Prairie Inn

Hotels
8 (804 reviews)
264 Bear River Drive , Evanston , US

Free
Children allowed

Facilities

WiFi available
Free WiFi
Parking
Free Parking
Non-smoking rooms
Air conditioning
Business center
Heating
Family rooms
Pets allowed
See all facilities

Review Highlights

Pros:
Clean rooms
Helpful staff
Large rooms
Good price
Cons:
Outdated furnishings
Missing amenities
Disappointing breakfast

Categories

Cleanliness
8.08
Guests have noted the cleanliness of the rooms but experienced issues with the heater.
Service
8.55
Staff was respectful and communicative, with helpful service noted in some reviews.
Location
8.59
Close to highway location was appreciated, with ease of access mentioned.
Room Quality
8.04
Rooms were large and comfortable, but some reviews cited outdated furnishings.
Amenities
7.57
Amenities noted as lacking, with missing items like coffee pots and a disappointing breakfast.
Value for Money
8.03
Guests felt they received good value considering the price paid.
Food and Beverage
7.08
Breakfast options were minimal and not satisfactory for some guests.
Overall Experience
8.05
Overall positive experience despite some drawbacks; guests would return.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2026-01-10 00:53

Property Description

Convenient Location
Situated just 1 mile from the charming Evanston town center, Prairie Inn offers easy access to local attractions and dining options.

Comfortable Amenities
Each spacious guest room comes equipped with a microwave, small fridge, and a cable TV with HBO, ensuring a comfortable stay for all guests.

Convenience at Your Fingertips
Enjoy the convenience of free Wi-Fi, daily continental breakfast, and a guest launderette during your stay at Evanston Prairie Inn.

Experience comfort and convenience at Prairie Inn during your visit to Evanston. Book now to secure your stay!

Important information:

You must show a valid photo ID and credit card upon check-in. Please note that all special requests cannot be guaranteed and are subject to availability upon check-in. Additional charges may apply.

Front desk is only open from 8:30 am to 11 pm every day.Guests are required to show a photo ID and credit card upon check-in. Please note that all Special Requests are subject to availability and additional charges may apply.
A deposit may be required at the property.

Check-in and check-out hours:
Check-out: 11:00 AM

Location

Guest Reviews

8
Based on 804 reviews
Cleanliness: 8.08
Service: 8.55
Location: 8.59
Room Quality: 8.04
Amenities: 7.57
Value for Money: 8.03
Food and Beverage: 7.08
Overall Experience: 8.05
J
Jim • solo_traveller • us
10
2026-11-06 • via Nuitee
J
Jeff • couple • us
8
I would recommend this place, good breakfast.
Pros:

It was a wonderful little place. Very clean and friendly. All on one level and no stairs. Plenty of parking as well had a trailer.

2026-11-04 • via Nuitee
S
Susan • couple • lu
8
Huge room with 2 queen beds. Clean and tidy. Perfect for a stop on the way through town.
2026-10-30 • via Nuitee
T
Thomas • couple • us
10
2026-10-27 • via Nuitee
R
Ruth • couple • us
9
Highly recommend!
Pros:

Great location, great rate, right next to Jody’s Diner. Comfortable spacious room and very clean.

Cons:

Our room had a slow drain sink. So you had to use water sparingly, which is a good thing. Probably fixed by now.

2026-10-22 • via Nuitee
C
Chad • solo_traveller • us
10
2026-10-22 • via Nuitee
E
Eve • solo_traveller • us
7
It's a dependable stay for your road adventures that take you through Evanston.
Pros:

I have stayed at the Prairie Inn a number of times over the years. The rooms are large and always clean. You can park right next to your room. They always have a carb lovers dream choice of snacks in the am and coffee items.

Cons:

They have always had plumbing issues that never seem to be fixed. Just expect a leaky tap on one of the sinks or bathtubs. I seem to have one every time. I just close the bathroom door and let them know,

2026-10-16 • via Nuitee
G
George • couple • us
10
Fantastic...we will be back
Pros:

The room was much larger than we had expected... Was easy access to vehicle for unloading and loading.... Room was extremely clean & comfortable...& The staff was great! Helpful, friendly & very resourceful.... Along with accommodating... It will be our go to place when traveling in the area...wish all hotels were like this one....it's ashame they all are not ...A Big thank you to the entire staff at the prairie inn.

Cons:

What we didn't like ....was leaving.... We loved our stay at the prairie inn.

2026-10-12 • via Nuitee
R
Regan • solo_traveller • us
10
Pros:

Location was great!

Cons:

TV was to small.

2026-10-11 • via Nuitee
K
Ken • couple • us
9
I'll be Back.
Pros:

Nice bed. Everything was clean. Coffee and pastries in the morning. vintage design from the 60s. Manager was very accommodating. This is the way we did it in the 60s and 70s! Stay here you won't regret it

Cons:

Sorry to leave so soon.

2026-10-09 • via Nuitee
J
Jane • couple • us
10
2026-10-08 • via Nuitee
S
Sekhar • extended_group • in
10
2026-10-08 • via Nuitee
T
Ted • couple • us
8
Always stay at Prairie when in Evanston
2026-10-08 • via Nuitee
J
John • solo_traveller • us
8
2026-10-08 • via Nuitee
K
Kensey • family_with_children • us
10
2026-10-08 • via Nuitee
C
Craig • couple • us
8
It was a great place to stop over on our trip from Oregon to Virginia.
Pros:

It was a great price for a basic motel room. It was very basic but met our needs very well.

Cons:

The breakfast was pretty basic but adequate.

2026-10-08 • via Nuitee
J
Janice • couple • us
9
2026-09-19 • via Nuitee
J
Jenny • extended_group • us
9
Pros:

Affordable, clean, locations is great. Staff are welcoming.

Cons:

Faucets are hard to turn but no big deal

2026-09-17 • via Nuitee
M
Matthijs • family_with_children • nl
1
Do not stay here
Pros:

The location was convienent

Cons:

The desk closed an hour early, so we arrived to a closed hotel. Our phones were being difficult but a step father of an employee arrived with us so he came out to tell us our keys were under the mat. So far, so good. After roughly half an hour we, my brother in another room found a lot of hair on the matrass and all pillows AND 4 bottles of heavy alcohol underneath the matrass and I, in my room, on two of my pillows and matrass also found a lot of black hair. We were disgusted. After calling booking.com, given the time and our phones being difficult + high phone costs, we moved to a different hotel. Booking reinsured us that they got it and let us know we didn't have to pay for this hotel. The next morning, Prairie Inn made us a no show (rectified later). The unfriendly tone in the private chat about the extra costs (price difference with the new hotel plus phone costs to booking.com, in total around €90), which they refuse to pay, made this an experience we rather forget. The hotel blamed us for not calling them (but with a flight the next morning we didn't want to deal with that and we had no confidence in this hotel anymore), yet calling it a joke that we claim phone costs. We are very, very angry and even more disappointed. Do not stay here. Hopefully booking.com will do something about this, but the hotel is not going to do anything besides claiming I have to deal with this through booking (and booking tells me the hotel does not want to settle to anything).

Edit, given the response:
I indeed was not charged because I made sure I wasn't, but somebody (either Booking.com or you) tried multiple times. We were at the hotel from 20:54 till 22:20. That includes getting our stuffed we unpacked, taking pictures/video and calling Booking.com. I'll upload the pictures as proof for others to see, as you say we scam you. YOU SCAMMED US! And read: I say private chat, not on the phone. Phone costs are for calling Booking.com.

2026-09-17 • via Nuitee
K
Kenneth • solo_traveller • us
8
2026-09-16 • via Nuitee