OverviewLocated about a 5-minute drive from Chicago's city centre and a 3-minute walk from Merchandise Mart Metro Station, the Howard Johnson Inn Downtown Chicago is suitable for travellers who require a pet-friendly and centrally located hotel with free parking, on-site dining and easy access to public transit.
Each of the hotel's air-conditioned guest rooms offers free Wi-Fi, cable TV, a coffeemaker, a table and two chairs, a hair dryer and an iron and ironing board. Rooms with a microwave and a mini-fridge are also available, as are smoking, non-smoking and wheelchair-accessible rooms.
Hotel amenities include a business centre, vending machines, free parking and on-site dining at Cafe Luna, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Up to two pets under 25 lbs are permitted free of charge per room. A $100 sanitation fee will be charged if applicable.
The Magnificent Mile is roughly a 5-minute drive from the hotel, while Navy Pier is an 8-minute drive away. Wrigley Field can be found 15 minutes away by car and Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) is about a 25-minute drive away. (All distances and travel time estimates: Google Maps)
Verified with a front desk agent: Free Wi-Fi, free parking, up to 2 pets free + $100 sanitation fee if applicable , wheelchair accessible. (Call Date: November 19, 2013)
The GoodThe majority of the reviews sourced for this analysis were positive, with praise going to the hotel's location, value, staff and rooms.
Numerous guests praised the hotel's location, describing it as downtown and close to Millennium Park, Magnificent Mile, House of Blues, public transit, Grand Park, highway access, restaurants and the airport. One patron noted, "We were able to walk everywhere and for every reason: shopping, eating, parks, museums, etc.".
Many reviewers were pleased with the hotel's value. They found the rates to be reasonable, outstanding, excellent and affordable and cited the hotel's free parking as adding to the hotel's overall worth.
The hotel's staff were the source of several compliments by lodgers, who characterized them as friendly, efficient, helpful and knowledgeable about the area. One guest remarked, "Apparently this isn't a five-star hotel; but it seems that nobody bothered to tell the staff that, because they were exceedingly helpful ... from check-in to departure".
Some travellers were satisfied with their accommodations at the hotel. They described their rooms as clean, well equipped, quiet and well maintained. Some reviewers criticized their lodgings, however (see below).
The Bad
While the majority of reviews consulted for this analysis were positive, there were some common complaints about the hotel's rooms.
Although some travellers were pleased with their well-equipped and quiet rooms, some lodgers were disappointed with their accommodations at the hotel. They reported dated decor, worn furniture, fixtures and carpets, small-sized rooms, cigarette odours in non-smoking rooms, some cleaning issues and noisy in-room air conditioning.
Expedia.ca guest reviews rated the hotel 3.4 out of 5 with an 81% recommendation rate from 795 reviews.
TripAdvisor.com guest reviews ranked the hotel #116 of 166 Chicago hotels with an average rating of 3.5 out of 5 from 399 reviews.
Booking.com guest reviews rated the hotel 7.3 out of 10 from 74 reviews.
The author called the hotel on November 19, 2013 to verify some information.
