Upon our arrival to the Chicago Getaway Hostel, in the relaxed and trendy Lincoln Park area of Chicago, we were tired and grubby after a 16 hour delay and lack of sleep.
After taking a relatively smooth journey by train (CTA), we arrived at the brightly coloured steps to be greeted by a warm and welcoming face on reception.
We explained that our airline had cancelled our connecting flight and that we had called to let the hostel know that we wouldn't make our first nights stay. This wasn't an issue for us. Our private room was still reserved and we weren't charged for the first night.
As if this wasn't music to our ears enough, we were then told by the friendly girl on reception that we were able to check into our room early due to our circumstances. Straight away, this made our first impressions of Chicago an extremely positive one.
Rooms:
For £28 a night each we booked a private dorm room, which consists of a double bed bunk bed with single bed on top. Also included was fresh linens, AC, a desk, mirror and closet all in a spacious room.
Bathroom:
The bathroom is a shared one, but was cleaned twice a day and ha modern furnishings with secure shower cubicles.
Kitchen:
The kitchen space is kitted out with everything you need from modern cookers to giant fridges and freezers. You can store your food in individual storage containers an labels are provided to write your name and check out date on. Like the bathrooms, the kitchens are kept continuously clean through out the day by the friendly staff and guests.
Activities & Freebies:
First of all the free breakfast is brilliant! Fresh coffee and tea served with a choice of cereals, oatmeal, croissants, bagels, toasts, jams etc etc. Served from 7:30 to 9:30 it's a great way to start your day.
There is also an activity board of discounted or free weekly events that get changed each week such as bar crawls, trips to the Zoo and live music events. When we arrived on the Sunday, we enjoyed a yummy free BBQ that was put on by the hostel at no extra cost. There was plenty of food for everyone, as people sat out in the patio area enjoying burgers, beers (these weren't free hehe) and each others company. We were all stuffed at the end and there was even some food left over.
Community Area:
A lot of people gather here as this is the only wifi zone in the hotel, which isn't a bad thing as we are after all here to enjoy Chicago and not the latest Facebook update. But other than free wifi, in here you will find lots of little hideaways such as a giant flat screen TV and comfy modern leather couches. Whereas in the main dining section, just off the kitchen you can enjoy free pool and foozeball tables.
Location:
Chicago Getaway Hostel is located in the safe and fashionable Lincoln Park neighborhood. Here you will find bars, restaurants an grocery stores, as well as the beautiful park and free zoo to which is a 10-15 walk away.
If you want to get to downtown Chicago, it is no longer than a 10-15 minute train journey from the Fullerton train stop and the famous Wrigley Field Baseball Stadium is two stops up from the Fullerton train stop (red line) at Addlington station.
Overall, this hostel is modern, very clean and the staff are SO friendly and helpful. Offering discounts on attractions and advice of the local area, they are on call 24 hours a day. If you're looking for a nice place to stay in Chicago, I highly recommend it.
To make a booking visit http://www.getawayhostel.com.
