Beautiful remodeled historic Drake Univ home minutes from downtown and all metro
House in Des Moines, IA
20 guests · 9 bedrooms · 3 baths
Reasons to book
Guests love it hereGuests give this property a top rating
Includes essentialsKitchen or Kitchenette, Air conditioner, Internet / Wifi and more
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About this house rental
Historic 1895 home completely remodeled with all new bathrooms and kitchen and original hardwood oak floors refinished throughout. Brand new kitchen with island seating and large dining table. Original fireplace with infrared insert. Walking distance to Drake stadium and Knapp center and all facilities. Minutes drive or even bike to downtown and all metro area. So central to almost everywhere in the metro and in a great neighborhood.
Just finishing up this remodel now with final touches so book early to be the first ones to use the beautiful space full of original character and updated features. I plan to continue to add to the property with additional touches as time allows.
This is a great space to entertain large family gatherings or multiple families and more bedrooms than most single family homes. Fun to imagine what life was like in this historic home back in 1895 in its original glory.
Huge dining table sits 8 comfortably and potentially more with provided extra chairs.
Peninsula/island has bar top seating for 3 or 4 more
Brand new appliances
All new paint and flooring throughout
Refinished original oak hardwood floors.
All beds and bedding and bathroom towels etc new.
Main Living room seats 10 comfortably and more room if extra chairs brought into the space.
Upstairs living room seats 4 comfortably and game room with TV and air hockey table and a wall. Mounted infrared fireplace.
Massage/heat powered lift reclining chair upstairs.
3 all updated bathrooms including one tub/shower others are shower only.
Outside enjoy a massive front porch with swing and stone table with chairs around. Also a grill is out front on a brand new patio with furniture.
Small front yard but enough space to play.
Drake University owned open lawn space they use for practice fields etc right across the street for public use to play field games or sports. I also have large portable tailgate tents and some tables and folding chairs that can be rented for $30 if requested before your stay.
Large parking lot in back of house for around 5 cars and another 6 or so can parallel park in the double wide long driveway. Alley access too for convenient entering and exiting or if bringing a trailer.
Just finishing up this remodel now with final touches so book early to be the first ones to use the beautiful space full of original character and updated features. I plan to continue to add to the property with additional touches as time allows.
This is a great space to entertain large family gatherings or multiple families and more bedrooms than most single family homes. Fun to imagine what life was like in this historic home back in 1895 in its original glory.
Huge dining table sits 8 comfortably and potentially more with provided extra chairs.
Peninsula/island has bar top seating for 3 or 4 more
Brand new appliances
All new paint and flooring throughout
Refinished original oak hardwood floors.
All beds and bedding and bathroom towels etc new.
Main Living room seats 10 comfortably and more room if extra chairs brought into the space.
Upstairs living room seats 4 comfortably and game room with TV and air hockey table and a wall. Mounted infrared fireplace.
Massage/heat powered lift reclining chair upstairs.
3 all updated bathrooms including one tub/shower others are shower only.
Outside enjoy a massive front porch with swing and stone table with chairs around. Also a grill is out front on a brand new patio with furniture.
Small front yard but enough space to play.
Drake University owned open lawn space they use for practice fields etc right across the street for public use to play field games or sports. I also have large portable tailgate tents and some tables and folding chairs that can be rented for $30 if requested before your stay.
Large parking lot in back of house for around 5 cars and another 6 or so can parallel park in the double wide long driveway. Alley access too for convenient entering and exiting or if bringing a trailer.
Amenities
Air conditioner
Kitchen or Kitchenette
Internet / Wifi
Fireplace
Parking
Laundry
Dishwasher
TV
Gym or Fitness Center
Family friendly
Map of Des Moines, IA
RRRR
Reviews
5.0
We had a great stay at this property! It has a great location near Drake with grocery stores and restaurants nearby - some within walking distance. We had a family gathering for the fair (a <15 min drive or <5 min to fair shuttle) and it was great for the kids. We enjoyed having the extra space for family get together. Dinners were easy with the kitchen and large dining table. Highly recommended this place for groups given the size and location!
4.0
Did you find a jacket in the front downstairs bedroom?
5.0
This is an older home but has been decorated and kept well. The littles loved the bunk beds, game room and many kid friendly extras!! Everyone slept well on comfortable beds and the house was very clean! We loved the amount of space we had and especially loved the large table that allowed us all to sit around it and visit! Our hosts were easy to communicate with and very friendly, I would suggest using the WiFi to communicate from the house if needed as I couldn't count on Verizon from there. Overall, we enjoyed our stay, would recommend it and stay there again!
5.0
Ryan was a wonderful host. Very helpful and answered quickly. Hose was very clean and nicely remodeled
5.0
The rambling old home is warm and inviting. The wide open space and windows adds charm to the house and the many rooms afford plenty of space.
5.0
Super house! Very clean, kitchen things were labeled, lots of seating. Loved all the bedrooms and beds available. Host had great communication and very friendly.
4.0
The place was nice it was clean. The only problem I had was listing said there were two queens in the living space and there was not. There was just two sofas that did not pull out. So I was short beds, and one of our families had to go to a hotel. Bunkhouse occupied the kids, but as for my single adults that I thought I was getting separate beds for that became a problem. By the family leaving and going to the hotel that freed up the bunkhouse for my single adults.
5.0
My coworkers and I had a fantastic stay at this house. We each got our own bedroom which was a big plus and there were plenty of bathrooms and amenities for all of us. Would definitely stay here again!
5.0
We were in town for our 30th anniversary, graduating from Drake. The house was perfect for 5 of us - bedrooms were comfortable and bathrooms were clean. Plenty of space to hang out inside and out - numerous Scrabble games on the front porch. Highly recommend!
5.0
My team was in Des Moines working on a project. Their stay was wonderful - clean, accommodating, comfortable. We will definitely be booking again.
thank you for your wonderful hospitality.
5.0
We had such a great weekend and this was an amazing place to stay. Can’t tell you enough how comfortable the beds and the whole house was. Only thing missing was a pizza cutter but they had plenty of knifes that did the job. I would definitely stay here again. Thanks for a great place to stay.
5.0
This was a great well stocked location. Plenty of room for our retreat. It had everything we needed. We would stay there again!
5.0
This is a beautiful home that is located just minutes from downtown and super easy to access in a busy city. We loved the space the home had to offer along with the location. There are some good watering holes and restaurants just a few blocks from the house. My family and friends stayed here while we attended the state wrestling tournament at Wells Fargo. We didn't know exactly how many people we were going to have stay at the house but the hosts were very understanding of that and were willing to work with us on pricing. All the adults had their own bedroom's and the kiddos enjoyed the bunk beds they got to share. The host Ryan was very transparent and a joy to work with. I highly recommend this listing if you are planning a trip to Des Moines with a large family or many friends.
5.0
It was really close to downtown. The place was great for us, and accommodated all of our needs!
5.0
We were able to sleep 11 people comfortably and never had to worry about being in each others way in this sizable, remodeled, beautiful house! Ryan has done an amazing job setting up the house to accommodate large groups. We slept 11 comfortably and had 15 over for meals regularly. Everything was provided and we were able to find exactly what we needed. As well, the remodeled bathrooms are beautiful. We had a terrific time and hope to be back. My 95 year old mother enjoyed having her bedroom and bathroom on the first floor very close to all of the action! We set up a small artificial tree in the living room and had a great holiday! Thank you Ryan! It was perfect!
5.0
Loved our stay! The house was perfect and felt like a hotel in terms of attention to detail - everything was new, super clean and tastefully decorated - the house had spacious bedrooms, comfortable beds, new bedding and towels, updated kitchen and baths (tile, appliances, fixtures), new washer/dryer, large kitchen table and breakfast bar for dining, a great room for gathering with lots of seating options, fireplace nook for a more intimate space, separate game/TV room, big front porch and patio. The newly refinished hardwood floors were beautiful - just a lovely property with charm and character. Our host was very responsive and easy to communicate with. It was everything we wanted for our stay and would highly recommend this property.
5.0
The owner was very gracious with accommodations and what they have to offer. I recommend this lovely VRBO for family gatherings. Our family really liked it.
5.0
The house was much larger then we expected. It is a very beautiful house. Very clean. The only issue we had there are several steps up to the house.
5.0
We really enjoyed the weekend that we spent at your property. The house has been remodeled very nicely with all the amenities. It was stocked very well with dishes in the kitchen and towels, and sundries for bathrooms and the outside. The house was very clean, and the outside porch was very usable, and had plenty of seating. The beds were very comfortable and the rooms were clean and large.
5.0
We stayed here for a family reunion. We had a wonderful time and everyone commented on how great the house was. There was everything there we could possibly want. It had an awesome coffee bar for people to enjoy. Ryan was so easy to deal with and got back to me promptly on every question I asked. He was very flexible and accommodating. I couldn’t rave more about this rental. The front porch with the swing was very popular and usually had a couple people on it swinging the whole time we were there. Close to some stores if you need to get any supplies. Also close to airport for picking up people. It is the first VRBO we have ever booked and would certainly recommend this one, as you will not be disappointed in any way. Thanks to our hosts.
5.0
This home had everything we needed and more. New stylish bathrooms with great hot water and good pressure. The beds were super comfortable with very nice quality bedding. The sofas and chairs were great for both sitting and napping!! The kitchen was well stocked, washer and dryer, fridge and dishwasher were all high quality. Our family of 7 ranged from age 11-70 and all of us loved the home. It was perfect for active entertainment for the children, and had charming quiet corners for adults to work or read. The porch was delightful for evening chats and games. The owner responding within hours to one request we had and he was entirely pleasant to deal with. This charming old home was refurbished with attention to detail.
5.0
Plenty of room for everyone.
5.0
This is such a special home! We had three generations together in Des Moines to celebrate a special birthday of our mother/grandmother, and were looking to celebrate some meaningful time together. We chose Ryan and Angie's house because it had flexible bedrooms to accommodate all 10 of us comfortably, but it has so much more to offer than just the sleeping accommodations. The living room and dining area accommodated all of us together, but there are also smaller gathering spaces inside, and a wonderful large front porch as well.
This home is clearly a labor of love - Ryan and Angie have given a great deal of attention to all of the details. The bedding (mattresses and linens) were unusually comfortable; the little quirks in the floorpan were creatively used to add functional touches-like extra surface areas for bathrooms; plenty of empty storage spaces available in the kitchen and bedrooms; an adorable and well-stocked coffee/tea bar; comfortable, quality furnishings, a nice variety of pantry items and shower products for guest use. I could go on and on....
But for us, the home was a wonderful place for us to hang out, cook together, laugh, and relax together. It accommodated all of us in the living room sharing memories, and quiet conversations in the upstairs living room and the front porch.
Ryan was quick to respond to questions and fix a small issue with one of the bathrooms. This is a wonderful home that is a great place for extended families to relax and connect!
4.0
The house was very clean and had all the necessities. Near downtown for festivals and huge Farmer's Market. We had a very nice family reunion. Disappointed in not getting a refund for guests who were unable to attend. Originally pd for 15 guests and only had 9.
5.0
It was perfect for a bachelorette party and what we needed it for!
5.0
A group of eight of us drove over from Chicago for a wedding in downtown Des Moines. The house is huge with lots of sleeping options, and multiple spots to hang out. We had a great time and would stay again. Thank you!
5.0
While the house is much closer to the Drake University Campus (just down the street), it was the closest for our larger group to stay two nights while we attended my son's Iowa State graduation in Ames. The 35-40 minute drive really didn't seem like a hassle at all, especially when hotel rooms were going for 3x normal rates in Ames! The property was perfect for our needs and if ever we have a need to have a large group in the Des Moines / Ames area again this house would be at the top of the list, assuming it's available! The owners have done a great job thinking through many of the little details that make staying away from home so much easier:
Well Stocked Coffee Bar,
Large Towels in all Bedrooms ( Washcloths and Hand Towels in the Bathrooms),
Extra Hangars in the Bedroom Closets,
Numerous Games for kids from 2 to 18 (and Older!),
Large Ceiling fans in many Bedrooms,
Hair Dryers,
Full-size Shampoo, Conditioner, and Body Wash Products in the Showers,
A nice Grill and Outdoor Eating Area,
Plus so much more
Thanks again for making our visit wo worry-free!
5.0
This house is very nice and spacious. We were able to sleep 12 comfortably here. Very clean too. Would recommend.
5.0
Host was very accessible and eager to make sure you are fully satisfied. Well stocked with everything you need. The 7 bedrooms are more like 6 with a couch in the 7th for a single. Very, very spacious. Recommend
5.0
This place exceeded our expectations! The furnishings were on point and nothing was forgotten! The host is very responsive and accommodating! Definitely recommend this place! Thank you again!!
5.0
This place was wonderful to stay in. It was clean, comfy, and had so many activities for the kids. The property manager is also so kind and accommodating. My mother-in-law was ready to move in. I would recommend any group to stay here. My family is already thinking about when we can stay again.
FAQs
How much does this house cost compared to others in Des Moines?
The average price for a rental in Des Moines is R 2,840 per night. This rental is R 5,359 above the average.
Is parking included with this house?
Yes, parking is listed as an amenity at Beautiful remodeled historic Drake Univ home minutes from downtown and all metro. For more information, we encourage you to contact the property about where to park.
Is there a pool at this house?
We didn’t find pool listed as an amenity for this house. It may be worth double checking if a pool is important for your stay.
Is Beautiful remodeled historic Drake Univ home minutes from downtown and all metro pet friendly?
Unfortunately, this house is not pet-friendly. Try searching again and filter for "Pets Allowed"
What amenities are available at Beautiful remodeled historic Drake Univ home minutes from downtown and all metro?
We found 10 amenities for this rental. This includes air conditioner, kitchen or kitchenette, internet / wifi, fireplace, and parking.
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