Baymont by Wyndham Glenview

The breakfast had enough for everyone who came down, and the front desk team helped a lot when I ran into trouble with a third-party booking. They communicated well and made things easy. I really appreciated the friendly staff and management, and had a great stay at Baymont.

The bed was so hard it felt like a jail bed, and it gave us back pain. We tried breakfast the next morning, but the presentation put us off. There was a film around the milk pitcher, my waffle was dry and lacked any hint of butter, the bagels looked stale, the eggs weren't tasty, and the sausage seemed clearly boiled. With a stay for more than two people, I'd look for another hotel nearby. Getting into the room was a hassle too. The first set of activated keycards didn't work, then we were moved to another room with a different set, but that room wasn't the type we'd paid for. They also require a $100 deposit at check-in, which felt like a lot given the quality of the rooms. I've stayed at Baymont Inn properties in other states, and this one didn't meet my expectations. Service could use more professional training. When I politely asked for extra towels, the attendant was sitting with her back to the front desk and seemed irritated. She was reluctant to help. If you need an iron, bring one, since staff may take a while to get one to you. Ask for a room facing the front because the hotel is beside the highway.

The night noises were the last straw. Around 11 PM I heard loud drilling and someone tapping on my window. I felt unsafe, packed up, and went to the front desk to leave a letter for the manager. He never contacted me afterward. It was an incredibly distressing stay, and I won't patronize this establishment again. I was staying with my service dog. On the first day I went out to run an errand, and staff later told me he'd somehow gotten out of the room, then said they'd put him back. The next morning I left him securely in the bathroom with the door closed. When I returned, they suggested he'd turned the doorknob and escaped. People who follow me on social media know how much I love him, and even the thought of him being compromised is unthinkable. I travel extensively with him, and this has never happened. Opening a French door is one of the many things he can do, so that seemed plausible at first, though the door's weight made it hard to believe. But he cannot turn a knob and pull a door back. I asked to speak with the manager, and we looked at the doors together. I also asked him to review the video from that time. While I waited, he was rearranging footage on the system and said he needed to adjust it to see another angle. I found it puzzling that he was shifting footage from another day to investigate what happened on my last night there. My theory is that they may have staged the story about my dog trying to get out so they could steal him, or that someone went in to clean, got scared when they saw him, and ran out.

If you're driving, don't mind a long trip, and just need somewhere to rest, this can work. Parking is free, saving the $75 a night you'd pay downtown, and there are several restaurants nearby if the simple breakfast of waffles, eggs, coffee, and bread isn't enough. But it's about 40 minutes from the city center, or up to an hour with traffic or a highway accident. If you don't want that drive, I'd spend more on a downtown hotel and use transit or pay the $75 nightly parking. I've stayed here twice. The first time, in a double room, the bed was a bit hard and the towels were rough. On my second visit I had a queen bed, which was comfortable, and the towels were much better. The staff were kind and helpful both times, making the stay more pleasant. It's a decent place for an overnight rest.