Carleton of Oak Park

I needed a place for an October interview trip in the area, and the other independent hotels didn’t appeal as much. I usually choose national chains for their rewards programs, but that wasn’t an option this time. Yelp reviews led me here, and I’m glad I picked it. My lower-priced room in the “motor inn” section was comfortable and quite spacious. It was easy to get to the car, and I didn’t have to wait at all for my interview. I also got work done in the main hotel’s library, which was quiet and had good wifi. The place is an easy walk to downtown Oak Park and the L, and off-street guest parking is a huge advantage for first-time visitors to OP. “Don’t Park” could almost be the town’s unofficial nickname. One tip, if the front desk still has the $20 gift card for $10, pick one up and get a drink at their bar.

By daybreak I’d had enough, so I packed up and checked out instead of staying the second night to visit my sister. I’d been planning a two-day stay, and the hotel’s proximity to the hospital where she was staying was part of the appeal, along with the name. But the whole place, including my room, smelled of mold, mildew, dirty carpet, and the outdated radiators. I have respiratory distress, so I asked to move rooms in the middle of the night. The new room was a little better, but still bad, and I ended up standing downstairs by the door to get fresh air. They wouldn’t refund me, saying I had to go through a third party. The third party told me the hotel could absolutely have returned one night’s fee. They also charged my card another $50 for changing rooms. I explained my health problems, but they didn’t care. It was the worst hotel I’ve stayed in. It’s very old, but not vintage, just nasty. Don’t go. If you book, don’t prepay like I did. It’s not worth it, and you can find much better options. They won’t have to worry about seeing me again.

We’ve had good experiences in the Carleton hotel rooms before, and this time the Motor Inn room turned out to be a hidden gem. It was clean and quiet, right by our car, and the price was hard to beat. I hope we can get one of these rooms again on our next visit.

I’ve stayed here twice and loved it both times. The rooms are all different in size, shape, and setup, and both of mine were extremely large. On the most recent stay, shown in the attached photos, I had a sitting room and a walk-in wet bar, which was a nice touch, though I don’t think that’s standard. The hotel has beautiful historic architecture and lots of interesting details. It’s in a great spot, with restaurants, pubs, shopping, and the EL all within a minute’s walk or less. Parking is a bit tight, but it’s free. If you’re after a unique getaway in a quaint spot, you’ve found the right hotel.