This AirBnB is absolutely incredible and, I cannot say enough how much I recommend staying here when visiting Chicago.
LOCATION
I’d highly recommend flying into Midway as it’s closer to the residence location. After landing at Midway, you can simply take the orange line to Halsted station and either walk the 1 mile from the station to the residence or take the 8 bus a few stops to Halsted/Cullerton and you can cut that walk in half. It was super easy to get there. Since we were in Chicago for a week, and were attending a conference at McCormick Place for the first few days, we were looking for a place that provided easy access and transportation to the conference. This AirBnB did not disappoint! The house is in a perfect location with access to the 21 bus that will drop you right in front of McCormick Place West Building. You won’t have to walk miles in the cold to get to the bus stop either as it’s right on the corner of Carpenter/Cermak. After the conference, of course we wanted to explore Chicago. The house is located in such a perfect location that you can access most if not all “L” train lines with a short bus ride or even walk to Halsted station and take the Orange Line to downtown and transfer there (the Loop). I listed them below for future readers of this review ( subject to change of course from CTA)
21 bus can drop you at Chinatown Station (Red Line)
21 bus can drop you at McCormick Place Station (Green Line)
18 bus can drop you at Roosevelt Station (Basically All trains can be accessed here)
18 bus can drop you at 18th Station (or you can walk there) (Pink Line)
8 bus can drop you at Halsted Station (or you can walk there) (Orange Line)
SAFETY
With regards to safety, we felt safe walking to and from the bus stops during the day and at night including a 4 AM walk to catch the bus for an early flight at Midway. Note that the 18 bus does not run in the evening so If you take the Pink Link to 18th station, you’ll be walking a good bit to get back. I’d recommend sticking to the 8 bus from Halsted or the 21 bus from McCormick Place/Chinatown stations for the least amount of walking to get back. There are side walks and the streets are well lit in the area. The house has a front gate as well along with an electronic code lock. There is a deadbolt as well once inside. Overall, we never felt unsafe and it’s a perfect place in a great area to explore the city.
CHECKIN
This might have ben the easiest check in process of my AirBnB experiences so far. Before our arrival, Bel provided excellent communication of house rules and check in process including electronic lock code details etc. All of the house rules are as expected, and the electronic lock was properly set up.
COMMUNCIATION
As stated above, Bel provided excellent communication and responded extremely quickly. I only contacted prior to check in, prior to checkout, and to confirm both successful checkin/checkout. There was no other communication needed which I think makes Bel an amazing host.
AMENITIES
We usually prefer AirBnB plus for all the included amenities and this AirBnB did not disappoint. All of the details on the listing are 100% accurate. There’s even a patio that’s not pictured. While we didn’t use it due to the temperature, it’s really nice. The WiFi was great and connection details were available in the residence as well as prior to checkin via communication from Bel. It’s always nice to have Netflix access (especially in Chicago when it’s freezing in December). Note that the TV has other apps you can log into but we didn’t use anything but Netflix. We packed with the intention of doing laundry, and there is a full size washer and dryer with included detergent pods as well as an ironing board and iron so that was nice and easy and allowed us to not have to check a bag. There’s 2 luggage racks for unpacking and re-packing and plenty of space to store clothes. There’s also some extra charging cables in case you forget. The bathroom had everything needed as well including makeup removal wipes. The towels are just as good if not better than towels back home or at expensive hotels. There’s plenty of extras if needed as well. Shampoo, conditioner, and body wash are excellent quality as well. The shower is amazing. Rain water shower head was relaxing after a long day of doing things all over the city. The water is nice and soft and there’s plenty of hot water for those freezing winter days/nights.
There’s a full kitchen (stove, microwave, refrigerator etc). There’s big mugs for tea that we used on a daily basis. We were able to keep and reheat leftovers in the fridge. Oh, and there’s a water pitcher already filled in the fridge when you get there. There’s coffee, creamer, and sweetener (we didn’t use but note it’s available). Utensils are nice quality. There’s no dish rack (at least we didn’t see one) but towels are provided to dry everything in the sink once cleaned.
CLEANLINESS
The beds were comfy and everything including towels smelled freshly washed which is great for confidence in the cleanliness and upkeep during these crazy COVID times.
ABOVE AND BEYOND
The last part of my review is how Bel went above and beyond to make our stay memorable. We had an early flight to catch (7:40 AM ) so we left bright and early at 4 AM to catch the bus. On the way there, we realized we left a water bottle and notified Bel to just wash/keep it. Bel responded 3 minutes later and offered to mail it to us and had it shipped 3 hours later. It’s hosts like