We chose this hotel because it was economical and had good reviews as far as we could tell. However, when we arrived we noticed right away that it was under construction. This in itself was not a huge inconvenience, but what had to be a broken sewer line was. The first and second floors smelled of sewage--at times so thickly that it was overwhelming. We alerted the staff (and overheard others complaining of the problem to them), and were told that they "were unaware of the problem," thanked us, and said they would address it. Nothing changed over the course of our 3-day stay. We and other people staying there dubbed it "the poop hotel." So, before booking here, I would try to find out something about the progress of construction.

Also, the bathroom fan in our room leaked water--never seen that before--and the mattress was quite uncomfortable.

That said, the staff were friendly and helpful in other cases. We can't comment on the food services, because who would eat there if they won't even acknowledge an obvious smell problem.

Finally, the location is great. It is a short walk to the train that will take you into Chicago in about 40 minutes. The town, likewise, is adorable. I spent a wonderful few hours in the park there.

SENT TO HOTEL MANAGER - HOLIDAY INN ITASCA

I am attaching a copy of some notes my 6 year-old-granddaughter wrote while staying at your location. I promised her that I would give it to the owner of the hotel and forgot to turn it in when I checked out.

My annual Christmas gift to my daughter, son-in-law, grandchildren (ages 6 to 14 months), for the past 4 years, has been a mini-vacation staying at a hotel, doing fun things, and swimming in hotel pool. The first 2 years, I tried other locations/hotel chains - last year I found Itasca. The pool temperature and water temperature was ideal for my small ones who turn blue in cooler water.

So, this year, the entire family was very excited to go back to Itasca and, as you can see by the attached, Natalie "took charge" of our activities.

Reservation was December 25 to December 28. Although close to home (I live in Chicago, my kids in Villa Park), the fun memories are just as good as if we were hundreds of miles away. And, we'll be back next year!

I booked this hotel becuase I actually thought it was a different one. The hotel is old and it shows. The room heat was very difficult to control and if you turned it off you could feel the cold air coming into the room. I ordered room service and the potatoe skins were overcooked and the ribeye steak was tough and fatty. The hotel was virtually empty but yet I didn't receive an upgrade even though I'm a platinum member. There's nothing much around the hotel either. There is another Holiday Inn north of this one by the Woodfield mall. That's the one I thought I was booking. I won't stay here again.

I stayed one evening at the Holiday Inn Itasca in September 2009. I had stayed at this hotel previously based on its proximity to family in Addison. In the past, I had booked through the Holiday Inn website, this time through Expedia in an air/car/hotel package.

The hotel is as clean and nicely maintained as last time. I was very pleased with my the cleanliness of the room and bathroom. I did not use the pool or gym on this trip. I would say that things are status quo from my last stay in August of 2008. I did try the restaurant on this trip and the food was very good and the prices were reasonable.

Two changes:

1) in the past, the hotel would setup a complimentary coffee/tea station in the lobby for guests. This very convenient feature is no longer offered. Somewhat disappointed since the only way to get a cup of coffee seemed to be to have breakfast in the restaurant. Not a great option when you are on the run.

2) the McDonalds that was located next door is no longer there. This made it very convenient in the morning to grab something and go or, for those traveling with children, to pick up a Happy Meal for the kids.

Other than these two minor points, the staff was very friendly and attentive and the hotel is a good value for the price.