Holiday Inn Express Hotel Chicago-St. Charles

I feel a bit mixed about my review for Holiday Inn, our wedding hotel from this past August. The price was definitely right — this hotel was one of the few that offered to give us a price discount — which was important to me as I did not want our guests paying a fortune. Free wifi and free breakfast — also huge bonuses. They also offered to give us shuttle service to our wedding venue — with # of trips based on our total paid room count. Awesome.
On a negative note, I did not entirely understand the reservation system and we had a few problems in the beginning as it seemed the standard method was for the bride to call and check in with the hotel every few days on whether our block was full and needed to be increased. And of course, the lady who was said to be our contact simply refused to return messages — which was frustrating. About two months from our wedding however, the management staff must have changed and our new contact Jennifer was awesome. She provided timely updates and was always available and almost made me forget about the terrible employee she replaced. When we arrived on site a few days before the wedding, Jennifer was also incredibly helpful and accommodating. In fact, the entire staff was helpful and worked hard to make sure we had everything we needed.
The final fatal flaw was that although the lobby of the hotel seemed updated and clean, the hotel rooms were somewhat dirty and badly in need of an update. If you are looking for price and convenience, this is probably a great hotel to choose. However, if you or your guests are at all fussy — you might want to pay the extra for another place to lay your head…

My friend and I were checked in promptly when we arrived at the Holiday Inn-​Express in Saint Charles. We were able to secure a smoking room, which was a huge plus. The only trouble was our room was located about as far away from the lobby as possible. I believe it was $ 99 for the night. We paid cash, so we had to leave a $ 50 deposit.
The room (263) was cool and immaculate when we entered. Features include:
Alarm clock
Large flatscreen television
Cable
Dresser
Desk
Two chairs – one office, one easy
Ample light
Four pillows per bed
Art on the walls
Free Wi-​Fi
Satisfactory heating/​cooling
Ashtrays
Matches
Garbage cans
The only deficiency was towels in the bathroom. I prefer to have plenty of those. around.
I won’t include pictures because James and I already made a bit of a mess.
Pretty standard hotel, but no details were overlooked.

I stayed here for a wedding recently-​the group room rate was a good deal and it was close to the venue. They also offered a shuttle, which the bride and groom prearranged additional shuttle service for our group.
Overall, the accommodations were as to be expected. I didn’t catch breakfast or check out any of the other amenities.
The staff were friendly with two of us checking in at different times and holding keys. They were also very accommodating during check out and settling the bill (we had two credit cards).

Because of an awesome deal my husband scored via Priceline, we paid much less than the usual one-night’s stay here. However, we also chose to stay here because we’ve stayed at other Holiday Inn Express hotels and knew we would have a certain level of quality.
Service was friendly from the get-​go, offering the signature «homemade cookie» when we walked through the door. And all the amenities seemed to be somewhat recently renovated. There a lot of conveniences that made the stay more enjoyable such as an Exercise Room and a hot breakfast bar.
I would have enjoyed the stay even more if the pool was indoor instead of outdoor, and if the breakfast bar had some healthier options such as whole wheat and low-​cal or reduced fat products, granola and more variety in fruit. Lastly, the biggest upset was the damp floor surrounding our nightstands in our hotel room. We entered the room right at the beginning of check-​in time, so I’m assuming the floor just got cleaned.

I don’t usually do this and I usually hate free breakfast and hotels, but I would recommend this breakfast bar. It was actually pretty decent, biscuits and gravy and fresh warm pancakes made in a nifty contraption

I would hate to pay full price for this place. Our first floor room was damp and dank, and although the hotel was willing to move us the second night, it was a room that should not be rented to guests.
The hotel must be popular with families and kids’ sports teams because of the free breakfast and the pool, because the halls were over-​run with noisy, unsupervised children. I personally would not eat what they served.
If this had not been a Priceline room, we would have changed hotels.

I have stayed at this Holiday Inn countless times before, but I am not sure if management has changed or they just simply don’t care anymore. I spent two weeks here for a horseshow nearby. The lobby is nice and check in was fine. However, you have to try the key cards multiple times before the work. One of the first few nights of our stay, I went to take a shower and when I got out, I realized they had cleaned the room and not left any towels. So I went to call the front desk, only problem the phOne didn’t work. I finally called from my cell phone and my boyfriend went to get towels. The woman at the front desk said to him, «Ugh, I have your girlfriend on the phone.» Almost like I was the pain in the ass for complaining to begin with. Two days later, they didn’t even bother cleaning our room. I complained multiple times and asked to speak to a manager, and no one ever got back to me. Finally after my stay I spoke to the manager who insisted he was unaware of my problems at the hotel. He told me he would call me back, and that was a week ago. In my opinion, this hotel sucks at customer service.

Bottom line upfront, this place is awesome.
I was shopping around for «cheap» hotels in the area since my first impulsive luxury choice, Hotel Baker was booked. I have never stayed at Hotel Baker so can’t compare. After some short time price searching I settled on Holiday Inn solely on the brand. I did not expect more then just a clean safe room.
I got much more. First they have an automatic pancake maker in the very nice breakfast area. Just watching this marvel work made me smile. At the push of a button it makes two pancakes. A nifty readout even tracks their progress down the conveyor to your plate. While I was not fortunate enough to receive the «Siamese twin» pancake another person did.
At ever moment I had a thought about something I needed or was curious they had, it appeared. They have name brand bath items for you if needed. It got to be I felt like if I asked for a boar hair shaving brush they would have produced one instantly.
They also have, which I did not notice at first, as sort of convince food area near the front desk with a microwave. All manner of food, munchies, and treats can be had.
Lastly, they allow dogs. This was huge and I wish I had know, I would have brought mine. They said they had special pet rooms, which I did not stay in, so I cannot comment on their quality.
I recommend this place for any stay in St Charles. It is not far from the downtown, very clean and inviting and reasonably priced. Also seating is easy to come by in the lobby!

H.I.E. in St. Charles has won my business for any hotel stays in the area. I’ve looked all over and stayed all over, and they have the kind of service where you really feel good about staying with them. Being an older property that has had a lot of work done, they don’t try to hide that but they don’t let it limit them either. We’ve really liked the rooms that we’ve seen and they do make our comfort and security priorities. I’m out like a light on those beds. The breakfast has hot and cold items, fresh fruit, and coffee, and it’s all pre-​made so there’s no waiting around forever or getting stuck in a line. The biz center is quiet and adequate. The ascending staircase makes a nice impression as you enter the lobby. There’s a deep dish pizza haven across the street (Gino’s East), movie theatre at Charlestowne Mall, and lots of other great restaurants, food stores, and parks for leisure nearby.

I always promise The Hilton brand that I won’t stray, but once again I did. I’m sort of wishing I hadn’t.
This trip involves business in STC and downtown Chicago. Since we are both cheaper than cheap when it comes to paying to park our car, the burbs won out since we can just take the train in to Chicago. Far less of a headache.
Free parking at the Holiday Inn express.
–Check in was quick. Room keys didn’t work right away.
–Rooms are nice size. King bed, desk, chair and ottoman
— wi fi in room is ridiculously slow, the two computers in the lobby are much faster.
–Bathrooms are a tad boring, but not a biggie. Nice size shower head, conditioner always a plus.
— free breakfast
— cookies at the front desk
I miss having a mini fridge. I like my drinks cold, but not a biggie. I could handle a dip in a pool, but no indoor pool at this one. Again, not a biggie. Just a mention.
Two story hotel. Outdoor pool.
Might stay here again, might not.
Right across from Colonial if in the mood for a kitchen sink. Right beside Gino’s East if in the mood for a carbohydrate coma.

Clean, comfortable, quiet and with a good breakfast.
That’s about all you can ask for in a hotel most days. Stayed two nights with my mom so we had a room with two double beds. The staff was friendly though we didn’t need them for much. I liked the choice of pillow firmness (hey, they say «soft» and «firm»!) and the nice cozy duvet. The bed was solid though not the best bed ever. Ice machine was very nearby.
What else… the shower head was one of those nice rain-​style ones, very soothing. The breakfast choices both mornings included eggs (scrambled, omelet), meat (sausage, bacon), cinnamon rolls (surprisingly tasty), biscuits and gravy, cereal, toast, fruit, yogurt, etc. Coffee was decent.
Other amenities included two internet-​connected computers in the lobby, free wi-​fi and an outdoor pool (hot tub would’ve been nice, but no, no swimming in the pool on a 60-​degree night).
All in all a reasonable rate and a pretty good place to stay. I would recommend it if you’re in the area.

Stayed here this weekend, and it was nice enough. The beds were clean, the bathroom was clean… and it was quiet enough to sleep. The mattress wasn’t a 10 out of 10 but I would give it a strong 7.
The ice machine was a bit hard to locate, as well as our room but once we found the room everything was fine. They have complimentary breakfast here that is actually pretty decent. The biscuits and gravy were better than your average cracker barrel…(totally a surprise). I would stay here again if I found myself in St. Charles…
One beef that you should know: It’s not a block or so away from down town St. Charles… you will be walking for a little longer then Google Maps lead you to believe if you are going out and planning on walking back.