We've never stayed at an Econo Lodge but we didn't want to pay a lot since we were just passing through. The place is apparently old from the very first look. The common airs have no A/C but the rooms do. We stayed in a King Non-Smoking and it was very spacious. The carpets could definitely stand to be replaced. That alone would spiffy it up a bit. SInce we had been in the car all day we wanted a place with a hot tub. Surprisingly, Econo Lodge delivered with both a pool and hot tub. There wasn't much in the way of good sit down food near by but with our handy GPS we found a great steak house a reasonable distance from the hotel. The breakfast was a bit scary but at least they had fresh waffles, which I love. The milk was laying sideways in a tray of cold ice water. The pastries were individually wrapped in plastic (what's that say?). At least the waffles were enough to save us from having to pay for a breakfast.

When I write that this place is a mixed bag, I mean that it has both negative and positive attributes, both of which should be pointed out.

The first thing that I noticed when I walked into the lobby was that it and the entire common area(s) of the hotel were not air conditioned. In southern ILL and in the summer, this can only be seen as a negative. As I waited to be checked in there
was an exterminator there also waiting to talk to the manager as I was. The exterminatior had just come down from the second floor carrying his can of pesticides
with the large pump-handle. I suppose it is good that they are addressing an insect problem if they have one. And I acknowledge that many hotels in this country have
had a bed bug problem in the past few years that is not necessarily their fault.
Still, it was a bit discomforting.

The entire hotel seemed as though it could do with some maintenance. A lot of ripped or torn wallpaper just about everywhere you looked. Cracked or peeling paint in some areas. It just seemed somewhat dingy and uncared for. It did not seem to be dirty and it was generally odor free, though I did at times detect a faint whiff of curry in the air. I didn't mind as I like curry.

My room on the other hand was quite nice. Very clean. The air conditioner worked well.
The bathroom was clean. It had both a refrigerator and a microwave oven. Both worked well, though the freezer in the fridge didn't actually freeze. TV worked well. The mattress seemed a bit old and worn. A bit soft. But I slept well, the place was quite at night.

The pool and hot tub were adequate. The hot tub could have used more water in it.

Breakfast in the morning was a standard cold breakfast, though they did have fresh bananas and a waffle machine that worked well.

So yes, there are better places to stay in Marion, IL; they are listed here on Tripadvisor.
But this place is inexpensive and it shows.

Booked without reading reviews. Hot, musty hallways with outside security(?) doors propped open for ventilation. Spiders in our room. Bathroom floor sticky, with peeling wallpaper and stained ceilings. Room AC worked fine. Breakfast room just yucky. Dirty corners and carpets in room. Manager dressed like he was going to go clean his garage. Didn't make eye contact while checking us in. Will not stay in an Econolodge ever again.

Rented 6 Non Smoking rooms for a group.
some of the rooms smelled like previous guests smoked in them.
I saw people walking in the Halls smoking. When we checked out, we were told that the owner/manager (Sunny) made a mistake and we owe more money...
"You booked the 6 rooms via the web but you were given "larger rooms" that are more expensive".
The owner wouldn't give up and we paid the extra amount. There are no coffee makers in the rooms and no peanut butter on the free breakfast. Hotel is old/outdated.