For me, the only thing that could have made our stays at Inn at Water's Edge any better was if the hotel were located in Paris or Brussels or California wine country. It's a boutique hotel stay at a budget motor lodge price.
We have stayed at Inn at Water's Edge twice, both times in a queen room. Each time our room was spacious and spotless. Furniture and fixtures are of clean modern lines, natural tones, and variations in texture: espresso, sandstone, ivory, black, silver, leather, metal, tweed, travertine, glass. Our rooms included not only a desk and upholstered chair, but also a sofa and two leather ottomans/tables. In some hotels the mere addition of the sofa/seating area would designate the room as a suite and bump up the cost significantly. WiFi and cable TV were available, of course.
The large, well-appointed bathroom featured a generously-sized travertine walk-in shower and had the quietest toilet I've ever encountered. The furnishings are upscale and modern. I was smitten with the locally handcrafted organic French lavender & chamomile bar soap. The shampoo and conditioner were an eco-friendly line from Gilchrist & Soames, a provider of toiletries to upscale and luxury hotels worldwide.
All rooms are located on the upper floor of the Culinary & Hospitality Center -- accessible by key only -- and have floor to ceiling windows overlooking the lake next to The Mac. The view during our July stay was especially lovely as there were "islands" of flowers in bloom in the water. We had the surprising pleasure of watching a Great Blue Heron land and fish from one of the flower islands!
Our November stay was more exciting than we bargained for. Our check out day happened to be the day of the tornado outbreak. I can assure you Inn at Water's Edge (& Waterleaf) have plans & procedures in place for your safety. Twice we were summoned by the alarm to ride out the threat on the first floor of the CHC. Glen Ellyn was, fortunately, spared that day. Many towns downstate were not so fortunate.
One of my favorite parts of staying at the Inn is breakfast. There's an intimate lounge on the west end of the floor where the rooms are. You'll be treated to a continental breakfast plus. There is espresso, coffee, and a selection of teas. There is an assortment of fruit and pastries. There is housemade granola. But the most wonderful part of breakfast is the housemade yogurt. You have never had yogurt this good! In fact, I would book a room just so I can have the yogurt. With a bit of honey and some granola or fruit ... heaven!
I can't praise the staff at the Inn enough. I've not encountered a more professional or friendly staff at any other hotel in any price range.They make you feel welcome. They make you feel special. They make you feel like you're getting away from it all even if, like us, you're a mere 5 miles from home.
Fully and highly recommended. read more