Stoney Creek Hotel Des Moines - Johnston

Jessica Nicodemus

We stayed for two nights. Everything was alright, the hotel was very cozy, we didn't use the swimming pool but it looked very nice. We learned that they don't clean the rooms daily, which is extremely disappointing, especially when you have small trash cans and no fresh towels. We used the bathtub and it didn't drain. The next morning we called the front desk, a guy came up and said this has happened before and will need to have maintenance come in but they weren't working today. We still had to take a shower that day so that was a bit irritating, maybe at least give us a discount or something? Honestly everything was fine but with no housekeeping it made things a bit frustrating.

Kayla Van Gorp

We booked 2 nights in one of the family suites with a bunkbed! The room was great, exactly as pictured on the website. Very clean and the kids loved the bunkbed! The pool looked cooler online than it was in person. It was also very small compared to what I was expecting based on pictures. The whirlpool was also down for our whole stay which was disappointing. The breakfast setup was very nice, something different each morning we were there. There was an automatic pancake maker which was very neat and actually very tasty. We would definitely stay here again!

kylelswin

In desperate need of a renovation and some basic upkeep in order to meet the minimum of expectations. Staff were being trained on a new system when we checked in so it was a bit slower than normal, however not an issue as we were checked in by the general manager Leo who seemed to have a decent grasp. Upon check in we were advised that maintenance would be in the room making a minor repair but to go on up. The assistant general manager Billie was in the room nailing a cabinet front on in the bathroom. Apparently he is typically in charge of food and beverage but due to staffing had been recruited as maintained for this day also. Staffing has really impacted the service industry hard and he was quite pleasant as well. While there he checked the fireplace as he remembered a previous complaint that it did not work. He too was unable to get it to work but did offer free beer or wine for the inconvenience which we declined. Overall, staff was phenomenal and deserves 5 stars. The facilities themselves however is where this place fell horribly short. As stated, the fireplace did not work. Large portions of grout were missing in all of the tiled surfaces of the kitchenette and bathroom area. Tiles were unsecured to the floor and rocked when stepped on. The furniture in the room was in very poor condition to say the least. The chair in the living area was stained so badly and so thoroughly that we did not sit on it at all. Appeared as though it had been placed under a birds nest and then after soiled was placed in the room. The three season porch smelled heavily of smoke and had to be aired out. The seat cushion on the rocking chairs was so badly frayed and worn that it would have been impossible for staff to have not noticed it during the normal course of the most basic of inspections. We even went to the local Target and purchased an additional blanket to avoid having contact with the couch while watching television due to it being so dingy. The television in the bedroom did not turn on at all and we did confirm it was plugged in. For this to be a "premier suite" and yet be in this condition is hard to believe. One wonders, if this is the image this facility wishes to present to thier customers in what should be thier best rooms, what the shape of thier standard rooms must be! Again, staff were pleasant throughout our stay and are understandably pullednin many directions due to staffing after the pandemic. However, the condition of the facilities and amenities for what are paid leaves much to be desired. It is unlikely that we would stay in this location again due to these shortcomings. $1300 for a four day stay with dirty furniture, broken features, non working televisions, and canyons in the tiles are not worth it. Hopefully a remodel is in the works and new furniture and flooring will bring new life into this well used facility.

Renie Osterlund

I'm in between on if this deserves the full 2 stars! The staff were excellent, friendly, and attentive, but busy. They do deserve the full 5 stars. However, the rooms/amenities do not. I've stayed in "discount" hotel chains that are nicer/cleaner than the Stoney Creek was. First the room - we just had a basic king size room, they were spacious. The bed was comfortable, and the pillows/linens were too. However, the cleanliness of the rooms was lacking. Our comforter had a couple stains on it. The main garbage can still had some papers in it, and our bathroom had crumbs in the toilet paper dispenser area. Not to mention we only had 2 towels in our bathroom upon check-in. With that said, we simply needed a place to sleep and we were able to do that. The walls are pretty thin, and the hotel was packed. The pool area was simply disgusting. There were so many people in that area, and it was absolutely freezing cold. That might be fun in the summer but a cold Iowa spring and it wasn't conducive to swimming. Which made it so that the hot tub area was packed of children, and less than bathwater warm. I spent all of 5 minutes in the area and it was more than enough, my husband and son stayed awhile longer but my son froze the entire time. I'll assume it's a bit warmer when the outdoor (connected pool) can be utilized. But they should note that the indoor pool isn't heated for those staying in the winter/colder time of the year. The halls were outdated, and dark, but the hotel was large. The breakfast was decent. They had a few options, and they kept it clean despite how busy the hotel was. All in all, it's definitely a bit more run down and pricey than other hotels in the area.