There is only one reason to stay here - the location 1 block off Michigan Avenue and a few blocks from Lake Michigan is great.
That said, there are many reasons not to:
- rooms are incredibly small by American standards, and even compared to city centre hotels in a number of European cities
- there is no charm
- staff is neither rude nor customer service focused
- in the summer, you'll tend to get fellow guests in the early 20s looking for a cheap place to stay while they party in Chicago, which may or may not be desirable to you
- it's not as "renovated" as they lead you to believe
- while not dirty, the room wasn't clean
But most of all, reviewers focus on the price. Sorry, but that just isn't a sufficient reason to stay here when you can use Priceline.
If you've never used Priceline, consider Chicago a great chance to start. In April 2006 I booked a room at the Hyatt Regency on Wacker through Priceline for $75 each night and again booked the same rate during our trip in February 2007 at the Holiday Inn Mart Plaza. In addition to simply being nicer hotels, both rooms were 2 to 4 times larger than our room at the Red Roof. Literally...
So, if location is all you care about, Red Roof can be a good find. If your focus is location and price, due yourself a favor and try Priceline first. You won't regret it, even if you pay a little more. If your focus is anything else, don't think about staying here.
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