This quaint and tastefully decorated boutique hotel is very conveniently located in close proximity to Starved Rock State Park (which is a huge plus in itself). We have been familiar with this wonderful two-story "western"-themed hotel (on the main drag in the small, but interesting and historic town of Utica) for six years. The outside, currently, could benefit from some love in the form of freshening paint, but the building has a natural "charm" that is very appealing. A very large covered porch invites each lower level room occupant to sit in an old-fashioned wooden rocking chair outside their door. Here one can feel the laid back and outdoorsy vacation vibe of passers-by enjoying the small shops in Utica or on their way to hike the trails at Starved Rock State Park. We stayed in the "Pinto Suite" which is spacious, tastefully decorated and includes a full kitchen. More enjoyably, it also offers a fireplace directly in front of a large and modern whirlpool jetted tub. If you do it right, you won't even need the big TV in the bedroom :-). The bed, itself, could (and should) be upgraded. A modern 4 inch memory foam mattress topper (at a minimum) would GREATLY improve the comfort of the seriously-dated, old-fashioned and lightly padded (very firm) mattress-box springs combination. Some of what the bed is lacking is made-up-for by the home-made breakfast brought to your room at your time of choosing. Management/staff is very welcoming and willing to please. They also have a couple of pet-friendly rooms, and they pleasantly accommodated our service dog (even bringing him his own breakfast). This wonderful lodging opportunity has become one of our favorites. It is under-utilized, very deserving of your business(especially with some mattress improvements and perhaps a small rate reduction) and could be expected to be the busy and bustling business that it clearly wants to be (perhaps we should have kept it as our secret). Give it a try and enjoy all that the area has to offer.
