My friend and I spent a 2 night spa getaway at the Ruby Room and enjoyed it very much. The deluxe king rooms were spacious and immaculate. The steam showers were fabulous and beds very comfy. No telephones in the rooms is not an issue in todays world of cell phones and no tvs was actually a nice respite. The CD player had a "spa" tape to enhance relaxation.
No elevators and steep stairs could be a problem to some (we thought it was charming and contributed to the unique quality of the building) and on arrival our bags were carried for us.
Our goal was a spa experience, so we did Yoga and had facials and had our auras read (pretty goofy...) The neighborhood has some wonderful restaurants and great shops nearby with an easy walk.
Our goal was a relaxing weekend in a spa environment, but the Ruby Room is also great for business and sports travelers to Chicago. Next time we come up for a play or concert or to shop, the Ruby Room will be the place !

Overall, my stay was pleasant, but there are some misrepresentations about their rooms on their website.

Here's the good: the room looked pretty much exactly like the pictures. It was clean, comfortable, pretty, and the bed was very comfortable. Plus, there's a little community kitchen area so I could prepare some of my own food.

Here's some of their spin, and the reality:

The deluxe room is billed as having "loads of sunlight." Actually, the room has two north facing windows that look out at about 8 feet of space and then the wall of the other building. Even if you keep your curtains open (which is unlikely, considering that the windows face the windows of a business directly across), there's only the faintest sunlight.

The garden room theoretically "overlooks the healing garden." Actually, it overlooks the back stairs to the building, which guests use to come and go at night.

Also, the healing garden is actually a large patio with some plants around the edges. It's certainly nice, but I don't think it quite qualifies as a "garden." It does have a little waterfall, however.

Lastly, their website clearly states this but I'll say it too: Definitely be prepared to haul your luggage up the stairs.

My partner and I stayed at Ruby Room during a leisure trip to Chicago. It's a beautiful place and we were treated like kings. Our bed was really incredible. It was the best nights sleep I've had in months. The Wicker Park neighborhood was quaint and we avoided paying the $40/night parking fee we usually pay staying downtown. We will be back.

We booked a 'Deluxe Room' at the Ruby Room for a long weekend. We were extremely disappointed by our experience there. Things that would probably bother other travelers did not bother us: the stairs, no telephones/tv's, no room service, small bathroom, and checking in at the spa (yes, it's a bit awkward given the tight space amongst all the products but the staff is friendly and check-in is quick).

Room decor is Target & Ikea meets Shabby Chic & Yoga Ashram. Basically, it's a bizarre mix of cheap furniture and decor. There were other strange things about the room that made it seem half furnished: no nightstand on one side of the bed, no headboard, no cover on the duvet, etc. The bed linens are not 500 thread count as advertised (Note to owners: your customers have eyes and can read tags & many of us shop at Target too). There were fresh flowers in the room when we arrived but they were half dead...but a nice thought had it been executed properly.

Pros:
-Comfortable bed despite not having a headboard
-Aveda products in the bathroom
-Convenient to 'El' and bus
-Convenient to restaurants

Cons:
-Completely OVERPRICED!
-Dirty (inch of dust underneath the bed w/ dust bunnies everywhere, coverlet was stained and no comforter cover)
-No WiFi as advertised. Direct internet connection was extremely slow.
-Paper thin walls (not so relaxing when you can hear everything around you)

Again, we were fully aware that this was not your typical hotel and we were ok with that. But for the price that we paid ($185 per night before taxes), we certainly expected a lot more and at the very least to get what was advertised. Save your money and stay somewhere else.