Ramada by Wyndham Des Moines Tropics Resort & Conference Ctr — Hotel in Urbandale

I’ve had a few birthday parties for my kids here over the years, but it had been about six years since the last one and it somehow has gotten so so much worse. I don’t expect anywhere near luxury at a kid’s water park resort, but I don’t know how they consistently sell out and are always busy but can’t update a single thing or offer an even remotely decent breakfast. The “free breakfast” offered as a value added to the room price, is literally a folded card table with little Debbie snacks, packages of oatmeal and Frosted Flakes and a couple jugs of milk on ice… that’s it. You have an entire restaurant and you can’t even offer a toaster and some bagels or some baked goods that aren’t little Debbie?! Needless to say, all offering that “free breakfast” did was give us a false idea that we could relax in the morning and instead I had to go run down the street and purchase breakfast for my family and bring it back. The tv’s are so outdated and basic they don’t even have a guide channel, it’s basic basic cable, no streaming, nothing up to date. The check in process was an actual nightmare, they for some reason offer a pre check in that means absolutely NOTHING, I pre checked in, they let me select 3 o clock for check in, so I arrived with four kids and decorations to decorate the hotel room for the birthday party before other kids arrived at 5, when we arrived the line was out the door and when I finally got to the front around 3:30, I was literally YELLED at by an older man with white hair and earrings working the front desk that my rooms weren’t ready because check in didn’t even begin until four (but everyone around me was checking in too, hence the line literally out the door of check ins) then mouthed off about how check out isn’t until noon and their cleaning people can’t get the rooms cleaned in time, talking to me like I was the ahole for expecting to be able to check in when I was told online I could, the app literally said “just stop by the desk to get your keys!” I told him I had pre checked in and he rolled his eyes and shooed me away with his hand. I ended up waiting another hour and a half before finally getting my room keys and luckily I dealt with a much nicer girl the next time I ended up back at the front desk about an hour after my first time up there (even though my rooms still weren’t ready, when I was up there she was extremely kind and let me fill out my paperwork and gave my kids their wristbands so they could swim before the room was ready if they wanted ) ….the first guy literally told me to go away and come back later and didn’t offer any of these options. I know it’s hard to find good help but with the horrendously rude man at the front desk, as soon as the pool closed at 10, the staff were all like running around, hanging out, making out, acting rowdy and honestly intimidating and weird for the guests around the door to the lobby and around the bar by the pool. It was extremely odd it like turned into a staff party as soon as the pool closed, it was just odd. Be cautious with the arcade, luckily we started with only $25 on the game cards because a few of the games charge your card then just don’t work… so it just takes your money. The pool doesn’t open until TEN am in the morning… so basically they offer you NOTHING aside from the pool, and then give your kids no time to swim… by the time we checked in it was so late, and then we wake up to an absolutely bullsh “breakfast” and kids everywhere running around crazy for hours because the pool doesn’t open for so long. This place acts like “we have the only indoor water park pool so you’re going to take it in this sh*t sandwich atmosphere and like it” but barely even offers operating hours for the pool. I hope someone develops something better soon and this place goes out of business, they’re taking advantage of people by offering the absolute bare minimum just because they have the only water slide...

Stayed at the Ramada tropic Resort over the weekend. Was for kid’s birthday. Booked 2 adjoining rooms. Got in and there were 4 people in front of us at check in Friday evening. There were 2 people working reception, and still took close to 30 minutes. Got to the room, and it reeked of diesel fuel/kerosine and was dirty (beds made), back of door was peeling off, no phone. Went back to front desk waited another 20 minutes got new rooms. On way to new rooms corridor carpet is dirty and about every 8-10 feet there is a missing area where it has frayed and torn (throughout the hallways). Got into new room and the adjoining doors were open and room was extremely warm. These rooms too were dirty with food debris on floors by wall (chip crumbs, partially eaten gum drops, hair). Youngest found a gummy on the edge of the floor and promptly put it in their mouth and started chewing. Got about half of it out before the other half was swallowed (thankfully wasn't that type of gummy). No phones in these room either. We got the kids and then went to dinner (off site). Found out that the heater in the second room doesn’t work and only blows cool air, hence the door being open and our room being hot (so it can heat the other room too). Beds/mattresses were worn out and had lumps and depressions in them and needed replacing. Didn’t sleep well due to the mattresses and the excessive heat. Went out and about Sat, got back to hotel to let kids play in water park. After playing for a while went back to rooms to find out keys didn’t work. Back to front desk. At this time (about 15:00 or so) there were about 40 people waiting to check in. Same 2 people working reception, with a few more employees hanging out in the office behind them BS’ing. Stood in line for 1 hour, with the entry door opening and closing letting the 24* (-5c) breeze in the lobby, not great while wet/damp. Got the keys, went back to the room s for hot showers, no hot water! Even left tub faucets run for 5-10 minutes, no hot water. Seems to be a common thing from other reviews. Later that night about 11 there were loud arguments in the hallway (multiple), lots of running up and down the hall, foul language, banging on doors. This went on for a while. Later apparently hotel staff were banging on doors yelling” front desk!”. Got up Sunday and went down for breakfast. We were told that they had a continental breakfast was included. That was a joke. 2 bags of Wal-Mart cereal, empty coffee urns, no plates, some gooey pre-packaged Danishes (like frozen then thawed), sticky, dirty tables, and a staff member that didn’t want to be there and made that clear. Asked about more coffee, said they weren’t making anymore (was 08:30). After a mother with a child in her arms asked for something the staff member rolled her eyes and cleaned a table, then disappeared. Multiple guests were seen going into the kitchen area looking for whatever (cups, plates, napkins, food?). A woman did bring out 4 FROZEN muffins an put them on the table, so there is that. There was a single residential sized trash can that was heaped and overflowing and trash on the tables. When we went to check out, had to ring the bell to get someone to reception. A black lady came out with 3 different colors of hair and 3” fake nails, wearing wired ear pods, talking on her cell phone and simply said “yeah?” I said I wanted to check out, she replied “leave your keys here.” Turned around and walked back in the office area. No receipt, no “how was your stay”, thank you or the like. The hotel is run down, dirty, smells of mold/mildew, rooms are dirty, beds uncomfortable, staff is less than helpful. There are broken windows on the property (room above entrance A, broken windows and the room is piled with junk), no hot water, phones, or anything about the hotel in the rooms. All for a weekend...

One of my worst experiences at a hotel.||I did the pre-check in online. I waited an hour in line to check in, in person. I got to the counter at about 4:40pm when I was told my room was still not ready. I signed the papers. The guest services lady said to come stand to the side and waive at her and she'd get me my keys soon, so I wouldn't need to wait another hour in a line when I already did everything that was required. I seen the maids were done in the room, came back and said hey can I please have my keys. The woman told me I need to get in line. I explained that I already waited an hour and she told me to come waive at her. She said she isn't going to anymore because someone got upset. I said well I already waited like all of these people and if you were to tell me that initially I would have had my husband stand here waiting. I was crying so upset with the service she provided. And I'm not a person to be easily upset, I'm a very patient and understanding person. This was BEYOND frustrating and very disappointing to be treated this way. I did everything that was expected and was told to stand another hour in line! All i needed was my KEYS TO MY ROOM. Our child's birthday party was supposed to start at 5pm. Check in was 4pm. ||The maid are extremely slow, they were in the hallway just chatting at 4:45pm when check in is 4pm. Get it together. This is absolutely ridiculous. ||||My husband walked up to the desk and asked for the manager who was working right beside this woman who expected me to wait 2 hours for my damn room. ||He told him he needs our keys, he literally just swiped them and handed to him. Like how hard was that?? I asked some people in the line and they said that nobody was waiting more than once and some very nice lady told me to cut her because of this. ||I was the only one told to get in line again according to the other customers in line. ||Just an FYI, we are the paying guests and deserve to be treated with respect|| ||Not only was this the worst part. While I checked in I made sure the room and double checked it had a couch with a pull out bed, she assured me. ||When we went to check everything over, we didn't even get the right room. We paid for a pool side with 2 queens and a pull out couch. ||We were placed on the 2nd floor with 2 queens. ||My husband went back down after the line was gone and told the manager what happened. ||He apologized and said he would take the difference off our price since there was no other pool side rooms available. And he gave us a cot for the extra kids. Im still waiting for the hotel charge to clear to ensure it is the correct price, as of right now the pending charge is incorrect.||||We haven't stayed at Ramada in about 10 years, and I can promise you we won't be back. The experience left a bad taste in our mouth.||It's completely disorganized and chaotic. I wish Adventureland Inn was still open, we never had to deal with anything like that there. ||||Also, the pool area rarely had towels. The floor had puke all over and water sloshing everywhere, nobody was cleaning the water off the floor, it was disgusting. Our bathroom door wouldn't shut, it kept popping open, the magnetic piece wasn't working. ||The breakfast is just cereal, granola bars and yogurts with juice and milk. No hot foods. ||Get...