Residence Inn by Marriott Des Moines Downtown

We had a three-night stay at the Residence Inn in Downtown Des Moines, and had a very good experience. At check-in, both front desk clerks we spoke to were friendly and processed us quickly. In addition, when we arrived, there was a "social" going on in the lobby area where there were some free glasses of wine and soup for guests. They have this each weekday night, which is a nice perk.

The room was very spacious and includes a kitchen for those who'd prefer to cook when travelling. Housekeeping did a good job cleaning up each night. Free breakfast was provided each morning, with the hot options changing daily. The WiFi speed was good for most general web browsing.

The parking was $15/night, which I thought was a bit high for Des Moines, but even with this charge, we would still stay here again.

Address: 100 Water Street, Des Moines, IA 50309
Wifi: Free
Parking: $15/Night
Restaurant: No
Bar/Lounge: No
Smoking: Non-smoking
Hidden Fees: None
Free Breakfast: Yes

Hotel Review: Residence Inn - Capital View

The Residence Inn - Capital View, in Arlington, VA lies within the Crystal City portion of the city.  This section is full of hotels and restaurants to choose from.  When making a decision, this hotel is an excellent choice and a great place to stay to quickly get into Washington, DC.

The staff is very friendly and helpful.  There is a regular shuttle to the closest metro stop, as well as to the airport.  A full complimentary breakfast is served each morning consisting of eggs, sausage, french toast, chipped beef biscuits and various other choices.

The rooms themselves are very clean and spacious, including a kitchen for anyone looking to cook for themselves.  The shower and toilet were separate from the sink area, allowing two people to get ready at the same time in the morning.

The only negative we found was the parking cost of $22 per day.  Even though the hotel rates are very reasonable, this parking cost I think is pretty ridiculous.  Even hotels inside of the main area of Washington, DC don't ask for this much in parking.

Residence Inn Orlando by SeaWorld

I did a three night stay at the Residence Inn Orlando by SeaWorld.  Unfortunately, it was a disappointing stay.

The first issue was the Internet.  The first 2 nights had absolutely no Internet availability.  I inquired with the front desk about this a few times and each time was told that it was being worked on and would be up shortly.  It took more than 48 hours to fix the problem, which to me is inexcusable.  I specifically chose this hotel because of it's proximity to a conference I was at and because free in-room internet was advertised.  The hotel fell short because of the lack of Internet availability.  To me, this implies false advertising since the amenity of free Internet was unavailable.

The second issue was the housekeeping.  They did a very poor job in cleaning the room on a daily basis.  To give you some examples, the mirror in the bathroom was never cleaned and was "spotty" the whole time I was there.  The alarm clock next to the bed was covered in a layer of dust.  There were crumbs on the table in the room and they were never cleaned off.  I expressed this concern to someone at the front desk, but since nothing was ever resolved, I believe they just ignored my valid complaint.

After my stay, I informed Marriott of these issues.  Within a day they did apologize and the hotel did offer me one night's money back on a gift card, which I thought was definitely good compensation for the issues.

There are numerous hotel options in the SeaWorld area for all types of travelers.  With this type of competition, there is no excuse for these issues.  I'd recommend looking elsewhere for your stays in this area.