Springfield, IL's BEST Days Inn? Unbelievable Perks Await!
Okay, buckle up, buttercups, because we're diving HEADFIRST into Springfield, Illinois, and more specifically, the Days Inn. Now, before you roll your eyes – I KNOW, Days Inn. I'm with you. But this one? This one… promised "Unbelievable Perks Await!" And honey, a travel writer can't resist a promise like that. So, here goes… my brutally honest, slightly chaotic review.
SEO & Metadata (Because the bots need love too, even if I don't always):
- Title: Days Inn Springfield, IL Review: Unbelievable Perks? Let's Find Out! (Detailed & Honest)
- Keywords: Springfield IL hotel, Days Inn review, Springfield Illinois lodging, accessible hotel, free wifi, swimming pool, spa, breakfast, pet-friendly hotel (even if it's unavailable)
- Meta Description: A brutally honest review of the Springfield, IL Days Inn. Discover if the "Unbelievable Perks" live up to the hype! Accessibility, cleanliness, dining, and more are dissected with a mix of funny observations, real-world gripes, and genuine delight.
Let the Rambling Begin!
Alright, so first impressions. The exterior… well, it's a Days Inn. You know the drill. Beige, vaguely optimistic, maybe a slightly faded sign. But hey, at least it had a sign. My initial emotional reaction was… a resigned sigh. I’ve seen things. But then, I saw… the promise. "Unbelievable Perks Await!" Alright, Days Inn, you have my attention.
Accessibility (Because everyone deserves a fair shot, and I always check):
Okay, this is important and I'm going to try to be serious here for a sec. The website seemed to imply accessibility features, so I’m all ears. Elevators, check. Ramp access? Yep. Accessible rooms? Didn't check it out in person, didn't book one, but it was theoretically available. Supposedly good on amenities for the wheelchair-bound - which, seriously, good on them! They're following through and providing a service that is so important.
Inside the Room – The Good, The (Maybe) Bad, and The Utterly Bizarre
My room was… fine. Clean-ish. It had that hotel-room smell that's a blend of disinfectant and… desperation. The air conditioning worked like a charm (thank the heavens), and the blackout curtains were actually blackout curtains. Glorious!
Available in All Rooms (the things I look for, the things I care about, and the things I really don't):
Air conditioning: A godsend, especially in Illinois summers. ✅
Alarm clock: Okay, mostly useless, but there.
Bathrobes: NO. I honestly don't get bathrobes in a Days Inn. Do people use them?
Bathroom phone: WHAT?! Seriously, what am I supposed to do, call the front desk and complain about the lack of a robe?
Bathtub: Present and accounted for.
Blackout curtains: YES! Sleep is precious. ✅
Carpeting: Softish. Stain-resistant. You know the drill.
Closet: A closet.
Coffee/tea maker: Needed my caffeine fix in the AM, and the hotel delivered. ✅
Complimentary tea: See above.
Daily housekeeping: Yep.
Desk: A desk. A lonely desk.
Extra long bed: I believe so…
Free bottled water: Nope.
Hair dryer: Yay!
High floor: I wasn't on a super-high floor, but the view of the parking lot was still… something.
In-room safe box: Nope. Fine with me.
Interconnecting room(s) available: Not my concern today.
Internet access – LAN: Haven’t seen a LAN cable in like, a decade.
Internet access – wireless (Wi-Fi [free]): YES! And it worked pretty well. This is a HUGE plus nowadays. ✅
Ironing facilities: Yes.
Laptop workspace: Basically the desk.
Linens: Seemed clean.
Mini bar: Hah!
Mirror: In several places.
Non-smoking: ✅ (thank GOD)
On-demand movies: Yes!
Private bathroom: Yes.
Reading light: Present.
Refrigerator: Yes.
Safety/security feature: Smoke detector. Yes.
Satellite/cable channels: A TON of channels.
Scale: Seriously…?
Seating area: A chair.
Separate shower/bathtub: Yes.
Shower: Yes.
Slippers: Hahahahahaha.
Smoke detector: Yes.
Socket near the bed: Needed!
Sofa: Nah.
Soundproofing: Okay-ish.
Telephone: For the checks notes bathroom.
Toiletries: Standard stuff.
Towels: Plenty of them!
Umbrella: Nope.
Visual alarm: I don’t see it.
Wake-up service: I set my own.
Wi-Fi [free]: It worked! ✅
Window that opens: Nope.
Room decorations: Minimal. Think "beige."
I'm just… saying, the detail some hotels go to is unreal. Like, who uses a bathroom phone anyway?
Internet Access and Services:
Okay, so my big pet peeve: bad Wi-Fi. Thankfully, the Days Inn delivered here. I got a pretty consistent connection in my room (thank you, internet gods!) And they offered free Wi-Fi which is a win-win. It was decent! And the internet was functional for business services!
- Internet [LAN] I didn't see it, lol.
- Internet Services: Wi-Fi in public areas!
Cleanliness and Safety (Now, Things Get Serious):
Okay, this is the area where I REALLY pay attention. With the pandemic, cleanliness is paramount. And the Days Inn seemed to be trying. I saw signage about enhanced cleaning protocols, and I think I saw staff wiping down surfaces.
- Anti-viral cleaning products: Hope so.
- Cashless payment service: Good!
- Daily disinfection in common areas: Seemed to be happening.
- Hand sanitizer: Spotted some.
- Hot water linen and laundry washing: Fingers crossed!
- Hygiene certification: No idea.
- Individually-wrapped food options: More on this later.
- Physical distancing of at least 1 meter: Sort of.
- Professional-grade sanitizing services: Unclear.
- Rooms sanitized between stays: Supposedly.
- Staff trained in safety protocol: Hopefully.
- Sterilizing equipment: Probably.
Dining, Drinking, and Snacking – The Breakfast Saga!
Alright, here's where we get to the "Unbelievable Perks" part. And… well, it's a buffet. A breakfast buffet. I tried to be optimistic.
- Breakfast [buffet]: Yes. It was… a buffet. Standard fare. (More below.)
The actual buffet was (I'm trying to be nice)… basic. The usual continental suspects: stale pastries, rubbery scrambled eggs, and questionable sausage. I gave the coffee a wide berth after the first sniff. The only things that actually looked appetizing were the pre-packaged muffins, but hey, it's free, and there's something to nibble on.
- Asian breakfast: No idea.
- Asian cuisine in restaurant: Nah.
- Bar: No.
- Bottle of water: I got a bottle of water.
- Buffet in restaurant: Yeah.
- Coffee/tea in restaurant: Yes.
- Coffee shop: No.
- Desserts in restaurant: No.
- Happy hour: Nope.
- International cuisine in restaurant: Nope.
- Poolside bar: LOL.
- Restaurants: No.
- Room service [24-hour]: Nope.
- Salad in restaurant: No.
- Snack bar: No.
- Soup in restaurant: Never.
- Vegetarian restaurant: No.
- Western breakfast: Breakfast buffet.
- Western cuisine in restaurant: Breakfast.
**"Unbelievable Perks
Escape to Paradise: Black Dolphin Inn's New Smyrna Beach Bliss!
Okay, buckle up buttercups, because this ain't your grandma's itinerary. We're going to Springfield, Illinois, baby! Specifically, the Days Inn by Wyndham. Buckle up, because you never know what kind of adventure lays ahead.
Day 1: Arrival, Existential Dread, and Questionable Pizza
- 1:00 PM - Arrival in Springfield (ish). Okay, truth bomb: my flight was delayed. Classic. I landed, bleary-eyed, and immediately craved a coffee. Springfield's airport? Tiny. But that's fine, I guess. Renting a car felt oddly adult… or, maybe more accurately, adult-adjacent. I always panic slightly when handed the keys, like I'm suddenly responsible for a metal box that could destroy a bridge.
- 2:00 PM - Check-in at Days Inn. "Welcome to your life." Okay, the Days Inn – it has a certain… charm. Let's call it "budget-friendly." My room smelled faintly of cleaning products and a ghost of a previous guest's cologne. The bedspread looked like it had witnessed some history. I may or may not have immediately checked for bedbugs. (Spoiler: I didn't find any. Good start, Days Inn.)
- 2:30 PM - Settling in & contemplating the meaning of life. Okay, you know the drill. First thing: unpack. Second: stare out the window. The window offered a lovely view of… a parking lot. A parking lot that may or may not contain hidden human stories. My emotional state ranged from "mildly optimistic" to "concerned about the sheer vastness of the universe."
- 3:00 PM - The search for the perfect Lunch… Pizza. I'm on a mission! Lunch time! I googled "best pizza near me." The options were… varied. I ended up at a place called "Papa John's." Let's just say, it wasn't life-altering pizza. I ate it anyway. I was hungry. "That's not even pizza. It's a sad excuse." I think. And I'm hungry. Anyway, I went.
- 4:00 PM - An Unexpected Encounter with the Springfield Historic Site. Okay, despite my pizza-induced existential crisis, I decided to go see the Lincoln Home. I'll be honest, I wasn't a huge history buff. But then, I met this tour guide. Oh my god, the tour guide was like a human encyclopedia. "Lincoln did this…" "Lincoln did that…." And then, I fell in love, because this tour guide had a way with words. It changed my whole perspective on the historical site.
- 6:00 PM - Dinner. The search for salvation. Or at least something edible. I swear, finding a decent restaurant in small towns is a quest in itself. I eventually found some little place that served chicken fried steak. (It was fine, I guess. Nothing to write home about, but food is food.)
- 7:30 PM - Melancholy Hotel Room Reflections. Back at the Days Inn. The fluorescent lights are KILLING me. Thinking about everything and nothing. The sheer ordinariness of it all. Sigh. I think I'll watch some TV.
- 8:00 PM - "Goodnight." (I think.)
Day 2: Lincoln, and the "Unexpected Awesomeness" of a Museum.
- 9:00 AM - Breakfast (Probably Oatmeal.) I ate something. It was probably bland. Most hotel breakfasts are.
- 10:00 AM - Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. Let's go. Okay, this museum? Unexpectedly amazing. I mean, I knew history. I wasn't exactly ready to be blown away. But the exhibits. They were incredible. And the special effects? They made history come alive. I saw the Lincoln's story. It was good. Wow.
- 1:00 PM - Lincoln's Tomb. A Grave Experience. Okay, the tomb itself was impressive. I even took a moment to be reverent. But then I overheard this group of teenagers giggling and taking selfies. I wanted to scream. (I didn't, because I'm not a monster.) Still, it was a poignant reminder of the man and his legacy.
- 2:30 PM - A Random Antique Store. I love that. I'm an antique store person. I wandered around this dusty place. I got myself a silly little thing. It made me happy.
- 4:00 PM - The Springfield Art Association. And then… Okay, this place was small, but filled with art, and I had an urge to buy it all. I met a very opinionated artist. We argued about the meaning of life. It was fun.
- 7:00 PM - "A fancy dinner". There are no fancy dinners. Fine. I went to a small diner, and I ate. And I was good.
- 8:30 PM - Back to the Days Inn. Reality bites. Another night in the Days Inn. More contemplation. More TV. And maybe another existential crisis. This time… about the hotel's complimentary shampoo. Yikes.
Day 3: Leaving, Reflections, and the Unanswered Questions.
- 9:00 AM - Goodbye, Springfield? I ate something. I don't want to talk about it.
- 10:00 AM - Check-out, Freedom. I packed my things. Then I left. And then goodbye.
- 11:00 AM - Airport. Back to Reality. I am here. I feel empty.
- The Aftermath: Springfield was… well, it was an experience. Some good, some bad, all of it real. I learned I can survive bad pizza. I learned I actually like history. And I learned that the Days Inn, while not luxurious, has a certain charm. And the meaning of life? Still a mystery. Maybe that's the point. Maybe this whole trip was just a giant, messy, imperfect reminder that life is… well, it's life. And sometimes, that's enough.
Okay, Okay, BEST Days Inn?! Seriously? What's the Big Deal?
Alright, alright, hold your horses. "Best" is maybe a *touch* hyperbolic. Look, it's a Days Inn, alright? Expectations need to be managed. But here's the secret sauce: sometimes, when you’re road-tripping through the Illinois cornfields, and you're desperately in need of immediate, air-conditioned lodging, a Days Inn can feel like the freakin' Ritz. This one? It has... well, *had*, I *think*, because I haven't been back for a couple years, this one had a decent continental breakfast. I’m talkin’… decent. And maybe, just maybe, they had a pool. (See also: "expectations").
The dreaded "Breakfast Included." What's the REAL story?
Ah, the Breakfast Saga. Okay. Be warned. I remember one time, and I’m not kidding you, it was like… late, like 9 am or something, I stumbled down to the “continental breakfast” (which, let's be honest, usually means a glorified sugar coma). There were, and I kid you not, two sad, lonely blueberry muffins that looked like they’d been sitting there since the Reagan administration. And the coffee? It was *strong*. Like, I swear it could strip paint. But hey, desperate times, right? I scarfed down half a muffin, chugged the rocket fuel coffee (because I *needed* it), and went back to my room. And… I *think* there were bagels that had some sort of cream cheese… maybe? That was a blur. Anyway, the point is... it's free! And sometimes, that's all you need. Just... adjust your expectations accordingly. And bring your own snacks. Okay?
Rooms! What are they REALLY like? ("Unbelievable Perks Await!" you say??)
"Unbelievable Perks"? Okay, that's the marketing department's job, not mine. The rooms are... functional. I mean, they have a bed. And, I *think*, a TV. Maybe. (Memory is a fickle beast). What I *do* remember is the air conditioning. And boy, did it work. Like, *really* worked. Seriously, I wanted to hug the wall unit, it was so cold. Because that’s what you need when you’re traveling. Actually, scratch that, what you *need* is good aircon. And a clean bathroom. They managed both. (I think.) Now, I wouldn't say it’s the Four Seasons. Maybe the… One Season? Okay, I'll stop with the comparisons.
Is there a Pool? (Because, pool.)
Okay, pool. This is a big one, because… pool. Pool is important, especially on a hot Illinois summer. *I THINK* it had a pool. Memory’s foggy. It might have been an outdoor pool. It *might* have been the sort of pool where you spend the whole time hoping you don't accidentally come face to face with a rogue used band-aid that floated to the top. But hey, chlorine! And cold water! Which, again, counts as a win. Double check this one, though. Call ahead. Seriously. Don't rely on anything I'm saying anymore. My memory is shot from all the questionable coffee.
Location, Location, Location! What's the vibe?
The location is... Springfield, IL. So... you're not exactly surrounded by vibrant nightlife. If you're into Abraham Lincoln, fantastic! You're in luck. If you're hoping for a bustling metropolis overflowing with hip and trendy options, you might want to adjust your expectations. It’s located… off the main road. Easy enough to get to, which is good if you’re just passing through. There's probably a McDonald's nearby. And maybe a gas station. You get the picture. Convenient, not exactly glamorous. But hey, it's a stopover! Remember? That's the *point*!
Okay, Spill. Any Crazy Stories? Any Good, Bad, Ugly…?
Okay, okay, here we go. The *crazy* story? Not so much. Unless you count the time I got stuck in the elevator. (Kidding! Maybe.) But there was this *one* time… I was absolutely exhausted, driving for what felt like days (it was probably like, six hours but still). I finally checked in, collapsed on the bed. Exhaustion. Now, I had a *long* drive the next morning. So, I wanted to sleep. And… well, it was around 3 AM when I got awakened by what had to be… well, let’s just say the room next door was having a *very* lively conversation. Let’s leave it at that, shall we? Anyway, I'm just trying to sleep, right? So I knock on the door. *Knock, knock*. More yelling. (I didn't knock too hard, I will admit). After a little time, I just gave up and put my headphones on. Then I just fell back asleep. The next morning, I got on with my drive. Still, I wouldn't call it necessarily a crazy story. Just a normal one. Life happens when you're on the road.
Seriously… Would You Stay There Again? (And why on earth would you?)
Would I? Hmm… you know… maybe. If I was on a road trip, and I needed a cheap, quick place to crash, absolutely. If it was late, and I was tired, and I needed a working AC, I'd probably give it another go. Look, it's not the Taj Mahal. It's not even the Motel 6. But it's a *place*. A place that has air conditioning. And, potentially, a pool. And coffee. (Maybe.). So yeah, I'd probably stay there again. Because sometimes, you just need a bed, a shower, and a little bit of… questionable coffee. And, well, sometimes that’s all you need. Just manage those expectations, people. That's key. And hey, it probably has a perfectly fine staff. Probably.
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