Hotel review > Hampton Inn in Des Moines, Iowa

If you've read this blog before, then you've probably noticed that I'm an SPG/Starwood hotel fan (and also a Gold member).

But I'm also a sucker for freebies or deals. So when I saw an article on Gadling about getting Hilton HHonors Gold status...just for having a Visa Signature credit card, I was all over it.

The Gold status (through the Visa Signature lasts through August. But...if you complete 3 more stays between now and August, you get to keep that Gold status for another year. (Ok, I'm listening.)

So even though I'm usually an SPG/Starwood gal, I've switched teams (at least from now until August so I can secure that Gold status into 2012).

On my trip to Des Moines this past weekend, I stayed at the Hampton Inn Des Moines Airport (it's near the corner of Fleur and McKinley, just down the street from the airport).

My flight arrived late in the night so being able to just crash right near the airport (without having to drive very far) was awesome. And when I woke up in the morning, a Hy-Vee (huge grocery store chain) and Starbucks was right down the street. Talk about convenient!

The Hampton Inn is rated #17 out of 43 Des Moines hotels on TripAdvisor.

The room was decent and breakfast was included. Not only that, with the HiltonHHonors Gold, you get free internet. When I checked in, the front desk clerk already had my room key (with Internet password) ready and waiting. (Nice!!) The breakfast had bagels/breads/pastries, homemade waffles (do it yourself), cereals, fruit, juice, and more.

I don't know if I've ever stayed at a Hampton Inn before, but I will definitely consider doing so again. It was everything I needed--convenience, comfort, and breakfast! This will be a good go-to hotel for future trips to Iowa.

(Apologies about the quality of the pictures...when I arrived, I was more focused on sleep than on taking pictures of Ansel Adams quality.)