This is now a Holiday Inn Express - operated hotel.

General: The hotel occupies a small footprint of real estate. There are 16 floors indicated on the elevator. Everything is small, so keep that in mind. The elevators are on the small side and slow during the morning breakfast time. Everything is very clean and well maintained.

Location: Two (short) blocks off the Magnificent Mile. Close to a number of attractions and easy walking distance to a number of eateries.

Rooms: The rooms, as indicated elsewhere, are SMALL. That did not bother me as I was only sleeping there. However, if youare wanting to lounge around your room during the day, this is not the place for you. My room on the 4th floor was a king locaed on the interior of the building. The window faced out to a central core (nothing to see, but daylight did come through). The bed occupied most of the room and was very comfortable. There was a desk at the foot of the bed. A flat panel TV was mounted at the side of the bed, best viewed from a small sitting bench. The bathroom was small, but comfortable. A very nice tub / shower was easy to access. A hairdryer was kept under the sink. The sink was a nice deep model with great water flow. As noted throughout the hotel, the room clearly had recently been remodeled. The room included a coffe maker, iron and ironing board, small closet and safe. Wireless high-speed internet was provided (free).

Furnishings and decor: The decor and furnishings were bizarre. While the overall appearence is clean and well maintained, the furnishings are straight out of the 60's and the "house of tomorrow" look. Trust me, the furniture was ugly and uncomfortable in the 60's and it still is now. The bench in the room that sufices for a sofa was more uncomfortable than a pew in a Quaker church. The "table" in the room was a moveable flat top mushroom that might hold one plate. The hotel would be well advised to change decor soon.

Staff: Helpful and courteous. The doormen were great. The desk staff were all efficient though not neccesarily warm.

Value: The room rates went up $80 a night during my stay, so I am not sure the costs are any better than some other nearby well-known properties. You would have to investigate that more when booking.

Overall: Clean, comfortable and quiet. Good breakfast. Small rooms that meet your basic needs -- not for lounging however.

Elevators (two) are smallish. They are operated by your room key card. Expect a long wait during the breakfast time.

Breakfast: The free breakfast is very nice with a good selection. On busy days, you may have trouble finding a place to sit. A large portion of the common area is occupied by flat sofas without tables (seems like a waste of space to me). The staff kept everything stocked and clean.

1. No work station in room- just a small nightstand to use for two people with laptops
2. Sloooooooooooooooooooooow Internet at night
3. Cloud of cigarette smoke at front door that leaks into breakfast area when door opens
4. A TINY three drawer dresser was inadequate for two adults staying a week
5. No place to store empty suitcases except beside the bed
6. One tiny shelf in bathroom for two people's hygiene items
7. Ripped carpet by bathroom door that one of us tripped over- luckily bed was so close to bathroom that it cushioned the fall
8 Nasty colored carpet showed stains
9. Dirty elevator floor was unswept/washed all week
10. Two slooooooooooooooooooooooow elevators
11.Coffee was always running out
12. No oatmeal???? Seriously?????
And lastly..... too small!!!!!

Contrary to some previous reviews, I found my room to be small but adequate in size. The furnishings, however, were another story. A large marble table was at the end of the bed with barely enough room to get in and out of the chair. Two low chairs that looked like they belong in the children's furniture section at IKEA were also in the room as was a bench that was totally incongruous. In fact the furniture was probably the ugliest I have ever encountered in a hotel room. On a more positive note, the staff was superb, the lobby attractive and the breakfast area especially nice. The hotel's wi-fi had the best signal I have ever found in a hotel. The in-room safe was another good feature. So for a well located River North hotel and a reasonable rate, Hotel Cass is recommended, as long as you don't mind the bizarre furnishings.

This is a good choice for those who don't like standard hotel decor and don't mind not having much room. The recently renovated rooms are furnished with modern, comfortable furniture & fixtures. However, the left little spare room. My king bed took up most of the sleeping area -- the desk was against the wall at the foot of the bed, and there was just enough room to get the chair out to sit down. On the closet side, there was just enough room to open the door, which was about 2/3 the size of a normal closet (it was narrower than my full-sized garment bag). The only drawers in the room were a small set of 3 in the closet, about the size of a set that fits under a desk, leving little room for long hanging objects.

The elevator was fast for me, but you needed to use your door key card. it sometimes didn't read on the first try, but one it did, the trip was fast. Elevator music included Bjork and the Smiths, to give you an idea of the type of customers they're targeting, or at least the tastes of the staff.

A few minor nits: the breakfast was the standard HIE, but the first morning there was no yogurt and the two days they had omelets, many were overdone almost to the point of being burnt. My TV (HC LCD) had trouble with a few channels, one of them ESPN. And the square, flat sink basin ran a little slow (not sure if it was partially clogged or because of the design.)

However, if you're only going to be sleeping in your room, it's a pretty good deal. A very convenient location with a variety of stores & restaurants nearby, and a subway stop a few blocks away. If you're staying for a while, there's a Trader Joe's across the street and a Whole Foods a few blocks away. There's just not much room to keep stuff in the room and no fridge.