I didn’t have any say in choosing Comfort Inn as accommodation, since my company’s office in Chicago had already gone ahead and made bookings - with proximity to the office being the main consideration.
Despite that, I do admit that the Comfort Inn was not bad at all. My room, a single, was large enough to allow me plenty of space. The queen size bed, which could have accommodated one more person, was comfortable, the sheets crisp and clean. There was a large TV (which I never got around to watching), a table and chair, a neat sofa with extendable footrest, and a wardrobe which did double duty. It had a full length mirror in front, and neatly suspended on the inside of the wardrobe was an ironing board with an iron. Very handy. Also particularly useful was the alarm clock radio on the bedside table - it got me out of bed every single day well in time for office! And talking of office - the WIFI in my room allowed me to do quite a bit of online work from the comfort of my room - a boon when it started snowing.
The Comfort Inn doesn’t offer much in the form of recreation. There’s a swimming pool, but that happened to be closed for renovations and repainting while I was staying at the hotel. The only restaurant at Comfort Inn is Don’s Fishmarket, where the menu is built round steaks, salads, soups, and seafood. My recurring encounters with Don’s were at breakfast. All hotel guests can avail of a free breakfast buffet at Don’s, and though there’s not much variety, it’s filling enough. I invariably ended up having toast, scrambled eggs, hash browns and bacon, with orange juice, coffee, and the occasional doughnut.
Other advantages of Comfort Inn include the free shuttle service that guests can use within a three-mile radius of the hotel. All you need to do is inform the front desk that you need the shuttle, and one of the receptionists will drive you out or pick you up, as the case may be. This was very convenient for me, since my office was in Evanston, well within that radius.
Another plus point is that the hotel is close to some major stores and malls - Jewel Osco, Marshalls and Old Navy are right behind the hotel. The Old Orchard Mall is further away (still within the all-important three-mile radius!) and has Bloomingdale’s, The Body Shop, Bath and Body Works, Nordstrom, Macy’s, Cheesecake Factory, and other favourites.
The Comfort Inn may not be the ultimate in hotels, but it’s convenient and comfortable enough. The staff are friendly and cheerful, and at just about $95 a night for a single room, it’s economical too.