We noticed that you're using an unsupported browser. The TripAdvisor website may not display properly.
We support the following browsers:
Windows: Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome. Mac: Safari.

University Inn – reviews, photos

2.0 of 5
441 N. Frances and State St., Madison, WI 53703
Hotel amenities
University Inn
Ranked #50 of 61 hotels in Madison
3.0 of 5 stars 18 Reviews
Show the lowest price for this hotel*
Show Prices
*from our partners
Write a Review

18 reviews from our community

    Trip type
Traveller rating
    0
    6
    3
    4
    5
Date Rating
Saint Louis, Missouri
1 review
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“Will not return!”
1 of 5 stars Reviewed 13 August 2010
1
person found this review helpful

I chose this hotel based on its location close to the University and in the downtown area. This was the only good thing about this hotel. Their website claims that it has been "updated" but I found the only aspect of the hotel that was updated was the lobby, which was conveniently the only photo on their website. The rest of the hotel was quite terrible.

The elevator was very old and made creaking noises, and the door opened before it came to a stop. I took the stairs for the remainder of my stay. The hallways were dingy and the doors to the rooms looked like those to a correctional facility. The room itself was plain and unimpressive. The bathroom was clearly outdated: a very small sink, and old toilet that ran for about 5 minutes after flushing, and old handles on the shower/tub. It looked like they had attempted to purchase new furniture for the room, but on closer inspection it turned out to be made of multi-layer plywood. The beds were ok, not terrible in terms of comfort. The AC unit was very loud and the fan ran constantly. I could not sit at the computer desk because the fan blew right on it. The tv was older but did get many cable channels. There was a very old looking refridgerator, but it did seem to be working well. The worst aspects of the room were the doors. The room had an attached door to the next room that seemed kinda creepy. The door to the hallway was very thin, lacked a safety chain, and, worst of all, had a two inch gap between it and the floor. I could lean down and look out into the hallway. All noises in the hallway could be heard and light came in under the door. Plus, it did not feel very "safe." I spotted some panhandlers in front of the hotel on State St as well. There was no free breakfast, which I thought should have been included for the $94/night I paid.

Overall, I would not recommend this hotel. It was loud, old, and seemed unsafe for a single traveler. I left early based on these facts and the management was only willing to refund me 50%. I will not stay here again. It would be worth your time to stay in a nicer hotel and drive to the University/downtown area.

  • Stayed August 2010, travelled on business
    • 1 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 1 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 1 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 2 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 2 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes
Ask FBueller1234 about University Inn
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
UImanagement, Manager at University Inn, responded to this review
31 August 2010
We are sorry that this guest did not have an enjoyable stay at our hotel. We were unaware of any problems with the guests stay until checkout and we wish we could have had an opportunity to remedy them. The guest did stay with us for two nights but we only charged them for one.
We also recognize that there is a panhandling problem in the downtown Madison area that the University and City are working diligently to eliminate. Madison and especially our hotel are very safe and secure for any kind of traveler.
The University Inn offers the best rates in Downtown Madison and though we do not have a restaurant or offer breakfast, there are many options at our doorstep.
We appreciate all reviews good and bad, so we can work towards creating a better stay for all of our guests.
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Cleveland, Ohio
Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
“Good location but not much else”
2 of 5 stars Reviewed 18 May 2010
2
people found this review helpful

This hotel is in a great location. Close to the University and right on State street. We paid a much higher rate than usual because it was graduation weekend. The worst part of our stay was that there was no hot water in the shower both mornings. It was lukewarm at best. When I told that to the front desk their only comment was that they recently got new hot water tanks and didn't know why that would be. Also the reception on the TV was very poor. They said they were having a problem with the cable company. The hallways have a strong odor of the food from the restaurants the hotel is attached to. At night there is a lot of noise from outside when you're trying to fall asleep.The only good things about this hotel are the location and the free parking.

  • Stayed May 2010, travelled as a couple
    • 2 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 2 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 2 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 3 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 3 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes
Ask MCGK about University Inn
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

Travellers are raving about these Madison hotels

Hyatt Place Madison
4.5 of 5 stars
Show Prices ABS:HotelCheckRates-d1673733?&src=ShowUserReviewsHotels&fromServlet=ShowUserReviews&Action=QC_RavingAboutButton
Hotel Ruby Marie
4 of 5 stars
Show Prices ABS:HotelCheckRates-d225347?&src=ShowUserReviewsHotels&fromServlet=ShowUserReviews&Action=QC_RavingAboutButton
Hilton Madison Monona Terrace
4 of 5 stars
Show Prices ABS:HotelCheckRates-d224460?&src=ShowUserReviewsHotels&fromServlet=ShowUserReviews&Action=QC_RavingAboutButton
Staybridge Suites Madison East
4.5 of 5 stars
Show Prices ABS:HotelCheckRates-d223233?&src=ShowUserReviewsHotels&fromServlet=ShowUserReviews&Action=QC_RavingAboutButton
Madison Concourse Hotel and Governor\
4.5 of 5 stars
Show Prices ABS:HotelCheckRates-d100940?&src=ShowUserReviewsHotels&fromServlet=ShowUserReviews&Action=QC_RavingAboutButton
yummy123456
1 review
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“you get what you pay for”
1 of 5 stars Reviewed 29 September 2008
1
person found this review helpful

This is the worst hotel ever. I stayed there for only two nights for a conference and both nights I will walk the streets till I was ready for bed. I read several reviews about the hotel a day before my trip but at that moment that was the only reasonably priced hotel near the school.

I took my personal towel and Loofah so that I will not have to use any of their items. Well when I got back from my conference it was gone but the wash cloth my roommate used was still on the floor in the bathroom. When I reported it to the front desk I was told to look for it in the room. I told them it wasn’t there. The staff on duty told me I might have misplaced my towel and there was nothing else they can do for me.

I checked out without my towel and loofah. I think someone who works there is really taking advantage of the hotel‘s policy of not being responsible for lost item. So please if you plan on staying there lock your items and chain them to the lamp post so that it does not walk out of your hotel room.
GOOD LUCK!!!!!!

  • Liked — Location
  • Disliked — Customer Service and Room Cleanliness
  • Stayed September 2008, travelled on business
    • 1 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Check-in / front desk
    • 1 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 1 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 1 of 5 stars Service
    • 5 of 5 stars Business service (e.g., internet access)
Was this review helpful? Yes
Ask yummy123456 about University Inn
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
boston
1 review
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“Choose nearby hotel”
1 of 5 stars Reviewed 14 September 2008
1
person found this review helpful

just as other review said... good location, but that's about it !!! I stayed there for the whole week to send my brother off to school and the hotel was a mess..!! the corridor is always dirty, full of dirty bed sheets and trash. They dont really clean your room there, all they did was just change the towels. and i'm pretty [-] sure that the maid stole my clothes. and when i asked the reception, they tried to ignore it.. one of the worst hotel i ever stayed!!!

Stayed August 2008
Was this review helpful? Yes
Ask tarnnice about University Inn
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Illinois
Reviewer
5 reviews 5 reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
“Interesting Is All I Can Say”
2 of 5 stars Reviewed 6 May 2008
1
person found this review helpful

The good: Right on corner of State St.; close to main campus area; walking distance to bars and shops. Free Interenet; Free Parking

The bad: Very loud. If you are looking for a quiet place to say, this isn't it. Because of being so close to State St. and all the bars, this is the party hotel. Don't expect to go to bed early without being woke up at 3 am from your drunk neighbors. It was not the cleanest or up to date bathroom. What ever you do, don't look in the medicine cabinet....scary.

For the price and the location, it's not bad. You just have to be a tolerant person.

  • Stayed May 2008, travelled with friends
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Check-in / front desk
    • 2 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 2 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 3 of 5 stars Service
    • 5 of 5 stars Business service (e.g., internet access)
Was this review helpful? Yes
Ask Jillibug2 about University Inn
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

Travellers who viewed University Inn also viewed

Campus Inn
4 of 5 stars 40 Reviews
Madison, WI
Show Prices ABS:HotelCheckRates-d239850?&src=ShowUserReviewsHotels&fromServlet=ShowUserReviews&Action=QC_AlsoViewed
DoubleTree Hotel Madison
4.5 of 5 stars 195 Reviews
Madison, WI
Show Prices ABS:HotelCheckRates-d100923?&src=ShowUserReviewsHotels&fromServlet=ShowUserReviews&Action=QC_AlsoViewed
HotelRED
4.5 of 5 stars 52 Reviews
Madison, WI
Show Prices ABS:HotelCheckRates-d2266177?&src=ShowUserReviewsHotels&fromServlet=ShowUserReviews&Action=QC_AlsoViewed
View all 61 hotels in Madison, ranked by popularity »

Been to University Inn? Share your experiences!

Write a Review Add Photos Add Videos

Additional Information about University Inn

  • University Hotel Madison
Address: 441 N. Frances and State St., Madison, WI 53703
Price range (per night):* INR6,263 - 8,220

Owners: What's your side of the story?

If you own or manage University Inn, register now for free tools to enhance your listing, attract new reviews, and respond to reviewers.

  • Manage your listing
University Inn
Show the lowest price for this hotel (from our partners)
Show Prices