We thought it would be a cute boutique hotel on the outskirts of Chicago. What we got was a complete dive.

When we walked into our room, my boyfriend was so upset he wanted to cancel our reservation and take our chances finding something else.

The front desk greeted us not by saying hello, but by saying "Yes?". That should have been a sign. Our room was oddly layed out and smelled. The foot of the bed is less than 16 inches from the bathroom door, so watch out if you get up in the middle of the night to use the restroom - you literally fall into the bed. The bathroom was so dark that I couldn't see to put on my makeup and the shower (no bath tub) curtain was too short so we ended up getting the floor wet every time we showered.

Heed the warnings regarding parking. You have to park in a garage more than 2 blocks away. Checking in was difficult because there is nowhere to put your car! There are only four of five spaces to pull into to unload your car and check in. You can't even get that done before they are yelling at you to move your car and make room for the restaurant guests.

We definitely took a wrong turn with the Write Inn. Steer clear.

My boyfriend and I just returned from our weekend at the Write Inn. We were hoping for a hotel downtown Chicago but everything was booked or extremely expensive. We found the best prices on expedia.com
We took the Amtrak train there from our hometown so didn't have to worry about parking a car (since I read on here it was a hassle). We spent the day downtown then took the "L" train (Take the Green Line and get off at Oak Park) and walked to the hotel (only a couple blocks).
Yes, the hotel is old but we didn't find it to be dirty like we read on here beforehand. We walked down the street and a block away found several great restaurants to chose from (we loved the Mexican restaurant). The room has cable TV and we found a great movie on HBO to enjoy before heading to bed. The train ride back to downtown takes about 20 minutes and you aren't going through a great neighborhood but Oak Park was very pleasant. We learned you can buy a 24-hour day pass at most grocery stores for $5 which includes all of your train rides and bus rides so it worked out perfect. (otherwise they are $2.00 each way each person). We loved the city but looked forward to the evening where we had the short train ride to Oak Park and were able to enjoy a relaxing evening in the town and hotel. We will definitely be returning.

The hotel had an old time feel to it but the rooms were comfortable, quiet, well furnished and very clean. I clean for a living so I have a fine eye for an unkempt room. The location of the hotel is excellent for those using public transportation. Only two and a half blocks from the Oak Pk. Ave Green line stop. It's in a nice neighborhood with lots of attractions within walking distance. The breakfast was okay and somewhat quaint but there are plenty of alternatives within a one block walk too.

I LOVED the location and the website pictures make you want to stay here. The employees we came in contact with were very nice. But, once you get past the beautiful lobby area, this place falls flat. Every floor seemed to smell and our room was even worse! The walls were stained yellow and the vent looked like it hadn't been cleaned in atleast a year. We were booked in a Period suite where the only thing that might have been an antique is the headboard. On one side of the suite was one of the dangerous step up bathrooms...with only a toilet. You have to go to the other side of the suite to get to the shower which was extremely dimly lit, and again, a step up into it. The couch was crammed into a little nook next to the fridge and was very shabby looking. For the money they charged, it's just not worth it.