Holiday Inn Express & Suites Chicago North Shore - Niles by IHG — Hotel in Niles Township

The location was good. Entering the front lobby, I was hit by the smell of chloramines. For anyone not familiar with pools, they may think the chlorine as just high. Chloramines are a byproduct formed when chlorine reacts with contaminants like sweat, urine, and body oils in the water. While chlorine is used to sanitize pools, it's the chloramines that create the noticeable odor. It is simply a filthy pool. Strike one. We booked a deluxe double queen that was supposed to be able to sleep six. The extra was in the form of a sleeper sofa. the mattress on the sleeper was approx 4 inches thick, with the majority of the 4 inches being very large coils. No bedding was anywhere in the room for it. We also had 3 towels for the 5 people i reserved for. We tried calling the front desk, but our phone has a major issue. We could hear them. They could not hear us. So down to the lobby we trekked. We were given a "bedding bundle". Got to room to discover we only had one sheet. A duvet insert, and a duvet cover. So another trip to get one more sheet, pillows and pillow cases. We tried it for the first night. And It was bad. Strike two. Breakfast the first Morning was decent. The coffee is really horrid. But the children had choices of juice, fresh fruits, cereal, pancakes, rolls, and bacon. The scrambled eggs were cold, but the cheese omelets were hot. I spoke with the front desk, and explained the children simply could not sleep well on the mattress in the sofa bed. I tried it myself, and it was simply horrid. There was zero comfort to it. I was told they had rollaway beds, and they would have one in our room before we got back. We went to the Shedd and the Field Museum. We popped back to hotel at about 6pm. No rollaway to be seen. I was grilled on who I spoke with. OK. Gave the person the info. Was informed they had to speak with the owner on where they even were in the hotel, as that person did not know. Understood that. Took the family to eat dinner. Returned about 8pm. Still nothing. Children require sleep. Went back to front desk again. Was told they were still looking for a rollaway. And they could not find them. Strike three. Back down to the lobby about 9pm. No one to even be seen. Sat in lobby, and had another person come up to me. Telling me they had been locked out of their room since middle of the day. Stated most everything including their billfold/shoes etc were in said room. They were asking for help. Cigarettes or whatever I could give them. Not a comfie position for me traveling with my daughters and grandchildren. Finally, the desk person came. Said they knew where they were, and would deliver it shortly. Finally a wee bit of good news. Other person still just sitting there. And nothing being done for him. Strike four. AND.... you guessed it. BACK down to the lobby at about 10. Because yes. Still nothing brought to room. Was informed it would be brought up immediately. And it was. I have to give the evening front desk person kudos. He simply did not know where they were. It is not his fault no one was answering his calls for help. He was super polite. And overworked. I really doubt I would agree to stay at that location ever again. It is not a "free breakfast". You pay for that as part of the room rate. The other frustrations on just trying to make sure my family is comfortable were insane. I was supposed to be relaxing, and enjoying time with family. It simply did not work out that way. It was...

I've stayed in a lot of hotels that haven't offered the best experience in the past, but usually I just let it go- especially if it's for just one night. But this entire experience was unacceptable from beginning to end.

We checked in after a long drive, and was told that my card hadn't gone through despite having booked days prior and getting no notice that there was an issue with payment. I gave them another card for the deposit, and was told that there were no issues. Around 11 pm I got a call, asking if we were planning to show up to our prepaid reservation. I told them we were already there- literally in our room- and I was then told that I had duplicate reservations. I was then told there was nothing they could do, since I had booked on a third party, and was then called an "idiot" for not booking directly with them. We should have left right then and there.

Around 1 am, someone tried to get into our room- multiple times. I assumed it was someone drunk or confused, and when I called the front desk for help, there was no answer. It was terrifying to say the least, and we barely slept that night. When I mentioned it again when we checked out- the front desk staff didn't care.

8 am the next morning- we're woken up by the sound of very loud construction right outside of our room. This went on for HOURS. All the while we're trying to get ready for my grandmother's funeral. We had one towel to use between the two of us, the bathroom door wouldn't shut, and the shower handle was falling out of the wall.

We didn't have time to manage the duplicate reservation issue, as we had to get to the funeral. So I called later that day, and spoke to someone who referred to themselves as the front desk manager.

The manager was UNBELIEVABLY rude. She went on and on and on about how lots of people make multiple reservations for a myriad of reasons, not letting me get a word in edgewise. I eventually had to ask her if I could please speak. I told her I did not make multiple reservations, that there was clearly a mistake. I then asked if, since they had taken my card at the desk, if they could just reverse the charge. I had all my confirmation information that I had only booked one room and that I had paid for it- she told me she didn't care, that she wouldn't help me, that it was my problem, and that I should have double checked before booking. Apparently this staff makes it a habit to treat their guests not only badly, but as if we're all idiots.

I have since contacted the third party that I booked my original reservation through, who were incredibly helpful. They also told me that this hotel (not sure if this location specifically or not) has a habit of making duplicate reservations and then essentially forcing the guests to handle it on their own. The fact that my original charge DID go through successfully, which I have proof of, makes this whole scenario feel fraudulent. I plan to contact the Better Business Bureau, and if I have to, the attorney general in both states to ensure this never happens again to anyone.

This location and these amenities were appalling. I know this one review will probably do nothing, but I hope some folks will triple check their reservation and hopefully, don't get charged more than once and frankly, stay anywhere else. I wouldn't recommend this...

This was my worst experience at a Holiday Inn in recent years. If you don’t have time to read the details, here’s a summary: extremely loud road noise (throughout the night), very rude staff (two ladies at the front desk on 7/18), leaking air conditioner (never fixed), wet carpet, and a strong chemical smell in the bathroom.

I usually hesitate to leave negative comments (this is my first negative review in the past 10 years), but my stay at this hotel compels me to share my experience. My family visited Chicago for my kid’s competition, and we chose this hotel primarily for its 4.5 out of 5 rating. After our stay, I believe this rating is highly overrated. I gave one star for my review to balance out the overly positive ratings and provide a fair assessment for future guests.

Location and Noise: This hotel is situated at the intersection of two main roads, resulting in extremely loud traffic noise for rooms facing the street. The noise from engines and traffic was constant throughout the night. We couldn’t fall asleep even at 2 AM, and the noise continued early in the morning. We had requested a quiet room during our reservation, but it seems the hotel staff disregarded this request.

Leaking Air Conditioner: The air conditioner in our room was leaking water, making a large area of the carpet wet. Additionally, the sound of dripping water added to the already loud engine noise.

Rude Staff: On the second day of our stay, I requested a room change due to the noise and leaking air conditioner. The two ladies at the front desk, one of whom claimed to be the manager, were exceptionally rude and dismissive. The manager asked me to check back in 30 minutes to an hour. When I returned after 2.5 hours, they responded dismissively and confusingly, making the entire interaction frustrating and unpleasant. The manager's loud and rude behavior shocked me. Their rudeness and lack of empathy made me feel unwelcome and significantly affected my overall experience, overshadowing our visit to Chicago. It was disheartening to deal with such unprofessional behavior, especially during a family trip for an important event.

Cleanliness Issues: The bathroom had a strong chemical smell, and the bathtub was stained. The hotel advertised daily towel changes and bed cleaning for stays of 2+ days, but our bed was not cleaned during our 3-night stay. We also had to go to the front desk for towels every night.

Unresolved Issues: We had to endure a room with a wet carpet for 3 days. Despite speaking with two staff members, including the manager, nothing was done to address the issue. The staff's lack of concern for guests was evident.

I noticed other reviews on the IHG website mentioning similar issues (such as the staff not caring for guests), with one family checking out a day early. I wish I had read those reviews before...