Days Inn by Wyndham Champaign/Urbana

I paid $70 with tax for a king room. It looked recently remodeled, and I was impressed by how good the room was for that price. The bed was great, and the room was clean and quiet. I took off a star because the heating and cooling knob was broken, so it only blew cold air. Luckily it wasn’t very cold outside last night, and I was fine.

For a booking made at the last minute, this turned out better than I expected. The rooms seem to have been completely redone, with everything looking brand new. When I told the front desk the knob on the unit was broken, the employee couldn’t repair it and put in a whole new unit instead. The area felt a little sketchy, though I’ve seen worse in Champaign. At $150 for the night, I’d choose that over paying $300 or more, especially on an event weekend.

The hotel is right in the busy business area, but it was surprisingly quiet. I was impressed by how clean the hotel and my room were, even with renovations going on. The location is convenient for the amenities you might need.

Coming back from a full day out with my daughter for Father’s Weekend, my wife and I saw our hotel room door standing wide open. I spotted it from the street as our Uber arrived. These motel-style rooms open straight onto the street, and the area felt sketchy, with several parking lots behind the building. Anyone could have walked in. My laptop with sensitive client information, my car key, and my wife’s wallet were all visible inside. The staff brushed off our report and said housekeeping had probably forgotten to close the door. There was no apology, accountability, or attempt to make things right, just excuses. As a business owner, I know how much reviews matter, but I can’t overlook this. Nearly $300 a night during a college event, for a place that might be worth $70 otherwise, makes that level of carelessness and service unacceptable.