Heart O' Chicago

The price and place seemed reasonable, but the service from both staff and management was very poor. I booked one night, arrived around 10 p.m., and asked for a nonsmoking room. The room had a strange smell so strong I couldn’t sleep. I went to the desk to explain and ask for another room, but instead of helping, the staff member started yelling at me. About half the rooms were vacant that night, but they still refused to move me. I left at 1:20 a.m. If I can’t sleep, there’s no point staying. The next day I called to speak with a supervisor or manager. The person who answered first said he was the manager, but after I explained the complaint, he changed that and said he’d pass it on to the management team. He said someone would get back to me, and they did a couple of days later. I couldn’t talk then, so they left a voicemail. Because of work, I planned to call back at the end of the week, but they called again two days later and left another message asking me to call back. I returned the call that same day. When I explained who I was, the same person who had left the voicemail said, “I called you, you didn’t answer, it’s too late, bye,” and hung up. The staff treated me without respect, and management did the same. All I asked for was another room because of the smell. I couldn’t sleep in the one I was given.

Street noise was part of the experience here. We heard passing cars and sirens day and night, but we felt safe outside our room, with plenty of visible security. It’s a two-level motel in uptown, quite far from downtown spots like the Art Institute. The parking lot is tight, so a large SUV or oversized pickup might be hard to maneuver. Staff were friendly, and the man who checked us in gave us a small discount, which I appreciated. The room and bathroom were clean and fully functional, which was what mattered to us. The decor is outdated, but that’s part of the charm of this authentic 1970s motel. We had an upstairs room despite the place not being full during our Saturday night to Monday morning stay. The beds were soft and bowed in the middle, and not really big enough for two adults, so we slept in separate beds, Ozzie & Harriet style. We skipped breakfast both mornings and walked to a diner for omelets and pancakes instead. It wasn’t a perfect setup, but we’ll definitely be back.

The price was good, and the location is great. The front desk guy was very kind, and the place has a cute feel to it. The rooms were clean apart from the grimy carpet, which needs replacing. The plastic-wrapped cushions made for a hot night, and the place smelled kind of strange.

There was no heat, and it was below 50 degrees. Nobody was there to check us in until 5 p.m. When the person finally arrived, he told us our room smelled bad but didn’t offer any other room options. The corner also had horns honking at all hours. Never again. How is it acceptable to leave the front desk unattended for more than three hours in the afternoon?