Howard Johnson Inn & Suites Springfield

This was the worst hotel room I have ever stayed in. It was so bad that I cancelled my room for the second night. My room had severe water damage in the ceiling, as a result the bed and mattress were stained. There were MULTIPLE hairs in the bed, so much so that I slept in all my clothes so I could avoid using the sheets and blankets since it had obviously been a long time since they were washed. Also, the bathroom door was cracked down the middle as if someone had attempted to kick it in. There was a red substance on the door that was either blood or ketchup. God I hope it was ketchup. The location is also very poor. There is nothing around except for Lincoln’s tomb and some wooded area. I will say, the gentleman at the front desk was great and super nice! It’s one saving grace.

You will get what you paid for. When I got there, I found that two of the rooms that I was offered did not have working locks, and the third room had a lock that was functional. The room had a heater that worked, but the air conditioner function did not. Also, in the room they offer a personal safe, but read your agreement carefully, because you are charged an extra dollar if you use it, and if you don’t, you need to ask them to remove the charge when you checkout. My safe did not have a key, so it wasn’t able to be used. The location of the hotel was convenient, but I did not feel safe because of the poor lighting and placement of the parking lot.
The complimentary breakfast was tolerable. After eating half of a bagel, I saw that it had mold on it, and should not have been served. I checked two other bagels, finding the same thing. Cereal worked.

We used the meeting room on somewhat of a short notice. We found management to be helpful. Then ended up booking a room for three nights. Had some packages delivered late and owner took care to make sure we got them even after we checked out. The place is clean, well priced and not a far drive at all to anywhere in town. Liked the reception hall also. It’s a throw back in time, but fun. Would recommend.

Although the building is old, new management is trying to make changes for the better. The staff was very welcoming and accomodating to my needs. If you are looking for an inexpensive room for a night ot two this place is great. Located across the street from President Lincolns Tomb and the war memorials. Perfect driving distance to all the Lincoln sites.

Pros:
Close to Springfield airport
Heater works well
Room was clean
Good price
Cons:
Door lock did not work so we did not feel secure in the room
Room was very dated and the carpet was old
The alarm went off a midnight, waking us up in the middle of the night when we only had a chance at a few hours sleep before catching a plane — ANNOYING! Maids should turn off alarms because most people use their phones now.
I hope the owners read these reviews and fix the problems because this hotel is very conveniently located to the airport, Lincoln Tomb and fairgrounds. We want you to succeed!

The rooms are all facing the outdoors, a harsh concept for me to grasp in this cold winter night. Why did I end up staying here! The door doesn’t lock properly and i had to figure out to lift the door a little for the lock to fit into the doorway. Then there is the issue of the draft. I have had the heater on high for a few hours now and it’s still just barely warm in the room.
There’s nothing around the hotel unless you count the cemetery across the street. I wish i got the chance to visit Lincoln there, but most memorials lke his house, museum, etc closes around 5 so be sure to check the hours before you come visiting!

Door to room does not lock properly.
The sheets were dirty.
Bedspread was threadbare.
Water takes a long time to get hot. But once it is hot it is good to go. The shower head is awesome.
It is really far from any kind of shopping or restaurant.
They advertise that they have a shuttle to the train station and I am not sure yet.
Wifi signal is really low.
Breakfast is good. There is peanut butter for protien. No meat tho. They have a fireplace and a big flatscreen tv in the breakfast area.
The layout and atmo of the hotel is quite nice. You can hear birds in the morning. The rooms are warm. The towels were ample and fluffy. It is close to the Lincoln tomb. Which is good to go pay respects to.
I wish I could stay longer and I will come back next time I am in Illinois.

REVIEW FOR BANQUET /​MEETING SPACE ONLY
Mr. Parekh wanted to rent out the defunct restaurant located in the Howard Johnson hotel of Springfield as a banquet area. The upkeep to the area was horrible being very dirty and many things were broken such as soda fountains and decorative water fountains.
Despite the shortcomings a price was set and partial payment was provided with full payment to be made with a written contract. The written contract was only provided after several attempts over the course of a couple of months. It was finally obtained after a ploy claiming we wanted additional space/​dates.
After reviewing the contract, we declined within 5 days of the contract being provided. Even then, Mr. Parekh did not sign the contract. Mr. Parekh now refuses to return any of the advanced payment and despite being informed numerous times of cancellation, he insists the space will be ready on the date.
The written contract was never in place but even if it were, Mr. Parekh is holding 3 times the amount of what would be a cancellation fee. He was initially offered half of what the written contract would provide as a cancellation fee. IF THERE WAS ONE!
His response was to refuse and decline any refund.
A complaint is in process with the Better Business Bureau and is awaiting his 2^nd reply.