Illinois Beach Hotel, Best Western Premier Col.

The staff were amazing when my travel plans changed. I was delayed 16 hours, and they cancelled the room and moved the dates around without any trouble. The rooms were another story. In our first room, 331, the bathroom wall around the mirror was covered in black mold. I’m allergic to black mold, so we went to the desk and asked to switch rooms. They moved us to either 335 or 336, I can’t remember which. There was still some mold by the mirror, though much less. We were exhausted from traveling and wanted to sleep before going out for Halloween, so we stayed and I took extra allergy medicine. We should’ve gone back to the desk, but we didn’t. This shouldn’t have been something we had to deal with at all. The beds and sheets were clean, which was nice, but the room needed vacuuming along the trim, above it, and around the cabinets. The tub was peeling and dirty, and the shower curtain was orange at the bottom. We’d booked a lake view, but mostly looked at another building, and the windows were filthy. When we checked out, we noticed dirt, or maybe more mold, near the nightstand. The furniture vinyl was warped like it might have humidity damage, but I’m not sure. I didn’t take pictures of the first room because I just wanted to get out. The photos I’ll add are from the second room. For almost $300 for two nights, we shouldn’t have run into mold or dirt from the start. We expected a great stay at a hotel called a resort, but didn’t get one. Now we’ll only book big brands like Hilton in the area.

The beach by the hotel has been restored, with erosion control in place. You can tell the sand was brought in, but most people seem to prefer that kind of beach. If you’d rather have a natural shore with rocks, head north or south and there’s pristine lakeshore. It’s peaceful and quiet off-season, with no other buildings for a long stretch either way. Summer brings plenty of people, but there’s still room to spread out. There are miles of trails through the natural park areas, too. Nolan's, the hotel restaurant, is worth trying. Prices felt a little high to me, but the food was high quality and the mixed drinks were delicious. I’d recommend it if you feel like splurging a bit. We spent a night in a lakeview balcony suite, which was clean and comfortable and good value. The bathroom was a little dated, but nothing was bad. The pool still hadn’t been restored as far as I know, and it’ll be a big added amenity when it opens. This place is a gem, even if it’s still a bit rough around the edges. New ownership is making a real effort to improve the hotel. Thanks, ExplorUS, for bringing this area back. Keep the improvements going and it could become a standout destination!

I love the beach and the location, and I’ve visited often. But watch out for the conservation police when entering or leaving the park. They racially profiled me and seized my vehicle based on an invalid administration notice that cost pennies compared to the seizure. They had no reason to run my plates, and I did nothing besides have my window down while driving out of the park. I believe they had ill intentions. Otherwise, it’s a beautiful place to experience.

My fiancé and I had the sweetest little Valentine’s weekend here. We love the hotel, and it’s a real diamond in the rough in a great location. We wanted to host our wedding here, but getting information has been incredibly hard. I’ve called, left voicemails, and emailed the sales and catering manager a few times, and haven’t heard back at all. The lack of communication has been a huge disappointment, and it seems they aren’t interested.