Hotels for 18- to 20-year-olds in Springfield, Illinois

Springfield gives young travelers a walkable mix of presidential history, campus energy, and easygoing nightlife. You can tour the Abraham Lincoln sites by day, then head to downtown spots around Adams Street for coffeehouses, casual restaurants, live music, and retro arcade fun. Near the University of Illinois Springfield, student events and laid-back hangouts keep the scene active without feeling overwhelming. Every year in May the Old Capitol Art Fair takes place here, when artists line the streets around the historic square and the area fills with food stands, local bands, and plenty to browse between landmarks.

Under-21 hotel choices in Springfield are very limited, so booking ahead helps. The list of hotels below welcome 18-year-old guests and make planning your stay easier.

The list 3 hotels for 18- to 20-year-olds in Springfield

This page contains affiliate links; we may earn a commission, but hotels are listed based on age policies and quality, not commission.

• 1 Drury Inn & Suites Springfield Springfield $$$

  
  Guest Rating 9.1

  Our opinion: Featuring free breakfast, evening snacks and drinks, plus an indoor pool and hot tub, this is a strong value pick for a Springfield stopover. It works especially well for road-trippers who want easy highway access, free parking, and enough included food to keep daily costs down. The trade-off is that it feels more practical than trendy, and the setting is better for driving than hanging around on foot.
  
  The hotel has a straightforward, reliable chain-hotel vibe with spacious rooms and useful extras like mini-fridges, microwaves, flat-screen TVs, and free Wi-Fi. Everything is non-smoking, and the overall setup is designed for convenience rather than style. The indoor pool and hot tub are a genuine bonus after a long drive, and the nightly “Kickback” food-and-drink service is the standout feature here. There’s also a fitness center, so you’ve got more than just a room to crash in.
  
  Location-wise, it sits just off Interstate 55, which makes it easy to reach and handy if you're passing through Springfield by car. Downtown sights like the Illinois State Capitol, Lincoln Home National Historic Site, and the Prairie Capital Convention Center are about 15 minutes away, while Knight’s Action Park and Scheels are within a few miles. This is a convenient base for exploring the city’s main attractions, but it’s not the kind of area with lots happening right outside the door.
  
  Guests consistently praise the friendly staff, clean rooms, comfortable beds, and the generous food offerings, especially the breakfast and evening snacks. Many also liked the hot tub, pool, and overall convenience of not needing to head back out for dinner. The most common downsides are minor but worth knowing: some rooms feel a bit dated, breakfast can get repetitive, and a few reviewers mentioned noise from traffic or mechanical systems. There were also occasional complaints about small pillows, crowded common areas during busy times, and a few inconsistent housekeeping issues. Read more

  Address 3180 South Dirksen Parkway Show on map

  • The minimum age for check-in at this hotel is 18
  • Swimming pool.
  • Gym / fitness center.
  • Pets are welcome.
  • Free parking available.
  Available rooms

• 2 Motel 6-Springfield, IL I-55 I-72 Springfield $$$

  
  Guest Rating 7.1

  Our opinion: Just off Interstate 55, this budget motel is best suited to a simple overnight stop in Springfield. Free Wi-Fi, parking, and a low rate make it practical for road-trippers, but limited amenities and inconsistent experiences mean it’s better for flexibility than comfort. For a longer stay or anything that needs peace and reliability, there are stronger options.
  
  The motel keeps things very simple, with straightforward rooms that include cable TV, a desk, free local calls, and an en suite bathroom. Some guests noted that parts of the property have been updated and a few found the rooms clean, modern enough, and roomy for the price. There’s also an on-site laundrette, which is useful if you’re traveling light or doing a longer road trip. Don’t expect extras like breakfast, lots of toiletries, or a polished social atmosphere - this place is firmly in the basic, no-frills category.
  
  You’re staying on the edge of Springfield with easy access to the interstate, which makes getting around by car pretty convenient. Downtown sights like the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and the Illinois State Capitol are under 15 minutes away, and the University of Illinois Springfield is less than 3 miles from the motel. White Oaks Mall and Lincoln Greens Golf Course are also a short drive away. A few reviewers also mentioned restaurants and a gas station within walking distance, which helps if you just want food and essentials without a long detour.
  
  Reviews are mixed but lean toward “fine for one night” rather than consistently good. Guests often praised the location, price, some friendly staff members, and rooms that were quiet and clean on their visit. At the same time, recurring complaints mention cigarette or marijuana smells, noise from neighbors and hallways, uncomfortable small beds, limited amenities, and housekeeping issues. A number of reviews also raised more serious concerns about cleanliness, bugs, and feeling less than fully comfortable or safe, so it’s smart to keep expectations realistic before booking. Read more

  Address 6011 South 6th State Road Show on map

  • The minimum age for check-in at this hotel is 18
  • Pets are welcome.
  Available rooms

• 3 MainStay Suites Springfield IL Springfield $$$

  
  Guest Rating 3.5

  Our opinion: Budget-friendly rates and a convenient roadside location make this hotel look useful for a quick stop in Springfield, with an indoor pool, free Wi-Fi, a fitness center, and a 24-hour front desk adding to the appeal on paper. In practice, recurring review issues raise too many concerns to recommend it except as a last-resort backup, especially for travelers hoping for comfort or consistency. The main draw here is price and a convenient roadside location, not comfort or consistency.
  
  The property is a basic mid-range hotel with standard rooms that include flat-screen TVs, coffee makers, and in some cases sofa beds; some reviews also mention fridges and extended-stay-style features like burners. That said, the overall vibe seems more worn and under-repair than polished, with multiple guests describing dated interiors, maintenance issues, and amenities that didn’t always match the listing. The advertised indoor pool and breakfast came up often, but many reviewers said the pool was closed or unusable and breakfast was missing or extremely limited. There is a fitness room and business-style front desk services, but this doesn’t sound like the kind of place to book for hanging out at the hotel.
  
  The location is one of the stronger points. It’s about 2.6 miles from the University of Illinois Springfield, around 11 minutes by car from both the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and the Illinois State Fairgrounds, and roughly 9 miles from Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport. That makes it practical for short stays tied to campus visits, road trips, fair events, or a quick overnight stop off the interstate. You’ll likely need a car to make the most of the area, but for getting around Springfield’s main sights without paying downtown prices, the setting is convenient.
  
  Guest feedback is heavily mixed, leaning negative. The most consistent praise goes to the front desk team, with several travelers describing staff as friendly, helpful, and professional when problems came up. Beyond that, reviews repeatedly mention serious concerns: dirty rooms, smoke or mildew smells, roaches, bedbugs, broken elevators, closed pool access, missing breakfast, overbooking issues, and maintenance problems ranging from faulty TVs to exposed wiring. A few guests found the beds comfortable or felt the room was acceptable for the price, but overall the comments suggest a stay that can be hit-or-miss at best and genuinely unpleasant at worst. Read more

  Address 3185 South Dirksen Parkway Show on map

  • The minimum age for check-in at this hotel is 18
  • Heated pool.
  • Gym / fitness center.
  • Pets are welcome.
  Available rooms