Sonesta Essential Des Moines

2.0 star property
your current months are December, 2024 and January, 2025.
December 2024
January 2025

Photo gallery for Sonesta Essential Des Moines

Suite, Multiple Beds
Room, 1 King Bed, Jetted Tub
Exterior
Restaurant
Property amenity

Reviews

7.2 out of 10

Good

Popular amenities

  • Laundry
  • Pet-friendly
  • 24/7 front desk
  • Air conditioning
  • Free WiFi

Explore the area

Map
4755 Merle Hay Road, Des Moines, IA, 50322
  • Merle Hay Mall
    2 min drive
  • Drake University
    8 min drive
  • McDonald's
    3 min walk
  • Des Moines, IA (DSM-Des Moines Intl.)
    29 min drive

Room options

Room, 2 Queen Beds

  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Queen Beds

Suite, 1 King Bed

  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 King Bed

Room, 1 King Bed, Jetted Tub

  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

Room, 1 Queen Bed

  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

Suite, 1 Queen Bed, Accessible

  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

Room, 1 King Bed

  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

Suite, Multiple Beds

  • Sleeps 6
  • 3 Queen Beds

Similar properties

About the area

Des Moines

With a stay at Sonesta Essential Des Moines in Des Moines (Merle Hay), you'll be within a 15-minute drive of Jordan Creek Town Center and Merle Hay Mall. .This hotel is 12.1 mi (19.5 km) from Iowa State Fairgrounds and 2.5 mi (4 km) from Pioneer Hi-Bred Headquarters.

What's nearby

  • Merle Hay Mall - 2 min drive
  • Drake University - 8 min drive
  • Val Air Ballroom - 9 min drive
  • Wells Fargo Arena - 11 min drive
  • Iowa Events Center - 11 min drive

Getting around

  • Des Moines International Airport (DSM) - 29 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Chick-Fil-A - ‬19 min walk
  • ‪McDonald's - ‬3 min walk
  • ‪Casey's General Store - ‬16 min walk
  • ‪Sonic Drive-In - ‬17 min walk
  • ‪Buffalo Wild Wings - ‬13 min walk

About this property

Sonesta Essential Des Moines

Des Moines hotel in Merle Hay with free parking
Sonesta Essential Des Moines offers 150 air-conditioned accommodations with irons/ironing boards. Premium satellite television is provided. Guests can make use of the in-room refrigerators and microwaves. Bathrooms include shower/tub combinations.

Guests can surf the web using the complimentary wireless Internet access. Business-friendly amenities include desks and phones; free local calls are provided (restrictions may apply). Housekeeping is offered on request and hair dryers can be requested.

Make yourself at home in one of the 150 air-conditioned rooms featuring refrigerators and microwaves. Complimentary wireless internet access keeps you connected, and satellite programming is available for your entertainment. Bathrooms have shower/tub combinations and hair dryers. Conveniences include desks and irons/ironing boards, as well as phones with free local calls.
Make use of convenient amenities such as complimentary wireless internet access, a banquet hall, and a vending machine.
Featured amenities include a 24-hour front desk, laundry facilities, and ATM/banking services. Free self parking is available onsite.

Languages

English, Spanish

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and public transport

  • Free self-parking on site
  • Motorhome/coach/lorry parking (free) on site
  • Wheelchair-accessible parking available

Food and drink

  • Coffee/tea in a common area

Family friendly

  • Laundry facilities
  • Microwave
  • Fridge
  • Rollaway/extra beds (surcharge)
  • Soundproofed rooms

Conveniences

  • ATM/banking services
  • Banquet hall
  • Lift
  • Vending machine

Guest services

  • 24-hour front desk
  • Housekeeping (on request)
  • Laundry facilities

Business services

  • A meeting room

Accessibility

  • If you have any requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • Assistive listening devices available
  • Braille signage
  • Lift
  • Wheelchair-accessible parking
  • Wheelchair-accessible path of travel

More

  • Designated smoking areas (fines apply)

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Air conditioning
  • Bed sheets
  • Rollaway/extra beds (surcharge)

Bathroom

  • Hairdryer (on request)
  • Private bathroom
  • Shower/bath combination
  • Towels

Entertainment

  • 32-inch TV
  • Premium channels
  • Satellite channels

Food and drink

  • Microwave
  • Fridge

More

  • Connecting rooms available
  • Desk
  • Free local calls
  • Iron/ironing board
  • Phone
  • Soundproofing

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 3:00 PM; Check-in end time: anytime
Contactless check-in available
Minimum check-in age: 21

Check-out

Check-out before 11 AM
Contactless check-out available

Special check-in instructions

Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival

Access methods

Staffed front desk

Pets

Pets allowed for an extra charge of USD 30 per pet, per night, plus a deposit of USD 30 per night
Service animals are welcome, and are exempt from fees
Welcoming dogs and cats only
2 total pets
Pets cannot be left unattended
Specific rooms only; pet-friendly rooms can be requested by contacting the property at the number on the booking confirmation
Food and water bowls and litter boxes are available

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome
Children up to the age of 18 years can stay for free if using existing beds when occupying the parent or guardian's room
Rollaway/extra beds are available for USD 20.0 per night
Cribs (infant beds) are not available

Payment types

Important information

Fees

You'll be asked to pay the following charges at the property. Fees may include applicable taxes:

  • Breakage deposit: USD 50 per stay
  • Administrative fee: USD 3.00 per accommodation, per night

We have included all charges provided to us by the property.

Optional extras

  • Pet deposit: USD 30 per night
  • Pet fee: USD 30 per pet, per night
  • Service animals are exempt from fees
  • Rollaway bed fee: USD 20.0 per night

The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts credit cards and cash
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a security system, and a first aid kit
This property affirms that it follows the cleaning and disinfection practices of Commitment to Clean (Choice)
Please note that cultural norms and guest policies may differ by country and by property; the policies listed are provided by the property

We should mention

The property has connecting/adjoining rooms, which are subject to availability and can be requested by contacting the property using the number on the booking confirmation

Property is also known as

Econo Lodge Inn Moines/Merle Hays Road Des Moines
Econo Lodge Moines/Merle Hays Road
Econo Lodge Moines/Merle Hays Road Des Moines
Econo Lodge Inn Moines/Merle Hays Road Des Moines
Econo Lodge Inn Moines/Merle Hays Road
Econo Lodge Moines/Merle Hays Road Des Moines
Econo Lodge Moines/Merle Hays Road
Hotel Econo Lodge Inn & Suites - Des Moines/Merle Hays Road
Econo Lodge Inn & Suites - Des Moines/Merle Hays Road Des Moines
Econo Lodge Inn Suites Des Moines/Merle Hays Road
Econo Moines Merle Hays Road
Sonesta Essential Des Moines Hotel
Sonesta Essential Des Moines Des Moines
Sonesta Essential Des Moines Hotel Des Moines
Econo Lodge Inn Suites Des Moines/Merle Hays Road

Sonesta Essential Des Moines Reviews

Reviews

7.2

Good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 273 out of 1005 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 324 out of 1005 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 200 out of 1005 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 101 out of 1005 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 107 out of 1005 reviews" "

7.4/10

Cleanliness

7.6/10

Staff & service

6.6/10

Amenities

7.0/10

Property conditions & facilities

7.0/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

8/10 Good

Laura

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
We stayed only one night. Renovations are mostly completed and looking good. Comfortable bed, nice shower and bathroom area. Good breakfast. 9/21/2024
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2024

10/10 Excellent

Steven

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2024

10/10 Excellent

Jamerio

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Nice
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Carman

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Everything
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2024

8/10 Good

Jammie

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Staff & service
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2024

6/10 Okay

Melissa

Travelled with pets
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Clean and convenient for no a place to crash on the way. Looked as if they were still doing upgrades as numbers of room were on tape. Lights could be better in room. Very dim
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

8/10 Good

Melissa

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2024

2/10 Terrible

Quincy

Stayed 1 night in Sep 2024

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
I would not recommend until renovation is complete
The hotel looked pretty rundown. There was a light fixture over the front entrance that was hanging down and the curtains looked really bad (damaged). The lobby looked like it was recently renovated but the hallways on the upper floors were dark and they used masking tape on every door and wrote the room numbers on them. Our room smelled so bad that we had to ask for another one. There was I believe dental floss floating in our toilet and the bathrooms were very tiny. The staff were pleasant and helpful. The gentleman at the front desk said that the Sonesta recently purchased this building. It needs a lot of work.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2024

8/10 Good

Cristie

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
The rooms were nice and updated. The outside area was dirty and there was a homeless person sleeping under a bush. The back parking lot was dark at night. The location was right by 2 car dealerships.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

maria l

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Love the space in our room with 3 beds it was what we needed for our family
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Ana

Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

2/10 Terrible

Samuel, Des Moines

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Calmed, nicely
Stayed 1 night in May 2024

8/10 Good

Eszter

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

2/10 Terrible

Amanda

Travelled with family, Travelled with pets
Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
There was a strong odor of cigarettes in the room, which should not have been there as the hotel was all nonsmoking. There were questionable characters on the outside of the hotel, which made me not want to walk my dog outside. The room was hot and stuff and as well. I will never go back.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

2/10 Terrible

Nathan

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Found a cockroach in my room.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2024

2/10 Terrible

Joe

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Room comfort
The hotel bed was very, very firm, which was hard on my back
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2024

2/10 Terrible

Faith

Travelled with partner
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
DO NOT BOOK HERE. Plain and simple. Bugs, cigarette smoke, blood on the ceiling and walls, DISGUSTING. People using drugs and fighting in the back parking lot. We checked in, walked in the room for 30 seconds, walked right back out. The manager lied to us about his ability to refund us. This hotel has 0 customer service and will ignore your calls and block your number when you try to resolve an issue. This hotel is not AT ALL like what is depicted in photos and reviews. Likely all the reviews are AI/bots. For your safety, health & your money - DO NOT BOOK HERE.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

2/10 Terrible

Justen

Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

8/10 Good

Ivan

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2024

6/10 Okay

Michaela

Travelled with family
Disliked: Staff & service, amenities
When checking in the front desk man was smoking pot. (Could smell it). The property was under somewhat construction but the rooms still where not fully completed. The area was pretty sketchy.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

roger

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Easy location to find and quiet and comfortable.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Hope

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Its clean, quiet and looks great
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

6/10 Okay

Ronnie

Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
I had yet to recognize that the establishment appeared to be an economic lodge that had undergone rebranding. While I acknowledge their efforts, the overall experience was satisfactory but did not justify the expenditure of $160.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

6/10 Okay

Elizabeth

Stayed 1 night in Jul 2024