I attended a work event at the Nature Lodge today. The room we used was able to access a very large…read moregroup (over 50) comfortably. Large windows brought in plenty of natural light. There was a large rolling rack for coats by the door. The entrance was welcoming with large seasonal planter. Parking was convenient and seemed to manage our group. Forgot to take pictures but will add some next time I am there.

This place was so beautiful, fine details, the smell, so clean, and friendly staff. If you're…read morestaying anywhere in this area, I 110% recommend. Comfiest bed, it's like sleeping on a cloud.

Dirty room. Front desk claims entire hotel is out of three cent coffee creamer cups for the rooms…read more Dead roaches in the hallway. Broken glass immediately outside the hotel doors. Tremendous waste of my money. We won't be back. You shouldnt be here either.

Iowa Distilling Company in Cumming has become one of our favorite stops when we ride our bicycles…read moredown from Ankeny. It is small, quaint, local, and always worth the stop for a libation or two. The handcrafted drinks are excellent, the prices are very reasonable, and it is hard to beat enjoying cocktails made with Iowa-made spirits. This trip I had the Revolver for $9, and Kim had the Porch Swing for $8, I believe. Both were great. The people working there are honestly fantastic. They are attentive, friendly, and somehow keep smiling even when the place is slammed and the occasional loud customer is barking at them. That takes skill, patience, and maybe a little magic. It is a great local business with a fun vibe, good drinks, fair prices, and staff who make the stop even better. We will absolutely keep coming back when we ride through Cumming, and in the meantime we will keep buying their products from local stores in Ankeny too. Great job, Iowa Distilling Company.

Whisky Club was a great experience!!!! What a fun time to gather, enjoy local food and local…read morespirits!!! The plethora of cocktail options was quite impressive, but if neat is your thing you won't be disappointed. The atmosphere is great, and designed to foster hours of entertainment., even accommodating to families. Now the staff...truly phenomenal, absolutely top notch!!!!! Make your way to Cumming, and check out the Iowa Distilling Company website for all the awesome organized events they've got planned.

If you have an upcoming event, I highly recommend this beautiful venue. They have several different…read morerooms, including a ballroom and what they called their green room. There are lush outdoor spaces. The worship team from my church recently held a recording session at the Monroe, and it was a perfect venue for us to be there. The staff was very accommodating. The building is beautiful and meticulously clean. Have a party and enjoy

From the owner: Welcome to The Monroe in West Des Moines, Iowa--an elegant, modern venue uniting old-world charm…read morewith contemporary sophistication for weddings and events. Our all-inclusive approach simplifies planning, pairing you with an expert from day one. Choose from three curated bar packages for your guests, ensuring a delightful experience. Our well-equipped kitchen aids caterers in crafting culinary masterpieces. Prepare in private get-ready rooms with plush furnishings and en-suite bathrooms. For ceremonies, opt for our Chapel Room with its vaulted wood-beam ceilings and natural light, or the charming outdoor brick-paved patio with a wooden pergola backdrop.

My bridesmaids and I got ready here in October before my wedding. There were 7 of us, and there was…read moreplenty of space for us all in the seating area. There was PLENTY of space for our hair and makeup and the lighting was great! I loved that there was a little dining area in the back for us to keep drinks and bagels so we could eat breakfast and drink mimosas while getting pampered!! We were able to hook our phones up to the sound system to play our own playlists while we got ready too, which was such a good vibe for the morning of my wedding. I was also REALLY impressed with the customer service - we had a bit of a mix up while booking, and Samantha was INCREDIBLY accommodating. The space was SO cute and felt so special :)

From the owner: Specialties Bridal Suite Rentals…read more Services Baby Showers, Bridal Party, Bridal Showers, Day-of Wedding Services, Event Venue, Photography Sessions, Photography Studio, Small Events, Wedding Consultations, Wedding Party Locations Notes Across the alley from Amour 515

Wow, fancy pants new events space just south of downtown! I…read morewas invited to the DSM MAGAZINE cover unveiling party, so I thought I would check it out! Little did I know there was going to be free food and drinks in a new fancy pants events space.. The River Center is set up perfect for an event like this! Lots of space upstairs and down stairs, and also fun outdoor space! The River Center had bar set up in all three locations as well, up/down, and outside! The staff was super nice and were super accommodating! I got to check out the upstairs bathroom cause naturally I brought my son ( bad idea?) and he had to go! Bathrooms were super nice, the food looks fab (again my son ate like 5 fancy cookies) and the space and sound system worked really well! If you were going to have a huge wedding, prom, or a big corporate event, this would be a great spot to do it.. It's fancy without being, to fancy. It got lots of parking around it, and it's close to other fun restaurants and bars, and the baseball stadium if you need to venture out and eat more food since you didn't get to eat 5 cookies like your kid.

One Great Location for any Gala Occasion, the Event Staff and Culinary Team can make your ideas of…read morethe perfect Swarah Happen. Chef Diego will make Magic happen with an appetizer spead, buffet style meal, or a full plated table service. Check out the Catering Guide online, Call the Event Directors, and get your Event Scheduled. This is an extremely unique Event Space that can handle small business Groups during the day and large Cascading Parties day or night...Dream it, Book it, then Enjoy it...

Really beautiful spot, excellent food! Service was very good, they even made a special meal for me…read morebecause I have major allergies issues and I'm also really picky.

From the owner: The Conservatory is conveniently located in the heart of Des Moines' East Village. Within blocks…read moreof some of the best restaurants, shops, and entertainment. The event center is comprised of a 5000sf ballroom that can be used as a large gathering space for a wedding, corporate event, or party or it can accommodate executive meetings, classes, and small groups that range in size and setup. The Conservatory can accommodate events for over 275 guests seating and over 421 for standing/cocktail setup. It provides the comforts of an inhouse bar, many catering options and, lighting/decor options, and a staff specially attuned to the unique needs of weddings clients, meeting planners, and all types of guests and attendees.​

Overall was not a good experience. Egnagios is a "one-stop" buissness owned by one person that…read moreoffers an all inclusive deal thats too good to be true, and turns out it is. One reasonable price for Church, flowers, cake, reception hall and food. Sounds like a great deal. You meet with a very outgoing personality that promises you alot more than she can deliver. As soon as the 1000.00 deposit is made, good luck trying to get ahold of her for any questions that come up. She will take up to 2 weeks to get back to you if even then and always has an excuse....... phone problems, computer glitch, internet issues, busy at work ect ect. If you and your guest dont mind waiting 45 min after you were to start eating for people to start going through the buffett and not having cups set up at the ice tea and water pitchers and not having your cake table set up at all when the reception starts and being treated rudley when you ask them about these things and not having your dirty plates picked up for 3 hours then Egnacios is for you. On the other hand to be fair, most people thought the food was good once they finally recieved it, not very hot though, more like room temperture. The little cupcakes we ordered instead of cake were very good. The flowers were pretty, but we hadrequested wrist corsages for the mothers and grandmothers because of delicate dresses but got the standard pin on type, and the feature flower we had ordered we were informed 2 days before ceremony was not going to be avail so other flowers of her choice were used. Oh, yeah and apparently she cant add either. Because 1 week before the wedding, we were informed that she made an adding error and we needed to pay 1,300 dollars more. So please beware here folks. If anything just utilize the beautiful church and setting and find someone else to do the catering ect.

We had such a great experience at Smash Park during our trip to West Des Moines! Kam was our…read morebartender and honestly one of the best we've ever had. He was incredibly friendly, genuine, and made us feel so welcome from the moment we walked up to the bar. You can tell he really enjoys what he does--and it shows in how he treats his guests. The drinks were great, the atmosphere was fun, and having Smash Park just steps away from our hotel (Hyatt Place) made it even better. Kam went above and beyond to make our night special, and we'll definitely be back next time we're in town. Give that guy a raise!

Pretty mid. It did the job but the texture was a bit off/ mushy. Well priced however, and the…read moreamount of games available was fun. Also recommend ladies night, 50% off cocktails 1st Thursday of the month!

I was in downtown Des Moines for work & was looking for somewhere within walking distance of our…read morehotel to hang out w/ my colleagues. A coworker suggested this ping pong bar which also has skee-ball & other games. As a former college tennis player, I was in & had such a blast. We came in at 9pm on a Wednesday night & it wasn't too busy. We 1st got drinks & had the friendliest bar tender. We were interested in local beers & she also easily rattled off helpful descriptions of each one. I was having trouble deciding between the Mango Cart wheat ale & the Citris Surfer by Big Grove Brewery. The bar tender said that both combined was pretty good & let me try it. I didn't even know you could do that so my mind was blown when it tasted great. Who knew how fun it would be to work up a sweat & drink beer at the same time?! We had almost gone to a brewery to hang out but I'm so glad we didn't. Also note that the nearby breweries close by 10pm so this place was a great option open much later so we wouldn't feel rushed or that our evening was cut short. I hadn't played ping pong forever but the easygoing but trendy-ish atmosphere made it fun! I'd def come back when I'm here for work again.

I've been here plenty of times, and I've never had any issues, but tonight was just stupid. My…read morefriend and I came in to celebrate his birthday with 2 shots. I could already tell the bartender was irritated, but did what she needed to do anyway. I asked about darts, she said they don't work, but she'd let us play anyway (but couldn't help to mention she usually doesn't do that after 1) yet there other people there currently deep in other games. My friend and i decided to play a game of bags. then we leave. Within 10 mins I realized I had left my phone there, so I rushed back to grab it, but the doors were locked (@1:48), and refused to let me in to find my phone (yet again people still playing games and finishing drinks). I had to ask them to search but CLEARLY did not want to. Had to ask twice for a more thorough search because I was not allowed in. And was told they did not see anything. I just know if it were them they'd be pissed. The employees were just over it, and ready to go. AND MY LOCATION IS ON, showing it is there. Currently 3:47AM, I have been walking up and down the street with my laptop trying to locate by phone knowing its there hoping they'd see me looking around and run it out to me, while the bartenders and "security" were having drinks at he bar after bar close mind you. Isn't that illegal? While I was desperately searching outside the building, a coworker comes up to tell me they found it and I can come get it in the morning, because they closed (I have been searching since 1:48AM) as if they did not see me outside the door looking for it while they drank at the bar, and came before they closed. I will never be back, and will for sure push the fact that the employees give lazy, selective, and unprofessional service and hospitality. In the heart of downtown I think service should be better. And why rush to close? To drink at the bar till 3:45AM with your coworkers? And then to let no one in when technically they should be open especially when other guests are still in the building, ESPECIALLY WHEN ALL I WANTED WAS MY PHONE THAT THEY HAD, and refused to care. Dude tried to apologize (getting in his car outside richotett) cuz he knew they could have done better. But still is making me come back to get it, when he could have right then?!?! LIKE WHAT?! I work downtown too, so this kinda service baffles me!!!