My husband and I had booked a room online at this hotel in August 2011 for a stay in October. We made a minor change to the reservation on the phone two nights before we came, and were sent a confirmation of our reservation, noting the changes. Imagine our unpleasant surprise when we got to the hotel at 8 pm, with our 1 year old, 3 year old and 5 year old in tow, only to be told we didn't have a room. When we showed them the confirmation email from Marriott they said our reservation had been altered at Central Booking and in spite of the fact we had a confirmation email in hand they didn't have any rooms for us and were sold out. That was all. The front desk told us we could call the 800 number but there was nothing else they could do. After an hour talking to various people at Marriott we were told that though they were very sorry this this mistake had been made. They said if another Marriott in the area had any rooms free they would have sent us there, but everything was booked. They did not in any way help us try to find an alternate room for the night at a different hotel. Fortunately I had my computer and was able to find a nearby hotel (the LaQuinta, which was totally fine) on Orbitz. I can't believe they didn't help us find a room. The customer service was terrible from the front desk though the person on the 800 line. On the way to the new hotel I called back to complain about how this was not right, and that person was pretty decent and explained to me how the reservation had been messed up but instead of fixing it or letting me know they just did nothing and left it to me to find out I didn't have a room when I got there. I can understand one mistake being made, but come on. How could it have occurred to no one to find us a room at another hotel? At the end of that call they said they would give us some bonus points (because we are elite rewards members) but that was no help to me when what I needed was a place to stay. I will definitely not stay there again. Total incompetence. The hotel is fine but the I've been staying there since 2007 and after they redesigned it to look like all the other Courtyards all the good staff people there are gone and the old perks like free coffee and cookies in the lobby have been replaced with mostly unfriendly staff and an overpriced snack bar.

The hotel location is convenient to the highway and only minutes from U of I campus. There is a shopping mall, several other hotels, and many chain restaurants in the immediate area. If highway noise disturbs you, ask for a room that doesn't face the interstate. It is an unusual Courtyard property. We were surprised at how small our King size room was. The onsite "restaurant/bar" was also a surprise: it resembled the dining area one often finds just off the lobby at a Residence Inn. We ate elsewhere so I can't review the food. Despite being small our room was clean and well-serviced every day. The furnishings were in very good condition. There was plenty of hot water on demand, extra towels upon request, and a coffee pot and small refrigerator in the room. The bed was acceptable. There is a computer in the lobby where you can check-in to flights and print boarding passes. Complimentary coffee is available in the morning, hot water the remainder of the day. Couldn't call it a good value as we were there 3 nights over homecoming weekend and paid $100 more per night than the usual rate.

The Courtyard Champaign could be a lot better. The lobby and 'bistro' are very similar to every other Courtyard since the brand remodeled in the past couple of years. The food offered is marginal in quality and the cost of items was high for the quality (almost 3 bucks for a coffee).

The rooms have been remodeled in the last year or two - on the surface (paint/ tvs/etc) based on the recent updates by the brand. But the rooms themself could use a complete update and remodel. In addition, hallways noise was noticed in the room which suggests that the doors etc have not been updated. The air temperature control was not working properly - either way too cold or way too stuffy. The bed was not very comfortable and sheets didn't seem to fit the bed correctly.

The cleanliness of the room was fine and in general it was an alright stay, but I have come to expect more from Courtyard.

Nicely updated room with good lighting, comfortable seating and a good work area. Nice bath with separate sink. Road noise in even rooms. Plenty of restaurant choices nearby.