Wicker Park Inn

Breakfast was a highlight, with homemade pastries, chia pudding, overnight oats, and good coffee, plus tea, juice, milk, and cold water. I loved spending the morning in the shared kitchen and dining area, either relaxing or chatting over a pastry. We stayed about four nights, and the staff were warm and helpful with all kinds of things. Our room, the Ellen King downstairs, was cute and cozy, with good water pressure and nice shampoo and soap. Footsteps overhead could get loud, so I'd use the earplugs they provide. Wicker Park Inn is also in a great spot, with restaurants just minutes away and plenty of bars, venues, lounges, arcades, clothing, book, and secondhand shops. I wish I'd had time to visit more of them. I met some wonderful people around Wicker Park too. Highly recommend the inn.

Finding a room here at the last minute worked out really well for my wife and me. We were in the Paulina, which was charming, with a comfortable bed, and check-in was easy. The shared lounge and kitchen were a nice extra, though we barely used them. I can see them being especially handy on a longer stay. Our room was next to the L, so a light sleeper might find the noise bothersome. It was fine for us.

The blue line runs right behind the house and is audible, and we could sometimes hear people walking along the creaky old floors and moving up and down the halls. Neither bothered us or kept us from sleeping. Staff were friendly and helpful once we found them, though they aren't always easy to locate and there's no fully staffed front desk. The inn itself is a renovated older home with distinctive decor in every room. The shared kitchen has complimentary breakfast, coffee, water, and snacks, and there are thoughtful extras like free umbrellas, heated floors, a binder with room, neighborhood, and city information, 2pm check-in, and flexibility around late checkout and luggage storage. It sits about two minutes from the heart of Wicker Park, near cute shops, local coffee, and good food. We loved our stay, especially the affordable price, decor, amenities, and location.

We were surprised by how quiet our ground-floor Hoyne room was, even with the train just behind the building. Earplugs were provided, which was thoughtful, though I can't imagine needing them in that room. The room was beautiful, and both staff members we met were welcoming and helpful. There are lots of cute shops, cafes, restaurants, and bars just a block away. Street parking is tough, so I'd pay for overnight parking. My husband and I left agreeing this would be our go-to on future Chicago trips.