Holiday Inn & Suites Chicago-downtown By IHG
Renovated rooms with black-and-white decor offer a quiet base where children stay free of charge.
The verdict
Pick a traveller type to re-weight the scores and re-rank the rooms around what you actually care about.
This property provides clean, 2022-renovated accommodations featuring black-and-white architectural photos, tufted headboards, and stylish bathrooms with Dove toiletries. Guests frequently highlight the family-friendly value, particularly because children stay free of charge. However, room views are mostly unspectacular, and elevator outages have forced guests to use emergency stairs. 7549
Every line below traces back to something a traveler actually wrote — open a line to read the original sentence and follow it to the source.
What travelers noticed
- Reviewers consistently praise the fresh, 2022-renovated rooms styled with damask wallpaper, tufted headboards, and comfortable sleeping temperatures. 5
- Bathrooms earn praise for being well-stocked with individual Dove toiletries, hairdryers, and black-and-white tile floors. 59
- Families highlight the strong value of children aged 3 to 18 staying free of charge. 47
The catch
Who it's for
- — Families traveling with kids
- — Guests seeking modern, renovated rooms
- — Value-conscious downtown visitors
Skip it if
- — Guests wanting scenic skyline room views
- — Anyone frustrated by potential elevator outages
Seen on camera
13 moments · 4 videos · Holiday Inn & Suites Chicago-downtown By IHG
Each moment is pulled at the second a cited reviewer said the words. Play it here, or open the original video at that timestamp.
“The room was clean, the temperature was perfect for sleeping, and you couldn't ask for anything better.”
youtube.com2:35“this area Elk Grove there's not too much nearby there's a Portillo's Restaurant a few blocks away but this is not a popu…”
youtube.com3:21“I would recommend it if you are heading to Chicago and you want a place to stay that isn't completely madness with traff…”
youtube.com9:58“While the property has a well-established history back to 1999, it has been beautifully renovated in 2022, seamlessly co…”
youtube.com0:28“So anyways, this is the night of checking in and I was kind of leerary as to sleeping in a hotel right near a huge inter…”
youtube.com2:04“From the staff to the cleanliness of the rooms to the service, everything was great except this one thing.”
youtube.com8:56“One of the standout benefits for families is their incredible value, as children aged 3 to 18 can stay absolutely free o…”
youtube.com0:50“One of the best things I found out is that children between the ages of 3 and 18 stay absolutely free of charge. How ama…”
youtube.com1:10“there is a toilet here in the bathroom of course there's a shower a few towels and your sink area here with individual D…”
youtube.com1:57“And if you need a quick bite before heading out for the day, they have you covered with a fantastic breakfast service to…”
youtube.com2:08“it has a shuttle to the airport running once an hour on the hour so it's not a frequent shuttle but there is an airport…”
youtube.com3:05“Cup of coffee. It's not the best, but it'll do when you're tired and you've been driving all day.”
youtube.com6:42“When it comes to amenities, this hotel truly understands that a great stay is about more than just a place to sleep. You…”
youtube.com1:17Frames are citations: each one links to its second in the source video, attributed to the creator who filmed it. Nothing here is supplied by the hotel. Creators who want a moment removed can ask and we take it down.
How to book
Score breakdown
How the 80/100 is built, category by category — each one with the strongest thing travelers actually said, and the source it came from.
Bathroom
84- “With black and white tile floors, stylish bathrooms have hairdryers and shower/tub combos and/or showers; some suites have soaking tubs.” 5
- “there is a toilet here in the bathroom of course there's a shower a few towels and your sink area here with individual Dove toiletries so it is kind of nice at this hotel is not using the communal toiletries” 91:57
Food
91- “And if you need a quick bite before heading out for the day, they have you covered with a fantastic breakfast service to fuel your adventures.” 72:08
- “When it comes to amenities, this hotel truly understands that a great stay is about more than just a place to sleep. You can stay connected with complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi throughout your visit and start your mornings right with a delicious breakfast to fuel your adventures.” 41:17
Location
83- “Today the area has a lively nightlife scene with plenty of restaurant and bar options nearby. This convenient location is 10 minutes on foot to the Wrigley Building and a 10-minute stroll to the waterfront Chicago Riverwalk with kayaks and boat rentals in the warmer months.” 5
- “it has a shuttle to the airport running once an hour on the hour so it's not a frequent shuttle but there is an airport shuttle that will take you over there and you know runs often enough to to make it work” 93:05
Noise
92- “I would recommend it if you are heading to Chicago and you want a place to stay that isn't completely madness with traffic. It is an awesome choice.” 89:58
- “So anyways, this is the night of checking in and I was kind of leerary as to sleeping in a hotel right near a huge international airport, how good I would actually sleep. But it was really quiet in our room.” 82:04
Room
77- “The room was clean, the temperature was perfect for sleeping, and you couldn't ask for anything better.” 82:35
Service
87- “From the staff to the cleanliness of the rooms to the service, everything was great except this one thing.” 88:56
Bed & Sleep
80Nothing quotable yet on this one — the score leans on the rest of the coverage.
Value
79- “One of the standout benefits for families is their incredible value, as children aged 3 to 18 can stay absolutely free of charge.” 40:50
- “One of the best things I found out is that children between the ages of 3 and 18 stay absolutely free of charge. How amazing is that? It makes family vacations so much more affordable and stress-free.” 71:10
Where it is, how to reach it
Details checked 2026-09-10
Where it sits
Holiday Inn & Suites Chicago-downtown By IHG and the 38 other hotels we cover in Chicago. Hover a marker for the hotel; click to open it.
Stay value
How this property reads against the hotels we cover alongside it. Measured on review evidence, not on a nightly rate.
On par with what $ usually buys
Scores 2 points below the modest median of 82, across 404 hotels in the same bracket. In Chicago it sits 8 points below the local median of 88.
- This hotel
- 80
- Bracket median
- 82
- Index median
- 86
Based on 404 comparable hotels.
Which room to ask for
What reviewers say about where to sleep inside this building — by room number where one is named, and otherwise by floor, wing, aspect and position. Every line opens onto the quotes behind it.
No reviewer has yet described a room, floor or aspect specifically enough to act on at this property. Room intelligence appears here the moment they do.
Where travelers agree — and don’t
The topics reviewers split on most. A wide bar means your experience depends on which room you get — or whose opinion you trust.
View the 15 things travelers said behind this verdict▾
Quotes run exactly as travelers wrote them — spelling and all. We trim for length, never for tidiness.
- “The room was clean, the temperature was perfect for sleeping, and you couldn't ask for anything better.” On camera82:35
- “With black and white tile floors, stylish bathrooms have hairdryers and shower/tub combos and/or showers; some suites have soaking tubs.” 5
- “there is a toilet here in the bathroom of course there's a shower a few towels and your sink area here with individual Dove toiletries so it is kind of nice at this hotel is not using the communal toiletries” On camera91:57
- “this area Elk Grove there's not too much nearby there's a Portillo's Restaurant a few blocks away but this is not a populated area as far as restaurants and shops and that kind of thing so you sort of come here either for a conference where you have something to do but but it's not a great area for just general travel it's not connected to any public transit or anything like that” On camera93:21
- “Today the area has a lively nightlife scene with plenty of restaurant and bar options nearby. This convenient location is 10 minutes on foot to the Wrigley Building and a 10-minute stroll to the waterfront Chicago Riverwalk with kayaks and boat rentals in the warmer months.” 5
- “it has a shuttle to the airport running once an hour on the hour so it's not a frequent shuttle but there is an airport shuttle that will take you over there and you know runs often enough to to make it work” On camera93:05
- “I would recommend it if you are heading to Chicago and you want a place to stay that isn't completely madness with traffic. It is an awesome choice.” On camera89:58
- “So anyways, this is the night of checking in and I was kind of leerary as to sleeping in a hotel right near a huge international airport, how good I would actually sleep. But it was really quiet in our room.” On camera82:04
- “From the staff to the cleanliness of the rooms to the service, everything was great except this one thing.” On camera88:56
- “One of the standout benefits for families is their incredible value, as children aged 3 to 18 can stay absolutely free of charge.” On camera40:50
- “One of the best things I found out is that children between the ages of 3 and 18 stay absolutely free of charge. How amazing is that? It makes family vacations so much more affordable and stress-free.” On camera71:10
- “One Line Summary Great hotel providing a great value downtown Chicago” 12
- “And if you need a quick bite before heading out for the day, they have you covered with a fantastic breakfast service to fuel your adventures.” On camera72:08
- “Cup of coffee. It's not the best, but it'll do when you're tired and you've been driving all day.” On camera86:42
- “When it comes to amenities, this hotel truly understands that a great stay is about more than just a place to sleep. You can stay connected with complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi throughout your visit and start your mornings right with a delicious breakfast to fuel your adventures.” On camera41:17
What we still don't know
What we can’t tell you yet, said plainly. These close as we read more coverage of this hotel.
- No reviewer has named an individual room number here yet.
- Nothing reliable said about room types.
- Nothing reliable said about floor level.
- Nothing reliable said about building or wing.
- Nothing reliable said about which side it faces.
- Nothing reliable said about view.
- Nothing reliable said about position on the floor.
- Food rests on 3 sources — too thin to rely on.
Ask about Holiday Inn & Suites Chicago-downtown By IHG
Answered only from the coverage cited on this page. If nobody has written about your question, it will say so rather than guess.
How much we read
Deep coverage · 58/100We read 15 sources for this property, and pulled 25 traveler insights worth knowing. Last checked 2026-09-11.
Watch this hotel
We keep reading Holiday Inn & Suites Chicago-downtown By IHG. Tell us when you're staying and we'll follow it until then — you'll hear from us only when the verdict is rewritten, the score moves, or new reviews land. No daily mail, and the watch closes itself after your stay.
Sources
Everything quoted on this page, grouped by traveler insights, outlets, and video & podcast. Counts beside each group show everything we’ve read of that kind; no one kind can carry the score on its own.
5 of 5 summary lines above are traced to specific quotes. The rest summarise the read as a whole rather than any single document.
View all 15 cited sources▾
Everything quoted on this page.
- 2Downtown hotel recommendations? : r/AskChicagoreddit.comForum thread2025-12-08RecentRead originalreddit.com
- 3Options in Chicago : r/ihghotelsresortsreddit.comForum thread2025-02-18RecentRead originalreddit.com
- 5Hotel Chicago Downtown, Autograph Collectionoyster.comReview site2024-08-09Ageing5 quotes used
“With black and white tile floors, stylish bathrooms have hairdryers and shower/tub combos and/or showers; some suites have soaking tubs.”
Read originaloyster.com - 12[Review] Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza - Chicago, ILreddit.comForum thread2015-12-08Ageing1 quote used
“One Line Summary Great hotel providing a great value downtown Chicago”
Read originalreddit.com - 1Holiday Inn Chicago-Downtown GDS Codestravelweekly.comReview siteDate not statedRead originaltravelweekly.com
- 4Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Chicago - Downtown By IHGyoutube.comVideoDate not statedListened for quotes only4 quotes used
“While the property has a well-established history back to 1999, it has been beautifully renovated in 2022, seamlessly combining timeless charm with fresh, updated features designed for the modern traveler.”
Read originalyoutube.com
More in Chicago
All Chicago hotels →Boutique River North hotel in a restored 1920s building with funky decor, compact rooms, and lobby bakery treats.
An affordable hotel across from Grant Park with friendly service and easy access to top Chicago attractions.
A comfortable West Loop base with plush beds and balconies, though low-flying aircraft noise can disrupt sleep.
Spacious family suites near the Magnificent Mile with free breakfast, marred by paper-thin walls and elevator delays.
A budget-friendly Magnificent Mile base offering free breakfast, pillow-top beds, and family value.
A spacious, well-located downtown hotel with great service, though room upkeep can vary.
