AC Hotel Des Moines East Village

Considering the hotel, the neighborhood, and the restaurant, this is the best hotel in Des Moines. The room feels fully like a luxury hotel. Everything works and feels nice and new. Great staff. The neighborhood, the East Village, is the best part of Des Moines, walking distance to so many cool shops, bars, restaurants and Wooly’s. If you come during Pridefest, you are RIGHT in the middle of Pridefest. The bar and restaurant in the hotel, Republic on Grand, is one of the best bars in Des Moines. The food is freaking awesome. I love this place. I can’t wait to come back.

AC's never disappoint, this one included. Desk staff was super friendly and very quick. Decent little shop next to the desk as well. The bar area in the lobby is very comfortable and upscale feeling. Cleaning staff is amazing and very helpful with any requests (extra towels, bed service). Comfy bed amd pillows and decent views on all sides of the hotel. Located around several places to eat. Zombie Burger & Bird is phenomenal. However, the rooftop here has great food and drinks as well. You can't go wrong staying here.

AC Hotel Des Moines East Village was unfortunately a very disappointing experience from start to finish. While the hotel presents itself as modern and upscale online, the actual stay did not meet expectations at all. For the price being charged, the level of service, comfort, and overall guest experience felt far below what should be expected from a hotel associated with a major brand. The biggest issue during the stay was the lack of proper customer service. Staff interactions felt cold and inattentive, and several requests took far longer than they should have. At times it seemed like guests were being treated more like inconveniences than valued customers. Communication at the front desk was inconsistent, and getting assistance for even simple questions became unnecessarily frustrating. The room itself looked stylish at first glance, but after spending time in it, several problems became noticeable. Cleanliness was not up to standard, with certain areas appearing poorly maintained and not thoroughly cleaned before check-in. The room also felt smaller and less comfortable than advertised, and some amenities did not function properly. For a hotel marketed as modern and premium, the overall condition felt surprisingly average. Noise was another major issue. The walls seemed thin, making it easy to hear hallway activity and neighboring rooms late into the night. A hotel stay should provide comfort and rest, but it was difficult to relax due to the constant noise and lack of sound insulation. Parking and extra fees were also frustrating. The pricing felt excessive considering the overall quality of the experience, and several aspects of the stay seemed focused more on charging additional fees rather than improving guest satisfaction. The value simply did not match the cost. The location in East Village is convenient, which is probably one of the few strong positives about the property. There are nearby restaurants and attractions within walking distance, and the area itself is enjoyable to explore. However, a good location alone is not enough to compensate for poor service and an underwhelming hotel experience. Another disappointing aspect was the lack of attention to detail throughout the property. Small issues that should normally be addressed at a well-managed hotel appeared to be overlooked, which created the impression that maintenance and guest experience were not top priorities. When paying premium hotel prices, guests naturally expect a much higher standard of professionalism and care. Overall, AC Hotel Des Moines East Village did not deliver the quality, comfort, or hospitality expected from a modern branded hotel. Between the disappointing service, cleanliness concerns, noise issues, and lack of overall value, the stay felt frustrating rather than enjoyable. While the property has potential because of its location and appearance, significant improvements would be needed before it could truly justify its pricing or reputation.

Stayed here 03/20/26-03/22/2026. Charged extra. Card used for reservation then card swiped also charged. Charged different amounts in each card.i was checked in under someone else’s name. Complete mess. Have made a ton of calls to get refund. Talked to Josh, several times. Talked to Alex / assistant manager several times. No refund yet! Hotel clean, stay was fine. Accounting shady! Negative stars not an option!

First off, you can tell Marriott cut corners with these AC Hotels. The design looks modern at first, but once you stay there, the issues become obvious. The bathroom sink was completely flat and barely drained properly, there was no housekeeping service during our two-night stay, and both my wife and I struggled to figure out the lighting system. Even turning on the bathroom light was unnecessarily complicated. The elevator was also incredibly sketchy. Every time I got in, it felt unstable enough that I eventually started taking the stairs instead. The worst part of the experience, though, was the rooftop restaurant management. We arrived at 10:02 PM and were told the kitchen had just closed, which was fine. The staff themselves suggested bringing in outside food. So after looking around nearby options, I ordered a pizza for delivery and brought it upstairs. Without any prior conversation or warning, the restaurant/F&B manager, Chelsea, immediately came over aggressively and kicked us out to the lobby. The whole interaction was unnecessarily hostile and completely changed the tone of our stay. Des Moines has plenty of better boutique and locally owned hotel options, and I’d strongly recommend staying somewhere else. After this experience, I’ll likely avoid both AC Hotels and Marriott properties going forward.