Howard Johnson Downtown, Chicago

I had a few reservations about staying at this hotel, after reading some of the less than positive reviews. There were however many favourable ones and there enough of them for me to decide and take the plunge. Check-in was quick and within a couple of minutes I was on the way to my room. The stair carpet was well worn but this wasn't a major issue for me, just something I noticed. There was electronic key entry to the stairs which meant not just anyone could just walk in off the street and this gave the hotel a more than secure feel. On entry to the room there was a slight musty smell in it and I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was. I would've prefered that it wasn't there. I took care of it with some Febreze that I bought at one of the local stores. Once I'd given the room the once-over, the smell didn't return. The room appeared clean and the bathroom was spotless (important for people like me). And yes, just like others have pointed out the furniture was dated and so was the tv, but everything worked. Being December I turned on the heater. It worked a treat and was surprisingly quiet. The temperature outside was getting down to between the low 30's but the room was very warm, in fact to the point where I had to turn the unit off and the room still stayed warm for ages afterwards. The WIFI was an important facility for me and it wasn't working the day I got there but by the next morning the hotel computer was rebooted and I was online in no time. It didn't always work but I'd guess I was able to log on 95% of the time. If I had difficulty logging on I'd call reception and one of the staff would reboot the computer and everything was fine again. There weren't that many channels on the tv, but if you wanted, I understand you could get movies on demand. A service you would probably have to pay for, but don't quote me because I didn't ask. After reading a previous review about the state of the beds in this hotel, I thoroughly inspected it and the sheets before I would even consider getting in and I was totally satisfied. The bed was very comfortable and it was just the right firmness for me. I drifted off to sleep with no problem every night. The bathroom was very clean, however when using the shower the temperature did fluctuate but not to any dangerous degree and this only happened twice during my stay ( I was there for 8 nights). The room I was in was quiet even though the parking lot was just downstairs, and the whole time I was there I couldn't hear anything from any of the ajoining rooms and even though I was right next to the stairs it was quiet. One of the most important things that drew me to this hotel was it's location. It is in the perfect place for everything. Whether shopping, sightseeing or dining, everything was right there or not far at all. The local downtown bus practically stops outside the hotel, and every other kind of transport that you could want was available, even horse-drawn transport. The local underground rail system was within walking distance of the hotel. In fact I came directly from the airport (O'hare) to the hotel via the CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) trains. It was very easy to get to. I'd bought a 7 day pass for $28 for use on the CTA trains and buses. There was a little restaurant downstairs and I'm not sure if they had any affiliation with the hotel or not but if you didn't fancy going out to eat you could get a decent reasonably priced meal here. I did notice that it wasn't open in the late afternoon or evenings. In conclusion for the money you can't really beat this place. If you want a decent room, friendly staff, in a place that's close to everything downtown you really can't go wrong. My stay was very pleasant. I've read the other reviews and even though you shouldn't just dismiss them outright... this is an account of my stay. And I would recommend this hotel. No, it's not the Sheraton, but if you want value for money, this is the place. I would definately stay there again

This hotel is dirty the location is noisy and the price was not good. I have a 12 year old son and we should have checked out the first day but there was no where else to go. We were in Chicago for spring break. Cob webs, beds that were ancient, dirty floors, noisy location - don't go. please don't go !!

I stayed a couple of years ago (I'm writing this review Jan.09). The hotel was decent, but you get what you pay for. You want $70-$80 a night or do you want $300-$700? The parking was offstreet and free. Not sure if they still have that so call. Also, it was within walking distance of everything. Nice little restaurant for breakfast and fresh squeezed orange juice next door. Unless things changed horribly for this place, I recall it as a decent place with cheap rates (espec. through AAA).

This place was the most digusting hotel I have ever stayed in (actually we ended up leaving, it was so bad). Cobwebs in every corner both ceiling and floor. Duck tape held our door knob/lock together in places. The smell was one that smelled as if they used too much carpet deodorant, trying to cover something up. The beds were ROCKS-NO KIDDING! I didn't even feel as though the room had been cleaned in weeks maybe even months. DON'T BE FOOLED BY THE INTERNET!! IT'S A DUMP!!

When my 3 friends arrived at the front desk you could tell the front desk rep was stressed out. She saw we had a reservation and sent us to a room. When we got there, it looked as if the last person was still there. We told her about it and NEVER apologized. Instead she made excuses as to why it was like that. She made us take out our stuff, take it the front desk and wait again till she got another room!! It's nothing fancy. No washer or dryer for guests nor wireless internet in the room. However you can go to the front desk and get a good signal if YOU have a laptop. You do get cable and free parking (odds are mostly in your favor). The housekeepers were VERY friendly and hospitable and kept the hotel clean. Location was great. Two blocks east you got the brown/purple subway lines and three blocks east, the red line. Plus, there's a bus on LaSalle St. Plenty of nearby restaurants, antique shops and me being from a small city, i sure appreciated the walk and even lost 5lbs! If the front desk rep would've been nicer and apologized i would've given this 4 stars.

I stayed at HoJo for one night for a place to crash after a wedding, and at first I thought it was decent, everything was pretty clean, free parking, the front desk clerk was pleasant. I got absolutely no sleep! Doors were slamming all night and morning! I mean slam in a way that the loudness will make you fall out of bed. It didn't just happen a few times, from 6am-11am It probably happened every 10 minutes. I will NEVER stay there again!

After I had already reserved the room for two nights through Expedia, I glanced at some online reviews. While some were positive, I tended to dwell on the negative ones, so I was a little nervous about staying there. But I really have nothing bad to say about it. My room was clean, and everything was in working order. It's not the sort of place where you'd like to lounge around your hotel room, but if all you really need is a convenient place to crash for the evening, it is perfectly adequate -- especially for the $99 price I got.

My dad went to Chicago yesterday on business, normally Howard Johnson hotels are pretty decent but this one was a hole in the wall kind of place. This place is great if you don't like cleanliness and nice rooms. NEVER again will he go to a Howard Johnson!!!!

This was an old hotel with old carpet, old furniture, old bedspreads, old everything. The couch looked like it was going to fall apart if you sat on it (which I wouldn't recommend). One of the beds sunk lower than the other. When asked to switch rooms because of the bed, the second choice had 2 beds that were sunken in. The bathtub was clean, but the ceiling had mold on it. There was no bathroom fan so you had to wait 5 minutes before putting any clothes on because you couldn't dry off. I wouldn't let me kids go barefoot - socks at all times. The elevator broke on the 3rd day there. The "free" parking is only "free" if there are enough spots. If you leave the hotel and come back to a full lot, you have to park 2 blocks away and it is NOT free! For $139/night I could have stayed somewhere else that was clean, newer, and had valet parking.

The location is excellent!!! If you want bellmen to pick up your bags, and a mini bar, and room service, then go ahead and pay $300.00 dollars more a night!! But if you want a room to sleep in that is comfortable, with a very accomodating staff, that is close to everything, and has FREE parking, then this the place to stay!! Three, or so, blocks from Michigan Ave., a block or less to all kinds of transportation, the location rocks!!