Val Lanes Recreation Center — Local services in West Des Moines

This has to be the worst bowling experience I have ever had. The older lady at the counter immediately had an attitude when my group had a reservation for a birthday party. She had us write down all the kids names so they could play on the same lane. We wrote down every child’s name and they didn’t put down my nieces name who was on the list, which was fine, so I went up to ask for her name to be put on it, the older lady smacked her hand on the list of people, looked right at me and said that I didn’t write her name down so it was my fault, I grabbed the paper, looked at the second name on the list and it was none other than the name that was missing. I pointed to the name and said that it was written down right there and she snatched it away from me, completely disregarded me and started putting it in the system and didn’t say a word to me. At this time another woman from a different party came up to the counter because they had paid to bowl but the older lady didn’t tell them which lane to go to, and the older lady yelled at her and said that she already told her and she wasn’t listening. That happened while I was still standing there waiting for my issue to be resolved, after about a minute I asked if I was good to go back to the birthday party and the older lady looked right at me and shooed me away with only her hand and didn’t say a word to me, while another gentleman gave me a thumbs up. The tracker for bowling continued to freeze up and caused issues, the bumper rails for the kids lane were snapped multiple places so the left bumpers didn’t even work correctly, and the floor was nasty, ripped tile everywhere that could easily be tripped over, while there were dozens of jagged aluminum trim that were uncovered and sharp that could easily slice open a body part, so every parent there was trying to steer the kids away from the dangerous sharp edges while they wanted to bowl. The place was nasty and with all of the hazards there it shouldn’t even be open until they are fixed. Terrible bowling experience along with constant danger and a rude employee, I just wish I could...

Unfortunately, my experience at this bowling alley was not a positive one. The poor customer service was immediately apparent upon entering the establishment, and the building itself was in dire need of some maintenance and repairs.

As I looked up at the ceiling, I noticed that it was falling apart with wires hanging down and metal poles exposed. The metal tack strip on the edges of the carpet was not adhered to the floor, which created a tripping hazard. It's alarming to think that someone could trip and fall onto the exposed wires or metal poles.

To make matters worse, there was mold growing on some of the ceiling tiles and the bathrooms were dirty, which was a major turn-off.

The condition of the lanes was equally disappointing. The bumpers were falling apart, and there were not enough lanes with bumpers for those who need them. Furthermore, the assisted rolling tool or object for young children to roll the balls was not readily available, which made it difficult for parents to enjoy bowling with their kids.

Overall, my experience at this bowling alley was far from satisfactory. I would not recommend this establishment to anyone due to the poor customer service, the run-down building, and the potential safety hazards. It's a shame because bowling can be a fun activity for families and friends to enjoy, but it's hard to have fun in an environment that is not properly maintained. This place should be...

The staff was helpful and nice. But the facility is in a sad state of disrepair. The ceiling in lots of places had holes in it and was leaking in one part. The general feeling of Val Lanes was that it needed a lot of care, cleaning, and upkeep. However the lane worked great. We didn't have to summon help for anything technical and we were able to use bumpers and the ball ramp for our younger children. We ordered fries, chicken tenders and water. Food was cooked appropriately but was bland. Received condiments that came in little to-go cups but 2 we're even half full. I wanted to take it up and ask for more but didn't want to seem petty. One of our disposable water cups had a hole in it. The guy saw it and brought us another disposable water cup and just stacked it underneath which I suppose was fine but that cup filled with water and when my daughter tipped the cup to drink it just spilled down the front of her. I'd say we'll be back again, I just really hope it's in better condition and less expensive for 4 people for 2 games and shoe rental (around $65.00 without food costs). I understand with COVID19 that businesses is probably way down and they can't afford better rates or major repairs at this time but for the reputation of the business I hope it's a better...