Holiday Inn Express & Suites Litchfield

The complimentary Holiday Inn Express Express Start breakfast is served daily from 6am to 9:30am in the renovated lobby breakfast room, with extended hours on weekends to 10am. The buffet rotates standard hot items - scrambled eggs, turkey sausage, biscuits and gravy, oatmeal, breakfast potatoes - alongside the chain's signature cinnamon rolls, fresh bagels, fresh waffles cooked to order on a self-serve iron, yogurt, fruit, cereals, juices, and coffee. The cinnamon rolls are made fresh on-property each morning and disappear quickly on weekends. The breakfast room seats roughly 50 and is the busiest from 7am to 8:30am.

Other amenities include an indoor heated swimming pool (open daily 6am to 10pm), a small fitness room with a treadmill, an elliptical, and a free-weight rack, a 24-hour business center with a printer for boarding passes, a self-service guest laundry on the second floor, and a small market in the lobby selling sundries, snacks, and beverages. Wifi is free throughout the property and is fast enough for streaming and video calls. Parking is free and ample, with several oversized spaces at the back of the lot for RVs, motorcycle trailers, and tour buses.

The lobby itself was completely redone in the 2022 renovation, with a stone-front fireplace, comfortable seating clusters, an updated front desk, and a small Route 66 corner that the hotel installed at the suggestion of returning Mother Road travelers - a map of Illinois Route 66, a handful of brochures from the welcome center, and a small display of vintage postcards. The front-desk staff includes several long-time employees who know the area well and can recommend restaurants, alignments, and side trips.

Standard king rooms run roughly 300 square feet and include a single king bed with the IHG-standard Atrium pillow-top mattress, two side tables with reading lights, a work desk and ergonomic chair, a 50-inch wall-mounted smart television with cast functionality, refrigerator, microwave, in-room coffee maker with Smart Brew pods, and a closet with iron, ironing board, and luggage rack. The renovated bathroom features a walk-in shower with rainfall and handheld heads, granite-look vanity, hair dryer, and IHG-branded toiletries. Outlets are placed for travelers - including USB ports built into the side-table lamps.

Queen-double rooms include two queen beds, the same desk and television setup, and the same bathroom configuration. King suites add a separate parlor with a sofa bed, a wet bar with a full-size refrigerator and a second microwave, and a slightly larger bathroom; they are the right choice for families with children or for travelers who want room to spread out. ADA rooms have wider doorways, roll-in showers, lowered closet rods, and visual and audio fire alarms. All rooms include blackout curtains and individually controlled HVAC.

Wifi is included at no charge and operates at sufficient speed for streaming services on multiple devices simultaneously. The smart televisions allow guests to cast from their phones or laptops without needing the hotel's account. Room service is not offered, but the lobby market sells frozen meals that can be heated in the in-room microwave, and several restaurants in town offer delivery to the hotel. Front-desk staff will arrange same-day or next-morning dry cleaning through a local partner.

Best rates are available through the IHG One Rewards loyalty program and through advance non-refundable bookings on the IHG website or app. The hotel is reliably available on most nights from November through March; April through October can sell out on weekends, particularly during the Route 66 events at the Skyview Drive-In, during Litchfield's summer festivals, and during the 2026 Centennial year when many weekends are projected to fill weeks in advance. Booking 30 to 60 days ahead during peak Route 66 season is strongly recommended.

Check-in is at 3pm and check-out is at 11am. Early check-in and late check-out are accommodated when available and are generally easy to arrange on weekdays. The hotel hosts wedding-party blocks several weekends a year, particularly in spring and fall - if a wedding is in town the hotel will fill earlier, and the lobby breakfast will be busier on the morning after. Smoke-free policy is strictly enforced, with a $250 fee for in-room smoking. Pet rooms are available for a one-time fee with a 50-pound size limit and a maximum of two pets per room.

Practical tips: ask at check-in for the Route 66 driving map the hotel keeps behind the front desk - it is more detailed than the welcome center brochure and includes the staff's restaurant recommendations. Coffee is available 24 hours in the lobby, even outside breakfast hours. The pool is rarely crowded and is open until 10pm. The fitness room is small but adequate for a 30-minute workout. The property's location makes it equally convenient for travelers continuing north to Springfield, south to St. Louis, or east toward Vandalia and the National Road.