Reflects recent average nightly prices reported by our partners, and may not include estimated taxes or fees. Price at checkout may differ.
Cheaper
Average
Higher
About
3.0
#191 of 214 hotels in Chicago
Location
Rooms
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Step inside and experience an extraordinary piece of living history during your next visit to downtown Chicago at the Congress Plaza Hotel. This "Landmark of Chicago Hospitality" has delighted business and leisure travelers for over a century. Guests at the Congress Plaza Hotel can explore art institute, millenium park, buckingham fountain, magnificent mile,museum campus all with in walking distance just by stepping outside our front doors. Situated adjacent to Grant Park, our 14-story property is located along Michigan Avenue, providing unlimited access to the city's finest retail stores, the bustling business district and Chicago attractions.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
This summary was created by AI, based on recent reviews.
Powered by AI
The Congress Plaza Hotel & Convention Center, while celebrated for its historical allure and excellent location near parks and central attractions, often receives mixed feedback. Many guests commend the cleanliness of the rooms; however, the hotel's atmosphere is sometimes seen as lacking vibrancy, and the rooms themselves are frequently described as outdated and in need of modernization.
Though the hotel's rates are considered reasonable, the value proposition is diminished by the dated amenities and inconsistent service experiences reported by guests.
Location
Convenient
Atmosphere
Uninspiring
Rooms
Run-down
Value
Reasonable
Cleanliness
Spotless
Service
Inconsistent
Amenities
Underwhelming
Was this helpful?
Tripadvisor is not responsible for this summary or the opinions in it. For more information, please read the traveller reviews and learn more about how the site works.
The hotel is dated. The lobby is very nice. The room itself, is dated but spacious. The washroom is nice. The hallway is again dated. This is my second time staying here, with the first time in May 2023. What I like about The Congress it is conveniently located to everything. As a tourist, I like that it's close to the Park, and walkable to the shopping area. Since it's located on Michigan Avenue, there's always other tourists walking around. The most recent time of going there, it was right between Lollapalooza. So it was nice to see them set up the park for it.
Read more
Date of stay: July 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My wife and I found ourselves looking for the cheapest rooms we could get, for a Chicago trip that popped up out of nowhere. My previous stay in Chicago was cramped and expensive, so I had very low expectations when we booked a room at the Congress Plaza for a fraction of the price. The decor was dated, some long ago painter had rushed and gotten paint on door handles, and the trim was missing along the carpet. I can imagine these sorts of details would bother some guests, but we didn't mind at all. What I focused on more was the fact that the room was twice the size of the last place I had stayed, and again, for a fraction of the price. The bathroom was twice the size, the bed was just as comfortable as you'd expect from any hotel, and there were multiple surfaces to set things and seats for sitting. It sounds silly to point out seating, but other Chicago hotels I have stayed in were so small they literally did not have tables or chairs in the room. Due to the very affordable price, my wife and I ended up extending our stay another night just to get a few more things done before leaving the city. I highly recommend the Congress Plaza hotel to anyone who is looking for an inexpensive room where you can spread out and actually feel comfortable for a few days.
Read more
Date of stay: February 2020
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:Â Large room, and large bathroom, at a low price for Chicago hotels
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
A lot to digest? Read an AI-generated summary of recent traveller reviews.
This is a historic building and thus the hotel is a bit dated. The lobby and some details of the building are still beautiful. They did some touch-up and changed the furniture in the room but some works need to be done for their bathroom.
The first room we got was kind of disappointing. I could smell the oldness in the room. However, the front desk man was really nice and helpful to move us to another room. This room is bigger and the bathroom seemed much better. After that our stay had been great.
We enjoyed the lovely view of the park and the spaciousness of the room. It is very comfortable to move around and stay in for a while. The location is great. we could walk to anywhere. The Beans and Millennium Park are just a ten min walk. There are convenient stores, coffee shops as well as plenty of restaurants and bars within a short walking distance.
With the price we paid and being in such a good location in downtown Chicago, we think this is quite a good option.
Read more
Date of stay: January 2020
Rooms
Cleanliness
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Was in Chicago for a week for work, Congress Plaza was a great location and offered the perfect venue Hotel filled with history, awesome location right on Lake Michigan. Parking is available at $40 a night At check in, I mentioned it was my birthday that week And was upgraded. Massive room on the lake front. Hotel rooms are dated but it still has a modern feel about it Get amenities in the room Got to watch the marathon from my room and a film being made out front too Staff are wonderful and helpful Had the buffet breakfast one more $23 I expected more Found a small diner next door - perfect for the Brit who enjoys the American breakfast Easy to walk everywhere in the city Felt very safe Would recommend and will be back next time
Read more
Date of stay: October 2019Trip type: Travelled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The state of the hotel room we staying in was downright disgusting. In the bathroom: the shower fixtures are coming off the walls, no plug for the tub, and BLACK MOLD coming through the grout. There was constant fast-paced dripping from tub faucet, incredibly obnoxious at night. I had to drape a towel over the faucet to lead the water quietly to the drain. The toilet plunger inside the toilet gets stuck open so the toilet is constantly running. Eventually, we learned that you need to jiggle the handle until you hear it close. We washed our hair in the sink. Decided we were better off not using the shower.
The coffee maker has a plug that’s too short to work from a table. Has to be plugged in on a nightstand or the floor to reach an outlet. Not sure what the room was cleaned with but everything was damp and sticky when we checked in - most notably, the bathroom floor and bed. The bed smelt like acetone. The room next to us was booked with multiple young children. The third night, I called the desk after 10pm and they sent security up to tell us that WE got the noise complaint before realizing we were the ones who called. I went to use the body lotion and found someone else’s hair (and crusty lotion on both from possibly refilling) on the inside of the cap. We didn’t touch any other unsealed products after that.
The staff brought up a small and very damaged portable heater upon our request even though it was cold enough to have them in the rooms to start with. Over all, we felt as though we were staying with someone who could barely afford to put us up. What a repugnant experience for a honeymoon trip.
Read more
Date of stay: October 2021
Rooms
Location
Service
Room Tip:Â Get a room on the outside of the building. Rooms facing the interior look out onto the roof of...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I have been at this hotel for the past two weeks. It's easy to see that it was once a glorious, grand hotel, and some vestiges remain. Its mosaics and extensive plaster detail lives next to dreadful 1970s sconces. The carpeting in the hallways is soiled and faded. My room was so cold (radiator heat that I cannot control), that they brought me a space heater and an extra blanket. The electricity in my room went out one afternoon, but they immediately fixed it when I brought it to their attention. The food in their restaurants is not good and is overpriced. The staff has been absolutely delightful and helpful, without exception. I would say that my stay has been a mixed bag. The location could not be better.
Read more
Date of stay: February 2020
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Travelled on business
Room Tip:Â ask for a room overlooking the park
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1 night stay for a dinner & theatre night out with friends.
This is the best deal you will find in Chicago in an ideal location to see Chicago’s best sights as long as you don’t mind a historically significant building that is need of some love. Room 603 was IDEAL right near the elevators with a spectacular view through bay windows of the front lawn of Chicago. Common areas are maintained but the hallways & details of the room need help. Having said that, my room was spotless, bed was firm & comfortable, bedding was lovely & appeared to be new.
Clientele is mixed everything from polished business people to tourists & ahem, partiers.
This property may also interest those wanting to experience the hotels haunted history. If so, make sure to wander beyond all the odd doorways & staircases into seemingly abandoned corridors where from on step to the next you feel like you’ve crossed into another building entirely or maybe even another dimension. Take advantage of the very willing staff to fill you in on the insider knowledge of the hotels quirky folklore.
So, if your looking to be on the move in Chicago seeing all our glorious city has to offer you might want to stay here, get a good nights rest & use your travel funds eating at our incredible restaurants, seeing our museums , the symphony, the opera & squeezing in as many architecture tours as possible & best of all, seeing our lakefront & landscapes that are all FREE !
Read more
Date of stay: November 2022Trip type: Travelled solo
Room Tip: Park @ Grant Park South Garage. It’s a 5 minute walk. $20 if your in between 3-6 for overnight....
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We actually travelled in January 2019 and used the Congress as our base for a few days in Chicago.
For such a grand and historic hotel, I was surprised to see the prices to be as competitive as they were but then reading the online reviews, I could see that they were decidedly mixed.
The reception area and welcoming hall really are splendid and speak of an ornate and historic building in the heart of the Windy City - incredibly impressive.
But once up into the lifts and along the corridors towards our room, you could see the failings of this hotel. Some of the basics just need some good old fashioned TLC. But then it is a big old building and that will require a lot of TLC! But it wouldn't take so much decorating and care to really lift the quality of the upstairs to match the downstairs.
Our room was absolutely fine. Plenty of space but again, missing those little finishing touches of class. But then, with a view looking out over Lake Michigan, we really couldn't complain too much!!
Read more
Date of stay: January 2020
Value
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Very nice old hotel. It’s preserved quite well and is being renovated on some floors. The room was spacious, well equipped and clean. WiFi is very fast and stable. The location of the hotel is perfect - all main attractions in the Loop are in the walking distance, and there are also L-train stations and bus stops nearby.
Read more
Date of stay: October 2019Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
A friend and I stayed here for a few days in July. We saw very few employees, but had no problem with check-in or asking the hotel to hold our bags on the first and last days. The lobby is pretty, and our room was very clean and spacious although it definitely had an outdated feel. The bed linens are not exactly chic, and each bed in our two queen room came with several decorative pillows but only one actual standard pillow. The shower had some issues with poor water pressure and standing water as well, although this wasn't enough of a nuisance to address for us. On the plus side, our room had high ceilings, THREE closets, and a large dresser. The location was also perfect. Close to the train from O'Hare as well as the ME line, Millenium and Grant Parks, and walkable to the aquarium and art and history museums, the path along the lake, the riverwalk area where the boat tours leave from, and enough restaurants. I'd stay here again because it served as a solid homebase for our explorations.
Read more
Date of stay: July 2021Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There are more places to choose from in the Chicago area.
PRICE RANGE
₹7,709 - ₹12,792 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
congress plaza chicago, hotel congress plaza, congress hotel chicago, congress plaza hotel chicago
LOCATION
United StatesIllinoisChicagoCentral / Downtown / The Loop
NUMBER OF ROOMS
851
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect average nightly room rates, including taxes and fees that are fixed, known to our partners, and due at time of booking. Please see our partners for more details.
Is This Your Tripadvisor Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
