Being our first trip to Chicago and not having a huge budget, we decided on the Hotel Allegro for its value pricing while still having a 3-4 star rating on a hotel. The website for the hotel looks amazing, and they advertise their newly completed renovation. Okay, great, right! Well... first off, the location of the hotel is convenient to the L trains, so there was no problem finding the hotel once we we got off the trains. CTA buses run basically everywhere so transportation was not a problem, but the main buses that get you to the hot spots of the city (the 151, 146, and some others) are quite a walk away from the hotel. The Allegro is in the middle of the Theater district, which sounds nice, but at night, is somewhat deserted and on weekend mornings there can be some unsavory people on the corner under the train station and in corner alleys... note to anyone, avoid anyone who wants to "shine your shoes." As for the hotel and the room, the front desk was friendly but there rarely was a doorman at the front. We were never offered to have our bags taken to our room upon arrival, and general information of the area, nearby restaurants and other usual information that's normally given to out of town guests was not volunteered upon checkin. When we got to our room, we found it to be small, but that's expected since it's an old building. There was a connecting door to the room next to us, but the mirrored desk blocked it. Needless to say, we were able to hear the people staying in the room next door. The website stated a coffee maker, but our room didn't have one. I dialed the front desk and was told there is a coffee bar in the mornings, but no coffee makers in the rooms. Also, no vending machines in the hotel. BUT there is an ice machine on the 8th floor. So, I can have ice at 3am, but if I wanted to make coffee at night, I'd either have to leave the hotel, or I'd have to wait until the morning for the "coffee bar" next to the front desk... and pay 3 dollars. Nevermind. On trips I always bring "to go" cups and my own coffee and flavored creamer, tea and hot chocolate so at night or in the morning I can have something hot to drink. Not so in this case! Luckily, there is a Duncan Donuts around the corner that we found on our last day. There is no dresser, so keep your clothes in your suitcase or hang it all in the tiny closet. I think they avoid having a dresser due to the small space of the room. Aveda toiletries were nice, the bathroom was small but still functional and the shower has marble (or faux marble) tiles, which was nice. FYI: If you want to plug the sink, the lever is underneath the basin. The bed was comfy for us, pillows were too small for the King bed, which might bother some, but not us. I loved the comforter and sheets. LCD tv was nice, the iHome clock radio was a nice touch but i didn't use it; the climate controls worked promptly and perfectly. The room lacks a phone book and basic area information. The mini bar is basically a refrigerator with items; no sensors here! We were told we could take the items out and put them to the side to use mini bar as a fridge, and as long as we don't use the items in the mini bar, we wouldn't be charged. We checked out the fitness center on the 5th floor, which was very nice. The decor of the hotel is simply gorgeous. I couldn't get enough of the decor. We had drinks at the Encore lounge, which was nice, but fairly empty. Finally, there is construction going on across the hotel. Demolition was already completed but I don't know when the actual building will begin. So future travelers, be aware of that piece of info, at least. Overall, the hotel was just OK for us. But next time we go, I'm looking for a hotel closer to Michigan Ave...
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