I Hotel and Illinois Conference Center

What I Hotel and Illinois Conference Center does

The I Hotel and Illinois Conference Center is a privately held, AAA Four-Diamond dual-property hospitality complex located at 1900 South First Street, Champaign, Illinois, on the south campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign adjacent to The Research Park. It operates as a joint development between Fox-Atkins Development, LLC and the University of Illinois, offering 125+ hotel rooms (King, Double Queen, and King Suite configurations) alongside 70,500+ square feet of flexible meeting and event space, including a 12,200 sq ft modern exhibit hall (Heritage Hall) with theater-style capacity of 1,200 and wedding reception capacity of 750.

The integrated product set includes on-site dining through Houlihan's Restaurant + Bar (New American cuisine) and I Cafe (Starbucks-served coffee and grab-and-go), an on-site spa (Spa at the I) offering massage and facial services, and a full-service wedding and conference planning operation supported by modern AV technology, custom digital signage, an in-house floral team, and University of Illinois Catering. Notable property features include a 2,860 sq ft green roof that reduces energy usage by 25% and limits storm water discharge by over 50%, ChargePoint EV charging stations, in-room Alexa devices, a 24-hour fitness center with Peloton bikes, complimentary breakfast, parking, and shuttle service to Willard Airport and campus buildings.

The business model is primarily transactional, monetizing room nights, event/banquet bookings, F&B, spa, and add-on packages (e.g., the $30 Perfect Staycation, $25 local beer four-pack, $20 wine bottle). The property reaches customers through its own direct booking engine, RFP-driven enterprise sales, OpenTable and DoorDash for F&B, and listings on CVENT, Eventective, Wedding Wire, The Knot, and Zola, with a small sales team (49 total employees) handling group blocks and event coordination. Customer segments are diversified across university/Research Park visitors, corporate meeting planners, wedding parties, and local restaurant patrons, with the university ecosystem functioning as the primary demand anchor.

Name

I Hotel and Illinois Conference Center

Legal name

The I Hotel and Illinois Conference Center

Website

https://stayatthei.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The I Hotel and Illinois Conference Center is an AAA Four-Diamond hotel and 70,500+ sq ft conference center in Champaign, IL, jointly developed by Fox-Atkins Development and the University of Illinois. It serves university visitors, corporate event planners, and wedding parties with on-site dining, spa, and EV/sustainability amenities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hotel and Conference Center Hospitality

NAICS

Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (72111)

SIC

Hotels & Motels (7011)

akta.pro primary industry

Convention Center–Adjacent/Connected Hotels (THAGALAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Integrated Convention & Expo Complex Hotels (THAGALAE), Conference Centers & Dedicated Meeting Venues (THAHAAAB)

Keywords

• Hotel accommodations
• Conference center
• Wedding venues
• Event catering
• Hospitality services

Headquarters

HQ city

Champaign

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Hotel Accommodations: Over 125 luxurious hotel rooms including King rooms, Double Queen rooms, and King suites. Rooms feature modern amenities including 55" HD LED TVs, Alexa, rainfall showers, Keurig coffee makers, in-room refrigerators and safes. Complimentary breakfast, parking, and high-speed fiber Wi-Fi included with stays.
2. Conference Center Venue Rentals: Over 70,500 square-feet of flexible meeting and event space including Heritage Hall (11,500 sq ft), Illinois Ballroom (6,374 sq ft), Chancellor Ballroom (3,893 sq ft), and numerous smaller meeting rooms. Serves corporate meetings, conferences, seminars, social gatherings, and weddings with up to 1,200 theater-style seating capacity.
3. Houlihan's Restaurant & Bar: Full-service New American cuisine restaurant and bar open Monday-Saturday for lunch (11am-2pm) and dinner (5pm-9pm kitchen, 10pm bar). Offers catering, take-out, delivery via DoorDash. Features live music on patio during summer (Thursdays 6-8pm). Lunch combos starting at $10.95.
4. Spa Services: Massage therapy and facial services provided by Tracy Brake with 23 years of experience. Services include relaxation massage (30/60/90 min: $75/$125/$165), Express Refresh Facial ($75), Signature Balance Facial ($125), Ultimate Revival Facial ($165), and add-on services ($35 each). Available Tuesday-Saturday 10am-7pm.
5. Stay Enhancements and Add-ons: Optional add-on packages including Perfect Staycation ($30 with wine/beer and early/late checkout), Cheers to Locally Brewed Beer ($25), Wine is Poetry in a Bottle ($20), and various spa treatments.
6. Catering Services: Full-service catering through University of Illinois Catering team or in-house Houlihan's team for events. Both menus provide distinct choices for weddings, corporate events, and social gatherings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

I Hotel and Illinois Conference Center operates an upscale AAA Four-Diamond hotel with over 125 rooms (King, Double Queen, and Suites) connected to the Illinois Conference Center, which provides more than 70,500 square feet of flexible meeting and event space for corporate meetings, conferences, weddings, and social gatherings. The property also offers on-site dining (Houlihan's Restaurant + Bar and I Cafe), a spa (Spa at the I), and complimentary amenities including breakfast, parking, shuttle service, and a fitness center.

Product overview

I Hotel and Illinois Conference Center is a dual-property hospitality complex offering a unified guest experience. The core offering consists of AAA Four-Diamond rated hotel accommodations (125+ rooms including King, Double Queen, and Suite options) connected to the Illinois Conference Center (70,000+ sq ft of event space). On-site dining is available through Houlihan's Restaurant + Bar and I Cafe, while Spa at the I provides massage and facial treatments. The portfolio is complemented by stay enhancement packages, full wedding services, and conference/meeting planning. All properties share complimentary amenities including breakfast, parking, shuttle service, fitness center, and EV charging stations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hotel Accommodations AAA Four-Diamond rated hotel with over 125 rooms including King Rooms, Double Queen Rooms, and King Suites. Rooms feature 55" HD LED TVs, Alexa voice-activated devices, rainfall showers, Keurig coffee makers, in-room refrigerators and safes, and access to complimentary breakfast, high-speed fiber Wi-Fi, and parking.
• Illinois Conference Center Event Venue Rentals

Quantifiable outcome

• Green roof reduces energy usage by 25% through decreased roof temperatures
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Fox-Atkins Development, LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint development partner with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for the I Hotel and Illinois Conference Center property. Represents the real estate development partnership that created the facility.
• University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint development partner with Fox-Atkins Development, LLC. The university partnership provides campus proximity, research park integration, and access to university community for events and accommodations.
• University of Illinois CateringcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides full-service catering options for events at the Illinois Conference Center alongside the in-house Houlihan's team, offering distinct menu choices for weddings, corporate events, and social gatherings.
• Houlihan's Restaurant & BarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn-house restaurant and bar providing New American cuisine for hotel guests and conference attendees. Also provides catering services for events and operates the I Cafe within the hotel.
• University of Illinois Research ParkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnology hub for corporate research and development operations located adjacent to the hotel, with over 120 companies employing students and full-time technology professionals.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The Blackwell Hotel and Conference Center (Ohio State University): University-affiliated hotel and conference center on Ohio State's campus. Highly comparable operating model — a hotel with attached conference center serving corporate, academic, and social events in a college town.
• Hotel at Clemson (The Inn at Clemson): University-affiliated hotel adjacent to Clemson University in Clemson, SC. Comparable campus-anchored upscale property serving university visitors, athletic event attendees, and corporate meetings in a similar secondary-market setting.
• The Inn at Penn (Philadelphia): Upscale hotel located on the University of Pennsylvania campus in Philadelphia. Directly comparable to the I Hotel in that it is a university-affiliated upscale property with integrated conference/event facilities and a strong academic-corporate demand mix.
• Gateway Hotel and Conference Center (Iowa State University): Hotel and conference center in Ames, IA affiliated with Iowa State University. Similar Midwestern university-adjacent positioning with attached conference facilities and a comparable regional market profile to Champaign-Urbana.
• Graduate Ann Arbor (Hotel at the University of Michigan): University-adjacent upscale hotel in Ann Arbor, MI operated by Graduate Hotels. Closest comparable to the I Hotel given its similar campus-anchored positioning, university-affiliated demand base, and premium (boutique-upscale) service standard.

Others

• Visit Champaign County (Experience CU): Destination marketing organization for the Champaign-Urbana region. Not a competitor but an ecosystem partner that drives referral traffic to the I Hotel and shares in the local tourism positioning of the property.
• University of Illinois Catering Services: In-house university catering operation that co-provides catering services at the Illinois Conference Center alongside Houlihan's. Sister/partner organization under the joint-venture ownership structure rather than a direct competitor.

Regional players

• Eastland Suites Hotel and Conference Center: Independent hotel and conference center in Bloomington, IL, also in the Central Illinois market. Competes with the I Hotel for regional corporate meetings, weddings, and group bookings in the same geography.
• Hilton Garden Inn Champaign/Urbana: National-brand hotel in the Champaign/Urbana market. Competes for transient and group demand with chain-affiliated revenue management and distribution scale that an independent premium property must counter.
• Hyatt Place Champaign/Urbana: Select-service chain hotel located in Champaign/Urbana. Direct local competitor for business and university travel demand, offering brand-affiliated loyalty benefits and corporate booking channels that the I Hotel must compete against.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ihotel
• Facebookfacebook.com/ihotel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/i-hotel-and-conference-center
• Instagraminstagram.com/ihotelcu

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about I Hotel and Illinois Conference Center