Holiday Jones, Chicago, United States of America

This place is really great but there are definitely a few things I wish I had paid closer attention to when booking. We had a private room with a private bathroom but it's really bare bones. Bring everything with you for a stay here: hair dryer, soaps, etc. The toilet paper was tissue-paper thin and pretty rough. You've gotta put the sheets on your bed yourself and it got a little chilly at night but the front desk is manned 24/7 and they'll adjust your temp for you if you need (we realized this too late but the info was definitely given to us upfront). Now, the positives! We really loved this little spot. It's in an INCREDIBLE neighborhood close to amazing food, great bars, and a TON of cool, local shops. The beds were comfy, the room was really cute, and the bathroom was surprisingly spacious. The staff was so kind and lovely. I also really enjoyed having the coffee shop in the lobby for a little morning brew. I'd absolutely stay here again in the future. I was so impressed with the quality for the price and in the future I'd just make sure I brought all my toiletries with me for a more luxe stay :).

My husband and I were in town for the marathon and needed a place to stay that wasn't downtown and $$$$$. We had a cute bed with bunk beds and a locker/dresser to store our things. Sharing a bathroom is doesn't provide the same freedom as having your own - but that said it was well kept and we rarely had to wait for a shower or to use the restroom. We were a little cold the first night, but asked for additional blankets and were comfortable the second night. Staff at the front desk were all very pleasant. Full kitchen in the basement was great!! And empenada restaurant in the front lobby was a fun treat. Overall very good stay.

The hostel is pretty much as advertised — great location, older building, great coffee/empanada shop. The bunk beds in the solo room were fine, but the bedding was a bit scant (just a worn fleece blanket and thin pillow in addition to the flat sheet and fitted sheet). I've stayed at a lot of hostels, so I wasn't expecting anything plush, but the bedding was still underwhelming. The hallway bathrooms were great — clean, spacious (think Starbucks, but with a shower), and reasonably private — but one was under construction starting at 8am on a Saturday, which was less than ideal. Also, be prepared for some stairs: It's a 3-story walk-up, with the common areas (and water, coffee, etc) in the basement.

The location, coffee, empanadas and staff were great. For me, the beds were uncomfortable, the room was too hot (regardless of having the temp turned down) and the noise inside and outside made it difficult to sleep. With that said, I would stay again during cooler weather and for sure bring ear plugs because the price and location were great.