The CASS Hotel: CLASS or CRASS? (Hotels in Chicago in general)

Member Name: zoe_page_1

Product:	Hotels in Chicago in general
Date:	27/07/04 (63 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great location, Relatively cheap, All rooms en suite

Disadvantages: Cafe could use some work, Hotel shows some signs of wear

"To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world" once said Freya Stark. That's true, but it only works if the hotel is reasonably clean, secure and free of lunatics, and not all the hotels in the world can truthfully claim to be these things. I needed somewhere to stay in Chicago, and decided to go with an individual hotel rather than a chain one. I chose the Cass in part because they had their own website - www.casshotel.com Some of the places I've stayed have staff who look like they wouldn't know one end of a computer from another, so a place with at least one employee who knew their way around the internet was a good sign.

The Cass Hotel is located at 640 North Wabash Avenue in Chicago, just a block and a half away from the Magnificent Mile, the other name for North Michigan Avenue. Grand Avenue and State Street is the nearest metro station, but I never used it, walking instead from Washington Street where the blue airport line subway deposited me. The walk took about 10 minutes, but with a small bag or no luggage at all, that would not be a problem.

First impressions were not especially good, as the hotel looks a bit like a cheap tacky strip club or sleazy motel from the outside, all half-lit flashing neon lights and peeling paint. I checked in, paid cash up front for the room (something that made me to continue to feel like I was in the setting for a low budget porn film) and was given my key card. I took the elevator to my room and tried to open the door, but the key didn't work no matter which way I inserted it, so I trekked back to the lobby to complain. It turns out the receptionist had swapped my room since the TV in the original one didn't work too well. Nice of her, I'll admit, but giving me the right room number could have been an equally good idea. I found my new room (on the 9th floor rather than the 14th as my previous one had been), slipped the key in the
lock and saw the little light flash green. I was in.

The hotel is not a luxurious one, and this was something I knew when I booked. But, despite the scratched wooden desk and the dented chair, the handle-less chest of drawers and the odd smudge on the walls, the room was clean and sufficient. The double bed was in the middle of the room (not set up along one wall with only one accessible side - something I dislike) and the sheets were crisp and white. The television was large and came with a remote that didn't require me to leave a deposit at reception. Hotel stationary was even provided in the form of a notepad of paper and a pen, each with the hotel's name printed on. My floor was completely non-smoking, as at least half of the 15 floors were.

The bathroom was just that - a room with a bath as well as a wall fixed shower. The room seemed large by hotel standards because of the slightly strange layout. Bath, sink, loo, all lined up along the back wall, with plenty of room to maneuver. Towels were on the small side of adequate, but having two of everything (since the room was suitable for up to 2 guests) made up for it. The toiletries weren't up to much - small wrapped bars of "luxury" soap - but at least they tried.

The bedroom had a window with a view of the building next door's pool and a side wall. Underneath it was an air conditioning unit. While they didn't have central air as some newer buildings do (my office here, and my apartment block for example), they did have a large block with individual controls so I could set the temperature to what I liked. I left it on one morning and the maid switched it off, but I expected this since it was not too unbearably hot and they have a thing in Chicago about how they're a green city, into recycling what they can, and not wasting resources. I slept with the air on and it kept the room at a comfortable temperature. In winter when Chicago can get freezing they
have radiators they switch on, though I imagine they could be the type to result in musty rooms, especially since the windows don't open because of the air con unit situated in them.

The hotel has nowhere near as many amenities as some, but they do try. An Internet terminal in the lobby lets you surf the net for 20 cents / minute. They have drink and snack vending machines, and one dishing up ice for the buckets you find in your room. They also have a café at street level, serving breakfast and lunch. Their special offer costs about 1 pound, and includes a hot drink, juice and a donut or muffin. I opted for their pancakes instead and had a stack of 3 plus butter and syrup freshly whipped up for me within 5 minutes. Unfortunately they fell fowl to the same condition as those at the Days Inn in Washington D.C. - unidentified crunchy bits hidden among the fluffy layers. Shame on me for letting it happen twice...but at least I know to stick to IHOP in future.

The hotel has a great location, as everything apart from the airport is within walking distance. The museums, galleries, shops and restaurants of the Magnificent Mile are mainly within a 10 minute walk, and some are immediately on the doorstep. There are several restaurants on the next block from the hotel including the slightly famous Pizzeria Uno. There's also a great supermarket just 2 streets over, and a multiplex movie theater the same distance in a different direction.

It's not the classiest hotel in the world, but it's more than worth the price - for the cleanliness, the staff and the location. Their motto is "Downtown Chicago without the downtown price" and that basically sums it up - the hotel is smack bang in the middle of the action, but staying there won't break the bank ? double rooms start low, and last week I paid $65 + tax, having booked direct with them 3 weeks before. Larger rooms accommodating more people are available and cost slightly mo
re. Special offers are available all year round, and you can book through their website, or by going through hotels.com, expedia.com or similar. Recommended.

Summary: