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Champaign · Hotel shortlist

Cheap hotels in the university district, Champaign

Sofia Marchetti

Sofia Marchetti Italy

Updated 1 September 2026 · 11 Champaign hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in Champaign, out of the 11 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, 4.4 down to 4.

Every one comes in under $130 a night, and the one I would book first is $97.

HI Chicago, The J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Hostel

Highest rated of the five

HI Chicago, The J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Hostel

★★★★★4.4 from 3,072 reviews

HI Chicago, The J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Hostel comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 4.4 from 3,072 guest reviews is a score that holds up at that volume, which is the whole test here. A perfect ten from nine people does not beat it.

It is a 3 star property, found under the university district and around $97 a night on the dates we checked.

11 hotels in Champaign qualified for this list and five made it. Ohio House Motel is the one I would book if the first is full.

Why it works for this trip

  • Air conditioningthe one that decides a summer trip
  • Kitchenettebreakfast on your own schedule
  • Parkinga real consideration if you are driving in
  • Step free accesslevel entry and a lift

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All five, ranked

  1. HI Chicago, The J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Hostel1

    HI Chicago, The J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Hostel

    ★★★★★4.4 from 3,072 reviews

    • Parking
    • Kitchen
    • Air conditioning
    • Accessible

    Check rates Read more

  2. Ohio House Motel2

    Ohio House Motel

    ★★★★★4.3 from 1,396 reviews

    • Spa
    • Restaurant
    • Parking
    • Kid friendly
    • Air conditioning
    • Accessible

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  3. Jaslin Hotel3

    Jaslin Hotel

    ★★★★★4.2 from 934 reviews

    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Kid friendly
    • Air conditioning
    • Accessible

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  4. Grand House 4244

    Grand House 424

    ★★★★★4 from 56 reviews

    • Parking
    • Kitchen
    • Air conditioning

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  5. Hilton Garden Inn Chicago McCormick Place5

    Hilton Garden Inn Chicago McCormick Place

    ★★★★★4.1 from 1,222 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking

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How this list was put together

11 Champaign hotels qualify for this list. We ranked them on guest rating, then on class, and took the top five.

Two things decide these lists. The first is my own time in the city: every hotel on this page is one I have stayed in, walked into and looked at, or gone back to check. That is where the shortlist starts, and it is why some well reviewed places are not on it.

The second is the numbers, and those are what set the order. The rating and review count come from the big travel sites, pooled through Google, so a score here reflects Expedia, Booking, Hotels.com and the rest together rather than any one of them. I also read the review breakdown by topic, which is where the figures on service, breakfast and location come from. Hotels with fewer than forty reviews are left out altogether, because a rating that thin is not a rating. No more than two come from one neighbourhood.

What I do not do is move anyone up the order. The ranking is the guest score, highest first, and nobody pays to be on the list.

Distances are straight lines from published coordinates, so the real walk is a little longer. Amenities are as recorded by Google Hotels and can change without notice. Rates are an indicative nightly figure for a midweek autumn stay, not a quote. Check the booking page before you commit.

Sofia Marchetti

Sofia Marchetti Italy

Refuses to fly anywhere reachable by rail. Four sleeper-train crossings of Europe, a collection of old transit maps, and building sketches drawn from carriage windows.

Trip Grapevine earns a commission on bookings made through the links on this page. It costs you nothing, and it does not change the order of the list, which is set by the measurements above.