River Forest Hotels: Where to Stay in Illinois

River Forest is a quiet village west of Chicago, and the hotels in River Forest, Illinois are easy to count. We could not confirm a single hotel inside the village limits. The closest lodging sits next door in Oak Park, with larger hotels in Oak Brook and Rosemont and budget motels in nearby towns. This guide covers every property we could verify, flags the gaps, and shows where to stay in River Forest by trip type. Rates change daily, so we do not quote them. Check the current rate on the booking page before you plan.

Compare River Forest, Illinois hotels on Expedia

Where to Stay in River Forest, IL

Hotels in River Forest: What We Found

River Forest covers about 2.48 square miles of Cook County. The Des Plaines River and the Thatcher Woods forest preserve form much of its western edge. Wikipedia describes the village as a suburb next to Chicago, with Dominican University and Concordia University Chicago inside its borders.

Our search of hotel directories and tourism sites turned up no hotel or motel with a River Forest address. Several travel sites list nearby properties under a River Forest search, but their street addresses sit in Oak Park, Oak Brook, Rosemont, River Grove and other towns. We list each one under its real town below.

If you find a lodging with a River Forest address, call the property to confirm the details before you book. We have not verified any such place. The sections below start with the closest option and move outward.

Hotels Near River Forest in Oak Park

Oak Park shares a border with River Forest. Two lodgings here suit most visitors, and we verified both with more than one source.

The Carleton of Oak Park Hotel

The Carleton sits at 1110 Pleasant Street, Oak Park, Illinois 60302. Hotel Guides lists the property about 1.0 mile from River Forest, which makes this the closest full hotel we found. Expedia and the hotel’s own site agree on the location. The hotel describes a residential historic district within walking distance of downtown Oak Park. The hotel says the CTA and Metra train stations are one block away.

Expedia lists check-in from 3 PM and check-out before 11 AM. Express check-in and check-out are available. The minimum check-in age is 21. Rooms include a kitchenette, a microwave, a refrigerator, a coffee maker, free WiFi and an LCD TV. Room types range from a standard queen room to a deluxe room with two double beds. Some rooms have an exterior entrance, and connecting rooms are available on request.

The property has two restaurants and two bars. The hotel site notes some restaurant services and hours are limited right now, so call ahead if dining matters to you. Other listed amenities include a gym, a business center, free self parking and a lobby fireplace. Guests who need an elevator will find one, and the property lists wheelchair access with possible limits. Pets are not allowed. Children under 18 stay free in existing beds with a parent, up to four children.

The hotel says Frank Lloyd Wright’s Home and Studio and the Hemingway Birth House sit within several blocks. We did not find a phone number on the pages we could open. Use the contact details on your booking confirmation or the hotel’s website.

The Harvey House Inn Bed and Breakfast

The Harvey House Inn is a Victorian bed and breakfast at 107 South Scoville Avenue, Oak Park, Illinois 60302. The inn’s website and the Oak Park tourism site both list the inn. The tourism site shows the inn as a bed and breakfast with themed suites.

The inn offers five suites. The Jimmy Stewart, Garden and Golden Chest suites are on the second floor. The Chalet and Oak Park suites are on the third floor. Four suites have a king bed and the Golden Chest has a queen bed. Listed amenities include free parking, air conditioning, a fire pit and smoke free rooms.

The inn’s site describes a free grab-and-go breakfast station with coffee, packaged pastries, fruit and yogurt, served daily from 8 to 9 a.m. The tourism site calls the breakfast a free hot breakfast. The two sources differ, so ask the inn what to expect. We could not find check-in times, check-out times or a phone number. The inn lists an email address, harveyhousebb@gmail.com. Choose this inn if you want a small, quiet stay and do not need a front desk at all hours.

Hotels in Oak Brook Near River Forest

Oak Brook lies farther west. These two hotels suit business travelers and guests who want a pool, a spa or a corporate-campus setting. We list the town but no drive time, because we did not find a sourced figure.

Hyatt Lodge Oak Brook Chicago

Hotel Guides lists the Hyatt Lodge at 2815 Jorie Boulevard, Oak Brook, Illinois 60523. This is a single-source address, so confirm the address before you travel. The same listing gives check-in at 3 PM and check-out at noon. The listing shows 218 rooms, a heated indoor pool, an exercise room, a restaurant and lounge, room service, a full-service spa, free WiFi and free parking. A free shuttle serves to attractions within a 3-mile radius, per the listing. Pets are not allowed.

Lodging Magazine reported on June 9, 2026 the hotel finished a full guestroom renovation. The report cites the Hearth Lounge and Water’s Edge for dining and more than 30,000 square feet of event space. A June 2025 article from The Bulkhead Seat also names the Hyatt Lodge Oak Brook as one of the few hotels still operating under the plain Hyatt name. We found no sign of a closure or rebrand.

The Drake Oak Brook, Autograph Collection

The Drake sits at 2301 York Road, Oak Brook, Illinois 60523. Two sources agree on the address. Hotel Guides lists check-in at 4 PM and check-out at 11 AM. The listing shows a restaurant and lounge, an exercise room, free WiFi, free parking and a free shuttle to local attractions. The listing shows no pool and no pets.

The sources disagree on size. Hotel Guides says 84 rooms and suites. A meetings directory says 160 guest rooms. We left the room count unconfirmed. Call the hotel if size matters for a group booking.

Hotels Near O’Hare and the Western Suburbs

Travelers who fly into O’Hare, or who want a budget motel, can look at the towns around River Forest. Hotel Guides lists the distances below from River Forest. We repeat them with credit, and we did not check them on a map. Drive time depends on traffic.

Residence Inn by Marriott Chicago O’Hare

The old version of this guide placed this hotel in Des Plaines. Two current sources, Kayak and Hotel Guides, place the hotel at 7101 Chestnut Street, Rosemont, Illinois 60018. We list the hotel under Rosemont. Both sources give check-in at 3 PM and check-out at noon. They list a free airport shuttle, an exercise room, free WiFi, free parking and a heated outdoor pool. Every suite has a kitchen, and a free hot breakfast buffet is served. Hotel Guides says the hotel allows pets and charges a fee, but its pet policy date is old, so confirm by phone.

Cheap Hotels in River Forest: Budget Motels Nearby

We do not quote rates, so we cannot call any hotel cheap. We can name the budget brands Hotel Guides lists near River Forest. The Super 8 in River Grove is at 3160 North River Road and sits 3.3 miles away on the Hotel Guides site. The Super 8 in Northlake is at 2080 North Mannheim Road, listed at 3.8 miles. Both list free continental breakfast, free WiFi and free parking, with no pool and no elevator.

The Holiday Inn Express and Suites in Hillside, at 200 South Mannheim Road, is listed at 4.1 miles. The listing shows a heated indoor pool and a free hot breakfast. The Best Western Plus Chicago Hillside at 4400 Frontage Road is listed at 4.5 miles, with an outdoor pool for summer and an O’Hare shuttle. These are single-source listings. Check current amenities with each hotel.

Places We Could Not Confirm

Several travel sites show vacation rentals in and around River Forest, Oak Park, Forest Park and Brookfield. The Oak Park tourism site lists more than 100 lodgings, and most are private homes and apartments. We did not verify any of them. Treat each rental as its own host and read the house rules.

We also found no motel with a River Forest address. Older travel sites sometimes pair River Forest with hotels in other towns. If a listing gives only the village name and no street address, ask for the full address before you book.

Things to Do Near River Forest Hotels

River Forest has a few sights of its own. Visitors who base themselves in Oak Park can reach each one.

Thatcher Woods and the Trailside Museum

The Trailside Museum of Natural History is at 738 Thatcher Avenue in River Forest. The Forest Preserves of Cook County run the museum. The museum page lists hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from March through October and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. from November through February. The museum is closed on Fridays, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Trails stay open daily from sunrise to sunset. The phone number is 708-366-6530.

The museum shows live native animals and wildflower gardens. About 4.9 miles of unpaved trails cross oak woodland and floodplain forest in Thatcher Woods. Thatcher Pond is an oxbow of the Des Plaines River and is open for fishing. Pets are not allowed on the grounds, and picnicking is not allowed on museum grounds.

The Winslow House and Prairie School Architecture

Frank Lloyd Wright designed the William Winslow House at 515 Auvergne Place in River Forest. The Frank Lloyd Wright Trust page dates the house to 1893, while Wikipedia gives 1894 to 1895 in the text. The house joined the National Register of Historic Places on April 17, 1970. The Trust lists the house as a private residence, closed to tours. Respect the owners if you view the house from the street.

Visitors who want to go inside a Wright building can look at Oak Park. The Carleton’s website places Wright’s Home and Studio within several blocks of the hotel. Check the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust for tour times before you go.

Getting to River Forest and Getting Around

The River Forest Metra station is at 8001 West Central Street on the Union Pacific West Line. Trains run east to Ogilvie Transportation Center in Chicago, and Wikipedia gives a trip of about 20 to 24 minutes. The station opened in 1915 and is not accessible for wheelchair users. Pace buses serve Lake Street, North Avenue and Harlem Avenue.

Guests at the Carleton can reach the Oak Park train stations on foot, according to the hotel. Guests at the Oak Brook hotels will likely want a car. Several of the airport hotels advertise a free shuttle to O’Hare. Confirm shuttle hours with the hotel.

How to Choose Where to Stay in River Forest

Pick the Carleton of Oak Park if you want a full hotel with on-site dining, kitchenettes and a short trip to River Forest. Pick the Harvey House Inn if you want a small Victorian stay with breakfast and free parking. Pick a hotel in Oak Brook if you want a pool, a spa or event space for a family gathering or a work trip.

Pick a Rosemont or Schiller Park hotel if you have an early flight from O’Hare. Pick a budget motel in River Grove or Northlake if you want to keep your spending down and do not need a pool. Families should check each pet and child policy. Travelers with mobility needs should call about elevators and accessible rooms, since the budget motels list no elevator.

What We Checked and What We Could Not

We checked each hotel on at least two sources when we could. For the Carleton we used the hotel’s website, Expedia and Hotel Guides. For the Harvey House Inn we used the inn’s website and the Oak Park tourism site. For the Drake we used Hotel Guides and a meetings directory. For the Residence Inn we used Kayak and Hotel Guides. For the Hyatt Lodge we used Hotel Guides and Lodging Magazine.

We could not confirm phone numbers for most properties. We could not confirm check-in times for the Harvey House Inn. We could not confirm the Drake room count. We could not confirm the Hyatt Lodge street address with a second source. We quote no prices. Hotel directory pet policies can be years old, so call before you bring a pet.

For attractions we used the Forest Preserves of Cook County, the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust, Wikipedia and the Carleton’s website. We could not open the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio page or the Oak Park Conservatory page, so we give no hours for either.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

The hotels in River Forest, Illinois come down to a short list in nearby towns. The Carleton of Oak Park Hotel and the Harvey House Inn are the closest verified places to stay. Oak Brook hotels add pools and spas, and Rosemont and the western suburbs offer airport and budget options. Confirm phone, pet and check-in details before you book, and compare current rates on the booking page above.

Still comparing? More hotel guides for Illinois.