Staying at a downtown Chicago hotel would have been the easy thing to do, but experiencing what it may be like to "live" in Chicago was half the fun. WCUI is 1.5 blocks west of the nearest major street, (Clark) so just getting there drew my wife and I into the essence of Lincoln Park. We relied on the CTA to get around, and were pretty happy with that decision after seeing the parking situation in Lincoln Park and downtown as well. Numerous locations to dine were within walking distance back to the east on Clark or to the west on Lincoln.

We stayed in the Carl Sandburg room with the private bath for two nights; it was comfortable and quiet. Having breakfast by the front window of the common room afforded views of local people starting their day, and that inherently eased us into a similar state of mind to do the same. The main dishes served on the two mornings of our stay appeared to be a home-made bread pudding and a home-made souffle(?) respectively. Sort of what one may expect at grandma's house (although neither one of my grandmas ever made bread pudding or souffles).

Hosts Mary and Andy were very accommodating, allowing us to check-in early (we arrive at 11am and had only asked to drop off our luggage). After check-out we were even able to leave our bags until 5pm before heading out to the the airport.

WCUI was a very pleasant experience, and one that I would repeat.

We stayed inan apartment. The linens were the best I've ever slept on. Great location. Great service. Great breakfast.

We spent two nights here in November. We were in one of the apartments behind the main building. The apartment was very large; upstairs had a bedroom, sitting area and bath. Downstairs was a living area which could be another bedroom, a fully equiped kitchen and another bath. There was enough room for two families to share the apartment or for a large family. It was one of the nicest bed and breakfsts we have stayed in and we have been to may. The bed was extremely comfortable, there were numerous books and magazines available and the hosts were very helpful. Its in a great location, close to shops, parks, restaurants, etc. The breakfast buffet was more than adequate and included a hot dish along with fresh fruit, yogurt, fresh baked muffins or pastry, and many other choices. We would highly reccomend the Windy City Urban Bed and Breakfast.

We really enjoyed our stay at the Windy City Inn. The breakfast served each morning was outstanding and we were made to feel “at home”.

The common areas are a very nice touch, with the ability to make coffee when you need it. It was also a very quiet place to stay, and we love the neighborhood. The Inn is located in a tree-lined quiet neighborhood within walking distance to the Lincoln Park Zoo. Just a great place to go after seeing the sites in busy Chicago.


When we to return to Chicago, we’ll be staying here. It sure beats the large hotels.