I really wish I hadn't stayed here. Most of downtown Chicago was booked for the night I wanted, so I was glad they had a room at the Seneca. But now it seems I know why. Here are the things I encountered in my stay:

* Checking in the attendent was gruff - he asked for my card and ID, and then didn't say anything else until handing me my room key. At the time it seemed professional, but in retrospect maybe he hates it here as much as I do.

* The decor is 'vintage' 1982, but not in a good way

* The floors do not look like they have been cleaned in a long time. In the primary closet there was bits of drywall scattered around the ground, indicating it hadn't been cleaned since they last did some repairs.

* The only warm blanket on the bed was the cover, which had a musty smell to it. I managed to keep warm by keeping the cover only over my lower half.

* Throughout the night there occasional loud clanking noises. I could only imagine where they came from.

* A tile was visibly loose in the middle of the bathroom that would wobble every time I stepped on it.

* The water temperature in the shower varied between slightly warm and scalding hot. After getting scalding hot water in the face I quickly rinsed and got out of the shower.

I would never stay here, nor ever recommend anyone to stay here, no matter how inexpensive the price.

This hotel is quite a find for the price. It's only a block off of the Magnificent Mile but is in a relatively quiet area. The kitchenette is well stocked and the rooms are big and comfy. It's not the most modern but I like the lived in feel and the staff were friendly. My parents stayed here as well and really liked it. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to stay near the main shopping drag. The Museum of Contemporary Art is nearby by too.

This is a solid 4-star property that has a few quirks which, if overlooked, delivers a clean, safe
place to stay in the downtown Water Tower area. The rooms are suites, converted apartments, that are actually more than the average hotel guest requires. On my last stay I had a room with five closets, four of which went unused. I prefer non-chain hotel properties and this fills the bill. Service can be a little uneven: on my last stay the clerk failed to give me coupons for breakfast when I checked in. The next morning the desk clerk told me that breakfast wasn't included in my room - although I was paying more than I had paid a week earlier when the coupons were included. A quick chat with the manager got things straightened out, although he also made a stab at declining. Customer service is such a moment of truth and word of mouth is now at light speed, one would think that managers wouldn't even try to win such small disputes. There is a business center, but when I asked about printing a boarding pass, I was told that the printer was down. A week later, the printer was still down. On the plus side, you get a huge suite for $109 per night and they'll park your car for about $35. Incidently, the "free" breakfast is pretty good. So, if you need to stay downtown and can endure some odd service and Eisenhower era decor, this might be just the ticket for you.

Got a great rate in November. Loved having a kitchen to store milk, leftover pizza and a coffee maker. Staff were nice enough. Room was very clean and housekeeping even called us when they were unable to get into the room (we'd come back early to hang out and didn't want to be disturbed) to see if we needed anything.

Sure there was a typical amount of hotel shabbiness (marks on the carpet here and there but not very noticeable - I'm just pedantic) and the decor may not be to your taste if you're all about the modern look.

We just loved it. Clean, great rate, good location with excellent amenities. What's not to like? Will be recommending it.