2025 National Symposium Travel Information
The Perennial Plant Association’s 2025 National Symposium will be be hosted in Des Moines, Iowa!
700 Grand Ave.
Des Moines, IA 50309
We’re excited to welcome you to Des Moines, Iowa. Our host hotel, the Des Moines Marriott Downtown, is upscale, affordable, and ideally located. Walk to nearby shopping, dining and nightlife via their convenient downtown skywalk. There is an onsite restaurant, Mash + MARROWand the hotel is just five miles from the Des Moines airport. The hotel offers an airport shuttle for a fee and reservations are required.
LOCAL RECOMMENDATIONS
Download a list of coffee, breakfast, lunch and dinner spots to explore while you're in Des Moines, curated by our local planning committee!
ACCOMMODATIONS
A room block is available for event attendees. Beware of reservation scams. The Des Moines Marriott Downtown is the only hotel PPA has contracted with for this event. Do not provide credit card information to anyone soliciting reservations for the National Symposium. No one from our event hotel will contact you about hotel reservations, unless you contact them first.
Block Availability: Sunday, July 27 - checkout on Friday, August 1; Update 6/17/25 - The hotel is nearly sold out on several nights so if you are unable to book the nights you need, please review the other area hotels listed below.
Block Deadline: Saturday, July 5 at 5pm CST
Rate: $179 US plus taxes and fees ($200 total per night)
Reservations:
Book reservations online: CLICK HERE
Book reservations by phone:1-800-514-4681 and request the group rate for the Perennial Plant Association National Symposium
Cancellation Policy: The cancellation deadline is 2 days before arrival. Otherwise, one night room and tax will be charged.
Parking:
For hotel block guests: Onsite valet parking is $28.80 per day or $38.40 per day Oversized Vehicles (height limit 6’3”). These rates reflect a 20% discount for PPA Attendees.
Day visitors, or optional parking suggestion is: Offsite parking is available 0.2 miles from the hotel at 9th & Locust Parking Garage for $10/day.
GETTING THERE / LOCAL AREA
- To learn more about Des Moines, visit the Catch Des Moines page here.
- See downtown restaurants and amenities here.
- The Des Moines International Airport is the closest airport. Learn more about the airport here. It is a smaller airport so please note that dining options are limited, especially early or late in the day.
- The Des Moines airport is an approximately 10 minute drive from the Marriott. Uber, Lyft and taxis are generally available and the hotel also offers a shuttle for a fee, and reservations are required.
HOTEL SHUTTLE
To use the airport shuttle:
Cost is $13.00 per person per trip and will be billed to your room.
When you land at the airport, call 515-245-5500 to request a pickup and check status on timing.
Once you arrive at the hotel, let the front desk know you used the shuttle.
To schedule your return trip, go to the front desk and they will make a reservation and give you a ticket to present to the shuttle driver at your time of departure.
The shuttle usually runs from 5:00am - 12:00am.
Inquire at the hotel front desk for more information.OTHER HOTEL OPTIONS
Other hotels within easy walking distance from our host hotel location are listed below. Please note, PPA does not have a room block or special rate at these locations.
Hyatt Place Des Moines/Downtown (3 minute walk from host hotel)
Hilton Des Moines Downtown (11 minute walk from host hotel)
Renaissance Des Moines Savery Hotel (6 minute walk from host hotel and another Marriott property)
