Daniel Turner7 said:Has anyone here actually used the Blaž Hotel over in Des Moines?
We’re looking at a wedding crowd of about 200 to 220 people, so we don’t really need those massive, cavernous banquet halls you see in some of the bigger cities.
We actually swung by the other day to check it out while they were hosting another wedding—there were maybe 250 people there—and honestly, I liked the vibe. Even with all those pillars scattered around the room, it didn't feel too bad.
I’d love to get some real reviews. How’s the food situation? Do they keep the buffets pretty well-stocked? Also, is the alcohol legit, or is it all cheap stuff? And most importantly, how are the bathrooms during the peak of the party? Like, do they actually stay clean and keep the paper towels stocked, or is it a disaster zone?
What’s the staff like? Are they proactive and actually walking the floor checking on tables, or do you have to hunt them down just to get a refill? If there’s anything else I should be worrying about—stuff I haven't even thought of yet—please let me know.
Thanks!
I was there last Saturday for a wedding. It was the usual: everything except the service in the hall was terrible. Here is what was supposed to be on the tables:
beef ragu soup
cabbage rolls
the main course: rolled pork roast, veal cutlets in mushroom sauce, Chicago-style cutlets, chicken cutlet rolled with ham and cheese, risotto with peas, mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables sautéed in butter.
But here is what actually happened and how it tasted:
The beef ragu soup was thin, bland, and the dough wasn't even fully cooked. I went for seconds, and even then, I only managed to find four tiny pieces of meat in total.
The cabbage rolls were mushy. The meat inside was pink and the rice was hard. To add to that, there were 12 of us at the table and we only received 8 cabbage rolls!
As for the main course, nothing looked like it should, and the taste wasn't right either. The meat with mushroom sauce was a disaster; the sauce was harsh and didn't taste like mushrooms, nor could you find any actual mushrooms in it. The rolled pork looked highly suspicious, so I didn't even bother tasting it. The Chicago-style and the rolled chicken cutlets were actually good.
The "risotto" wasn't even risotto, just plain rice shaped into a ball. The mashed potatoes were anything but; they were just boiled diced potatoes. As for the mixed vegetables, it was just carrots and cauliflower.
Bottom line—we all left hungry. Not only was the food mediocre, but there simply wasn't enough given the number of people at the table.
I won't comment on the drinks because I don't know if the hotel provided them or not.
The restroom smelled as soon as we entered the hall, so I highly doubt they were cleaning them, even though I didn't notice a huge mess with paper towels during the evening.
In general, we don't go there just for weddings; they host various events several times a year, so I'm there often. I can tell you the only positive thing is the staff—they are very fast, polite, and make sure things stay on the tables. They have a knack for keeping drinks flowing, but when it comes to food, there is never enough!
One more thing—be extremely careful when making arrangements with them. You have to ask about every single little detail. For example, they told this bride on Friday that she needed to bring her own glassware from the florist for the fruit arrangement that had been agreed upon long ago. This means they basically offer fruit in a crate if you don't bring everything yourself to make it look decent.
Basically... I have nothing positive to say about Blažo, except that they do have waiters. 👍