Hampton Inn Joplin

The 2023 renovation completely refreshed all 110 guest rooms at Hampton Inn Joplin, bringing the property up to the current Hampton brand standard called Forever Young. New platform beds feature 13-inch hybrid mattresses with cooling gel memory foam tops, replacing the older spring mattresses that had been in service since 2008. Bedding includes the signature Hampton Cloud Nine pillow-top experience with crisp white linens, lightweight down-alternative duvets, and four pillows per bed (two firm and two soft for sleeper preference). Soft goods throughout the rooms were replaced with a contemporary blue and gray palette.

Standard king rooms include a 36-inch-by-72-inch work desk with ergonomic chair, plenty of charging outlets including bedside USB-A and USB-C, a small refrigerator with freezer compartment large enough for road trip leftovers, a 1.2-cubic-foot microwave, and a Keurig coffee maker with several pod options provided daily. The 55-inch TVs include premium cable channels and a Chromecast feature allowing guests to mirror personal devices. Bathrooms were updated with new vanities, quartz countertops, low-flow rainshower heads, and the brand's new Soft Pinch Aromatherapy bath amenities (shampoo, conditioner, body wash, lotion).

Queen rooms (two queen beds) accommodate families up to four comfortably and feature the same furniture and amenity package as the king rooms, just configured differently. Connecting room options are available for larger families, though they should be booked directly with the front desk rather than through online channels to ensure proper assignment. Several accessible rooms offer roll-in showers and grab bars for guests with mobility needs. All rooms include blackout curtains that effectively block parking lot lighting, a small but appreciated touch for travelers arriving late or sleeping in after long Route 66 driving days.

Hampton Inn Joplin serves the brand's On The House hot breakfast daily from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. weekdays and 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. weekends, with no fee for any registered guest. The buffet ranks at the top end of the Hampton brand's breakfast standards thanks to a kitchen team that takes the program seriously and refreshes hot items frequently throughout service. Standard hot offerings include scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage links, breakfast potatoes, sausage gravy with biscuits, oatmeal, and a rotating waffle station where guests can pour batter into a Belgian waffle iron and customize toppings with strawberries, blueberries, chocolate chips, syrup, and whipped cream.

Cold options include fresh fruit (typically melon, pineapple, grapes, oranges, and bananas), individual Greek yogurt cups, granola, cereals, milk, juices including freshly squeezed orange juice, hard-boiled eggs, cheese slices, sliced meats, and a substantial pastry case featuring muffins, croissants, danish, donuts, and bagels with cream cheese. Coffee is decent for hotel coffee and refilled freely; espresso drinks are available from a self-service machine at no charge. The breakfast room is spacious enough that even at peak times finding a seat is rarely difficult.

Compared to other free breakfast options in Joplin (most other limited-service hotels in the I-44 cluster), the Hampton Inn offering is meaningfully better. The quality and variety justify Hampton's positioning at the upper end of the mid-range hotel category. For Route 66 families on a budget, the breakfast value alone can justify booking Hampton over a non-breakfast competitor at a slightly lower nightly rate. The breakfast room also offers excellent free-coffee-to-go service for travelers leaving early; ask for a paper cup with a lid at the breakfast bar and fill it from the espresso machine or coffee carafes before checking out.

The Hampton Inn Joplin indoor pool is heated year-round and open daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. The pool is small but adequately sized for a family swim and rarely crowded outside of weekends and summer holiday periods. A small hot tub adjoins the pool and is appreciated by road trip travelers with sore backs and necks from long driving days. Pool deck includes about 15 lounge chairs and a small seating area; towels are stocked freely. The pool area was repainted and re-tiled during the 2023 renovation and is currently in excellent condition.

The 24-hour fitness room is small but functional with two treadmills, one elliptical, a stationary bike, free weights up to 50 pounds, resistance bands, exercise mats, and a small TV. Most equipment is recent and well-maintained. The fitness room layout is tight enough that more than three or four guests at once feels crowded, but in practice it is rarely used by more than one or two people at a time outside of early morning hours. Complementary bottled water is stocked in the fitness room.

Additional practical amenities include 24-hour business center with computer, printer, and copy/fax services free to use, 24-hour convenience pantry selling drinks, snacks, ibuprofen, and basic toiletries at reasonable prices, complimentary self-parking with RV-friendly spaces available in the rear lot, complimentary daily newspapers in the lobby, and a 24-hour front desk staffed by friendly Joplin locals who can recommend Route 66 stops, downtown dining, and day trips. The hotel does not offer a restaurant or bar on site, but several restaurants are within walking distance or a short drive including the Joplin Bar and Grille at the adjacent Holiday Inn.