Information
Landmark: Urbana Lincoln Hotel (Hotel Royer)City: Champaign Urbana
Country: USA Illinois
Continent: North America
Urbana Lincoln Hotel (Hotel Royer), Champaign Urbana, USA Illinois, North America
Overview
Once known as the Urbana Lincoln Hotel, the Hotel Royer stands at 210 S in downtown Urbana, Illinois, its brick façade and tall windows marking it as a piece of the city’s history.Race Street, where the pavement hums under passing tires.Steeped in local history yet alive with modern hospitality, this landmark stands as a cherished piece of Urbana’s cultural heritage, its brick façade warm under the afternoon sun.Between 1921 and 1924, a group of local businessmen pooled $223,000-no small sum then-to bring their vision of a first-class hotel to life in Urbana.Joseph W. designed it, carving his name into the corner like a quiet signature.Designed by Royer, a well-known regional architect celebrated for his revivalist style, the hotel opened in November 1923 and held its formal dedication on a crisp January 31, 1924.Locals helped choose the name “Urbana-Lincoln,” a nod to the city and to President Abraham Lincoln, whose deep Illinois roots still echo in its history.During the 1930s, the Great Depression hit the hotel hard, and by 1937 it had gone bankrupt, its once-bustling lobby fallen quiet.The new management stepped in to steady the operation, making sure the phones kept ringing and the lights stayed on.In 1964, the new Lincoln Square Mall went up next door, wrapping the Urbana-Lincoln Hotel into one of Illinois’ first fully enclosed shopping centers, where shoppers could stroll past storefronts without stepping into the winter wind.The integration put the hotel on the map in downtown Urbana, drawing more attention with its bright, glass-front lobby.From the 1970s through the early 2000s, the hotel passed from one owner to another, each leaving a mark-fresh paint here, a new lobby there.In the 1980s, when the Jumer Hotel chain owned the place, they built a convention center-bright carpet, echoing halls-to draw in business travelers and host events.The hotel stayed at the heart of town life, hosting meetings and lively gatherings under its warm, amber lights.Between 2010 and 2025, developer Xiao Jin “XJ” Yuan bought the hotel, gave it the name Urbana Landmark Hotel, and set to work on renovations, starting with fresh paint in the lobby.But the project hit a wall, and by 2016 the hotel’s doors were shut for good.In 2020, Icon Hospitality LLC bought the property for $1 million, then poured roughly $15 million into renovations-new marble floors, fresh paint, the works.On April 16, 2025, the doors swung open again as Hotel Royer, part of the Hilton Tapestry Collection, where sleek modern comforts meet the warm glow of its historic past.The hotel showcases classic Tudor Revival style, with steep roofs that seem to slice into the sky, dark half-timber frames, and pale stucco walls.These elements show a clear medieval English influence, the kind you might see in stone archways or timbered gables, a style that caught on in early 20th-century American architecture.Design by architect Joseph W., who once sketched the first plans on a coffee-stained napkin.Royer poured care into every element of the design, from the crisp lines of its ornate masonry to the glint of leaded glass and the graceful period motifs that give the hotel its dignified, lasting charm.The building sits proudly on the National Register of Historic Places, a reminder of its weight in Urbana’s story and Illinois’ wider architectural and cultural past-its brickwork still carries the warmth of a century’s sun.The hotel offers 131 guest rooms that mix modern comforts with a touch of historic charm, like soft lighting against century-old brick walls.Each room comes with high-speed WiFi, a flat-screen TV, and premium bedding so soft it feels like sinking into a cloud.Guests can savor locally inspired dishes at the on-site Writer’s Room, then unwind in Lloyd’s Parlor-a stylish bar where the scent of polished wood mingles with its rich, historic charm.At Hotel Royer, you’ll find close to 3,000 square feet of versatile space-perfect for weddings, conferences, or a lively community gathering where chairs scrape lightly across the polished floor.The largest ballroom holds several hundred guests, its polished floor stretching wide under crystal chandeliers, making it the heart of events in Urbana.The hotel offers plenty to enjoy, from a bright, well-equipped gym to a warm indoor pool that smells faintly of chlorine, plus a business center and helpful concierge ready to assist.You’ll also get free parking, plus the ease of checking in on your phone before you even step inside.The hotel makes it easy for guests with disabilities to get around, offering smooth ramps, quiet elevators, and rooms designed with extra space and accessible features.In the heart of Urbana’s downtown, Hotel Royer sits right next to Lincoln Square Mall, so you can step outside and be moments from shops, cozy cafés, and the evening bustle.With the University of Illinois Campus just a short walk away, plus theaters, museums, and leafy parks close by, the hotel draws tourists, visiting scholars, and business travelers who like being in the middle of it all.The Royer Hotel, once known as the Urbana-Lincoln, blends its lovingly preserved history with smart modern touches, welcoming today’s guests beneath the warm glow of its original lobby chandeliers.It combines graceful architecture, rich local history, and modern hospitality, standing out as both a beloved landmark and a favorite place to stay in Urbana, Illinois, where the brick sidewalks still echo with decades of footsteps.
