Ramada Tropics Resort / Conference Center Des Moines

We stayed here because it was in the middle of our travel journey, although we did book our stay ahead of time. We booked a room with a hot tub, which ended up being well above my expectations.
To start with the overall impression of the hotel, it was a water park, and that’s what their specialty is at this location. So you smell chlorine as soon as you enter the lobby!
Checking in was easy since we pre booked, so we were able to get settled into our room quickly. Our room was huge– it was pretty much a party room. It had the large hot tub next to the king size bed, bar tops with stools, sink, mini fridge, etc. the bathroom looked freshly remodeled compared to the rest of the room, but everything (regardless of age) was clean.
They lose a star for a couple of reasons: one, the air conditioner unit wasn’t large enough to truly cool the large size of the room. Plus it was very loud. Second, the room itself felt old. Like I said above the bathroom was remodeled and the tub was newer, but the actual room itself needs a lot of refreshing.
Overall, nothing to truly complain about. We enjoyed our stay.

I wanted to like this place, giving Ramada (Wyndham) a second chance so soon after my last disappointing stay at another location. That desire would be short-​lived after checking into this location early Sat morning 2am and being greeted (as I prepped in the restroom for a shower) by another room occupant… though not of the human persuasion. I was mortified to see a fat cockroach gliding across the back wall above the toliet as if he’d paid $ 169 to stay the night as my family had! Because of course I’m sure the hotel would not believe this; I did what every smartphone addicted person does– I grabbed my phone & clicked pics & video in disgust. I was sure if I awoke my husband he would hit the roof to learn of this. We’d been on the road for over 4hrs coming into town for a graduation ceremony; and waking him would only make matters worse. So, the next 20mins I went around the hotel room elevating all of our belongings onto the tabletops & desk. Our overnight bags, shoes, purses etc. You can be certain where one cockroach is spotted; there’s heaven knows how many YOU DON’T SEE!
I was unnerved the rest of the early morning, afraid more cockroaches might appear with the lights out. So I bedded down in the tv area on the pull-​out couch with every light available on & the tv going. This along with the musty, ripped carpet, scratched furniture pieces has finally been enough for me! I will never stay at this or any other Ramada Wyndham property again! I’ve learned my lesson to – Take Heed to reviews (God/​bad/​indifferent) But ultimately choose 5 Star properties if I have any expectations of decent accommodations.
I ultimately grabbed a shoe to squash the unwanted guest as he raced frantically up the wall and then across the sink area, even more gross! I spoke to Ashley, the manager, as soon as I awoke the next morning to advise we were checking out hours before check out due to the unwelcoming condition & she promised the room wouldn’t be rented Sat night & until inspected & pest control could spray. I told her that’s good for the next guest, because my family was not staying and my that my good nights sleep had been shot to hell. She asked if I am local, which I am not, in an effort to offer a certificate of sorts; but I neither see myself or local family staying there again even for FREE (had that been offered)!. She then offered 10% off the bill which was an insult in itself. Especially, after I showed her the pics of the room’s cockroach guest. I never went into the bug remanents that were on the bed next to my husband, we only discovered it the next morning. Some micro insect type with antennae and wings. I don’t recommend this property, location or chain.

Water park was awesome. It had stuff for my younger kid to enjoy and my older daughter wasn’t bored. The tropical theme is nice. I personally enjoyed the bar by the pool. We had a pool view room on the second floor which was cool. The rooms were clean. I would stay here again!

The hot tub was not hot enough and the volume of lifeguards was over the top. Big slide was out of commission. But hey, they had a bar, so if you don’t mind spending $ 60 on margaritas, it is a nice treat for the kids.
Room was OK, no complaints considering the rate.

Awful experience. Had to wait an hour after check in time to get our rooms. Since it was a booked solid holiday, the rooms should have been ready by having appropriate staffing since this would have been known ahead of time. By the time we got ready to go to the room to just drop off our bags since the rooms still weren’t ready, the pool was so full there were no spaces around the pool at all. Won’t be coming back. So much for advanced reservations! Worst part is we weren’t the only ones sitting around waiting. 20% off but no admission of error.
Later: we decided to go eat after one hour+ of waiting to get into our rooms. ($ 250 each since it was a holiday!) when we returned, the rooms weren’t even clean! Just thrown together. When I called the front desk, just a insincere apology and an offer to send up housekeeping again. We just checked out. Don’t stay here if you have a choice!

The most funnest place to go and kids of all ages should go here! The desk clerks are very informative, and if ever you need anything, dont be afraid to ask!
Took my pup pup with me and enjoyed the fact that there was an area designed for them in mind! Everyone loves a good chuckle, an my pup pups can be very accomidating in that aspect! «Yippy yip!»
The hot tub is warm, and inviting, right next to the bar, WoooHoo! A hot toddy and some friends to calm with, then there also is the kiddies at play in the treasure boat area! What a sensation!
A fun for all, and I felt as if I had taken a long distance Tropical getaway! A must do here in Des Moines, Iowa!!!

If you are 2 – 12 years old this place is heaven. If you are the parent of one of these kids, this place will make you happy to see your child beam with happiness while exhausting themselves in the pool. If you are outside of these two categories, this place will test your patience & the mantra «doing it for the kids» will be your constant companion. The rooms are clean, but exhausted from so many families. The carpets are ripped, the mattresses show the effects of five year olds jumping, the couch allows one to sink in. Lower your hotel room standards, repeat the mantra, «doing it for the kids» and you will be fine. The staff is dedicated & helpful. A cocktail or two at the bar will help you relax & enjoy your time with family.

We’ve been to a few Ramada’s on this trip and this was nicer than many. Well appointed, in decent shape, very animal friendly. It’s exactly what you need: reasonably priced, clean place.

This was the first stop on vacation. The staff (lifeguards included) were friendly and professional. The restaurant and tiki bar were fairly priced and the pizza, though small, was quite cheesy and satisfying. The Water Park was great for children, which we have, but not so much for adults. The rooms slept everyone comfortably and being steps from the water was a major plus. The hotel shows some signs of wear that could be touched up and the arcade doubles as a storage room which is very tacky. Overall, a good hotel for families with kids. As an adult, it felt fairly average to me, except for the shower which was glorious.

My fiancé and I were road tripping across the country and found ourselves here. We’re in our early 30s with no children and absolutely loved this place.
To be fair, you’re clearly paying for the indoor water park. There couldn’t of been more than two dozen people there — granted, it was a Wednesday in the late afternoon when we arrived.
Waterpark highlights include: two lengthly and elite water slides, a basketball hoop and volleyball net, hot tub, playground, and kiddie pool section. There is also a bar with pub-​style food and televisions, located in the park — so if you have kids and don’t feel like getting in the pool, you can hang out there and keep an eye on the dingos.
The bed was comfortable. The TV had plenty of channels, as well as HBO. The complimentary Internet was good enough for me to tinker with my fantasy baseball teams, check email, Facebook and those sort’ve things, but not good enough to stream Netflix or videos in general.
We made our room selection through
at $ 116 for the Wednesday night. I remember contemplating if we wanted to pay extra for what was described as a «poolside» room, which gave me the impression that the water park was literally outside your door and/​or balcony. This was not the case and if you find yourself in the same predicament, do not pay extra for the «poolside» room. Our room was the cheapest option and we were still less than a minute walk to the pool. We were really happy that we didn’t shell out the extra money for that semi-​misleading option. Water park passes were also included with our stay. I’d assume this is the case for anyone spending the night here but thought I should mention it.
Why four and not five stars? Small, little things that you’d find at much cheaper hotels were skimped out on here. The pillows were pretty small and bulky — kind of like a couch pillow. Not the most comfortable. No coffee maker in the room — no continental breakfast in general. There is a restaurant on premises (not including the water park bar) but you have to pay out of pocket for it. You usually can get a free continental breakfast wherever you stay these days. Coffee was available until 9am in the lobby, though. The arcade was a tease. Literally — I mean this, at least 70% (I’m not exaggerating) of the arcades were out of order. My fiancé went to bed on me at like 8 PM that night. I couldn’t stream Netflix and I didn’t feel like watching TV, so I went to the arcade. I was cracking up to myself at all the pieces of paper that had «Out of Order» printed on them and taped to the machines. I wish I had my cell on me so I could’ve taken a picture.
Like I opened up with, you’re clearly paying for the water park. At $ 116, I found everything to be very fair for our situation. We were also less than 15 minutes from downtown Des Moines and were able to grab a nice dinner. Driving from Chicago to Manitou Springs, Colorado in two nights — this was our first night’s stay. We arrived in the late afternoon and it was the perfect way to stretch our legs and unwind, in a fun and recreational way.

The positive: if you have a kid, this is a great place to stay because of the water park. The hotel food prices seem fair too. The location off the 80 is a plus too. The room layout and amenities are up to par with a mini fridge and microwave along with a couch and flat screen tv.
The cons:
The rooms lining the pool are SO noisy. There’s loud pop music and kid screaming going on around the pool until 10:30 PM on the weekends. I’d prefer all the activity in the hotel shut down around 9 to accommodate travelers who go to bed early. So, if staying here, try to get a room facing the parking lot. The rooms smell like the pool too. The area to get to the room is super warm since the pool area is heated.

Ew. I get that this is a family oriented place, but maintenance is not where it needs to be. I usually stay at another chain, but they were booked. Desk staff was very friendly and professional at check in. That’s where my good vibes ended. Carpet leading up to my room was filthy, debris everywhere, as well as dozens of holes and snags. Floor in my room had clearly not been vac’d. There was dirt from sneakers everywhere. Carpet in the room was also worn and snagged. Beds extremely firm, but bedding clean and crisp. Bathroom looks newer, and poolside access from my room would be ideal if you had kids.

After a horrible experience at the Econo Lodge, we came here for a mere $ 20 extra. We went from a very run down looking hotel with no pool to an immaculate hotel with great rooms, several pools, hot tub, water slides, splash pool, pirate shops, water volleyball, a pool side bar, and a very nice restaurant. Most definitely worth the money and a GREAT stay. It was better than we could have expected.

Room and water park were both nice and the family enjoyed our stay. Although there was a dirty sock under a chair in our room so the cleaning could use some work. Also the life guards didn’t pay much attention to the kids swimming so I wouldn’t take kids there that can’t swim.

Going downhill. This place was awesome when they first put in the waterpark and we have been here many times over the last several with our grandsons. Last nites stay was the worst. Horrible front desk service and the waterpark was way over chlorinated, the whole building reeks of it except for the areas that smell like sewage (by every drain and bathroom) or the back hall between B & C doors that smell like natural gas. At the botttom of each slide is a disgusting brown scum. I am fairly certain they arent cleaning regularly or testing the water. I have no intention of going back.

They close the waterpark for 5 hours right in the middle of the day on weekdays. Stupid policy. The hot tub is broken, and based on other reviews, has been broken for many many months.

Clean, comfortable, affordable, and quiet. All things I look for when staying somewhere. The water park was more than I expected and my kids loved it. We stayed in one night and tried the restaurant and had their pizza. It was good. I would stay there again if driving thru.

I came here with a coworker of mine for a work related-​conference and I thought the location was amazing. The conference rooms and dining centers were very clean and modern. The hotel staff did a wonderful job catering the food.
We a bit of walking around the hotel during breaks to see the pool area and arcade. The pool area is like an indoor resort, there’s a bar and aquatic decorations. The arcade was cool, nothing big and fancy, but can definitely keep kids entertained.
There is a huge parking lot out in front so we had no trouble with parking even with over 100 people attending the conference. I cannot comment on the room quality since I didn’t get to see a room here.

I think the best way to write this review is to just give you all a break down of pros and cons. This was my experience so use it as you see fit.
PROS–
— Pool area is unique and offers a great time for kids of all ages.
— They take pets
— Very competitive rates
CONS–
— Attached restaurant «Castaways»
— Service and staff
— Room quality & cleanliness
Touching on the pros first, the pool area is pretty neat. Young kids can play on a pirate ship and go down mini slides, older kids have 2 huge watersides, there’s a hot tub for adults and a lap pool for all. There’s also a sport pool with water volleyball. If you need the natural curl in your hair to show up, the humidity in the pool area will do it. bonus! There’s also a little arcade room for the kids where you can trade tickets for prizes. Overall good kid friendly place. We traveled with some friends that brought a pet. We also saw other guests with pets. I think it’s cool that you have that option especially with the cost of pet care centers.
To top it off the rate was pretty cheap at just over $ 125 a night.
On the flip side. There are so many opportunities that I could only give this place 3 stars.
The biggest disappointment was at the attached restaurant «Castaways». I think Tom Hanks could have single handedly run this place better sitting in the corner looking at a volleyball. The place had like 4 tables full and hardly anyone at the bar. Our large group seemed to bring the place to its knees. Out waitress was completely overwhelmed. Once we ordered and food started coming out, we ended up eating yet 2 of the kids in our group never got their food. Finally after 15−20mins it showed up. Many of us asked for drinks that never came and the food we ordered was just ok. To top it off we had to help the waitress do the bill at the register 2 separate times. In the end the mandatory 18% gratuity was icing on the cake. We got the bill removed from our room but this whole experience just had fail written all over it. (We also had 18% gratuity snuck on our bar tab for 2 drinks and a kids meal) The staff in the bar, arcade and restaurant all could just be a little nicer. Grant it we only saw one of the shifts working so not to say everyone working there was bad. The pool area staff was the most friendly yet they were enforcing rules like no outside food in the pool area or keeping kids out of the hot tub.
The rooms were sub par and leaning on being pretty gross in my opinion and both my wife and I are pretty well traveled with gold status at a couple of hotel chains. There was a water leak in the hallway and it sort of smelled like sewage. I was told it was a shower leak but none the less there’s water in places it shouldn’t be on the vicinity of where my family was sleeping. Water can bring mold and mold can bring all sorts of problems. The shower is a walk in shower which is pretty swanky at first glance but the water splashes out and pools up behind the toilet. Starting to think there’s no dry place in the hotel! The bed was uncomfortable but no signs of bugs (yea at this point I felt compelled to look). The window lock consisted of a little plastic clip that I could probably snap right off. There’s room for improvements in quality and security in my opinion. Maybe ask for an internal facing room if you stay here?
In a nutshell, I have seen much worse from a hotel stay but I can’t see myself returning to this place. I don’t want to talk anyone out of staying here because everyone may see things differently. This place has a lot of potential but could really use a better operating model especially in the restaurant.

The rooms were very clean and we had a pet room and when it was 1 of the nicest chat rooms we have ever stayed then. The beds were very comfortable and the staff was very friendly. We got room service from there restaurants and the food was good and fairly priced.