Best Western River North Hotel

, Chicago, United States
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Best Western River North Hotel

, Chicago
2 star

Rooms: 150

125 West Ohio - Chicago - Illinois - 60610 - United States Hotel Website | | 312 467 0800
379 Traveller

Reviews - Best Western River North Hotel

1/10
Worse Hotel I Ever Stayed At
Submitted by: Michelle in 05/11/05
  • Age Group: 31 - 40
  • From: United States
  • Traveller type: Young Couple
We went to chicago for a mini vacation. I had seen on all the internet sites that this hotel had the greatest reviews. We checked in on tuesday october 11th, 2005. We stayed out late that night. Got up the next day and worked out and ate breakfast in the restaurant. At the end of our breakfast we payed cash and when she brought the change back she gave us a 10 dollar bill. Did she really expect a 10 dollar tip? We asked for change and she brought back two fives. To me, that is just rude. but we blew it off and went up stairs to our room. We were going to take a nap before we had to get ready for our plans that night. It wasn't 5 minutes that there is hammering in the room above us. Come to find out there remodeling. new carpet. Then 10 minutes after that a jack hammer starts up right under our room! I called the desk and ask if this is going to go on our whole stay. they say yes. But its only from 10am-4pm. only! i'm on vacation and i want to take a nap! i think they should let there guests know when they make the reservation that they are under construction and what times it will be loud. We found a wonderful comfort inn a block in a half away that was so much nicer and quiet. and the bellman there was so helpful. My husband said he will never stay at another best western even again.
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10/10
Favourite Chicago Hotel
Submitted by: Susan Howard in 11/05/05
  • Age Group: 51 - 60
  • From: United States
  • Traveller type: Budget Traveller
Best Western River North is Our Favourite Hotel to Stay in when we book a stay in Chicago! We (myself, family & friends) all only live 40 miles south of Chicago, but always have an excellent stay at Best Western River North. The service is Awesome, the Location is excellent, close to everything! The Parking is excellent, very safe & secure, & priced right! The restaurant is very good! Even thou the building is very old, the rooms, pool area, hallways, & lobby are always very clean. We have stayed there several times & intend to again. We are disappointed if they are booked & we have to stay anywhere else when we plan to stay in Chicago, Sometimes, we just say heck with it & drive back home if B.W. River North is full. Will definitely Stay Again! The Best Western River North Rates an A+++++++++++++++ IN OUR BOOKS!

Historical Traveller Reviews of Best Western River North Hotel

Nice hotel, pity about the neighbors

from A TripAdvisor Member
The Hotel itself is really quite nice. Huge rooms, tastefully decorated, everything you need. Staff were friendly. Overall, no complaints at all about the hotel.

However there is now the mother of all McDonalds across the street. The street is loud enough, but now that that place is there you have constant traffic noise, people yelling, loud car sound systems booming away. Thankfully I thought to pack ear plugs, because without them, sleep would not be an option.

To be fair, my room was on the Ohio St side, so it might be worth making sure you have a room across on the other side.

Impressive

from A TripAdvisor Member
The newly renovated hotel is not only a great deal but impressive as well. The rooms are larger than the usual standard big city hotel room for a very reasonable rate. Hotel is clean, staff is friendly and is located in the entertainment area of the city. Not difficult to get anywhere from here either walking, cab, bus or getting to the "L". Nice restaurant/bar located in hotel with variety of dishes to choose from. Staff there very friendly as well. Hotel has a pool, very clean. This was our second stay at this hotel and once again we were very pleased. Give it a try!

Great place for families

from seakat76
I have stayed in this hotel twice. Once with my kids (8/2003) and once with my husband, kids and cousin with her family (8/2004). The rooms are nice and staff is helpful. The location is great with the subway and free tourist bus nearby plus several good restaurants. Having a pool and an outdoor deck are definitely a plus. Also, probably the only hotel downtown with free parking!

Friendly, Comfortable and Convenient

from A TripAdvisor Member
We have stayed at the River North 4 or 5 times. On 3 other occasions, we have had to stay at other hotels in the area, when we couldn't get reservations, but much prefer River North.

It is not glitz, but comfortable and convenient. Parking is more convenient than other nearby hotels, right outside the door. We have always found the staff friendly and helpful. Of course, we try to treat them with respect also.

Support staff is what makes this hotel

from A TripAdvisor Member
Have stayed at this hotel twice now for business. Both times I asked if I could check in extremely (6-7am) or if I needed to reserve the room for the night before. BOTH TIMES told I would be fine with early check in, even after explaining what happened the first time. (No room available, had to wait 5 hours before room became available, because they had rented my early check in room)
Once finally in a room, (both times) the support staff went above and beyond the call. Housekeeping does a white glove job, and is always happy to supply any extra coffee or pillows for in the room. The parking attendants know where everything is and how to get there the easiest way. Their personality is great. (read the other reviews and see how many times they get mentioned.)
The one member of the support staff that will always get mention from me is the hotel bartender Walied. (sorry if I spelled it wrong). Walied remembers everyone and what their drinks are, even if it has been a year since you were there last. He is pleasant, kind, generous, and goes so far above and beyond in his customer service. He makes great drinks too.
The biggest drawback of this hotel is the front desk staff. There is an obvious lack of communication between shifts, between desk clerks and management, and certainly between reservations and customers.
Once you finally get into a room, River North is an OK hotel.

Okay, just Okay.....

from DIDST
Stayed at the BW ONE night the last week of Sept. 2004 for business travel. Don't let the modern lobby fool you! I got to stay in the "suite" with the living area and bed. It is the bare bones minimun. And for 250.00 per night, I have stayed in much, much better hotels! The furniture looked so stained that I did not EVEN sit on it. However, the rest of the room appeared clean and I had a good nights sleep. I checked out earlier than my reservations, because I figured I could get a better room on the Mag Mile. The hotel is a good walk from the Mag Mile. I suceeded and was overjoyed to leave and move to the Crowne Plaza which was luxurious and only 9 bucks more! The bathroom was small and had a constant leak.

Customer Service and Courtesy lacking at BW (Beyond Worst) Hotel

from Hookla
After a 10 hour train ride, I called the Hotel and asked if they had a vacancy, I was assured they did.
Upon arriving at the hotel I was told they did'nt except cash, I was willing to leave a credit card imprint for incidentcial, however my room I wanted to pay for in cash. That is my prefered method of payment! I was told in a rude way that "walk-ins" always must pay with a credit card. Even after I told them that I was a Gold Crown member, I was just brushed off and told that was hotel policy.
Well guess what BW my policy is that I will never stay in another one of your hotels EVER!!!!!

wonderful 2 day getaway

from brightis
My husband and I had the pleasure of staying in this hotel for two nights (aug 15 and 16). I could not have been more impressed with this Best Western. This was the only hotel I found in downtown Chicago that offered FREE parking to their guests with in/out privileges. All the other hotels you had to pay anywhere from 25 - 35 dollars a day. This Best Western had its own restaurant unfortunately we never tried the food because there were sooo many other restaurants and clubs within walking distance. The rock n roll mcdonalds has been torn down but the Rainforest Cafe, Portillios, ESPN zone, House of Blues and Weber's Grill are all one to two blocks away from the hotel. I could go on about the restaurants but the choices are endless. If you have on the right shoes you can walk to the new Millenium Park (15 mins) and also to Navy Pier (20 mins) and all the shops on Michigan Ave from the hotel. There is a free trolley stop about two blocks from the hotel but they were always crowded so we decided to walk everywhere. We were walking around downtown Sunday night around 11 and the city was still alive. We never once complained about the walking because there were sights to see on every block. Never a dull moment. We were very impressed with our stay and will return soon. The parking attendent named Wallace was very knowlegable of the area and had no problem giving us detailed walking directions (map included). Bottom line great hotel, great location and excellent parking attendant.

Our Home Away from Home

from crispyteriyaki
After a harrowing experience flying into Chicago, my husband and I were relieved to arrive at the Best Western River North, our "home away from home." The privacy and security afforded to guests at this hotel is incredible for the price, and the rooms are spacious and comfortable. It's easy to feel at home in what barely feels like a hotel at all.

The BW River North is perfectly situated in a thriving retail and dining neighborhood, a stone's throw away from such eateries as Portillo's, the Hard Rock Cafe, Fogo de Chao and Gino's East. I can easily pick up anything I forgot at home for a reasonable price at the Walgreen's a couple of blocks away, too. And the shops and businesses of Michigan Avenue are all in a short walk's distance.

Great place

from A TripAdvisor Member
I stayed here 6/10 - 6/13. We had 6 rooms in total. Everyone happy with hotel. Hotel clean, beds and pillows ultra-comfortable, staff polite and helpful, restaurant/bar good with good service, and location is definitely a BIG plus! No complaints at all - would definitely stay again.

Top Local Tips for Chicago

Talk to a local Contact the Chicago Greeters service before travelling. It's free and really useful.

City Pass We purchased the City Pass for the museums in Chicago. It was well worth the $$. The price was $50 per adult and $40 for kids. It definately saved us some money as we did see all the sites included in the pass except for the planeterium. Best was the Shedd Aquarium and Museum of Science and Industry. Kids also liked the Hancock Building Observation. Went to the Field Museum as well, but that was quite boring after all the other excitement.

Go Chicago Card We bought a 3-day Go Chicago card which gave us admission to a lot of museums, bus tours, and other siteseeing venues, plus discounts at stores. In some places, it allowed you to bypass the long lines for buying tickets. Definitely worth the money. Also buy the multi-day pass for the public transportation. This allows you to unlimited rides on the bus, subway, and 'L'. It made it so easy and convenient to get around town.

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Other names for Best Western River North Hotel

  • chicago best western
  • best western chicago
  • Address: 125 West Ohio - Chicago - Illinois - 60610 - United States
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