We stayed in two rooms in October to get together with family and shop in Gurnee. The rooms were really spacious and well laid-out. The pool was nice and clean, as were the rooms. The beds were really comfortable. The service was very spotty, however, and that goes a long way in making or breaking your stay. The problems we had were that the entry really reaked of animal urine. The second night we stayed we got another room for arriving family, and that room had a strong urine smell too, and there were no other rooms available and the hotel was trying to get us to pay for that room, even after they went into the room and confirmed the urine smell, which had been heavily sprayed to try and mask the smell. The breakfast the first morning, while having a good variety, was not staffed well. Everything was out and not refilled in a timely manner, and the waffle batter was so thin that it wouldn't make a waffle. They were constantly out of silverware, even coffee and juice! The second morning, however, they had a good staff person who kept things filled and the batter was correct and we had a great breakfast. So all in all, I would say that this hotel's amenities were good, but the service made our stay only average.

I stayed at this hotel while being evaluated at the Cancer Treatment Center in Zion. We had a room with one king bed and one queen the beds were very comfortable and had plenty of blankets and pillows. The sink and mirror were outside the bathroom which was very handy with 2 people getting ready in the morning. It had a good size refridgerator and microwave in room with sink and counter space too. There was also a huge mirror over this kitchenette area which helped with 2 of us putting on make-up. It was very peaceful and the staff was extremely nice and helpful. The shuttle driver (Robert) that drove us back and forth to the hospital was the best! They have a great breakfast: waffles, hot bar with different things each day like biscuits and gravy, bacon, sausage or ham, scrambled eggs. They also had a cold side with fresh fruit every day, boiled eggs, and yogurts. They offer evening cookies at the front desk that were good. They have a Thursday night social evening where they have a choice of foods and drinks for free to enjoy. My daughter tried out the pool and it wasn't too cool or too warm, and it was well maintained. There was also a hot tub. There was a workout room next to the pool area. The area is rather secluded but nice. We even took a walk in the subdivision behind the hotel. The gold course looked beautiful, they had it set up for a wedding too. It was a very nice place to stay.

We stayed at the Hawthorne Suites during a weekend trip to Great America. We booked 2 rooms (with 2 beds each - 1 King and 1 Queen). The rooms were beautifully appointed, clean and spacious. The sink was outside the bathroom./shower - which depending upon your tastes, is a good thing or bad thing. The complimentary toiletries were minimal (1 bar of soap and 1 bottle of shampoo - no lotion, conditioner or shower cap) - but this didn't bother us as we came prepared.

We had requested connecting rooms - and although the Hawthorne did not seem to have them, they did place our 2 rooms right across the hall from one-another, which was VERY much appreciated and convenient!

The room had a nice kitchen area w/fridge, sink, coffee maker and microwave. A nice table that seats 4 was a nice plus. The grounds are off the beaten path and very green, quiet and lovely. Very quiet at night. The beds are super comfortable - the most comfortable I've experienced in a hotel.

The free buffet breakfast is okay - nothing spectacular. There is a waffle maker, toast, yogurt, fresh fruit, biscuits and gravy, and eggs (scrambled with ham, or plain omelets). The coffee is available 24/7 and comes out of a dispenser - nice to have at all hours, but not very flavorful. The dining area is nicely appointed and spacious. It was busy - but ample seating during our stay. We did eat there on the day we went to Great America - but went to the Cracker Barrel on Sunday after checking out.

The pool was clean - but not very big. In fact, this was one of the key aspects of our visit - we really wanted a spacious pool. The photos online are misleading and make the pool appear bigger than it really is. I was really quite shocked when I got there. But because we were the only people in the pool when we arrived - it was okay. Had there been even 2 or 3 more there - it would have been crowded. Unlike one of the other reviewers stated - the pool was NOT cold. It was, in fact, on the warm side - like tepid bath water.

The staff was exceptional and professional. Thanks to Gilbert who checked us in and accommodated our every request with gracious kindness and hospitality.

The Hawthorne is an easy drive to Great America and Gurnee Mills - if you don't mind an extra 15 minutes in the car. To us, it was well worth a few extra miles drive to come back to a clean, quite and lovely setting.

We would definitely stay here on future visits.

The place exceeded our expectations. We chose it due to its proximity to Six Flags. Well, first of all, they upgraded us for free to a two king-size beds room because a smaller one was not ready. The room was spacious, a rare feat in mid-range hotels these days. It also had a mini-kitchen, which we always find very convenient traveling with kids. The hotel itself sits right next to a golf club (I'm not a golf enthusiast, but those of you who are, may find this very convenient).

The hotel serves a basic breakfast in the mornings. They also have a pool. Another convenience is the guest laundry room where you can wash and dry your clothes.

I'd say the only shortcoming is that there's no food nearby (the bar/restaurant of the golf club was closed), so you need to drive a couple of miles to the nearest restaurant - still, it's only a minor inconvenience.