The rooms on the inner side ( facing the roof of the lobby ) were pathetic. requested for a change. Changed room was good, stayed for a week.

Hotel is very old, interiors are also old. Attitude of some of the ladies at front desk was not co operative.

All this was compromised with the central location of the hotel.
Other facilities are not up to mark.

For better price book through other web sites. The hotel do not give good rates when you approach direct. For extension of stay also I had to go through other sites for better price.

We were there last year and we really enjoyed the room size and it's cleanliness. It's in a nice place (just on Michigan Av.) but you´ll have to walk some blocks to get to Millenium Park (first) and the Magnificent Mile (later). Walking in Chicago (most beautiful city in the world) is fantastic if it's not too cold, or too windy. If you're ok with that kind of weather, then you'll enjoy the views from the hotel to the hot spots of the city.

So, not sure if they've completely renovated or not -- but a lot of the bad reviews are not warranted! At the very least, we had a completely positive experience at the Congress!

It's central location and the El is very close, so its easy to get everywhere! The room was huge -- gorgeous high ceilings, clean carpets, new furniture, extremely comfy beds. The only thing that I'd want is a littttle more hot water and extra towels b/c I like big towels and a lot of them.

Like I said, it is close to the El so depending on where your room is situated, you might hear the rumbling of trains (they aren't frequent) but the sound from this was negligible. Note that me and my roomie are also New Yorkers, so sounds don't bother us like they might bother people who aren't used to hearing trains/sirens/etc at night.

Overall, definitely would come back here again!

Average all of the reviews, and you have things about right. My bet is that some rooms are really good...others not so. We just returned from a weekend in Chicago to see the sights. Bought the Go Chicago card, and used the Grey Line hop on - hop off to get around. We had a standard king room in the south tower on the 13th floor, and observations are as follows:

The Good:

Price - good for downtown from what we could see..it seems downtown Chicago is very expensive..
Location - Excellent, 5 minutes from the art institute, 15 - 20 min walk from planetarium and aquarium, right across the road from Grant Park, near the Grey Line stop, and a pretty easy walk to anywhere in the Loop, with good restaurants close by. Lots to do, so we were'nt in our room very much.

The room and linens were clean, the breakfast downstairs was good, and the staff where friendly and the bed was great.

The 'Could be better"

This place is really OLD. They where doing renovations constantly while we were there, and I get the feeling that they try to do what they can on a budget without gutting the whole place. Someone described the hotel as 'quirky'. I would add 'utilitarian'. If you want a luxury hotel experience, this is not the place to be.spend an extra 100.00 per night. and go somewhere else. If you want a place to sleep at a reasonable price for downtown, it's OK. Be prepared for noisy bathroom fans, doors that might squeek or stick a bit...outdated curtains , wallpaper and decor. The place also has some hidden charm...old marble staircases, old style elevators, etc.

Would I recommend it? If you are on a budget, only need a place to sleep, and plan to be outside most of the time...then yeah.