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Rock Falls · Hotel shortlist

The best hotels near Ruby Falls and Rock City

Tobias Lang

Tobias Lang Germany, Austria and Switzerland

Updated 1 September 2026 · 8 Rock Falls hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in Rock Falls, out of the 8 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, 4.7 down to 3.6.

All five are within 4.0 km of Ruby Falls and Rock City.

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Rock Falls by IHG

Highest rated of the five

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Rock Falls by IHG

★★★★★4.7 from 499 reviews

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Rock Falls by IHG comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 4.7 from 499 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 poi and around $166 a night on the dates we checked.

8 hotels in Rock Falls qualified for this list and five made it. Crystal Lake RV Park is the one I would book if the first is full.

Why it works for this trip

  • Poolsomewhere to cool off between walks
  • Spatreatment rooms on site, no booking a taxi for it
  • Air conditioningthe one that decides a summer trip
  • Family roomscots and larger rooms rather than a squeeze
  • Gymopen to guests, not a partner pass down the road

Check rates Read more

All five, ranked

  1. Holiday Inn Express & Suites Rock Falls by IHG1

    Holiday Inn Express & Suites Rock Falls by IHG

    ★★★★★4.7 from 499 reviews

    500 m from Ruby Falls and Rock City, about a 6 minute walk

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Parking
    • Pet friendly
    • Kid friendly

    Check rates Read more

  2. Crystal Lake RV Park2

    Crystal Lake RV Park

    ★★★★★4.3 from 185 reviews

    1.7 km from Ruby Falls and Rock City, about a 21 minute walk

    • Pet friendly
    • Kid friendly

    Check rates Read more

  3. Rock Falls Leisure Lake Campground3

    Rock Falls Leisure Lake Campground

    ★★★★★4.1 from 57 reviews

    4.0 km from Ruby Falls and Rock City

    • Kid friendly

    Check rates Read more

  4. Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Rock Falls, IL4

    Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Rock Falls, IL

    ★★★★★3.7 from 499 reviews

    2.1 km from Ruby Falls and Rock City

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Parking
    • Pet friendly
    • Kid friendly

    Check rates Read more

  5. All Seasons Motel5

    All Seasons Motel

    ★★★★★3.6 from 95 reviews

    1.7 km from Ruby Falls and Rock City, about a 21 minute walk

    • Restaurant
    • Parking
    • Pet friendly
    • Kid friendly
    • Air conditioning

    Check rates Read more

How this list was put together

8 Rock Falls hotels qualify for this list. We ranked them on guest rating first and on how close they are to Ruby Falls and Rock City second, then 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.

Tobias Lang

Tobias Lang Germany, Austria and Switzerland

Touring already moves him around Europe nine months a year, so he stays on three or four extra days at his own cost whenever a tour hits somewhere new. He calls it stealing time.

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.