Illini Union Hotel

We have spent this year touring colleges for my son. We were happy to stay at The Illini Union Hotel to truly experience what it would feel like to be a student on the campus. The hotel is situated directly in the Student Union, in the center of campus. Being from out of town and not knowing the area at all, we were happy to be in walking distance of the entire campus and downtown area. It does feel a little like you are in a dorm more than a hotel. The room we had was nicely updated with the school colors, we had a beautiful view of the quad, but the bathroom was really old, although clean. We visited during a heatwave in late August and thankfully the room had great air conditioning! Although you are in the student union the 2 days we were there it seems liked only the Starbucks was open even though classes were already in session. Front desk wasn't helpful in recommending anywhere else to eat or where to go. It was too hot to really wander around even at night, so we ended up relying on trip advisor reviews to go somewhere about a 10 minutes drive away to eat. Would have been nice to have some information on the hours of campus eateries and local restaurants just so we knew where we could go. I'm sure many prospective students stay here for their tours and a little information could make the stay much more enjoyable.

This is a student-run hotel on the U of I campus. The location can't be beat and has some nice add-ons for any prospective student and their parents. Rooms were immaculately clean and the all-student staff was great! Very savvy and attentive young people running this facility. I think there were perhaps only 2 non-student staff (management) and they were also great. Only complaint was plumbing in the bathroom. The hot water took a long time to run and water pressure was low unless you wanted ice-cold water (hot runs at a trickle). Also, our toilet sprung a leak. We were only there for 1 night so the leak was no big deal, and management took note of it needing repair right away. It's an old building (but very beautiful) so these things are expected to be broken sometimes in building of this age. But still a good value for the price and I enjoyed seeing some young people/students doing some great experiential learning. The rec room in the basement is nice.

Just a great campus experience, primarily if you get a room facing the quad. The rooms aren't fancy by any means, but they are neat and clean and have everything you need. Lots of great amenities in the Union and you can't ask for a more central campus location to stay.