City: Des Moines, IA

Category: Accommodations

Telephone: (515) 287-7300 or (800) 426-78

Address: 5001 Fleur Dr.

Description: Across the street from the airport, this hotel boasts 121 comfortable rooms. (Barack Obama and his entourage took up some 90 rooms during a September 2010 visit to Des Moines and turned the place into a “mini White House,” according to the staff.) There are no suites, just single rooms, some with a king bed and some with 2 queens. All rooms have a 32-inch LCD television, clock radio, coffeemaker, hair dryer, iron and ironing board, telephones with private voice mail, and portable lap desk. Some rooms have a refrigerator and microwave and all offer free Wi-Fi. Smoking rooms are even available. The hotel has a heated outdoor pool and a fitness center. There’s a free business center, and dry-cleaning service is available. No pets are allowed. Even with the location, there’s a free, 24-hour airport shuttle. An extensive hot breakfast buffet is available, as well as breakfast bags for those who don’t have time to stop for breakfast. Meals can be ordered and delivered from nearby restaurants, including Baratta’s, a longtime neighborhood Italian place and local favorite.