First off: yes, this is not the Ritz-Carlton(and that’s an extreme understatement). However, I stayed here when I had an early morning flight to catch at Midway and my other lodging plans fell through. For $ 55, it wasn’t bad. The employees were all nice, friendly Chicagoans. They even offered me a glass of Boone’s Farm-type wine when they saw the sad look on my face. I mean, you probably wouldn’t want to bring your family here after a day of touring the Sears Tower and Art Institute, but it’s these gritty establishments that make Chicago a real, American city(not a fake one like L.A. or Dallas).