Chicago Hostels

Pros: Safe, welcoming environment. GREAT location close to a variety of attractions, amenities and public transportation.

Pros: I was surprised at how well the hostel was maintained. The staff was incredibly friendly and helpful.

Pros: It was very clean, great downtown location, employees were very nice and provided lots of info on the area like where to eat and what to do. The place was fairly quiet, provided breakfast, and had sitting areas with nice leather arm chairs.

Pros: Very accommodating and nice place. Excellent value!

Pros: I loved it so much I was going to extend my stay but it was all booked up for a weekend music festival.

Pros: Great price. Hip, clean space with nice lounge and amenities. Guy at the desk was really helpful!

Pros: Clean room very friendly staff (this was my first time at a hostel) and tim answered all my questions before i even asked so they better give him a raise

Pros: It has a great staff who plan tons of events that cater to a varity of interests. The hostel is located in the middle of everything. It was perfect for some one like me who prefers to travel sans auto. Short walk to metro and a number of amazing nightspots. Oh and the kitchen was amazing.

Pros: Convenient

Pros: Location is good near to public transportation Cleanliness is acceptable compared to the price Breakfast provided

Pros: Meeting people from all over the world. Availability of free internet w/ free printing, in addition to free Wi-Fi throughout bldg. Free breakfast. For the most part, helpful, knowledgeable staff. Discounted transit & museum passes available for purchase @ front desk. Planned communal evening activities. With interior hallways and electronic locks on guest rooms, I felt quite safe there.

Pros: Awesome staff, very clean, great value for the money and wonderful location.

Pros: I got what I wanted, which was a cheap couple of nights with the basics: a warm bed, a warm shower, a warm meal, and proximity to transportation. The other customers in the 16-bed dorm were fine; everyone basically kept to themselves.

Pros: Clean and close to where my daughter lives. Lots of shopping and restaurants close by and an easy walk to Lake Michigan.

Pros: Thoroughly enjoyed my stay, staff were great and was well worth the price paid. The location was outstanding, Lincoln Park is definitely an excellent place to stay even though it is not centrally located it is a quick subway or bus ride to where you need to go.

Pros: The hostel is pretty much excellent. I'd never stayed in a hostel before, so I didn't know what to expect, outside of there being multiple strangers to a room (unless a group of people booked a room together, obviously), but this was really great. They have incredibly comfortable chairs in the lobby, and a small reading room off the lobby. A nice cafeteria/games room with pool and foosball tables. There's an open kitchen with food storage for guests, several vending machines, continental breakfast, etc. They've got group activities in the evenings, plus bulletin boards where people can post their own things. There are bikes for rent, as well as free musical instruments for guests to use (acoustic guitars and a piano). WiFi is free, and they have computer terminals with free printing in the lobby. There's an open patio with seating on a couple levels. There's also a conference/TV room with a couch, a couple conference tables, and a DVR. The staff are friendly (at least the ones I met were), and you can buy supplies and discount passes to attractions (as well as full-price CTA passes) at the front desk, and there's an interactive screen in the lobby where you can check on what's going on around town. It's also about a mile walk from a CTA station for both buses and the L, so getting all over the city is pretty convenient from there. The station is for blue line trains, so if you come into the city by O'Hare or the train station (which is where interstate bus lines also drop you off), it's very convenient to get to. My biggest worry going in was security, but the lobby is locked from 9 PM until sometime in the morning, with only your key card getting you in. Also the rooms have key card-only access, and there are storage lockers for your stuff (locks are available for purchase if you forget to bring your own), so your stuff is safe. It's also in a nice neighborhood, close to DePaul University, so you can feel safe walking around the neighborhood. As far as a full-on Hotel would go, I'd rate it about 3.5 stars, but for a hostel, it blew me away. Definite 5 stars. If you're looking for a cheap place to stay (like $35 a night), and can handle being in a room with up to 10 strangers, this is a great choice.

Pros: Love the place and location. This is a very laid back kind of place where you have access to a full kitchen if you want to cook for yourself but is also a block away from an extensive array of restaurants, coffee places and night life. They had Sunday comedy night wich we loved.

Pros: This hostel was a gem. Clean, welcoming, super convenient; relaxed, friendly atmosphere. Made what could have been a hectic weekend a total breeze. Loved the neighborhood and fantastic location, with easy access to public transit.

Pros: This is one of the best hostels I've stayed in on many levels.... location, helpful staff (including the wonderful Sandy, head of housekeeping who greeted me early mornings with a smile, coffee and good company.) Very clean and sense of safety. The computers available in the lobby were a blessing. After my poor roommate got over his embarrassment at being paired with a woman who could be his grandmother (!), we got on very well. Thanks to all.

Pros: Nothing