President Abraham Lincoln Springfield, a DoubleTree by Hilton

The building opened as the St. Nicholas Hotel in November 1929 — completed just weeks after the Wall Street stock market crash that initiated the Great Depression. The hotel was financed and developed by a Springfield consortium led by businessman A.L. Bradish during the late-1920s commercial real estate boom, and the building's substantial 11-story height made it one of the tallest commercial structures in downtown Springfield at the time. The architecture is a competent example of late-1920s commercial Tudor Revival with limestone trim, decorative brickwork, and a distinctive corner tower at the 7th and Adams intersection.

The St. Nicholas operated through the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s as downtown Springfield's premier full-service hotel, hosting Illinois state officials during legislative sessions, traveling Route 66 motorists looking for a higher-end downtown option, and the kinds of business and political events that constituted Springfield's primary commercial life. The hotel's ballroom on the top floor hosted decades of Illinois political fundraisers, charitable galas, and major wedding receptions; many Springfield residents have grandparents or great-grandparents who held wedding receptions at the St. Nicholas during the mid-20th century.

Like many mid-20th-century downtown American hotels, the St. Nicholas declined through the 1970s and 1980s as suburban hotels with parking and modern room layouts attracted business away from downtown locations. The property went through multiple ownership transitions during this period before being acquired in the 2000s by a hospitality investor group that committed to substantial renovation and rebranding. The renamed President Abraham Lincoln hotel reopened with full DoubleTree by Hilton franchise affiliation in the 2010s.

The 316 guest rooms span 11 floors with several different room categories. Standard rooms typically run 320-380 square feet with one king or two queen beds, modern bathrooms with walk-in showers (some upper-floor rooms have soaking tubs), large flat-screen TVs, work desks, and Keurig coffee. Higher-floor rooms have notably good views — north-facing rooms see the Illinois State Capitol dome and downtown Springfield's lower skyline; south-facing rooms see the Lincoln-site cluster and the residential neighborhoods south of downtown.

Suite categories include junior suites, one-bedroom suites with separate living areas, and a small number of larger executive suites on the upper floors. The President's Suite — a roughly 1,200-square-foot two-bedroom suite on the top floor, named after Lincoln and decorated with Lincoln-themed art — is occasionally available for special-occasion bookings at substantially higher rates. The Illinois governor's office occasionally uses the suite for state ceremonial purposes when the actual governor's mansion is unavailable.

Amenities include a heated indoor swimming pool (open 7 AM to 10 PM), a 24-hour fitness center with modern cardio and weight equipment, a full-service business center, complimentary Wi-Fi throughout the property, self-parking in an attached garage (currently $15/night), and valet parking ($25/night). The hotel is pet-friendly with a $75 cleaning fee per stay; the DoubleTree standard warm chocolate-chip cookies are provided at check-in.

Lindsay's Restaurant is the hotel's primary on-site dining venue — a full-service American restaurant on the ground floor open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a menu that emphasizes Midwestern comfort food with contemporary preparation. The restaurant's menu includes classic American breakfast items (eggs Benedict, omelets, pancakes, breakfast meats), lunch sandwiches and salads, and dinner entrées centered on steaks, fish, and Midwestern specialties. Per-person dinner spend runs $30-50 plus drinks; the breakfast buffet ($18-22) is the standard hotel-guest morning option.

The hotel's lobby bar — also on the ground floor, adjacent to Lindsay's — operates from late afternoon through late evening with a respectable cocktail program, a moderate wine list, and a selection of Illinois craft beers. The bar is a popular gathering point for Illinois legislators and lobbyists during state legislative sessions and for visiting historians and Lincoln scholars during major Lincoln-related events at the ALPLM.

For visitors who want to walk to dinner rather than eat on-property, the surrounding downtown Springfield restaurant scene is genuinely strong. Maldaner's (an upscale American restaurant on East Adams Street, two blocks west of the hotel) is the city's most-recommended fine-dining option. Saputo's Italian Restaurant (a Springfield institution since 1948, three blocks north of the hotel) is the standard recommendation for Italian comfort food. Engrained Brewing — slightly further south on MacArthur Boulevard — is the city's most-respected craft brewery with substantial food menu.

The hotel's primary attraction for tourist guests is its walkable proximity to every major Springfield Lincoln site. The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum is three blocks west (a 5-minute walk). The Lincoln Home National Historic Site is five blocks southeast (a 10-minute walk). The Old State Capitol — where Lincoln delivered his famous 1858 "House Divided" speech — is four blocks west (an 8-minute walk). The Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices (where Lincoln practiced law from 1843-1852) are four blocks west (an 8-minute walk). The Lincoln Depot (where Lincoln gave his 1861 farewell address) is roughly six blocks east (a 12-minute walk).

Walking between these sites rather than driving substantially improves the Springfield Lincoln experience. Parking is limited and metered at most downtown sites; the walking distances are modest and the surrounding downtown neighborhoods have substantial 19th and early-20th-century architectural character. Hotel guests can leave their cars in the attached parking garage for the duration of their Springfield day and walk to every major Lincoln site without difficulty.

For visitors who want to extend their Springfield exploration beyond walking distance, the hotel's front desk can arrange rideshare service to Lincoln's Tomb State Historic Site (approximately 2 miles north at Oak Ridge Cemetery), the Cozy Dog Drive In (approximately 3 miles south on South 6th Street), and the Illinois State Capitol building (six blocks west of the hotel — technically walkable but a slightly longer walk than the Lincoln-site cluster).

Standard rates run $130-220 per night depending on season and day of week. The hotel's pricing is generally lower on weekdays (Sunday through Wednesday) and higher on weekends (Thursday through Saturday) outside of major event periods. Major Springfield events that drive rates substantially higher include the Illinois State Fair (typically the second and third weeks of August, with rates often exceeding $300/night), the International Route 66 Mother Road Festival (typically late September, rates $250-300), and Lincoln-anniversary observances.

For Route 66 road-trippers driving the full Illinois corridor, the President Abraham Lincoln is the natural overnight stop at the midpoint of the 301-mile Illinois Route 66 route. The standard Illinois Route 66 itinerary calls for an overnight in Chicago (the corridor's eastern terminus), a second overnight in Springfield (the midpoint), and a final overnight either in Litchfield, Granite City, or onward in St. Louis (Missouri side, just across the Mississippi River from the Illinois corridor's western terminus). The hotel handles substantial Route 66 traveler volume during peak tourism months.

Booking through hilton.com or the Hilton Honors app generally produces the best available rates and adds Hilton Honors loyalty points for stays. Hilton Honors Gold and Diamond status members receive complimentary breakfast and other amenity upgrades that substantially improve the hotel value. The hotel also runs occasional Lincoln-themed package promotions that bundle the room with ALPLM admission and other Lincoln-site discounts; these promotions are published on the hotel website and are particularly attractive for first-time Lincoln-site visitors.