Holiday Inn & Suites Chicago North Shore (Skokie) by IHG

My room was kept spotless every day, and I really liked the breakfast and the many dining choices nearby. The bar was the frustrating part. I had to keep calling the bartender over just to order beers and shots. It was a great stay otherwise, but the bar staff need to pay closer attention to guests.

The staff handled requests promptly, and the service felt dependable and well organized. My short weekend booking was confirmed quickly at the front desk.

The pool and hot tub were great, and the big atrium has a cool feel if you can put up with the pool smell. We needed this location, so we stayed despite the other reviews. It worked for our specific needs, but I wouldn’t recommend the place. If you do stay because of the location, take a close look at your room when you check in. It seems like the hotel used to be great, but now it’s dated and poorly maintained. We had trouble getting linens for the pullout bed, and there was a small stain on what we got. The toilet handle had to be jiggled or the toilet kept running, the tub had no stopper, and the plumbing under the sink looked like a drunk handyman’s work. The nightstand was badly beat up. The TV wouldn’t let us log in to our apps, which I wouldn’t have thought to check a couple years ago, but has worked in my stays over the last year or two.

I recommended this hotel to visiting family, and I’m ashamed I did. It looked clean and up to date, but their stay felt like the place was falling apart. The first night was fine. In the morning, they had no hot water, and by 9 a.m. had to take cold showers so they could leave. The water worked when they got back that evening, then was cold again the next morning. They were offered another room and free breakfast, but hurried out without showering because breakfast ended at 10 and they wanted to get something to eat. On their way back up to shower and get ready, they were trapped in the elevator for about ten minutes. Once someone got them out, they learned the elevator was broken. Because of health issues, they couldn’t manage three flights of stairs and had to wait in the lobby until it was fixed. Other guests told them they had already warned the front desk three times that the elevator was acting strangely. After they finally got upstairs and showered, their sink was clogged too. The room was never cleaned. Staff offered to clean it “extra special” the next day, but my family was leaving. They asked for towels and coffee to be brought up, but the desk clerk was alone and couldn’t do it, as apparently had been the case all week. When they asked about compensation for such a terrible stay, they were told management would call. No one did. They checked out with no contact from management. The front desk said that since they booked through Expedia, they had to complain to Expedia because it had nothing to do with the hotel. But this had everything to do with the hotel. The hotel was the problem, not Expedia.