Country Host Motel

After hours of driving through Chicago's endless road construction over July 4th weekend, I stopped here because it was the only first-floor smoking room available within two hours. The owner or manager was very nice, the location felt safe, and the linens seemed new, clean, and good quality. But the room was in shocking shape for $75. It looked like it was halfway through a remodel, which nobody told us. The carpet had been replaced with vinyl "hardwood," which was nice, and one of the two queen beds seemed new. The other bed was missing, though we only needed one. There was meant to be a fridge and microwave, but we got only a tiny cooler-sized fridge and no microwave. One nightstand had its drawer missing and the front torn off, and the desk chair was broken. The TV and cable box were plugged into an outlet controlled by the light switch, so turning off the light also turned off the TV. The new curtains were ridiculous and wouldn't meet in the middle. Worst of all, it was 99 degrees outside and the AC was off when we arrived. We turned it to the coldest setting by 9PM, but the room stayed above 80 degrees until checkout the next morning. We barely slept, sweating in that concrete-block room.

The rooms were clean, the beds were comfortable, and the outside looked nice and clean with no bums hanging around. Staff were very friendly and gave us a discount on the room. There was a microwave and mini fridge too. My only complaint was a few holes in the wall.

The bathroom, bed, fridge, microwave, and TV were all good, and the office staff handled check-in and checkout promptly. The door was a little hard to open. This works for a cheap overnight stay, but I wouldn't suggest a longer visit, especially in winter. My heater could barely get the room above 60°F when it was probably at least -5°F outside. I don't think the cold weather makes that acceptable.

There were two kids shooting up heroin on the stairs as we walked to our room, and the whole place seemed in disrepair. The walls had cracks in the brick and mortar, the floor was horrible, and the sheets looked like they hadn't been cleaned in 10 years. It smelled of mold and my allergies kicked in right away. I had told them we needed a first-floor room because of my health issues, but they gave us a second-floor room. I'd give zero stars if I could.