Hotel Royer Urbana Champaign, Tapestry Collection by Hilton — Hotel in Urbana

A month or so in advance, I’d booked a night at Hotel Royer as part of the celebration that my wife and I would have for our 35th anniversary. The year before, we’d gone to San Francisco to revisit our old stomping grounds, and this year was along the same lines, as we'd stayed here when it was the Landmark Hotel, approximately in 2018. At the time, we thought the hotel had reopened after renovation, but that was not the case; it was just open for business. While our visit in 2018 was fun, it was also lacking, as the property was showing its age.

In our 2025 visit this past Monday (6/16), we were pleasantly satisfied and very pleased with our experience. The whole front lobby looked new, as did our room, yet the renovation also retained the character and best features of the property. I recall a visit in 1991 when my wife and I joined her mom and two brothers for a meal at the restaurant inside the hotel, back when it was called Jumer’s Castle Lodge (or Jumer’s as I knew it). Even then, I thought that it had a quirky aesthetic appeal, and that aspect is still alive when you navigate its almost maze-like halls. And that is part of the charm, the sense of discovery as you walk to each part of the hotel. I enjoyed finding a new nook or area that felt like it had a purpose for being there. The Writer’s Room, for example, is a relaxing space to have coffee or breakfast (price is not included with the room). The banquet hall looks ornate and lush, a call back to an era when baroque details were in style, yet it also has nice contemporary touches that were in sync with the whole atmosphere. Inside our room, the layout was pleasing–there was a spacious king bed, a sideboard with nicely integrated amenities, a little office nook, and a clean walk-in shower and ring-lit round mirror. Downstairs, across from the bar in the main common hall is a spacious sitting area with a fireplace (forced air heating, not actual firewood–but there’s a virtual flame panel). Strategically placed along the hallways are large paintings of historic figures that lend to the quaint castle feeling. It transports you for a little bit to see these details. Meanwhile, there’s also the features one expects to find, a clean, well-furnished fitness room, a very nice indoor pool (maintenance staff were making their rounds that day), and a strong wifi signal throughout. Hotel Royer also has the advantage of being part of the Tapestry Collection in the Hilton Brand, so I was able to claim points and enjoy the digital room key on my phone, saving the need for key cards (although I did ask for and they did provide two cards for us to use). I can’t say enough nice things about the staff who greeted us, Keaton and Elisha, at the front desk; the hospitality manager, the bartender, the housekeeping staff, and the maintenance workers were all polite, friendly, and attentive!

I’m so glad that my wife and I tried out Hotel Royer. For the out-of-town visitor, it’s a great choice for the proximity to campus and downtown Urbana. For area residents, it’s a moderately priced hotel that makes you feel pampered. I would book there again, and also recommend it to anyone who wants a different experience from the cookie-cutter...

My Wife and her Sister and myself stayed at the Hotel Royer for one night. I had made reservations a few days in advance. When we arrived we were greeted by a recently rehabbed historic hotel. Entering the lobby we were greeted by friendly staff who promptly took care of our check in. The modern flair was evident in the art deco historic building. Our room had a fresh clean air about it. Somewhat small but adequate for a nights stay. Being a Hilton Honors member usually greets me on the television screen when I enter the room. Not the case here. Not a big deal at all though. But when we tried to turn on the television it would not work. I was going to call the front desk to inform them about the problem. However, the telephone also would not work. So I went to the lobby. Their solution was to move us to another room. However, the key card machine was also on the fritz so we went back to our original room to wait for the staff to work out the issue. The staff eventually brought us key cards for our new room and we were able to move our bags to our new room where we were greeted by the television saying Welcome! Ahh time to relax! Nope, the fire alarm went off within minutes of us getting our new room. We found our way to the stairwell and exited the building. The fire department arrived and after about 20 minutes we were allowed back inside. That evening we walked a little ways down the street to a Mexican restaurant where we had a very nice meal. The following morning we went to the restaurant in the hotel. It was empty and the help was scarce. The food was just okay for breakfast fair. I would stay at this location again for the excellent decor and history. I would hope not to have a repeat of the fiasco we experienced. I’m sure it was a bit of bad luck and timing. I would look for nearby restaurants. I would have probably bumped my rating to a 5 star had we not had the experience with the...

Pros|Walkable neighborhood, within a few blocks of a handful of restaurants.|Parking is very convenient. Friendly staff.|Bar lounge and restaurant have a unique old world European vibe. |Rooms appear recently updated with new tile, carpet and furniture. |Nice luggage counter in the entry area of our rooms. ||Cons|Both our rooms smelled of carpet deodorizer — if you’re sensitive to strong scents this place isn’t for you! I’ve stayed in 10+ chain hotels this year, they all use carpet deodorizer, but not this much! ||Drapes and sheers are too long and cover up the a/c — you need to crunch them up and arrange them by hand over the ventilation unit so they darken the room but don’t block airflow. Now when I look at the pictures I can see it’s the same in some of the other rooms. ||Toilet not bolted down, so it rocked. ||Bathroom door was a barn panel that slid too far when it closed so it was tedious to open back up. Every time.||Room photos are slightly misleading. Our rooms were more compact than the ones pictured. ||Mattress was unusually soft. I sleep near the edge of the bed and all night I felt like I was sinking in and trying to keep from sliding towards the center.||Breakfast was served from a menu (no buffet) in the beautiful formal dining room, which was unfortunately going to take more time than we were wanting to spend. I was glad for the coffee in the lobby but wished for a quicker am...