Good location and nice price BUT .... Good location and nice price. However, the lady in the front desk was unfriendly during my check in. I feel like being laughed at because of my accent. The interesting thing is the lady herself has an accent. Also, it is easy to hear people next door talking and the noise in the street.…

A hostel Taj Mahal sparkles with clean rooms, Internet access and a central location.. The Scene
A bright, airy lobby sets the stage at this posh branch of Hostelling International (named for donors J. Ira and Nicki Harris). Travelers happily take advantage of amenities like central air conditioning, 24-hour security, self-service laundry and Internet kiosks while still paying cheap hostel rates ($30 per person per night). A student center serves as gathering place for guests as well as students from nearby colleges, and the large kitchen allows visitors to cook and store their own food.

The Details
Five floors of rooms sleep 500 people, though during the school year three floors are used as residence halls for nearby Columbia College. Rooms have bunk beds, dressers, closets, large windows, living room and bathroom. The other two floors have rooms with three bunk beds, lockers and individual bed lamps. Some rooms have private bathrooms, while others use the common-area bathrooms. All are kept exceptionally clean.…

what you need where you need it. With out the hostel we would not be able to visit Chicago as often as we do. With the affordable rates it means more mini vacations a year for the family. Hostelling gives you more opprotunity to visit high price areas on a small budget. We salute Mayor Daily for his support of the Chiago hostel, and Hostelling International.…

No fountain in the lobby, but. You will not find a better located, more safe and less expensive place to stay. Everything a visitor needs is within a stonethrow: the library for free e-mail, the park and lake front for strolling, the opera, restaurants, transit and shopping...you name it. The staff couldn't be more helpful---they are volunteers, and do not work for pay. You feel protected passing the 24-hour guard and CCTV when you walk in from the street, and you get to meet the most interesting people from all over the world in the lounges, the reading rooms, dining room and the kitchen. This is what staying in a hostel is all about.…