Hyatt Place Champaign/Urbana, located in Champaign’s city center, is walkable to the University of Illinois, restaurants, bars, stores, and local attractions like The Virginia Theatre.
Champaign, Illinois is NOT Named After the Bubbly Wine
If I had a dime for every time someone said, “Don’t drink too much champagne in Champaign,” I’d be rich. Sorry to “burst” your bubble but the city of Champaign was not named after the bubbly wine that we drink on New Year’s Eve. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.
Champaign, a charming small town city in Illinois, got its name from the French word “champaigne” defined as a “flat, open country.”
Regardless of the name, we were headed to Champaign to attend the graduation of a special someone at the University of Illinois.
Hotel Location
The Hyatt Place Champaign-Urbana was the hotel that we booked for a 4-night stay. It is centrally located in Champaign, minutes (two miles away) from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
To get to this location, the Champaign Airport (CMI) is six miles from the hotel. The Amtrak Champaign Station is less than a half mile from the hotel.
As with any college town, we booked our room eight months prior to the commencement and that was just pure luck. I had called multiple time but the hotel was booked solid. Then, out of nowhere, good news. The hotel had a cancellation and we took the room. The bad news is the room was EXPENSIVE as it was a King Suite that I’ll tell you about later.
As for the location of the hotel, we were pleasantly surprised that within two blocks of the hotel, there were many restaurants. The hotel is also only a three minute walk from The Virginia Theatre and 1.6 miles from State Farm Center.
But one of my favorite parts of our visit to Illinois besides the graduation, was seeing the nearby “Prayer for Rain” Sculpture, one of the city’s top attractions.
About the Hotel and Amenities
When we first walked into this contemporary four-star hotel, it seemed a bit outdated, but the friendliness and helpfulness of the staff made up the difference. Everything from check in to check out was smooth and seamless.
The hotel was packed with guests, most of whom were in town for the University’s commencement ceremony as we were.
Even though we had the luxury of being picked up at the airport by our family members, the hotel offered a complimentary area shuttle and convenient access to the hotel’s parking garage that only cost $15.00 per night.
There was a 24-hour fitness center that we did not use because walking around the town was plenty of daily exercise for us. We appreciated the 69 degree temperatures and cloud cover.
This hotel offers 3,200 square feet of event space and a 24-hour business center that was really just a computer station in the lobby.
As with other Hyatt Place hotels, there is also a concierge desk, dry cleaning/laundry services, and the hotel is pet-friendly. There is a strict pet policy and daily fees apply.
Express check-out was much appreciated as we exited the hotel at 4:45 am to head to the airport for our 8am flight.
One note: There was severe weather on one of the nights we were staying in the hotel and the staff went above and beyond to reassure hotel guests that the storm was quickly moving and we would be okay.
Rooms and Suites
While there are 145 guest rooms in the hotel with average rates from $124 (standard rooms) to $316 (suites), we went a bit over our travel budget by staying in a King Suite.
As mentioned before, we took the first cancellation that we could get for the busy commencement weekend so a King Suite it was. The suite turned out be a special place to spend the long weekend.
The room was in great condition and larger than we expected. The suite featured contemporary décor, stylish furnishings, and a large living area with sofa bed that was separate from our sleeping area.
The King bed in the bedroom was plush with a pillowtop, down comforters, and premium bedding. The bed itself felt even bigger than a typical King bed. And my favorite: black out blinds for a great night sleep.
In addition to the bar area, there was also a mini refrigerator, single-serve coffee and tea maker, alarm clock radio, and iron/ironing board.
The desk workstation (free Wi-Fi) was ideal to charge our mobile devices and laptops, and the large flat-panel HDTV was a great way to monitor the one bad storm that was in the area.
The room and bathroom vanity featured granite countertops, and had a hair dryer plus free luxury bath amenities.
Dining at the Hotel
There were three places to get food at the hotel. We enjoyed starting our day with an early 7:00 a.m. breakfast at the hotel and then at night, we grabbed a drink at the lobby lounge before winding down to sleep.
Breakfast Bar
Eggs, bacon, and waffles at the continental, self-serve type of breakfast, made us happy campers but you could choose healthier options like fruit, yogurt, and more. Some of the room rates include the breakfast fee but we thought $11 per person was a good deal.
Note: Hyatt’s breakfast is a “make your own waffle” type of set up. We thought it was fun to make it ourselves but not all hotel guests agreed as we observed.
The Placery
Located at the lobby bar, this was a convenient place to enjoy a meal. We loved the Chicken Caesar Salad and Turkey Pesto Sandwich – both recommended by the server. Although the hotel was bustling with guests, there was plenty of space at the bar to enjoy a night cap.
The Market
The Market, located in the lobby, was ideal to buy a quick snack or other grab-and-go items. We never pass up the chance to grab some Diet Coke, water, and potato chips.
Fun Attractions We Visited
We arrived a few days prior to graduation. Downtown Champaign is such a sweet, small town with many local shops and restaurants, very close to the University.
We had heard that the University of Illinois Library system is one of the largest academic library collections in the world, with over 15 million items across multiple libraries. As book (and history) nerds, we had to see it in person.
Here are a few highlights that we recommend you see:
Virginia Theatre
This theatre dates back to 1921, and still presents live performances and motion pictures. In fact, America’s most famous film critic, Roger Ebert, worked as an usher while in college at this theatre. There’s even a life-size bronze sculpture of Roger Ebert, with his trademark “thumbs up” gesture in front of the theatre.
Urbana’s Market on the Square
Urbana’s Market on the Square features a farmer’s market filled with fresh produce, other locally-made goods, clothing, hot food selections, and live performances from local musicians.
Alto Vineyards and Winery
The Alto Vineyards and Winery served sweet (and affordable) wines plus beer, and soda, but its country setting is what makes it such a special place to visit. The tastings along with the cheese, crackers, and meats was a nice touch.
College Visit and Graduation
The University of Illinois is a beautiful campus. The commencement ceremony was held at the college’s Gies Memorial Stadium. Seating at the huge stadium was unlimited so it was packed! It was an unpredictable weather day as rain was forecasted during the outdoor ceremony.
Although we were there for about four hours and there were many, the ceremony was actually a shortened program to get the graduation in before the rain started. Unfortunately the clouds got darker and darker and it did start raining. As soon as the wind picked up, we headed out of the stadium and back to the hotel for a quick rest before attending a house graduation party.
Takeaways/Who Should Stay at This Hotel?
This is a great hotel for business or pleasure but the location to the university makes it ideal for prospective college students touring the campus, parents attending Parents Weekend, and like we did, family and friends staying during graduation weekend. If you’re travelling with your pet, this is a great pet-friendly hotel.
We would stay here again but save money and book a standard guest room.
- Welcoming, knowledgeable staff
- Very clean hotel
- Suite was spacious, comfortable, and quiet
- Convenient onsite breakfast for just $11 each
- Walking distance to dining and shopping
Author Bio: Originally from Long Island, New York, Donna Wright now calls Deland, Florida her home. An avid traveler, she has journeyed by air, land, and sea, to many cities in the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean to exciting destinations like California, Arizona, Las Vegas, San Diego, Myrtle Beach, Lake Tahoe, Reno, and more.
This content is provided for general informational purposes only and should not be considered travel or consumer advice. Inn amenities, prices, policies, and availability may change. Readers should verify all details independently and use their own judgment when planning travel.