Residence Inn by Marriott Champaign

Room 401 had a lot of problems, and at $1,200 for three nights it wasn’t worth the money. There was duct tape on the floor right inside the suite entrance, the room smelled like fried food, and the water pressure was low. The kitchen area lighting was poor, with no light by the door and two dim lights nearby. The ceiling had stains, the AC unit was loud, and the carpet looked outdated. There was also goose poop all over the property. Keep these things in mind if you stay in 401.

The bed was very comfortable, and breakfast was well cared for. The woman at the front desk around 9 pm was wonderful, especially since we arrived exhausted and soaked during a severe rainstorm. But the property needs a lot of work. After a 12-hour drive, I should have left instead of staying in that room. The buildings are oddly connected, and the hallways were poorly labeled, so finding the entrance near our room was confusing. Inside, the space felt dark and awkward, with too much furniture crammed into it. The room wasn’t dirty, exactly, but it looked as if cleaning had been done while no one was fully awake. There was a missing trim ring on the bathroom door that I had to look at every day. The refrigerator had paint splatter all over it, including on the ceiling above, and made a steady low buzzing sound whenever it cycled on. The regular AC or heat unit didn’t seem to work, so a noisy portable AC with a hose through the window sat on a desk. There was mold on the shower’s horizontal surfaces. The shower stall had no grab rail, step, or other support. The bed’s headboard had the newer style swivel lights, which worked, but there were outlets only on one side of the bed and none on the small bedside stand. The room looked strange overall, with furniture pushed into an awkward layout. I paid partly with points and partly in cash. In the morning, I told the young man at the desk about the problems. He said he’d notify someone. Since I never heard from a property manager, I assume they already knew. He also said they were aware of AC problems in several areas and that HVAC workers were there every day. About the housekeeping issues, all he said was that he understood. This was an awful property, worse than a beat-up, very old Fairfield. It was not a good stop.

No hotel is perfect, and we ran into a small problem here. The staff listened, cared, and got it resolved quickly. That kind of response is what makes a five-star stay for me.

We had a wonderful stay at the Residence Inn Champaign. The hotel is nice, the staff work hard, and everyone gave us great service. The free hot breakfast was good, with grab-and-go eggs available too. At check-in, we were assigned a room next to a lot of families in town for a soccer tournament. The manager, Saleema, moved us to a one-bedroom suite on a quiet floor. Terico and Jasmine were kind as well. I’d highly recommend staying here.