I stayed at the House of Two Urns Bed and Breakfast for three nights in November 2007. My boyfriend and I stayed in La Chambre des Chats (the cat room) and, before we arrived, felt a little trepidation at what we were letting ourselves in for. The website for the bed and breakfast does not do them justice and we felt a little like staying in a 'cat-themed' room might be a little spinster aunt for us. However, we were pleasantly surprised when we arrived at the House of Two Urns to find a beautiful little room and an amazing house, filled with an eclectic collection of artwork. Our room was very small (and it was not even the smallest one in the house!) but there was a large sitting room outside our door, a communal kitchen (thoughfully stocked with snacks, soft drinks, tea, coffee etc) for guests and a large, very beautiful dining room for breakfast in the morning. There was plenty of room for all the guests and it was a pleasant change from hotels to have space to relax in aside from our room. It was also a pleasure to be able to gaze upon so much unusual artwork, there is certainly nothing bland or generic about this bed and breakfast!

Not only was our room and the whole house beautiful, it was also exceptionally clean. We were sharing a bathroom with one other room and we did not even notice that there was anyone sharing it with us. Everywhere is spotless and the beds are made beautifully (lovely to come back to after a long day out sightseeing) so it was a real pleasure to return to the bed and breakfast at night. However, some people might not like that there is a set time for room cleaning (10 am) and, if you are in your room then, they will not return later on to clean it at your convenience. We wanted to spend full days out enjoying Chicago so this did not bother us but it might be a problem if you wanted to be in your room at this time.

Kapra and her staff were very helpful and polite - she has thought of so many useful amenities that are lovely extra touches, such as the guest office with computer and internet access (as well as a printer) and a video library for if you fancy a lazy night in watching a movie. You can also buy subway passes at the bed and breakfast - the subway is necessary if you do not have a car with you as the bed and breakfast is located in Wicker Park, about a 10 minute subway ride away from downtown. We enjoyed having a look around Wicker Park (lots of cute little boutiques and restaurants) but it is a little grittier than downtown so some people may not chose to spend their time doing this. However, the bed and breakfast is only a few minutes walk from the subway and we never felt unsafe doing this walk. I will mention that Kapra and her staff run this more like a small hotel than a typical bed and breakfast where you are welcomed in with open arms - everyone was very willing to offer help and advice but were a little reserved, do not visit this bed and breakfast in the hopes of befriending the hosts and staying up long into the night chatting with them. Polite and unobtrusive are the best way to describe the level of service at the House of Two Urns.

My favourite aspect of our stay at this bed and breakfast was the breakfast by a long shot. A few bed and breakfasts think that breakfast is a complimentary service they are providing, rather than an aspect of your stay that you are paying for, but Kapra and her staff do not treat it this way. Breakfast is a feast, and an extremely tasty one at that, with the option to eat as little or as much as you like. There is a fruit bowl to start, followed by a hot entree (French Toast a la Morrie is unbelievably good!) and, on top of this, there is a breakfast buffet stocked with homebaked muffins, bagels, toast, yoghurts etc. There is also fruit juice, tea and coffee so there really is no excuse for leaving for the day hungry! The communal table offers the opportunity to converse with people from all over the world and from many different aspects of life - a great chance to swap travel tips with fellow travellers. We could only have two breakfasts out of three, as we had to leave early on our last morning, and it was very disappointing to miss out on our last day there. However, we were given a breakfast-to-go (containing bagels, yoghurts, cereal bars) to keep us going throughout the morning, a welcome extra touch but not as good as the breakfast we were missing!

We will definately be returning to Chicago at some point in the future and, when we do so, I would love to return to the House of Two Urns. I still think of that breakfast several months on and can't wait to enjoy it again! It is not your typical hotel or bed and breakfast experience but for those travellers looking for something a bit more quirky and fun then we recommend that you try staying here.