Naperville Illinois Hotels & Motels

When should you visit Naperville, IL?

The best time to visit Naperville is between late spring and early fall when temperatures range from mild to warm, with highs ranging from 60 to 80 degrees, and the city is bursting with activities and events. Naperville is home to a number of festivals, from the late-summer Last Fling to RibFest to annual festivals paying tribute to jazz, wine, ale, and more.

The warm summer months are popular, so book your hotel in advance to ensure the best rates. Outdoor activities include a summer concert series in Central Park, featuring the Naperville Municipal Band, founded in 1859, and the Naperville Sportsman's Club, a public trap-shooting range. The city's self-described crown jewel is Riverwalk, a nearly 2-mile trail featuring outdoor art installations, brick pathways, fountains, and classic Midwestern covered bridges.

The linear park's old-fashioned shepherd's crook lightposts hark back to the time of its founding. That founding is celebrated at the Naper Settlement outdoor museum and Naper Homestead, where archaeological digs uncovered nearly 25,000 artifacts and parts of four different building foundations on the historic property.

Rates tend to increase in September, around the time of the Naperville Independent Film Festival (fun fact: Naperville is the hometown of Bob Odenkirk of "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul" fame). Winters can be harsh, with average low temperatures in the teens from December through February, but the city offers plenty to do inside, too, such as its award-winning library, so consider taking advantage of lower hotel rates during these chilly months.

Where are the best discounts in Naperville?

Many hotels offer discounts for AAA members, military, government, and seniors. Fairfield Inn & Suites Chicago Naperville/Aurora features a 7 percent discount for seniors at the hotel, which is less than 5 miles from Centennial Beach. Amenities include an indoor pool and spa tub, business center, complimentary buffet breakfast, and limo/town car service. As a bonus, each room is furnished with a sofa bed.

AAA members can score discounts at Towneplace Suites Naperville, where rooms feature kitchenettes and desks. Hotel amenities include a tennis court, barbecue grills, an indoor pool, a fitness center, and free hot/cold buffet breakfast. Feeling lucky? Hollywood Casino is just 6 miles away. Or get a taste of the outdoors at McDowell Grove Forest Preserve, located on the West Branch of the DuPage River.

Military members can save 7 percent at Extended Stay America Naperville, which offers a wide variety of room choices from studios to accessible options. In-room kitchens feature stovetops, refrigerators, coffee/tea makers, and microwaves. Amenities at this hotel, located directly off Interstate 88, include a picnic and barbecue area, free self-parking, 24-hour front desk, and laundry facilities.

What are the best value options in Naperville, IL?

Choices abound for mid-range hotels, with Sleep Inn in Naperville heading the list, thanks to its many amenities and great location in the city's business district. Relax in one of 67 rooms that include microwaves, refrigerators, desks, and complimentary weekday newspapers. Wi-Fi and continental breakfast are free at the hotel, which has a business center, gift shop/newsstand, fitness center, and free self-parking.

Another option that provides exceptional value is the Red Roof Plus+ Chicago Naperville, which is just 3 miles from Naper Settlement and 4 miles from Chicago Premium Outlets. This 100 percent smoke-free hotel offers free Wi-Fi, expanded basic cable package (with HBO, Discovery Channel, and Nickelodeon), free coffee in the hotel lobby, and a safe in your room. Traveling with a furry companion? The hotel is pet-friendly.

The Hampton Inn Chicago / Naperville, just five minutes from DuPage Children's Museum, offers an outdoor heated pool, business and fitness centers, meeting spaces, free Wi-Fi, and a hot breakfast buffet. Visitors who are in a hurry can also grab "On the Run" breakfast bags to go. Some rooms are furnished with sofa beds, and there are accessible options, as well.

What should travelers to Naperville, IL do or see while there?

Like most cities, Naperville has the usual museums, festivals, and parks, but it boasts a few hidden gems, too, that you aren't likely to find anywhere else. Tours of the Millennium Carillon are available after concerts, in which the giant bells are usually played by hand by a carillonneur, though they can also be played via computer.

The largest bell is the 6-ton Captain Joseph Naper Bell, named for the city's founder, located near the center of the carillon's 160-foot-tall Moser Tower. The smaller bells, which produce higher tones, circle the rafters of the Upper Belfry. On clear days, visitors who climb the 253 stairs to the top of the 16-story tower will be treated to views of the Chicago skyline. There's also an elevator to a lower observation deck.

Check out the beach that isn't a beach. Developed from a historic quarry, Centennial Beach holds 6.2 million gallons of water, gradually ranging from a depth of 0 feet to 15 feet. Unlike a swimming pool, the water is not filtered, though it is chlorinated, circulated, and skimmed by hand for debris. Quarrying was a booming industry in Naperville, and the site was in operation until 1913, when the steam pumps keeping out the natural spring water underneath went silent. Thus, the beach was born. The water isn't heated, so be sure to stop by during the warmer summer months.

Whether you're interested in historic sites, a fan of carillons, or attending the annual film fest, Naperville is a great town that offers plenty to do and comfortable places to stay. Attractions such as Riverwalk and DuPage Children's Museum, along with its many events and festivals, make Naperville a fun and family-friendly destination year-round.