As the county seat of Will County, Joliet is the fourth largest city in Illinois. The first settler in the area, Charles Reed, built a cabin along the Des Plaines River in 1833, right after the Black Hawk War. The following year, James B. Campbell, the treasurer of the canal commissioners, planned “Juliet” village, which was the name locals had used before his arrival. The community's name was changed from “Juliet” to “Joliet” in 1845, and the city was officially incorporated in 1852.
Joliet has mainly served as a manufacturing hub over the years, experiencing economic troubles with each recession. The city continues to evolve, however, thanks to its close proximity to Chicago. In fact, many residents who live in Joliet choose to work in nearby Cook and DuPage counties, making Joliet a popular commuter town.
For travelers visiting the Chicago area, Joliet has served as a convenient home base for exploring the nearby area, but it offers its own attractions that are worth visiting. Whatever your reasons for traveling to Joliet, it's important that you find the right hotel that allows you to enjoy everything this wonderful exurb has to offer.
When to Visit Joliet, IL
Summers in Joliet get hot thanks to its humid continental climate, so the best times to visit are in April and May or September and October. Hotel rates and temperatures are most reasonable during this time of year, and several outdoor festivals take place in the spring and fall.
Summers also come with their own festivals in Joliet, but the average temperature in July is 86 degrees, so pack accordingly. In fact, high temperatures from June to August average in the low-to-mid 80s, but with increased humidity during the summer months, the city can feel much hotter. Tourism is also at its peak in the summertime, which results in increased hotel rates.
Winters in Joliet are cold and snowy, with the city seeing about 24 inches of snowfall each year. The average lows in January hover around 15 degrees, which tends to keep the tourist crowd away. If you're hoping for reduced hotel rates, winter is a great time to visit — just be prepared for frigid temperatures.
Below is a chart of the current pricing seasonality of hotels and motels in Joliet, IL:
Joliet by Star Rating
Below we've posted 3 graphs demonstrating mean price patterns by star rating class in Joliet, IL. You can use these line graphs to calculate the best dates to book in Joliet for your upcoming travels.
Luxury Hotel Options in Joliet, IL
4 Star Average Prices: £118.19
While Joliet offers a wide range of hotel options, it doesn't have what you'd consider to be luxury accommodations. Nearby Chicago and its outskirts, however, offer plenty of luxury options that provide easy access to Joliet.
Hotel Arista is a four-star accommodation near I-88 that's less than 10 miles from the Hollywood Casino and Paramount Theatre. Modern guest rooms boast free Wi-Fi access, 42-inch flat-screen TVs, and marble bathrooms with low-flow water fixtures, separate showers, and soaking rubs. Room service is available, and upgrading to a suite gets you floor-to-ceiling windows and a separate living area. Additional amenities include a high-end spa, fitness center, free parking, and on-site dining options.
The Hyatt Regency Lisle near Naperville is just 30 minutes from Joliet and Chicago's Loop district. Situated near the Morton Arboretum off I-88, this four-star property features contemporary rooms with sitting areas, pull-out sofas, work desks, mini fridges, flat-screen TVs, and free internet access. The hotel also offers an on-site lounge and gourmet restaurant, as well as a heated-indoor pool, business center, and fitness room.
If you must stay in Joliet and want something a bit more upscale, consider booking a room at Harrah's Joliet Hotel downtown. Situated next to the Des Plaines River, this popular casino hotel offers classic guest rooms with all the amenities. In addition to the casino, you also have access to an upscale steakhouse, a buffet restaurant, a Starbucks, a live music venue, and a cocktail bar.
Affordable Hotel Options in Joliet, IL
3 Star Average Prices: £93.15
Finding an affordable hotel in Joliet is easy if you know where to look. Lexington Inn & Suites – Joliet/Plainfield/I-55 North is a two-star property conveniently located off I-55 at exit 257 across the street from the Louis Joliet Mall. Guest rooms are simply furnished, and you'll enjoy a full range of amenities, including Wi-Fi, an indoor pool, cable television with HBO, guest laundry facilities, a 24-hour front desk, in-room mini-fridges, coffeemakers, microwaves, and hair dryers. This hotel is also close to the historic Rialto Theater and the University of St. Francis.
Motel 6 is another affordable option off I-55 that offers everything you need for a comfortable, quiet stay. The modern guest rooms include granite countertops, wood floors, flat-screen TVs with expanded cable, and paid Wi-Fi internet access. Some rooms even feature mini-fridges and microwaves, and kids under 17 stay free.
If you prefer a lodging off I-80, consider the Red Roof Inn Chicago – Joliet. Located just three miles from Rialto Square Theatre, this budget accommodation places you within easy access of Haunted Trails Family Amusement Park and Chicagoland Speedway. Guestrooms are warmly decorated and offer flat-screen TVs, free Wi-Fi, mini fridges, coffeemakers, and microwaves. You can even bring a pet!
Other affordable hotel options in Joliet include Super 8 Romeoville Bolingbrook and Super 8 Joliet I-55 N/Chicago.
2 Star Average Prices: £79.98
Best Discounts in Joliet, IL
If you know where to stay, you can save even more money on your trip to Joliet by taking advantage of money-saving discounts. The Red Roof Inn Chicago Joliet, for example, offers AAA discounts that allow members to save up to 15 percent off the best available rates. The Red Roof Inn also extends special discounts to students and those in town for sporting events.
Many local hotels offer the AAA discount in addition to senior and AARP member rates. Government and military families can also enjoy reduced rates at popular hotel chains across Joliet. Comfort Inn on Commerce Lane, for instance, offers special corporate rates, state government rates, and military rates in addition to AAA and senior rates. With Comfort Inn, you can also take advantage of Choice Privileges Rewards. If you have a favorite hotel chain, research available reward programs to start saving on future trips.
Best Value Options in Joliet, IL
Joliet offers many mid-range hotels that give you plenty of value for the money. Fairfield Inn Joliet South is a straightforward property off I-80 that offers flat-screen TVs with premium cable channels, work desks, free Wi-Fi, coffeemakers, and microwaves, all in beautiful, contemporary rooms. Upgraded rooms throw in separate living spaces, pull-out sofas, and mini fridges. Guests can enjoy the free hot breakfast buffet. Additional amenities include a whirlpool, indoor pool, and business center.
Best Western Joliet Inn & Suites is a relaxed property close to Chicagoland Speedway and Harrah's Joliet Casino. Guests can enjoy the included hot or continental breakfast, complimentary parking, sunroom, hot tub, heated indoor pool, business center, and exercise room. Guest rooms are unpretentious and offer kitchenettes, coffeemakers, free Wi-Fi, and flat-screen TVs.
For travelers looking for extended-stay accommodations, consider booking a room at TownePlace Suites Joliet South. This property offers modern studio suites with full kitchens, pull-out sofas, flat-screen TVs, free Wi-Fi, and work desks with ergonomic chairs. Upgrading to a one- or two-bedroom suite gives you extra living space. Guests can also enjoy the on-site patio, exercise room, whirlpool, and indoor pool.
Top Things to Do in Joliet, IL
You might feel tempted to forgo Joliet's attractions in favor of Chicago's, but you'd miss out. Joliet offers a variety of historic sites and cultural attractions that make visits worthwhile. Rialto Square Theatre, for instance, opened in 1926 as a vaudeville movie palace. Today, it retains its historic charm while putting on some of the area's best concerts, plays, musicals, and standup comedy acts.
If you like racing, visit Chicagoland Speedway. The track hosts NASCAR racing, including the Chase for the Sprint Cup opening event. If you're hoping to visit the track, plan your trip around the speedway's event schedule.
Harrah's Joliet Casino is another popular attraction for those who seek modern entertainment. Even if you don't stay on-site, the casino provides more than 200 video poker games, a poker room, table games, and more than 1,100 slot machines for visitors to enjoy. You also don't need to be a guest here to take advantage of the venue's on-site dining options.
History buffs should visit the Joliet Area Historical Museum on Ottawa Street. Boasting an affordable entrance fee, this museum gives visitors the perfect chance to learn about Joliet's history. The venue even features special exhibits and events throughout the year, enticing visitors to return.
Exploring all that Joliet and nearby Chicago have to offer is a tall order, but no matter what's on your list of must-sees, your time here will include plenty of good food, entertainment, and cultural education. No matter your hotel needs, Joliet offers something for everyone.
'Success if never accidental. It depends on how many details you can address. Making every detail perfect “ and bringing the number of details to a manageable perfect is my recipe of success.
Jack Dorsey, founder of global social media phenomenon Twitter, summed up his ideas of success and his ways to achieve it. Dorsey, by a handsome distance, is the most well-known resident of the city of Fairmont, IL.
The official name of the place is ˜Fairmont City'. It would be a rather ambitious overstatement to call Fairmont a city, simply because it does not stand to any criterion of being called one.
It is not spread across large expanses of land. It does not house hundreds of thousands of people in its houses and apartments. It does not have dozens of corporate offices and towers. It does not have umpteen number of schools, colleges and universities. It does not attract companies to set up their corporate houses. Not too many fashionable brands of Milan, Paris or even New York can be found in malls here. Rest aside, it does not even have its own nickname.
What, then, makes Fairmont a permanent tourist fixture of moderately important significance, if not anything else?
It has to be the way it presents itself. It's a beautiful little town that is picturesque in any way and from any angle you choose to look at it. It is a nifty little town with all the virtues and the follies that small towns are supposed to have. Just like how Sinclair Lewis described a fictional town of ˜Gopher Prairie' in his acclaimed novel ˜Main Street', Fairmont has all the ebbs and flows that make life in such a place a beautiful puzzle.
In recent years, tourism in Fairmont has grown in stature because of its reputation as a quiet retreat, especially for professionals in Chicago who, at times, seem to get bogged down because of the pressure of leading modern life of stress and competition.
Budget Accommodation Options in Fairmont
As most of our readers who also happen to be informed and experienced (well-traveled, of course) tourists would agree, the only feasible option one is left with when they try to truncate their holiday expenses is by staying at cheap hotels, rather than staying at luxury resorts.
In that sense, tourists would be best advised not to expect too much from a city like Fairmont. This statement stems mainly from the fact that the number of hotels in Fairmont is limited to begin with. The number of hotel rooms on offer are extremely inadequate when one considers the growing trend of tourism in this part of the state.
Despite that, if one is forced to look for cheap hotels here in Fairmont, Indiana Mound Hotel is perhaps the best choice they would come up with. It is a very simple property that will allow you a comfortable and cosy night's sleep without much trouble. Fitted with free WiFi and satellite TV, the hotel is good enough to expect comfort of the most basic kind.
Another similar property in Fairmont is Royal Relax Inn. It is slightly more expensive than Indiana Mound Hotel, but definitely worth it.
Luxury Stay in Fairmont
The chief motivator of a reason that most tourists have for traveling to calm and quiet places like Fairmont is to get away from the chaos and anarchy of daily life and spend some quality time with one's own self or loved ones in tranquil surroundings that give you a chance to take a breather. It is extremely important, as many would agree, to keep yourself fresh and primed to take on more work and maintain your efficiency.
What better way, then, would there be to unwind than to spend a few nights in a luxury hotel surrounded by utmost extremes of natural beauty in a place like Fairmont?
But as luck would have it, luxury hotels in Fairmont simply do not exist. If you really wish to stay at a luxury hotel, then the best plan of action for you to adopt would be to make a short trip to St Louis, MO (around 6 km from Fairmont) and stay at one of many luxury resorts that it houses.
Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark (8 km from Fairmont) and Four Seasons St. Louis (6.5 km from Fairmont) are two prime candidates in this segment.
Hotels Near The Airport in Fairmont
Fairmont, just like most other things of grandeur, has to rely on St. Louis for air traffic. Majority of people arriving in Fairmont use the St. Louis Domestic & International Airport as their local port of entry.
This works well as St. Louis is easily accessible from Fairmont by road. As explained earlier, Fairmont has very limited options of accommodation. So, finding a good hotel in St. Louis and then commuting to and fro between Fairmont and St. Louis could be a better strategy for tourists, than to book one among a handful of Fairmont hotels.
Sights to See and Do in Fairmont
A trip to Fairmont will indelibly be impacted and decided by what St. Louis, MO has to offer. That also applies to entertainment and sightseeing in Fairmont.
City Museum at St. Louis is the most popular tourist attraction in this area. Filled with great artefacts and educational tools about local and international history, this museum provides a great learning experience for children and adults alike.
The Gateway Arch, Jefferson National Expansion Museum and Budweiser Brewery are other places that are usually hits among Fairmont tourists.
Missouri Botanical Garden is at a manageable distance of about 12 km from Fairmont, and hence can be covered in a day along with St. Louis Zoo.
Fairmont: Best Time to Visit & Weather
Like most of the state of Illinois, Fairmont is best traveled to during summer months.
Temperatures are known to stay consistently below the freezing point during winter and hence, tourism virtually drops to nil during the months of October to February.
Months of April and May are the best in terms of weather, and arrangement of many local festivals of art and food. These months are, however, marred by inexplicably hike room tariffs by many Fairmont hotels.