Rated 4.0 out of 5.0 by INDvis Home from Home
I have waited a long time to write this review - been coming here on and off for two years (two nights a week) for work, so this opinion probably reflects a lot of what you'll find in a lot of other reviews - but all in one place!
The hotel has great amenities - the pool, bar and restaurant are fairly decent. The biggest problems I have encountered would be the lack of enforcement of noise control from the management / security on weekends and average room conditions (the rooms are dated, limited outlets, no charger ports, they only added wifi within the last couple of months and the off-site IT support is a pain to deal with if you can't get connected through VPN - which I have had to do once).
I say average room conditions because I expect more from a hotel than a basic bed, sink, bath combo.
Having said that, it's a fairly small list of minor details - I use a sound machine to drown out noisy neighbours and make do with the rooms as they are - the chairs don't go up to the tables, they aren't comfortable and the foot-rests are unusable to rest a laptop either.
The rooms are clean, the beds are comfortable, you get a microwave, coffee maker (4 servings of coffee - 2 Decaf and 2 Reg) for your convenience and a small fridge (which is usually turned LOW when you get in).
The hotel employees are very very efficient, friendly and a definite credit to this facility.
If you have issues with the room or reservation they will tend to it promptly and are very accommodating for family requests (towels, bathroom stuff, extra breakfast coupons etc etc). I would say that they make the stays I have had worthwhile experiences and make the difference.
The bar staff have turned over a lot lately and it's not as friendly as it used to be, but they do try to get you in with a free drink/coupon and seat you with a smile.
For a business user the hotel is near perfect, for families, you might like the amenities and the kids-eat-free coupons and the pools.
Like I said when I started - been coming here for over two years and will continue to do so if things stay the same or get even better (recently added wi-fi throughout and HD TVs with a bunch of extra channels have been a nice bonus).
April 15, 2013
Rated 2.0 out of 5.0 by Diken PLUMBING
Plumbing in bathroom very poor, pipes knocked when toilet flushed not only in our room but whenever someone in another room flushed the pipes rattled in our room
April 12, 2013
Rated 3.0 out of 5.0 by GoldRush Good location.....but
Normally I stay in Oakbrook, IL but decided to stay at this location to work on the South Side. Location and cost were on target and proximity to downtown is excellent compared to other suburban locations. The pool area is very good and the fitness area is ok.
I had only one meal and it was below average. The food is like the local family style restaurant meals that you get in Chicago or something similar to a Denny's......
April 11, 2013
Rated 4.0 out of 5.0 by danl skip the pizza and movies
The pizza wasn't very good and for 15 the movies should have a better picture. The hotel was a little loud but on the whole it was about average for a nights stay.
April 6, 2013
Rated 5.0 out of 5.0 by jim1954 Great stay and atmosphere
I would recommend Holiday Inn Countryside to any business traveller. The amenities and dining are wonderful, and the relaxing atmosphere in the lounge is great after a day of meetings. I've been a guest twice this year on business, and I will be returning in 2 weeks for another stay. I couldn't be happier.
April 1, 2013
Rated 3.0 out of 5.0 by Geo13 Countryside stay
We stayed at this location for the park-and-ride accommodation for Midway Airport. The shuttle service driver was friendly and on time to the airport. We had to take a taxi (at a reduced rate) for the return trip because we would have had to wait 1 1/2 hours for the shuttle service otherwise. Our stay at the motel resulted in some issues. Our suite was very large, clean, and comfortable. Some of the plumbing leaked in the bathroom but was otherwise clean and in good shape. Our stay probably would have been a good one except for the late night partying that took place on our floor and the floor below us. Besides kids running up and down the hallway till midnight, there was an all night party in the room below us. I finally called security at 4:00AM to have them shut the party down. I would have thought that security would have been observant of the partying and shut the party down hours earlier. Other than that, nice place. Probably will not stay there again.
March 24, 2013
Rated 3.0 out of 5.0 by karen30 Extremely upset with our stay
This was a beautiful hotel...hands down. We were here for the weekend to attend a wedding that took place in one of the banquet rooms. On our second night we actually checked out of our room at 3am due to noise. This did not make me a happy mom of a 4 year old and 6 year old that were trying to sleep after being up late for a wedding. I called the front desk and said that our hallway was noisy. They said someone would be up to check it out. An hour later, I still heard a lot of noise and we figured we would be better off leaving for home, than trying to sleep over the rudeness in the hall. When I got offf the elevator to check out at 3am, it was like walking into a loud bar. There were about 30 people in the lobby screaming, talking loud and laughing, and security was standing right there to observe it!! How could a hotel allow this at such an hour?! They should have been directed to another area where guests were not being disturbed, or encouraged to go to their room. The bar had closed for the night, and they were basically loitering in the lobby. When I called to speak with management the next morning about how unhappy I was they credited my credit card for 1 night stay. I honestly think this was minimal compensation for what we experienced. People come to a hotel to relax and this was anything but relaxing. Again, beautiful hotel, but shame on security and the person at the front desk for allowing this to occur.
March 22, 2013
Rated 3.0 out of 5.0 by thec6 Noisy guests
All was fine except the guests (from a Wedding Party-I think) were allowed to run the halls slamming doors (teenagers I hope) all night the last time we heard them was approx. 4am. One of our Party called management & they tried to help but to no avail & many in our party did not get much sleep. We have been here several times before but management needs to do a better job making guests respect the other guests.
March 22, 2013
Rated 4.0 out of 5.0 by EJT60 Friendly , helpfull Staff, Clean & Comfortable rooms.
Friendly , helpfull Staff, Clean & Comfortable rooms and Good Food in Lounge and Restaurant. I got caught in the snow storm, had to check in early and checkout late: the staff handled it without ant problems.
March 9, 2013
Rated 5.0 out of 5.0 by Padre Great Check-in Service & Pool
Had same person take reservation as greeted us at check-in made the Inn feel "home-like" from start.
Grandchildren loved the pool area
March 6, 2013
Rated 3.0 out of 5.0 by NCNative Not nearly as nice as it was 2 years ago
Stayed for three nights.
PROS: Room (223) was clean. Room was spacious. Pool area was nice. Pool was heated so it wasn't ice cold. Hot tub was wonderfully warm. Shuttle to MDW is a nice convenience. Microwave and fridge in room is nice.
CONS: Shower did not work right--barely any hot water pressure. Cold poured out of the shower head; hot only trickled. Called the desk. The guy made an adjustment and we had hot water for a little while. Next morning, same issue w/only a trickle of hot water. Didn't try to watch TV until the last night. The volume on the TV would go up all by itself. We would mute it and it would ramp up to max volume in under a minute. It was late and we were in jammies so we didn't bother to call, just turned it off. Got downstairs for an EXPENSIVE breakfast buffet at 9:45. Told breakfast ended at 10am. They began breaking down the food line at 9:50. For $12.95 I expected to be able to get food until 10am. Food quality was mediocre. Pancakes were so tough you couldn't eat them. Bacon and eggs were cold. They were in such a hurry to get us out that they took the salt and pepper off the table before we were even finished eating. Won't make the mistake of eating there again.
We will probably stay there again but will make sure that EVERYTHING in the room works before unpacking anything.
March 2, 2013
Rated 5.0 out of 5.0 by Delox December 31-January 1
Enjoyed my two day stay at this location. I would highly recommend and stay again at this location.
February 26, 2013
Rated 5.0 out of 5.0 by laskpekn 41st anniversary stay
no problems at all, rooom was great, holidom was great, pool water was nice and warm and all aminities were performing well.
February 23, 2013
Rated 5.0 out of 5.0 by JohnTraveler73 Very Clean & Great Staff
This is the first time I have stayed at this Holiday Inn, but have stayed in many (over 100 nights a year). I read some reviews on this hotel and had my doubts. Once I got there any of the poor reviews were wrong in my opinion. The staff was very friendly always said HI, the facility was clean, the food in the bar was great. In some reviews they mentioned about the poor internet, well they updated the system and every room has internet. Actually the best I have had in any Holiday Inn. I would and will stay there the next time I am in town.
February 20, 2013
Rated 3.0 out of 5.0 by ec229buffalo A mixed experience
We have not stayed here for over 5 years and looked forward to the remodeled changes we had heard about.
What we got was a mixed bag of good and dissappointing.
The exterior, lobby, and public spaces are very nice. Modern, clean, and well kept up. The desk staff was polite and helpful, but several times I found the service staff blocking the hall or elevator doors with their carts.
Once we got checked in however things seemed to change. The room was well decorated but small. The coffee brewer only brews 1/2 cup at a time, and only has 2 packets of coffee, for the small styrofoam cups. No coffee in the lobby. The bathtub is small and has a rounded bottom that makes showering difficult to do without banging into the grab bars and wall. The heater seemed to have only 2 settings. Hot and noisy, or off.
They have also eliminated the continental breakfast and are pushing the $12.95 breakfast buffet.
It appears to me that the owners are concentrating all their efforts into the public spaces rather than guest comfort. In other words all flash and little substance.
January 9, 2013
Rated 5.0 out of 5.0 by DebJo Great Experience
Stayed over Christmas week. The stay, the service, the room, were excellent.
January 3, 2013
Rated 4.0 out of 5.0 by IndyColtsFan Very nice hotel for price
We stayed at the Holiday in Willowbrook the night before, but it was so outdated and in need of renovation. This location for our unexpected 2nd night stay due to bad weather in Indy was SO much better! The rooms were more spacious and the bed was WAY more comfortable than the location in Willowbrook. The William Tell restauraunt located next to hotel has a nice breakfast brunch that was complimentary with our stay.
My only suggestion is to get complimentary wi-fi to rooms ASAP. While available in lobby, the wired access in rooms is outdated. You can't use the wifi for your iphones or ipod touches which causes the ipod touch to be unuseable for internet access and data usage on your cell phone.
Other than that, it was great! Thank you!
January 2, 2013
Rated 2.0 out of 5.0 by Businessvisitor86 No WI-FI in the rooms..!!!
There is no Wi-Fi available in the rooms. Business hotel absolutely should have Wi-Fi at least in the rooms.
December 17, 2012
Rated 5.0 out of 5.0 by MLM1 Excellent!
Very comfortable, friendly, clean--a great price for a comfortable room! We were looking for a reasonable place to stay the night while in the suburbs. Very new and clean, HUGE pool and jacuzzi, nice room with coffee maker, etc. Highly recommend for anyone looking to stay in the southwestern suburbs--cute shops and restaurants nearby in downtown LaGrange, for a great bed-and-breakfast feel!
December 14, 2012
Rated 3.0 out of 5.0 by whywhywhy comments..
was disapointed with breakfast arrangements or LACK theroff.
December 14, 2012
Rated 1.0 out of 5.0 by Nothdurft Disappointing hotel stay
This was the absolute worst stay at a Holiday Inn Express and I've stayed at several. The hotel was old with little to no updates. The pullout couch bed had blood all over it... My daughter saw it and was mortified (11yr old). The water was ice cold - No hot water for even a shower. The beds were very uncomfortable and old. This was a NON SMOKING hotel and I was given a room that was right next to someone smoking that shouldn't have been allowed to. Horrible experience and I will never recommend this place to anyone.
November 28, 2012
Rated 4.0 out of 5.0 by dre1357 Great location and comfort
Nice comfortable hotel within a short drive of work.
November 23, 2012
Rated 5.0 out of 5.0 by ann13 Excellent Service, clean accomadations.
We travel yearly for a family tradition and experienced a wonderful stay. The staff was excellent, the pool area very clean, and the room was clean fresh and very comfortable.
I called my sisters to tell them what a great room we had and the pool area was very clean and staff very attentive.
Much Thanks,
Gean Family
November 21, 2012
Rated 2.0 out of 5.0 by cathy60 Front desk inhospitable
I have stayed here many times and usually have had a great experience. However, the front desk staff was inhospitable and rude. When I checked in, the key did not work. The front desk sent up maintenance to deal with it. They were extremely nice, but had to go back down to the front desk 3 times to get the right key code. No apology from the front desk. Then, the key quit working the next day. I know the front desk person did not put in the total days I was staying. I had to go to the front desk again. The same staff person re-coded the key. I went to get on the elevator, and she yelled at me to come back to the front desk. She had coded it incorrectly again. There was no apology for the previous incident or for this incident. She was very short and rude in dealing with the situation. I understand how people can make mistakes. What makes me upset is when there is no apology! I love to come stay there mainly because of the morning restaurant staff. They make me feel welcome. I may have to rethink this.
November 20, 2012
Rated 5.0 out of 5.0 by Myra Great Pools and Sauna
Love going her for the pools and sauna. They have great free breakfast during the weekdays unfortunately they charge on the weekends. We still stay on the weekends because of the amenities. Family and friends love going to this hotel.
November 20, 2012
Rated 3.0 out of 5.0 by bill2345 Watch for Ants!!
Overall the whole place was nice. Nothing overly recommendable. The bed wasn't very comfortable, but the pillows were excellent. The room was very dry, bring a humdifier! Checked in around 4, attended a wedding at the adjoining William Tell and by the time we got back in the room at 1 am, there were ants all over the bathroom and vanity areas!! Told the front desk and got an unsincere sounding apology! Check your room out before commiting!
November 16, 2012
Rated 4.0 out of 5.0 by Mshank317 great staff and place to stay
My only issue was the in room fridge didn't work. besides that the hotel was great
October 27, 2012
Rated 5.0 out of 5.0 by PRCarol Beautiful, comfortable property
I enjoyed a nice relaxing stay at this beautiful hotel. The service was great, food was wonderful and the pool and fitness center were amazing. The room was spacious with comforatble beds. And last but not least, the staff was exceptional. They made me feel welcome. It was easy to get around town. This is an impressive property. I hope to be able to enjoy the entertainment in their lounge next time.
October 27, 2012
Rated 4.0 out of 5.0 A great time!!!
We were in town for a graduation, we stayed Wednesday night here so we could go to Brookfield Zoo on Thursday- great location for this!!! We changed hotels on Thursday to be closer to graduation had planned to stay at our 2nd hotel Friday but liked the location and pool so much we transfered back to Holiday Inn for both Friday and Saturday night!! The pool area has the WOW EFFECT love the glass ceilings! The rooms were very clean and quiet. If visiting Chicago beware that there are two Joliet roads about 8 miles apart save yourself the confusion up front. I was most impressed with the area it was our biggest concern never being in Chicago before. I would however skip the breakfast.
October 27, 2012
Rated 5.0 out of 5.0 by Lisa64 Wonderful staff
We really enjoyed the pool/hot tube area. The staff at the hotel were awesome. We went to the soccer game at Toyota Park and our driver Simon took excellent care of us. It was a little chaotic getting out of the park after the game - some of the road were closed and we had to call the hotel to relay a message to Simon and they all did a fantastic job of picking us up and getting us back to the hotel safely!!
The only bad thing I would say is that the hallway smelled a little bit funny.
October 26, 2012