We stayed at the Quality Inn on Merle Hay in Des Moines just last night. I implore you, DO NOT stay at this hotel....unless you like musty rooms, smoke in the non-smoking hallway, sub-par customer service, cigarette burn marks on the bathroom counter of a non-smoking room, mold and peeling grout in the bathtub, pullout couches that are a pain to pull out and impossible to put back in, and a floor so dirty we kept not only our infant child off of it, but we also wore our shoes the entire stay. Upon entering the room, the musty smell was so strong, it was overwhelming. Since we had to get dinner, we gave the hotel a chance to fix the problem & told the front desk clerk of the smell before we left. She said she would check it out and if it was unreasonable, she'd move us to a different room. We returned from dinner and checked with her again -- only to find out she didn't think it was abnormal for any of the rooms -- and she left a bottle of air freshener (i.e. MORE chemicals for my kids to inhale) in the room for us. There was a 100% customer satisfaction guarantee card on the desk in the room -- but at no time did anyone offer to refund us our money. We left the hotel with sore throats and stunk of musty air. We will NOT stay at this hotel in the future, and will NOT recommend that anyone else stay there as well.

We stayed at the Quality Inn on NW Merle Hay Road in Des Moines, IA in June 2007, and we were very impressed. The room was large and comfortable, and the beds were very nice. The hotel interior and exterior were clean, attractive, and well-lit. The staff was friendly. We traveled with our child, and this hotel is a good choice for families. It's reasonably close to Adventureland and the zoo. The pool is also very nice (heated!) and open late. The worst thing I can say about the hotel is that the continental breakfast is only so-so, and only runs until 9:00 a.m. But really, overall, the hotel is a good place to stay at a good price.

A couple of money saving tips: We got the best rate by booking directly on the hotel's website. We got a special internet rate only available on that site. When we got that discount and factored in a free breakfast for three people, this hotel was cheaper than the Super 8 or Motel 6! There is also a Perkins restaurant and several other local establishments nearby for good food, and some gas stations nearby with cheaper sodas and snacks than the hotel offers.

It is right off the Highway close to downtown, gas stations and restruants. The rooms were clean and the front desk clerk in the evening was very nice. Breakfast was free and a good start for the day. I would stay there again.

Have stayed here a few times all with mediocre results. The double rooms have queen beds which is a plus but do not have fitted sheets which drives me nuts. This is a two story hotel with no elevator, so may present problems for some. The pool and hot tub didn't appear the cleanest but they have gray tile in them so how can you tell. The staff was friendly. The morning breakfast was fine but the room not the cleanest and we had to tell them when we ran out of coffee. We had a low rate so didn't expect much, if you're on a budget it is fine.