Description: I stayed at the Essex Inn for 3 nights in January 2005. The deal was fantastic. Through www.hotels.com, I got all 3 nights for $120. I then sent in a rebate coupon they give on checkout for a $25 refund. The total cost was $95 for 3 nights. The rest of the stay breaks down like this:
Location: Excellent. This hotel is on Michigan Avenue, and you can't do better than that. It is surrounded by expensive hotels but gives you the same location for a MUCH lower price.
Safety: As a female travelling alone, I had no concerns.
Decor/My Room: Ahem, not the best. The leopard-skin color carpeting didn't do it for me. The furniture was slightly tattered, although the bed was comfortable. The bathroom was acceptable. My standards are not that high, so this was all okay for me. It gave me a place to sleep, and I wasn't planning on spending much time in the room anyway.
Cleanliness: It was clean enough. Although it wasn’t four-star hotel spotless, I had no complaints.
Facilities: The 24-hour, free high-speed Internet access is nice. The pool/workout facilities are under repair.
Noise level: There was some noise. The walls/doors are fairly thin, so noisy neighbors woke me. The street noise was minimal.
Food: There was a small bar in the hotel and many establishments nearby.
My overall opinion is that it is a great deal for the budget traveller who wants a safe, comfy place to sleep for not a lot of money and with a top-notch location on Michigan Avenue.
See http://www.essexinn.com/ for more info.
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