This is a wonderfully unique place. It may have a few cracks in the plaster here and there but you can feel the elegance of days gone by. The location is great and the view is spectacular!
Now the practical stuff. I stayed here for 3 nights while in the area for business. Karen met me and gave me the keys while explaining how everything worked. The space is huge! Really, for one person it was almost too large. The bedroom is amply sized, with good closet space. The bed was comfy and I slept well. Despite being in the middle of the city, the space was surprisingly quiet. The living room is the perfect place to listen to the radio or some of the supplied CDs while winding down after a day out on the town. I sat in a chair and looked out the window at the lake and the skyline for almost an hour one evening. The TV room is comfy and the separate dining room is a throwback to a more civilized age. The newly modernized kitchen is small but more than ample for cooking almost anything you would want. I used the oven, stove top and microwave and all worked well. As a previous review noted, the wifi works best in the TV room but I also got good signal in the dining room. Because of the structure of the building, (concrete, steel brick, and plaster) wifi won't work in the bedroom or living room. While parking is on the streets, I never had a problem finding a space, usually just a few yards from the building entrance.
The location is great. you can walk to the lake and easily take a bus to the loop. I drove downtown one day and the commute on south lake shore drive is fast and relatively trouble free. The only disadvantage to this place is that there are not many shops or restaurants in close walking distance. But Hyde Park is a short drive away with many great places to eat. If you are looking for a fully modernized hotel like experience, this may not be the best place for you. If you want to experience a bit of Chicago's history, the luxury of a day gone by, a great view, and a convenient location, with tons of room, check this place out!