The Guesthouse Hotel — Hotel in Lake View Township

Edit--Google does not let you respond to the owner, so I am posting my response here:

First, this interaction occurred as a one-to-one, there were no other people present; the person at the front desk had not even looked up from their screen by the time I had left, leading me to believe that the "event witness" I am responding to is simply the person I had this interaction with. Assuming it is not however--I understand the rules of the establishment, and have stated I have no issue complying with said rules. My issue is, why is it being assumed that I am somewhere I do not belong? I did not identify myself with front desk staff because in no hotel does anybody have to do so before using the lobby for a few minutes. Thinking that said staff member being a person of color shows you do not understand the issue at hand here. I did not have a chance to explain myself--I walked in and was thrown out, the entire interaction took under 60 seconds in total. Is that how all guests can expect to be treated if they do not immediately identify themselves and their intentions the moment the enter the hotel?

For a bit of context on this review: today there is an extreme heat advisory in Chicago. I was on my way home today when my phone battery died, along with my bus pass which was on my phone. I stopped into the Guesthouse hotel just to charge my phone for a moment--only long enough to simply call an Uber home. Less than a minute had passed before I was tracked down and told to immediately leave as I was not a guest. While I understand hotel policy and had no issues complying (I did leave immediately, no questions asked), the hostility I experienced from the staff member was still appalling. I'm not too thrilled to have been made to walk an additional 1.5 miles in the heat, but rules are rules I suppose. What bothers me most though, is that she did not give me a chance to explain that I only needed an outlet for a moment, she instantly assumed I did not belong and moved to throw me out. I was greeted with a snarky, "can I help you" and as soon as I began to say, "Hi there, I just need--" I was immediately told I can't be in the building at all. I am not one who likes to "pull the race card" as the saying goes, which is why I waited this long to mention that I happen to be African American, and the rude staff member happened to not be, but try to put yourself in my shoes here. Again, I understand the purpose of, and have no issue complying with, building rules, however the hostility of the interaction is what ultimately led me to leave this review. I sincerely do not recommend travelers spend their money here until the establishment reconsiders what it deems to...

Stayed at the Guesthouse Hotel for a weekend in Chicago. Wanted a hotel fairly close to Wrigley field as we would be attending a Cubs game. The hotel served its purpose for us, a family with two teenage boys. The two-bedroom option was large, clean, was nice to have two full bathrooms, and the full kitchen was nice even though we like to dine out while on vacation and not cook, we only used the fridge. Beds were comfortable, A/C worked well. Balcony was very small and on top of or beside all of the other balconies, so no privacy and just a view of the parking garages and junk cars from the auto repair shop next door. The only TV was in the living/kitchen area, no TV in the bedrooms. For the luxury prices, I would think there would be a TV in the bedroom. Also, no USB plugs, except one in the back of an old-style alarm clock beside the bed. Parking turned out to be nice. I emailed ahead of time to notify the hotel that I would need parking as their confirmation email requested. Parking is limited, and a tight squeeze in enclosed garages, be sure to request parking before you arrive.

Location was close to several restaurants and numerous local independent shops along Clark St. If you are looking for a location in Chicago within walking distance of more than just restaurants and local shops, or one of the theaters, this is not your place. We walked up Clark St for an hour and saw all that we wanted. Other than that, we rented bikes for a 1.9 mile ride to Wrigley Field and Uber everywhere else so we didn’t have to pay for parking again.

Overall, the Guesthouse Hotel was nice and I would recommend if you have an extended stay, a need for space, and the location meets your needs. For the price, I expected more luxurious accommodations. You are paying for size of the rooms, not necessarily luxurious amenities...

I had an unfortunate run-in with poor service while stopping by this hotel. For some context, this is on a day with an extreme-heat advisory, and my phone battery had just died. I stopped by to charge my phone for a brief moment so I may call an Uber home as opposed to walking 2 miles in 90+ degree weather, and I was instantly flagged down and told, "you are not a guest here, I'm asking you to leave the building." ||Let me be clear here: rules are rules, I understand that. I am asking for you to understand how, from the other perspective, I spent under 60 seconds in your establishment before being told to get out because they assumed I am not a guest.||When I expressed this frustration on Google, it was explained that the reason I was asked to leave is because the lobby space was reserved for a hotel party staying at the hotel, and I had failed to properly identify myself upon entering the building. This creates more questions for me:||While being thrown out, I did try to explain that I only needed an outlet for a few minutes, and had no issue remaining in eyesight of any staff. Aside from the fact that the staff member I spoke with clearly was dead set on just removing me, what if I said that I was in fact a guest? Would I have been then made to prove myself or else be removed? Or what if I said I was just waiting on a friend who is a guest and I was meeting them there? Would you have made me wait outside in the June heat?||You see how it becomes harder to believe the reasons I was given, and seems more likely that the staff saw someone who might not have exactly fit their ideal image of a hotel patron, flagged them down, and got lucky that this person wasn't currently paying for a room. Not a great look on you guys, but I get the sense you don't...