The Congress Plaza Hotel & Convention Center
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About
#254 of 305 hotels in Chicago
Location
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Value
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.
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Property amenities
Paid private parking nearby
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Fitness Center with Gym / Workout Room
Bar / lounge
Highchairs available
Taxi service
Business Center with Internet Access
Conference facilities
Parking
Wifi
Restaurant
Breakfast available
Breakfast in the room
Vending machine
Banquet room
Meeting rooms
Salon
24-hour security
Baggage storage
Concierge
Convenience store
Gift shop
Non-smoking hotel
Shops
ATM on site
Doorperson
24-hour check-in
24-hour front desk
Express check-in / check-out
Dry cleaning
Laundry service
Ironing service
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Room features
Air conditioning
Housekeeping
Room service
Safe
Cable / satellite TV
Flatscreen TV
Bath / shower
Complimentary toiletries
VIP room facilities
Bottled water
Iron
Private bathrooms
Radio
Hair dryer
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Room types
Bridal suite
Non-smoking rooms
Suites
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
HOTEL STYLE
Park View
Classic
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish, Urdu
Location
100Great for walkers
Grade: 100 out of 100
162Restaurantswithin 0.5 km
61Attractionswithin 0.5 km
520 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60605
E-mail hotel
Getting there
HarrisonChicago L4 min
Harold Washington Library – State/Van BurenChicago L4 min
3549Reviews80Q+A100Room tips
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Outside of the communal areas, the hotel is very run down. Our room was at the back of the hotel and overlooked the fire escape. The air con was not controllable and our room was very cold at night. The sink in our bathroom was cracked and everything was grubby and in need of a refurbishment. We stayed for two nights and our room was not made. A ‘do not disturb’ sign was place on our door by somebody other than us and we think this may have been done to avoid making up our room. We ate in the restaurant one night and my quesadillas were not served with all the accompaniments as advertised on the menu.
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Date of stay: September 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip: Parking nearby
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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.
Helpful
+1
Hotel's Favorite
My husband and I stayed in this hotel for three nights and thought it was very good value for money. It is in a great location, just a few minutes walk from the Buckingham fountain and waterfront and about a 10-15 minute walk to the Bean and the river cruises etc. The hotel looks very impressive from the outside and the lobby area etc is very ornate with old style charm. Staff were friendly and polite. Our room was basic but had a huge comfy bed and a fridge which was a bonus for keeping breakfast items and drinks. Overall we couldn't fault it considering the price we paid.
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Date of stay: August 2022Trip type: Traveled as a couple
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 Helpful vote
Helpful
We stayed here overnight as we had 24 hours in Chicago. The welcome and check in was smooth and quick. We were a little disappointed with our room though. It felt old, dated and 'worn'. This appears to be a huge hotel, and we felt a little isolated in one of the wings. The location is good, 5 min walk from the 'cloud' and 5 min walk from a great breakfast diner 'Eleven'. For the price and location, it's OK for an overnight stay. There was a lovely doorman who gave us great advice on transport links (think his name was Steve) and was very welcoming.
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Date of stay: October 2023Trip type: Traveled with family
Value
Location
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.
Helpful
+1
The location wasn’t bad, close to buses and CTA (metro/tube). It was a short 15 minute walk to main areas, and I felt safe walking around early evening. There is a parking lot at the rear beside the Harrison CTA stop and there is also a parking building the hotel. A taxi mid afternoon from OHare cost USD$45 First room, no hot water when I turned on the shower. Ok, it’s an old hotel so I waited hoping there was just a delay but no. I got dressed, After I went to Reception, I was told to pack up my bags and move to a new room. No assistance was offered. The second room was bigger, and included hot water. It includes a shower over the bath, but it doesn’t drain well. It also included two dark hairs on the wall tiles which I didn’t notice until after my shower. I’ve got red hair so definitely not mine. In the morning when leaving I asked Reception to ensure the bathroom was cleaned thoroughly. I also asked for the toilet to be checked as the cistern didn’t sound like it was refilling, and the bowl wasn’t emptying well. The next night, I returned to the hotel and found the bed made but the hairs still on the tiles. The tip was gone though. I gave up and removed the hair myself with toilet tissue. Ugh. Then I turned on the TV - the picture would only stay on for 90 seconds before the screen went black. I called Reception and asked for the tv to be repaired. Three hours later I turned out the light at 10.30pm with the TV still not working. The following night I was woken up by drunks at 2:30am running up and down the hall. Then at 3:30am two hotel staff stood directly outside my door, having a loud conversation while their walkie talkie radios kept chattering loudly. After a few minutes, I had to get up to open the door and ask them to move. Then I was woken up at 8:40am by housekeeping knocking on the door despite the ‘do not disturb’ sign on the door. I called out that I was still sleeping but she then opens the door. I sleep naked. The housekeeping assistant spoke zero English and I had to use a translation app to explain I wasn’t happy at being woken up. By then, I was fully awake after a terrible nights sleep. Final night, the toilet is now blocked and overflows. Possibly it wasn’t looked at when I complained two days earlier. While the hotel engineer is fixing it, his walkie talkie crackles. The new guests now staying in my original room are complaining there is no hot water in their room. The cleaner then arrives to clean the toilet and floor. On the morning of departure there’s a ‘do not disturb’ on the door but the phone rings at 10:40am. It’s the housekeeping manager asking if I need the room cleaned today. When I said it will definitely need cleaning as I’m checking out that day, she seems surprised that it’s my last day. After check-out I left my luggage in storage, and as I’m handing the bags in, the doormen ask if I’ll need a taxi later. I said yes, and a doorman speaks with a gentleman in plain (street) clothes to arrange a car. I’m introduced to Pedro. I’m told a price and set a time for later that day. I returned to the hotel 20 minutes early and retrieve my bags. I’m standing there, and the doorman asks if I need a cab. I explain I had one arranged and I was waiting on Pedro. The doorman approaches one of his colleagues, quick chat, and then I’m told Pedro isn’t coming. I ask what happened, and I’m told he got a fare to Midway so Pedro took that instead of my trip to O’Hare. The doorman did get a new cab for me, and the fare was a third cheaper than Pedro’s quoted price. Tip - don’t rely on the doormen to arrange transportation. At USD$215 including taxes per night plus tips, I wouldn’t stay again at half the price. There were a few positives. The Reception area is cute with chandeliers etc, and the view from my second room was nice.…
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Date of stay: October 2023Trip type: Traveled solo
Room Tip: Open lot Parking at rear by Harrison CTA
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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 Helpful vote
Helpful
The room was nice and clean, but two very lumpy tiny pillows on my king size bed did not cut it. The carpeting in the hallways was pretty filthy and old. The staff was very friendly and nice and the price was considerably less the nearby hotels. I’m not sure I would stay here again, but it’s serve the purpose for entertaining my family from Arizona.
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Date of stay: October 2023Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip: There was a parking deck around the corner from the Hotel but the hotel had no parking. I’ve...
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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.
Helpful
Very cool looking hotel from both the outside and the inside. Large lobby and conference rooms with very high ceilings, and a very neat bar. This place exudes history. But the rooms are sorely in need of a complete refurbishment. The bathroom is tiny. The sink is tucked in a tiny alcove smaller than an average person’s shoulder width. The toilet is minuscule. The shower has very little water pressure. The electrical plugs are old 2-way outlets along a baseboard with dozens of coats of paint. The windows have sheers from the 1920’s and the curtains don’t slide on the curtain rod. All in all, much as we like history and nostalgia, we agreed we’d look next time for a modern hotel in this price point vs putting up with such archaic details as this old place. One and done for us.…
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Date of stay: October 2023Trip type: Traveled with friends
Room Tip: Keep looking.
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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.
Helpful
The room we got smelled so bad of musty, mold. The air did not work. Our rooms were on the 7th floor far away from everything. No pool. Not worth the price they charge. Thank goodness they refunded our stay.
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Date of stay: October 2023Trip type: Traveled with family
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip: Read reviews
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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.
Helpful
Beautiful hotel in a great location. Room was clean and comfortable. Housekeeping was great. Bellmen were outstanding. They were efficient and quick getting our luggage into the room, and helpful with suggestions for area restaurants. Very friendly. Seemed to enjoy their work. The only negative was the in-house restaurant called The Gazebo. Overpriced mediocre food and the service was so bad we thought we were in The Twilight Zone.
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Date of stay: October 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
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.
Helpful
When I checked in, the receptionist was very curt, did not answer any question, wanted a deposit of USD 25/- per day inspite of payment in full before arrival. Paid USD 75/-. Was assured it would be refunded in 3 days after check out. It is 11 days now and no response. They do not respond to the mail also. Looks like a scam to collect extra.
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Date of stay: October 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
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 Helpful vote
Helpful
Booked here after viewing on the internet and it looked ok. On arrival the check in was a little frosty but all in all okish, the room was in dire need of a refurb which is pretty much the same for the entire hotel, we were on level 5 overlooking a huge car park and rail line. It seems that there was always something happening through the night or early morning, the trains are ridiculously loud until around midnight when the stop but start up again at around 5 am, if it’s not the trains keeping you awake it’s the emergency services sirens or helicopters that seem to be airborne bone stop. The windows are aged and not sound proof at all. The bar downstairs serves the worst beer I have had in the last 20 years and charge a premium for the privilege I wouldn’t stay here again. I wouldn’t stay here again as there are plenty of alternatives,…
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Date of stay: September 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip: Look elsewhere
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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.
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PRICE RANGE
$87 - $140 (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
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Claim Your ListingTHE CONGRESS PLAZA HOTEL & CONVENTION CENTER - UPDATED 2023 Reviews & Price Comparison (Chicago, IL) - Tripadvisor
Frequently Asked Questions about The Congress Plaza Hotel & Convention Center
Which popular attractions are close to The Congress Plaza Hotel & Convention Center?
Nearby attractions include Ragnarok Axe Throwing (0.2 km), Symphony Center - Chicago Symphony Orchestra (0.4 km), and The Loop (0.3 km).
What are some of the property amenities at The Congress Plaza Hotel & Convention Center?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free wifi, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge.
What food & drink options are available at The Congress Plaza Hotel & Convention Center?
Guests can enjoy an on-site restaurant, a lounge, and breakfast during their stay.
Is parking available at The Congress Plaza Hotel & Convention Center?
Yes, paid private parking nearby and paid public parking nearby are available to guests.
What are some restaurants close to The Congress Plaza Hotel & Convention Center?
Conveniently located restaurants include Cafecito, Buddy Guy's Legends, and Exchequer Restaurant & Pub.
Are there opportunities to exercise at The Congress Plaza Hotel & Convention Center?
Yes, guests have access to a fitness centre during their stay.
Is The Congress Plaza Hotel & Convention Center located near the city center?
Yes, it is 0.4 km away from the centre of Chicago.
Are any cleaning services offered at The Congress Plaza Hotel & Convention Center?
Yes, dry cleaning and laundry service are offered to guests.
Does The Congress Plaza Hotel & Convention Center offer any business services?
Yes, it conveniently offers a business centre, meeting rooms, and a banquet room.
Which languages are spoken by the staff at The Congress Plaza Hotel & Convention Center?
The staff speaks multiple languages, including English, Spanish, and Urdu.
Are there any historical sites close to The Congress Plaza Hotel & Convention Center?
Many travellers enjoy visiting Garfield Park Conservatory (7.8 km), The Rookery Building (0.7 km), and Macy's on State Street (1.0 km).