The Holiday Inn Chicago-Elk Grove hotel property was the original host hotel for the annual Chicago Seminars event; but it has since been deflagged and is no longer part of IHG Hotels & Resorts. This article includes my experience of staying at this hotel property this past October, as I was a speaker at the Chicago Seminars event in 2024.
Original Host Hotel For Chicago Seminars Deflagged: Holiday Inn Chicago-Elk Grove. Hotel Review.
Catching the shuttle from the airport was a nightmare. Multiple telephone calls were placed to the hotel property; and they abruptly hung up during one of those calls. After waiting a long time, the shuttle came and we finally arrived at the hotel property.
Members of the staff barely offered ordinary service — when someone was actually at the front desk.
The doorway in the center of the photograph shown above leads to a restaurant called Shelby Campbell’s. It is almost famous, you know.
To the left of the front desk and the expansive lobby area is a hallway with worn carpet that leads to the rooms and a small elevator, which stank of burnt rubber and emitted a loud and unsettling screeching noise every time it was operated. For the Chicago Seminars in 2012, this hallway had desks on both sides for vendors; and I manned one of them as the official speaker and representative of FlyerTalk on behalf of its parent company Internet Brands.
The Bedroom
The bed was reasonably comfortable…
…but the room itself was rather dreary and dated.
In the room was a barely adjustable yet uncomfortable chair on wheels and a small desk with a lamp — as well as a cushioned stationary chair with a small portable table and a floor lamp. The lighting helped little to brighten up this dreary room.
The Keurig machine and the microwave oven seemed to be the only evidence that the year was 2024 and not 1984 — and all that was offered was a couple of packets of some no-name brand of coffee, three “pods” of coffee, and two cups. An empty miniature refrigerator was located inside of the large part of the cabinet.
The entrance to the room shows where the almost full length mirror was located, with the door to the bathroom located adjacent to the mirror and opposite of the closet. Inside of the closet was an ironing board; an iron; an ironing board; a portable luggage rack; and five wooden hangers. No safe was in the room. The climate control unit was located to the left of the window.
The Bathroom
The rather plain and utilitarian bathroom was equipped with a vanity with a sink and a toilet — as well as an ample amount of towels. The few toiletries by Dove that were offered include a couple of bars of soap, a small container of body lotion, and a small container of shampoo. No bulk dispensers for amenities were in this bathroom.
Also available were an adjustable shower head and full bathtub — as well as an ice bucket, plastic cups, an electric hair dryer that was mounted on the wall, and a hook to hang towels or clothes.
Views
As the Holiday Inn Chicago-Elk Grove hotel property is located in mostly industrial area west of the airport, the view from the room of the parking lot, tracks and trailers, and bland buildings was not surprising at all.
Food
Blackened fish tacos — they could also be ordered Baja style — with fresh avocado, Pico de Gallo, cilantro, and pepper aioli were ordered at the aforementioned Shelby Campbell’s. They were brought back to the room. The wait for these forgettable tacos was not worth the greater than 30 minutes before they were finally brought out from the kitchen; and they were overpriced at a cost of $14.99 plus tax and gratuity. They could not even be charged to the room, as members of the staff at the eatery claimed in no uncertain terms that they have no affiliation with the hotel property. I suppose I could not blame them.
Wear and Tear — and Possible Signs of Neglect
Tape was holding something together on the back of the chair in the room. The furniture in the lobby of the hotel property itself was stained and worn.
The door of the entrance to the room has definitely seen better days…
…as has the door to the bathroom…
…which seems to have been reduced to mere fuzzy worn cardboard — perhaps due to the bathroom being flooded?
Hair was found in multiple places in the bathroom — and it was not my hair.
While I was sitting in the lobby area of the hotel property, I looked up and saw what appeared to be a random amalgam of wires and cords plugged into electrical outlets — and into each other as well via extension cords. I cannot believe this is not a potential fire hazard and that this would be allowed to pass an official inspection.
Whole panes of shattered glass were in the swimming pool area — which reeked so much of chlorine that the strong odor permeated into the lobby. One of those panes is in the background to the left of the white life preserver.
Final Boarding Call
My stay at this hotel property was fairly comfortable; but the entire property was dated — as if nothing had been renovated since the 1980s —and in dire need of renovation. Members of the staff were somewhat accommodating at best. I would not have recommended staying at this hotel property when in Chicago unless it offered a rate that was unbeatable — and even then, I would hesitate, as numerous better options for lodging are available. After my lackluster experience with the fish tacos, I did not partake in breakfast or any other food item during my stay.
The total cost for the room for two nights was $304.44 in United States dollars, including all taxes and fees. I thought that was overpriced and a poor value for what I received.
I am not sure if what is now formerly known as the Holiday Inn Chicago-Elk Grove is closed or operating under a different name; but the Internet web site via the link below is still active and reservations can apparently still be booked at the time this article was written.
This hotel property is located 6.5 miles from Chicago O’Hare International Airport and offers complimentary shuttle service to and from the airport between the hours of 5:00 in the morning and midnight every hour on the hour — but the aforementioned service was not completely reliable in terms of scheduling.
Holiday Inn Chicago-Elk Grove
1000 Busse Road
Elk Grove Village, Illinois 60007
United States
1-847-437-6010
Free parking is available on site.
All photographs ©2024 by Brian Cohen.
