I stayed at the Crowne Plaza Metro for a conference in Chicago and stayed two nights. The hotel rate for the conference was lower than the state rate and very reasonable (for Chicago). I had a king bed/no smoking room on the eighth floor that looked out over the parking lot and the Dominicks food store. While it was a little noisy, it wasn't anything that kept me awake. The bed and linens were very nice - I love cotton blankets instead of acrylic - and there were lots of pillows. The desk space is nice and has plenty of outlets, but I only wished that it was possible to sit at the desk and see the television (which was a very nice flat screen). The room safe was big enough for my laptop and is free. The amenities are nice, plenty of soft towels, and a spacious counter are in the bathroom. I wore my white socks during my time in the room and based on that the carpet is very clean. I loved that there was a food store, drug store, and a variety of restaurants in Greek town just down the street (within 3 blocks). It is a hike to the Loop, but a short and cheap cab ride will get you there. The housekeeping was nice and, as a priority club member, I had turndown service without asking. The exercise room was clean and offered a container of Clorox cloths to wipe down equipment. Some of the equipment seemed to need a tune-up, but it was a slightly more complete gym that you usually see. Overall I think the Crowne Plaza Metro Chicago was worth the money and a good place to stay.

If you're like me, you have probably been obsessing over where to stay - you want your holiday to be great and worry-free, so you've been checking out Tripadvisor reviews till your head spins. Well, stop it!!! Just go ahead and reserve a room here. The rooms are very modern, clean, comfortable...felt like home. Great bathroom. Nice to have a balcony. Front desk was great. We didn't go to the onsite restaurant - too many other places to explore in Chicago. We just took a cab anytime we wanted to go somewhere downtown - would have walked but it was November and the freezing rain was a bit of a deterrent. Taxi was not expensive at all to get to Magnificent Mile area (about 7 bucks if I remember correctly).
You MUST go to the blues bar just a couple of doors down the street. They have live music on weekends and the bands there were just fabulous. We were there early - apparently Chicagoans start their evenings at about midnight - so we got to know the band before everyone and their dog showed up. We also went to an Irish pub nearby - had lots of fun, very friendly female bartenders. Walgrens next door is fun for us Canadians too, especially at 3am when you think you really need to get a pair of gloves that peel potatoes.
Loved Chicago, people were friendly, who cares about the weather when you have a great hotel as a home base. So, have a great time and enjoy this great city. Now you can start to worry about what clothes to pack instead of where to stay...

I was very very lucky to get this hotel on Hotwire.

The location was perfect for me because I needed to be near Union Station. It is not in the loop so you do have to walk a little bit to get to the loop, but I wasn't in Chicago for sightseeing.

The rooms are comfortable and nicely appointed. Great lighting, colors, furnishings. The bed was one of the most comfortable beds I've ever stayed in! I wanted to take it home. The bathrooms are clean and modern. There is a widescreen flat panel tv in the room and a balcony that you can walk out onto. They have lots of little thoughtful extras like earplugs, eye mask, and a relaxation cd in the room (although I have no idea who listens to that stuff...). Internet access is free as is the gym. Parking was a little more expensive ($35 a night) but super easy and you don't have to wait for 15 minutes for them to get your car... it is right outside.

All in all I was very very happy at the Crowne Plaza and would definitely come back.

The hotel was recently (2-3 yrs) renovated and though the rooms are a bit small, they are very clean and modern: flat panel TV, two-tone paint, halogen reading lights over the beds, white subway tile in the bath, and a rainfall shower head.

Our room was on the Halsted Street side, and away from the highway. Though we were close to the interstate, there was no issue with noise.

Our only issue was location. The hotel is about 5 blocks out of the west loop, and roughly the same distance to the nearest subway station. Between CTA, cabs and walking, Chicago is a very easy city to get around. Just know that you will be away from the primary business area as well as the major tourist areas.

We booked based on price and got the room for about $225 night (including taxes and fees) from an Orbitz package deal. If you are trying to stretch the budget a bit and don't mind walking a few extra blocks, this place is fine. If you want to be in the heart of the city, look for a place on Michigan Ave.