Heart O' Chicago

False Advertising I don't expect much from a cheap hotel but when you advertise free continental breakfast, you ought to have free continental breakfast! Beds are on the small side. AC is subpar. No amenities and you have to ask staff in order to use the ice machine.

Certainly not the “heart” of Chicago Not where you want to stay. Advertised free breakfast doesn’t exist. Could not hook up to Wi-Fi with the password given us. Took my iPad to the check in desk and they couldn’t get on either. Cigarette hole burned into blanket. The hot water was good though. Well, today anyway.

Another Enjoyable Stay This was our second stay this year and we were again pleased with our stay – see our previous review in August 2022 for more details on this motel. Room was again clean, good heating, good hot water pressure, the bed was comfortable, and it was quiet other than the occasional siren out on the street. Rooms are very basic with cable TV, but no microwave or frig. Free parking right outside our room, and 15-minute/0.7-mile walk to CTA Red Line subway. For New Years Eve it was $118, and the night before and after were $108, all plus tax. When we checked in we paid for 3 nights, but then on the 3rd morning we asked in the office if we could leave a day early. They said OK no problem, if we were out of the room by 11AM check-out time. We left the room by 10AM and received a full refund on our credit card for the last night. This was very nice of them to do, as they normally have a 24-hour cancel policy. The only downsides we can think of is that there is no online reservation system so you must call on the telephone, and they advertise a free continental breakfast but they stopped doing that years ago. We would most definitely stay here again.

An Older but Well-Kept Chicago Motel This place is better than the typical big city motel/motor hotel, it is older but not worn. It was clean, no smells and no bugs. Hot water pressure was good, and individually-controlled central air conditioning worked well. The room had a table with 2 chairs, a separate small desk with chair, and the room and bathroom were plenty big not cramped. Despite being on a main street, it was quiet other than the occasional siren, and there was no noise from rooms next door or other guests outside. It was under $100/night with free parking, a bargain for Chicago. The CTA Red Line train is a 15-minute walk away, and we always felt safe in this neighborhood. There is a Starbucks and White Castle Hamburgers down the block. A downside is that there is no online reservation system, you must call. You get no email confirmation, just a credit card receipt upon payment, which is required at check-in, along with a $5 room key deposit. It is a basic room: no coffeemaker, frig or microwave oven, but there is cable TV. There is no Continental Breakfast, although it is listed on their website and on a sign on their building. The room has a standard double bed (not King or Queen), so may be too narrow or short for some couples, and it is a bit uncomfortable but tolerable. There is no elevator, but 50% of the rooms are on the ground level. If you want to charge your cellphone on the nightstand bring an extension cord, as the only outlets are on the side walls. This motel is just fine for a short stay in Chicago, as long as your expectations aren’t too high and all you want is a clean and convenient location.

A solid budget motel located near an L line This hotel was exactly what I was looking for - I could park my car there (for free!) and hop on the L (about a 15 minute walk to the red line) to access the city. The prices were definitely reasonable. The neighborhood didn't seem too sketchy. The staff was courteous and helpful. The motel is definitely on the older side and could use a touch up when it comes to painting and the beds. They also advertise free continental breakfast on the building, but they seem to have discontinued that.