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The Willows: Traveler Reviews


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86% Recommend
4.0 of 5 stars 46 reviews
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[ Date ] [ Rating ]
Oasis in the City

The Willows

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5 of 5 stars
laborman1   10 contributions
Philadelphia, PA
Sep 17, 2008 | Trip type: Couples

My wife and I stayed at the Willows for 2 nights based on the preponderance of good reviews on TripAdvisor. We were not disappointed in any way. We had a small room with one queen size bed. It was clean and quiet. We felt that the value was very good for a large city such as Chicago. The free breakfast was perfectly adequate, another bonus for a hotel in a large city. The personal service and intimate atmosphere were also a welcome change from large chain hotels. But the best part may have been the neighborhood. It was just fabulous. Everything one could possibly want was within easy walking distance. And I do mean everything. There is every nationality of cuisine, including places open late and even 24 hours. There is even everything from Barnes & Noble to Borders, Bed Bath & Beyond to Best Buy, small used book stores to pizza places to Asian, Persian and Turkish restaurants, coffee shops- on and on. It is a great walking neighborhood. And despite all that is there, it seemed quiet. Close proximity to excellent public transportation was another plus. We never had to use our car or a cab while there. Parking garage was convenient. The Willows even had the city's $5.00 bus/train daily passes at the front desk. This turned out to be a convenience and money-saver. Our 2 nights were part of a 28-day cross-country driving trip. The Willows was one of the best places we stayed.

  • My ratings for this hotel
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
    • 5 of 5 stars Business service (e.g., internet access)
  • Date of stay September 2008
  • Visit was for Quality time with family
  • Traveled with Spouse / significant other
  • Age group 50-64
  • Member since July 07, 2005
  • Would you recommend this hotel to a friend? Yes
  • I recommend this hotel for An amazing honeymoon, A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, Older travelers, Tourists
  • I do not recommend this hotel for Young singles, Great pool scene
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
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Average price*: $170 (year-round)
Call now to book: 1-800-45-HOTEL from hotels.com
The Willows saved my trip to Chicago

The Willows

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5 of 5 stars
miker75058   94 contributions
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Aug 27, 2008

I flew to Chicago for a Cubs game on August 18 and experienced a horrible flight- three hour delay, a missed connection, almost missed my rescheduled connection, and lost luggage. By the time we arrived at The Willows I was absolutely frustrated. The front desk changed all that. He was friendly, got us checked in quickly, gave us a demonstation of the old-fashioned elevator, and wrote down our luggage information for when it arrived. After freshening up (with the care package that the airline gave us) he gave us competent directions to the train and gave us all the information we needed as to which stops to get off (Sears Tower, Billy Goat Tavern ect.).

The decor of this hotel is nice. It is old-fashioned (I'm not positive what decade it is, I think the 20's) and they have swing/ jazz music playing in the lobby.

The location is on a quiet little side street in a nice neighborhood. Wrigley Field is about a 20 minute walk and there are plenty of restauraunts and bars/pubs in the area. You can get everything you need within walking distance (groceries, drug stores, ect.).

Everyone at the front desk that I encountered at The Willows seemed to go out of his way to accomadate us. Highly recommended.

  • Liked — Front desk, access to train, neighborhood
  • Disliked — Nothing
  • My ratings for this hotel
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
  • Date of stay August 2008
  • Visit was for Hobbies / interest / culture
  • Age group 35-49
  • Member since November 04, 2006
  • Would you recommend this hotel to a friend? Yes
  • I recommend this hotel for Young singles, An amazing honeymoon, A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, Older travelers, Families with teenagers, Tourists
  • I do not recommend this hotel for People with disabilities
  • I selected this hotel as a top choice for Museums / Cultural / Historical sites, Sporting event
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
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Average price*: $170 (year-round)
Call now to book: 1-800-45-HOTEL from hotels.com
Average hotel but expensive

The Willows

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3 of 5 stars
AndeanTraveler   25 contributions
Kingston, Ontario, Canada
Aug 21, 2008

This hotel has several good points and a few not so great. On the good side, the staff is friendly and very willing to help out. When I first arrived I was given a room that had a window facing the main street. The next day I asked if I could be moved to a different room so that I could sleep better without traffic noise and they granted my request without a problem. The room furniture is generally in good shape and the bathrooms are clean. A continental breakfast is included. There's free wireless internet all over the hotel. My room had air conditioning but not all rooms do. The hotel is close to numerous restaurants and pubs in a good area of Chicago. The one criticism I have is that hotel is showing its wear and tear. For example, the carpets in the entire premises need replacement. Perhaps this is not a big deal for some people, but given that I paid $150 per night (incl. tax), I would have expected a better upkeep of the hotel or else a lower nightly rate.

  • My ratings for this hotel
    • 3 of 5 stars Value
    • 3 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
    • 5 of 5 stars Business service (e.g., internet access)
  • Date of stay August 2008
  • Member since March 08, 2005
  • Would you recommend this hotel to a friend? Yes
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
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Average price*: $170 (year-round)
Call now to book: 1-800-45-HOTEL from hotels.com
quaint, small, overpriced, but great neighborhood

The Willows

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4 of 5 stars
bobbi222   13 contributions
Charleston, Illinois
Jul 10, 2008 | Trip type: Business, Couples

This hotel is in a great neighborhood, near the lake and many great restaurants. My husband and I have stayed in some laughably small rooms here, when nothing else was available (but the price was smaller too). The staff have always been very friendly and helpful. There is an expanded contintental breakfast, which is adequate. And tea and fresh-baked cookies everyday at 4pm. I love walking out the front door of the hotel right into a lovely Chicago neighborhood. And there are so many restaurants and stores on Clark and Broadway. It is a lovely walk to the lakefront. The rooms really are small, and the place is overpriced, but I always enjoy staying here.

  • Liked — Location
  • Disliked — price
  • My ratings for this hotel
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
    • 5 of 5 stars Business service (e.g., internet access)
  • Date of stay May 2008
  • Visit was for Business
  • Traveled with Spouse / significant other
  • Age group 35-49
  • Member since April 27, 2005
  • Would you recommend this hotel to a friend? Yes
  • I recommend this hotel for A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, Tourists
  • I do not recommend this hotel for Young singles
  • I selected this hotel as a top choice for Business meeting / Event, Great food / Wine
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
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Average price*: $170 (year-round)
Call now to book: 1-800-45-HOTEL from hotels.com
Great Room & Location

The Willows

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5 of 5 stars
Newman1   5 contributions
Michigan
Jun 24, 2008 | Trip type: Friends getaway
1/1 found this review helpful

Spent one night at the Willows. The staff was very helpful. Needed to stay past regular checkout time and the staff was very accommodating They even let us stay in the parking garage at no extra cost.
The continental breakfast has a nice variety of cereals, bagels, breakfast sandwichs and juice.
The location is in a nice residential area and very quiet.

  • Liked — Location
  • Disliked — Nothing
  • My ratings for this hotel
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
    • 4 of 5 stars Business service (e.g., internet access)
  • Date of stay June 2008
  • Visit was for Personal event (wedding, ...)
  • Traveled with Friends
  • Age group 50-64
  • Member since July 25, 2006
  • Would you recommend this hotel to a friend? Yes
  • I recommend this hotel for An amazing honeymoon, A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, Older travelers, Families with teenagers, Tourists
  • I do not recommend this hotel for Young singles, Great pool scene
  • I selected this hotel as a top choice for Other
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
Check Rates ABS:HotelCheckRates-d87640?ext=true&src=ShowUserReviewsHotels&fromServlet=ShowUserReviews&Action=QC_Button_Reviews
Average price*: $170 (year-round)
Call now to book: 1-800-45-HOTEL from hotels.com
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The Willows Also Known As

  • Willows Hotel Chicago
  • Willows Chicago
Address: 555 West Surf Ave, Chicago, IL 60657-6020