The Willows

United States , Chicago - IL
CHICAGO, 555 W Surf St
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100 reviews shown

10/10

Exceptional

10 Mar 2026

Michael

Kind staff and very cleans rooms.

Friends

10/10

Exceptional

08 Mar 2026

Rose

Friendly Staff, Great location!

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

06 Mar 2026

Tonia

I was surprised to see how close the bed was to the door. The room above ours was pretty noisy, it sounded like a herd of elephants stampeding around the room at different times in the night. It could definitely used some updating. The trim paint was peeling off in our bathroom. I asked at check in if I could have a late check out for Noon and the guy at the desk said that would be no problem. I received a rude call at 11:10 telling me checkout was supposed to be at 11:00am. I told her the desk last night said I could check out late and she said there were no notes of it but she did say ok, but then I felt rushed to get out of there.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

05 Mar 2026

Donna

The room was very clean and staff were helpful and polite. The only negative was the clanking sounds brought on by the radiator which were quite loud and obnoxious. Overall a good place to stay.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

26 Feb 2026

Emre

Room was spotless, nice and cozy.

8/10

Excellent

24 Feb 2026

helen

Such a cute and convenient spot. We enjoyed the large room and the neighborhood. Quirky decor in an historic building.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

22 Feb 2026

Sally

Clean room and staff

Family

10/10

Exceptional

12 Feb 2026

Charmaine

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

09 Feb 2026

Christine

Room was spotless ,

10/10

Exceptional

08 Feb 2026

Sheila

Clean. Friendly staff. Great location

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

06 Feb 2026

Leslie

Great location, clean room and welcoming hotel. Front desk staff was great and having snacks and mini bar in room for reasonable prices was awesome. We will definitely stay again.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

03 Feb 2026

Darele

When I arrived there was no heat, but the front desk person was gracious and upgraded me to a nicer room with heat.

Also, there is a misunderstanding about parking on the Expedia site. It is not near and not provided. It is a half a block walk in the dark, in the cold, with an extra charge.

The hotel itself is nice, but this is a 4 star rating due to the issues mentioned.

2/10

Poor

01 Feb 2026

Dominick

Very cold. Heating system didn’t work. Needed to bring in portable heaters. Bathroom was freezing.

They said they couldn’t move my room so I was stuck in the cold room.

Place was old and run down.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

01 Feb 2026

Nichole

Staff was friendly, room was spacious and clean. Location is close to a parking garage and a lot of good restaurants

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

01 Feb 2026

Daniela

Yes. It was great. Clean room, helpful staff.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

11 Jan 2026

Karen

Great stay!

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

07 Jan 2026

Margaret

Clean room, great location, liked the mini bar and snacks in room

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

01 Jan 2026

Maria

Clean room. Very cozy and quaint lobby area. The staff were very accommodating and friendly. It was in a perfect location, within walking distance to everything we needed.

8/10

Excellent

01 Jan 2026

Katie

Staff was very nice and room was clean

10/10

Exceptional

24 Dec 2025

Kathy

A charming older hotel.

Leisure

2/10

Poor

21 Dec 2025

Thomas

Dear Management Team at The Willows Hotel,

I am writing to formally complain about my recent stay at The Willows Hotel, which was extremely disappointing due to both front desk staff behavior and unacceptable room conditions.

Upon arrival, the front desk staff member was immediately rude and unprofessional. She answered a phone call while checking us in and left me standing there for an extended period without acknowledgment. When we politely asked whether a top-floor room was available, she responded that nothing was available because we had booked what she described as “the cheapest and smallest room.” The implication and tone were unnecessary and condescending.

During check-in, I briefly stepped away while my wife remained at the desk. When I returned, I asked my wife whether she had received the room we requested. At that point, the front desk staff member interjected and told me, “You need to be patient.” This comment was entirely uncalled for, as I was not speaking to her, nor was there any impatience on my part. The entire check-in process was miserable, and despite the attitude we received, we were still not given a top-floor room because, as we were told again, we “get what we get” since we booked the cheapest room.

Once we reached our room, it was extremely cold. We contacted the front desk and were told to turn the knob on the radiator and that the heat would come on. We did this correctly on both radiators, yet the room remained freezing. We were then forced t

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

13 Dec 2025

Lauren

Such a lovely location, proximity to parking and restaurants and cozy lobby.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

11 Dec 2025

Michelle

Staff was extremely helpful and pleasant.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

08 Dec 2025

Dawn

It was quiet! We enjoyed seeing a familiar face at the Desk throughout the weekend! It seemed as if one young lady was always there.
Staff was very Courteous!
Rooms and lobby were very clean.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

06 Dec 2025

Drew

Staff was nice and a great location

Business

8/10

Excellent

03 Dec 2025

Geralyn

Room was clean and service was good. Good restaurants close by. Coffee machine in lobby could have been updated. M&M ‘s in room were old

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

28 Nov 2025

Kimberly

Clean room. Very small, older, but cozy. Location was amazing. Actually the location was the best part. Lots of restaurants , shops… Very charming hotel with character. Kind of higher priced but definitely would stay here again. Friendly staff as well!

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

20 Nov 2025

Brian

Perfect location. Love the neighborhood

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

15 Nov 2025

deniza

No we had heating issues

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

15 Nov 2025

Elizabeth

The room was a great size and very clean. The downstairs is gorgeous as well, and it feels like a very safe hotel with the double locks! We had a very nice stay here.

Leisure Friends

4/10

Poor

12 Nov 2025

Sharon

I understand The Willlows is an old building, but the room was too small and not very clean. Also, the front desk person at check out provided poor customer service.

6/10

Pleasant

09 Nov 2025

Karen

They made sure I initialed the section where you agree to not smoke in 3 different places. Went to my room and it literally reeked of smoke. I went back downstairs to be told they had no other queen rooms and I would have to upgrade for a king size which was extra $10 a night so I did even after being told it was difficult to do so. In general the place was very clean. But if you’re looking for a true boutique hotel this is not it! Bathrooms are old and need serious updating, pink tile! Carpets are also old. But I will say the bed was extremely comfortable and I had a good sleep.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

05 Nov 2025

Misty

Good price and very nice lobby. Rooms clean. Very small. Very old but ok for a couple nights.

Business Self

4/10

Poor

03 Nov 2025

Brent

The front desk staff were cool and not helpful when we asked about where parking was available. When I went to call the front desk because there was no shampoo, I found the phone unplugged with no cord to plug it in, so I had to go to the desk. The water in the shower was like warm. The whole property is tired.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

03 Nov 2025

Suadi

Very clean, staff was super nice and the beds are big and comfy. The water pressure of the shower is literally perfect as well. I will definitely come back here in the future if I'm ever in Chicago.

10/10

Exceptional

31 Oct 2025

Greg

Very nice stay.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

27 Oct 2025

Kenneth

Awesome in all areas,,,ESPECIALLY in office staff.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

24 Oct 2025

Chloe

The hotel is a bit older, but the room was very nice and clean! In the BEST location. It was very convenient to walk around -- many food places and stores (CVS, target).

Business Self

6/10

Pleasant

20 Oct 2025

Michael

Not enough to do within walking distance

Business_and_leisure

10/10

Exceptional

20 Oct 2025

Kelton

Center of many thing to do & parking was convenient

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

18 Oct 2025

Jerry

About the only thing we liked about this hotel was the location for a race at Montrose Harbor park. Definitely dated but the room was clean. Horrible motion activated fluorescent light in the bathroom that came on along with a very loud fan whenever you walked in or by the bathroom. Not great for a middle of the night visit. No coffee maker in the room. Lukewarm coffee in the lobby. A lot of bangs and creaks. Really crappy pillows and a super thick comforter on the bed. Woke up drenched. Shower water pressure very low in one of our two rooms. Parking not bad in a Park Chicago garage a 3 minute walk away.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

16 Oct 2025

Yesenia

Our stay at Millow Hotel was very good overall. The lady at the front desk was extremely kind and helpful — she went out of her way to help us find a taxi at 3 a.m. when my Uber app wasn’t working and we needed to get to the airport. Honestly, we don’t know what we would have done without her!
The room was comfortable and the experience was nice. As an architect, I noticed a few small finishing details in the bathroom that could be improved, but other than that, everything was great.

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

14 Oct 2025

John

The hotel was nice. The parking was safe and just across the street and very easy to navigate. There were plenty of eating options in the surrounding areas.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

14 Oct 2025

John

We stay there when in Chicago for Cubs games. Great neighborhood, good access to running area, and easy walk to Wrigley Field.

Leisure Family

4/10

Poor

13 Oct 2025

Gia

Facilities were dark, worn and dingy with builder grade furniture. No decor or amenities. Motel-like atmosphere for an average of $600/night.

Area was walkable and staff were nice.

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

11 Oct 2025

Justin

Stayed here multiple times. Great neighborhood.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

11 Oct 2025

Patricia

Small quaint hotel in nice area with shops and restaurants.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

10 Oct 2025

Lane

Great place

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

09 Oct 2025

Ann

We found our new Hotel while in Chicago. Front desk attendant very helpful and friendly. Quiet, clean and very charming.

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

09 Oct 2025

Anthony William

Staff is great, building is old and tired and could use updating. Location is ideal in the Lakeview East neighborhood.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

07 Oct 2025

Joel

Everything was great, good nearby parking, easy check in, no issues, very safe area

Friends_and_family Friends

6/10

Pleasant

06 Oct 2025

Robert

Very safe

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

06 Oct 2025

Raiman

This is an old hotel building. While it has been renovated somewhat, it is not the same as modern hotels. The rooms are small and feel crowded with furniture. The bathroom fixtures are old. The room was fairly clean. The lobby was dusty. The tea and coffee available in the lobby was awful (just go out into the neighborhood, there are lots of options). There is the usual mix of overpriced mini-bar snacks in the room. The staff is disinterested. When I arrived for check-in there was no one at the front desk. Waited 7 minutes for someone to appear. The bed was comfortable and it was mostly quiet at night. You get what you pay for. If you are looking for luxury, it ain’t this place. If you don’t mind the small rooms and just need a safe place to sleep, it might work for you.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

06 Oct 2025

Lloyd

A hidden gem. Great location, great place to stay!

Self

8/10

Excellent

04 Oct 2025

Walter D

good

6/10

Pleasant

03 Oct 2025

Laice

Property itself was quaint, but staff was not as warm or welcoming.

10/10

Exceptional

03 Oct 2025

Nikhil

Clean room | Staff | Shops nearby

8/10

Excellent

02 Oct 2025

Lynn

Good, solid, basic accommodation. No frills, no breakfast, room cleaned only on request. Pleasant, walkable neighbourhood close to bus lines. A decent choice if you want to be in North Eastern Chicago.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

01 Oct 2025

thomas

+
You cannot beat this location. Tucked into a gorgeous neighborhood & easy walk to Wrigley field.
Staff feels like a friend. Seriously.
Always felt very safe.
-
It feels like a well worn home. Not dirty but not quite clean? Not modern at all if you’re into that. No breakfast. No coffee pot in the room.

We will definitely stay again based on staff & location

Partner

4/10

Poor

29 Sep 2025

Rick

I was quite disappointed with the room. It was closer to being a closet. There was very little space to put anything out for use and the bathroom was super small also. No parking was available at the hotel. In fact I can't say there were any amenities at all. On my way to Chicago, I stayed at another hotel that provided parking, pool, workout room, continental breakfast and a free beer coupon. Also the room was at least twice the size of the one at the Willows. And all that for 1/3 the price of the Willows. I see no reason to want to return.

Self

8/10

Excellent

28 Sep 2025

Lori

Quiet and safe neighborhood.

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

27 Sep 2025

Qin

Rooms can be cleaner.

Leisure Family_with_children

4/10

Poor

26 Sep 2025

James

The bed was horrible - sheets and mattress cover did not fit- too small! Bed was queen sheets and mattress cover appeared to be a full size. Mattress and pillows old and lumpy. You will wake up with back issues. Hallway and room rugs dirty. Desk clerks didn’t look up or acknowledge when we arrived or departed for day ( except today when we checked out at 6 am on 9/25.) 4 nites booked - really wanted to leave after 1 but we prepaid. Bathroom absolutely no place to hang clothes or put toiletries. We love the location but …Did I mention they have coffee in lobby - but it was put out at different times - one day 6:30 another day 6…

Leisure Partner

2/10

Poor

24 Sep 2025

Chandrea

This was my first time visiting Chicago, and unfortunately, my stay at The Willows Hotel was a horrible experience. When I arrived to check in, the man at the front desk didn’t even greet me. He never introduced himself, didn’t offer any information about where my room was located, and overall made me feel completely unwelcome. First impressions matter, and this one set the tone for the rest of my stay.
The only positive note came at checkout. The gentleman working the desk that morning (a white male, unfortunately I don’t remember his name) was polite, helpful, and professional. If I had been greeted by him when I first arrived, my experience could have been completely different.
Sadly, because of the lack of hospitality at check-in, I will never stay at this hotel again. Chicago is a great city, but The Willows Hotel was not the right choice for me.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

21 Sep 2025

Stephen

Nice room. Great location.

10/10

Exceptional

17 Sep 2025

Peter

Room was nicely sized and very clean. Staff was attentive and friendly. Check in and out was simple. Would stay again.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

16 Sep 2025

Jacqueline

Clean room and walkable location with many options of food, shops and coffee shops.
This hotel is old so the toilet is not in the best shape, need to hold the flushing for 5 minutes but still toilet papers not going down so you will need to stand there and wait for the tank to refill water and flush again! Air conditioning is an older model so not much options to adjust the temperature…. It’s either low or high

No parking unless you prepaid for overnight parking which is very close to the hotel

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

16 Sep 2025

Robert

staff was welcoming and accommodating.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

15 Sep 2025

Marie

Beautiful!

Beautiful hotel in the middle of a residential neighborhood. Vintage charm. Very safe neighborhood. We will be back!

Friends_and_family Family

6/10

Pleasant

10 Sep 2025

Bret

I would not recommend this hotel.

10/10

Exceptional

09 Sep 2025

Lisa M

It was clean and quiet.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

08 Sep 2025

Robert

Nice Stay!

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

02 Sep 2025

Kimberly

My stay in Lakeview East

Hotel located in a wonderful area with lots of restaurants from which to choose. Immediate area is easily walkable

Friends_and_family Family

6/10

Pleasant

02 Sep 2025

Jamie

Neighborhood had unique buildings

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

01 Sep 2025

Susan

The hotel was very comfortable - especially liked the robes!

6/10

Pleasant

01 Sep 2025

Verified traveler

Room was tiny

Front desk guy appeared to care less about his job. It showed upon check in.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

28 Aug 2025

Mike

The Willows delivers on expectations

The Willows met my expectations, based on previous reviews that I looked at. Its an older boutique hotel, so expect some smaller rooms and bathrooms. Overall the room was clean and comfortable, and the air conditioner worked just fine. Overall a good option in the Lake View area if you're not looking for luxury.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

28 Aug 2025

CAROLYN

Hidden Gem

This Hotel was cute and comfortable. I love that it si right in a great neighborhood, in Lincoln Park. Love Front night clerk, he was super cool. The room was nice and cool for

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

26 Aug 2025

Abby

Some staff was friendly and helpful. Limited amenities. Quaint and convenient to where we need to be when visiting!

10/10

Exceptional

24 Aug 2025

Eric

Friendly staff and very clean rooms.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

21 Aug 2025

Susan

Great location and clean

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

20 Aug 2025

blanca

The room looked nothing like the photos.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

20 Aug 2025

Michelle

Quirky small hotel in a great neighborhood of Chicago. Perfect to walk to Cubs game.

Business_and_leisure Friends

6/10

Pleasant

20 Aug 2025

Verified traveler

The hotel itself was okay, the front desk service upon check-in was very uncomfortable

Partner

4/10

Poor

19 Aug 2025

Mary

Staff at front desk was rude repeatedly.No coffee pot in room. Steps inside the desk area so unable to take luggage cart to car outside. We’re elderly and it was very difficult. No assistance. On ice disperser for 4 floors of rooms. Disappointing. We will not stay here again!

10/10

Exceptional

19 Aug 2025

Verified traveler

Clean, Comfortable, and Charming

We were only there for one night, but it was so clean and comfortable for our stay. It was the perfect size for the two of us and all our needs were provided for. The only thing I wished we had was a chain lock or another additional lock on the door for safety purposes.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

17 Aug 2025

Carl

Urban Santcuary

Reasonable neighborhood hotel with a long history. Clean quiet, and accessible to many neighborhood venues, as well as easy walk to Lincoln Park.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

16 Aug 2025

April

There was a super sweet receptionist when we arrived (evening of 8/14) who assisted us with dining suggestions around the area & answered all of our questions (he was friendly and professional). This is how most of there staff was except for one woman who snapped at my friend for asking for extra towels (on the night of 8/15) maybe she was just having a bad day but she was not very helpful or hospitable (and actually came off as quite rude). Overall it was a clean and comfortable place to stay despite the interiors being a bit dated. I just wish they would update the bathrooms a bit and add some counter space or shelves to it for placing items. Otherwise, I would probably stay here again as the location was pretty neat!

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

15 Aug 2025

Verified traveler

Willows stay

Love staying at the Willows. Location is great. Lobby is very welcoming

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

09 Aug 2025

Katherine

Worked out great

4/10

Poor

06 Aug 2025

Risa

Pitiful stay

The hotel rooms were old and very small bathrooms. No room at all in the bathroom to turn around. Every time we get back to the hotel never any water. The evening guy had zero customer service and no attention to detail. The rooms were musty ! Great location poor quality and not even close to a updated hotel.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

06 Aug 2025

Thera

Check in was great. The lobby was super cute. This is a very old building. There have been updates but the bathrooms are still dated. Walking in your room was muggy and stale. We turned up the window unit. When we got back it was better but still not great. The location was amazing. Lots of great restaurants in walkable distance. For the price I thought it was a good value.

Friends_and_family Friends

8/10

Excellent

05 Aug 2025

Barbara

Air conditioner ver noisy- kept cutting out then restarting

Business_and_leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

31 Jul 2025

Omar

Excellent

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

27 Jul 2025

Clinton

Would definitely stay here again if coming to Chicago but not staying downtown. Close to Lake Michigan and plenty of dining options.

Area around hotel was quiet and safe.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

27 Jul 2025

Bianca

Loved it! Close to wrigley!

4/10

Poor

25 Jul 2025

RON

The age of this facility and what you receive was way below the value of $600/night that I paid. I was actually really shocked, but had limited options to find a place to stay in that area. I will not stay at this property again unless it is more like $150 per night. It is a dated facility, cold coffee and a bit musty because of the old carpet.

6/10

Pleasant

25 Jul 2025

Carrie

It was really hot outside and our room was not very cool so we were uncomfortable. Besides that it was a nice stay.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

23 Jul 2025

Ashley

We loved this historic hotel. The staff was fantastic. It was clean. They had robes and a full and pretty reasonably-priced minibar and snack selection in the room. Our only issue was that the bathroom light was on a motion sensor that was set on a timer for about 3 minutes, so the lights kept going out when we were showering. Walkable to Wrigley. Great neighborhood. We felt safe. We would stay here again!

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

22 Jul 2025

Carlos Alberto

The stay was very good.

The stay was very good.
The hotel is well-maintained and the staff is very attentive.
I would stay at The Willows Hotel again.
Note: I am waiting a refund of the USD 100.00 deposit paid at check-in.

Friends_and_family Family