I've been wanting to comment on what a find the Beadle Residence is since I was there in the Spring with my 6 month old and husband. So comfy and accommodating.
And close to a lot of great parks.

At $220 a night for a two-bedroom, two-bath apartment, this was far cheaper than any decent downtown hotel. The Beadle could make great sense for somebody who has a reason to be in Hyde Park. The beautiful University of Chicago campus is only a short walk away.

The Beadle makes no pretence to being a hotel. It basically specializes in short-term apartment rentals. Though the staff seemed very pleasant, there is very little service. The apartment was spotless and fairly spacious for the price. Having a living room, kitchen and dining table were definitely pluses.

But there were quirks, such as a bathroom with only one towel rack and a sink that drained very slowly. Though the kitchen had a large refrigerator, the ice maker didn't work. A washer-dryer was a help, but the dryer needed a repair.

The furniture is quite basic. One bedroom had a rather uncomfortable mattress that gave my partner a backache. The other bedroom had a futon (which my brother said was fine.) The living room sofa was a futon.

Parts of Hyde Park are very charming, especially near the university campus. Grocery stores are only a short walk away. Fine dining seemed scarce, but several places that seemed geared to grad student budgets were nearby. Cedars on 53rd Street, a short walk from the apartment, served very tasty Middle Eastern type food and was an excellent value.

For many, the biggest drawback to the Beadle will be transportation. To get downtown, people seem to rely on the Metra train, which takes less than 20 minutes to reach the Loop. The station is about a ten-minute walk from the apartment. But except during rush hours, the trains are commonly an hour --- or more -- apart. You'll definitely need a timetable, which is available on line. (Amazingly, the Beadle office didn't have one.) There is also a bus, which takes longer but reportedly runs more often. We didn't find where to catch it until the last day, but an energetic detective could probably do better.

In case you're interested, President Obama's residence is only a short walk from the Beadle, but the Secret Service makes sure you won't see much.

Overall, this is a reasonable choice is you're trying to save money and don't mind the distance from the bright lights.

Thank you , Beadle! Everything went super smoothly. Nice furnishing, clean. Good heating. Washing machines and dryer worked. One comment: if we had more pots and pans to cook with, it might be nicer. The ones in the kitchen were basic, but adequate for very simple meals.I loved especially the huge wooden decks with overhanging hanging branches from the surrounding trees. Thank you, Wayne McGirt and Yvonne Banovic!

You can't tell from reading their website, but when I called to make reservations I was told that children can stay ONLY if reviewed and accepted by the innkeeper. Come on. This is 2010, and it is the United States. I have traveled throughout the world, and even in the most repressive countries I have never encountered such tripe. If they don't want children there, then they should PUT THEIR POLICY IN LARGE LETTERS ON THEIR FIRST WEB PAGE. As you can see from other reviews, it isn't like they have period antiques. It is that their furniture is Ikea home quality, and will not stand up to any commercial use - children or not.