!! And I don’t even like valet if it’s free, I want access to my car without waiting in line. Then he explains (outside in the dark and the rain, no awning even) that there is no other parking— AT ALL!! The valet guy suggests free street parking—get out and walk around in the dark and in the rain in a downtown that you don’t know anything about until you find a spot somewhere a few blocks away, absolutely freaking ridiculous.

I called the hotel and it takes several menus to get a live person. After 20 rings Chloe picks up and asks if I can hold. I say “no, I can’t because I’m driving around in the dark and rain trying to find parking.”

She tries briefly to help saying there is a “ramp” nearby. I’m American and also traveled to 50 other countries, and I’ve never in my life heard someone call a parking garage a “ramp”. I had to ask if this is what she meant, and she acted surprised.

We clarified that there was a parking garage in the back, but she doesn’t know how much it cost or if there was any availability. Awesome. And she couldn’t talk anymore because she was helping someone else and made that very clear that I was bothering her. Apparently no one free in the whole hotel she could’ve handed me to, to help explain the parking mess that they surprise you with as you’re driving around the neighborhood in the dark.

I finally find a Public parking garage and I have no idea if it’s the one she’s talking about because there isn’t one “in the back”, but I drive up a few floors and find a parking spot that costs $10, which is the least of my worries, and then I try to figure out how to get to the hotel, but of course there are no signs saying how to get to the hotel, because the parking garage is not affiliated with the hotel, and actually isn’t in the back of it or attached in any way.

Finally, after walking out into the rain, and getting drenched, I find my way from the unaffiliated parking garage that has no signs or directions, to the hotel, which also has no signs directions or information regarding parking.

Chloe is doing her best to be friendly and dodge any explanation for why it’s such a hassle for Hilton guests and leaves me with really no good excuse for a Hotel of such a reputable brand having no parking garage, no parking instructions, and no one available to help somebody who can’t figure out where to park in the dark and the rain.

At least she gives me a quiet room.

Hilton—do better. We choose you because we want less hassles not more.

Give guests clear info upon booking regarding parking options and how to access them. And build a connector and signs so we can get in the hotel without getting wet.

P.s. I’ve seen now in other reviews this is an ongoing issue, the “owner” responds to the reviews without addressing the actual issue and offers no solutions below. Looks like chat GpT is...

Be careful of the hidden fees this hotel charges and will not disclose them to you until you find them on your bank statement. Booked a room through Priceline for this 4+ star hotel. Paid $218 for one night. Went to check in the hotel and the lady at the front desk confirmed that our room was paid for by a 3rd party booking site and said they would hold $100 on our card that would fall right off if we don't use it for incidentals. She gave us our room key and told us to enjoy our stay. As we were walking away my husband turned around and asked her "where is parking"? She then explained that the hotel only has Valet parking as the only option and that would come out of our $100 incidental charge. I thought it was strange that she didn't just tell us that when she said that we would get our whole $100 back if we didn't use incidentals. Clearly that should have been disclosed seeing as this is the only option for parking but I just left that alone. Hotel was beautiful and we enjoyed our stay. We even went to the front desk to check out and were told that the valet was the only charge we had on our final bill and that the rest of our deposit will be refunded to our card immediately. Also that we should get a receipt from our third party booking site. No receipt for the $100 incidental or valet charge was given to us, which I didn't think much of until now.

Hubby checked the bank today and noticed that there was a $218 (priceline) and $260 (from hotel) charge on our account along with the incidental credit from the $100 incidental charge. When calling the hotel the lady explained to us that even though our room was paid for through a 3rd party booking site, they still charge us separately for the room and the charge "should" fall off within a week. She stated that it was hotel policy. This nor the parking fee was explained to us at all. This unexpected charge has caused all kinds of issues with my bank account and the hotel can't even tell me when they will refund me my money. I'm left only with a "it should fall off within a week". When asking to speak to a supervisor my husband was told there was no supervisor to talk to.

I would have given this hotel 5 stars, however the fact that it seems to be their business practice to hide fees they charge until you have no choice but to pay has created a 1 staar review. I am a business owner and I never hide things from my customers. My hope is that the owner will see this review and fix their front desk issues. Or maybe train staff on best business practices and charges. I would hope that overcharging customers and making them pay fees that are not disclosed is not a part of your business policies. My advice would be to not book with this hotel! I like to spend my money with honest businesses who offer good customer service. This hotel offers hidden fees and no answers when you call...