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Congress Plaza Hotel

Property class: 3.5

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Photo gallery for Congress Plaza Hotel

A spacious lobby with a central sofa, multiple seating areas, and a decorative ceiling. - Congress Plaza Hotel (Chicago)
A spacious bar area with a central bar, multiple seating options including bar stools and tables, and a well-lit ceiling with recessed lighting. - Congress Plaza Hotel (Chicago)
A cityscape with various buildings, including a prominent skyscraper and a classical building with arched windows. - Congress Plaza Hotel (Chicago)
A grand ballroom with ornate ceiling decorations, multiple chandeliers, and a central table with a white tablecloth. - Congress Plaza Hotel (Chicago)
Outdoor seating with yellow umbrellas labeled "Twisted Tea," wicker chairs, and tables. - Congress Plaza Hotel (Chicago)
Located close to Auditorium Building and Theatre and Columbia College Chicago, Congress Plaza Hotel provides shopping on site, a coffee shop/cafe, and a hair salon. Be sure to enjoy a meal at the two on-site restaurants. Stay connected with free WiFi in public areas, and guests can find other amenities such as dry cleaning/laundry services and 2 bars.

Reviews

8.0 out of 10
Very good

Popular amenities

  • Air conditioning
  • Gym
  • Breakfast available
  • Parking available
  • Business services

Room options

Available filters for rooms
Showing 12 of 12 rooms

View all photos for Standard Room, 1 King Bed, Lake View

A hotel room with a bed, a desk, a chair, a window with curtains, and a view of the outdoors.

Standard Room, 1 King Bed, Lake View

8.4 out of 10
Very good
(268 reviews)
  • Lake view
  • 23 sq m
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 King Bed
  • Free wired internet

View all photos for Queen Room

A hotel room with a bed, a desk with a lamp, a chair, and large windows with curtains.

Queen Room

  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed
  • Free wired internet

View all photos for Standard Suite, 1 King Bed, Lake View, Lakeside

A modern living room with a flat-screen TV, two sofas, a coffee table, and a TV stand.

Standard Suite, 1 King Bed, Lake View, Lakeside

8.6 out of 10
Excellent
(24 reviews)
  • Lake view
  • 50 sq m
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 King Bed
  • Free wired internet

View all photos for Family Suite

Hypo-allergenic bedding available, in-room safe, desk, laptop workspace

Family Suite

  • Sleeps 6
  • 2 Double Beds and 1 King Bed
  • Free WiFi

View all photos for Standard Room, 1 King Bed

A bedroom with a bed, nightstands, a painting, and a patterned rug.

Standard Room, 1 King Bed

7.8 out of 10
Good
(615 reviews)
  • 26 sq m
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 King Bed
  • Free wired internet

View all photos for Standard Room, 2 Double Beds

A bedroom with two beds, a nightstand, a lamp, and a view of the city through a window.

Standard Room, 2 Double Beds

7.8 out of 10
Good
(537 reviews)
  • 22 sq m
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Double Beds
  • Free wired internet

View all photos for Standard Room, 2 Double Beds, Lake View

A hotel room with two beds, each with a blue quilted bedspread and matching pillows. There is a bedside table with a lamp between the beds.

Standard Room, 2 Double Beds, Lake View

8.0 out of 10
Very good
(143 reviews)
  • Lake view
  • 23 sq m
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Double Beds
  • Free wired internet

View all photos for Family Suite

A hotel room with two beds, a desk, a chair, and a window with curtains.

Family Suite

8.0 out of 10
Very good
(85 reviews)
  • 50 sq m
  • Sleeps 6
  • 1 King Bed and 2 Double Beds
  • Free wired internet

View all photos for Accessible Standard Room, 2 Double Beds

A modern hotel room with two beds, a round dining table, and a small seating area.

Accessible Standard Room, 2 Double Beds

7.8 out of 10
Good
(65 reviews)
  • 23 sq m
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Double Beds
  • Free wired internet

View all photos for Queen Room, Interior View

A hotel room with a bed, two bedside tables, a desk, a chair, and a window with curtains.

Queen Room, Interior View

  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed
  • Free wired internet

View all photos for Queen Room, Interior View

A modern bedroom with a city view, a large bed with blue bedding, a desk with a computer, and a flat-screen TV.

Queen Room, Interior View

8.0 out of 10
Very good
(182 reviews)
  • 18 sq m
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 Queen Bed
  • Free wired internet

View all photos for Junior Suite, City View

A modern bedroom with a large bed, two bedside tables, a window with curtains, a radiator, and a view of a building.

Junior Suite, City View

  • City view
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed
  • Free wired internet

About the neighborhood

Near a metro station, Congress Plaza Hotel is in Downtown Chicago, a walkable area in Chicago with good shopping. Auditorium Building and Theatre and Museum of Contemporary Photography are cultural highlights, and some of the area's notable landmarks include Fine Arts Building and Mergenthaler Lofts. Columbia College Chicago and Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies are two other places to visit that come recommended. Looking to get your feet wet? Windsurfing and sailing adventures can be found near the property. Guests love the hotel's central location for the sightseeing. It's also convenient to public transportation: Harrison Station is 5 minutes by foot and Harold Washington Library Station is 6 minutes. Visit our Chicago travel guide
Map
520 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60605

What's nearby

  • A park with walking paths, trees, and benches. In the background, there are tall buildings, including a prominent skyscraper.
    Grant Park
    1 min walk - 0.1 miles
  • A city skyline with illuminated skyscrapers and a fountain with water jets.
    Buckingham Fountain
    6 min walk - 0.4 miles
  • A cityscape with modern skyscrapers and the Cloud Gate sculpture.
    Millennium Park
    9 min walk - 0.5 miles
  • Auditorium Building and Theatre
    2 min walk - 0.1 miles
  • Columbia College Chicago
    2 min walk - 0.1 miles

Getting around

  • Chicago Van Buren Street Station
    2 min walk
  • Harrison Station
    5 min walk
  • Chicago O'Hare Intl. Airport (ORD)
    37 min drive

Restaurants

  • Jimmy's Gyros & Grill
    8 min walk
  • Epic Burger
    4 min walk
  • The Berghoff Restaurant
    9 min walk
  • Brando's Speakeasy
    7 min walk
  • Lockwood Restaurant & Bar
    9 min walk

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Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free wired internet
  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi and wired internet

Parking and transportation

  • Uncovered self parking on site (USD 62 per night)

Food and drink

  • Weekend full breakfast available 6:30 AM to 11:00 AM for a fee: USD 16 to 23 for adults and USD 12 to 18 for children
  • 2 bars/lounges
  • 2 restaurants
  • A coffee shop/cafe

Restaurants on site

  • Tavern Tap
  • Tavern Tap

Things to do

  • Bicycle storage
  • Gym
  • Shopping

Family friendly

  • In-room refrigerator

Conveniences

  • 24-hour front desk
  • ATM
  • Gift shop/newsstand
  • Guidebooks
  • Hair salon
  • Luggage storage
  • Safe at front desk
  • Vending machine

Guest services

  • Change of bedsheets (on request)
  • Change of towels on request
  • Concierge services
  • Dry cleaning/laundry service
  • Housekeeping (daily)
  • Multilingual staff
  • Porter/bellhop
  • Wedding services

Business services

  • 50,000 square feet of conference space
  • Business center
  • Meeting rooms

Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • Assistive listening devices
  • Elevator
  • Hand-held showerhead
  • Smooth flooring in room
  • Wheelchair accessible (may have limitations)
  • Wheelchair-accessible business center
  • Wheelchair-accessible gym
  • Wheelchair-accessible lounge
  • Wheelchair-accessible path of travel
  • Wheelchair-accessible public washroom
  • Wheelchair-accessible registration desk
  • Wheelchair-accessible restaurant

More

  • 14 floors
  • 3 buildings
  • Banquet hall
  • Built in 1893
  • Smoking not allowed
  • Some LED lighting used

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Bedsheets provided
  • Blackout drapes
  • Hypo-allergenic bedding

Bathroom

  • Deep soaking bathtub
  • Free toiletries
  • Hair dryer
  • Private bathroom
  • Shower/bathtub combination
  • Towels provided

Entertainment

  • TV with premium cable channels

Food and drink

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Limited room service
  • Refrigerator
  • Restaurant dining guides

More

  • Air conditioning
  • Desk
  • Eco-friendly toiletries
  • Heating
  • Iron/ironing board
  • Laptop workspace
  • LED lighting
  • Phone
  • Recycling
  • Safe
  • Separate sitting area

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 3:00 PM; Check-in end time: anytime
Early check-in subject to availability
Early check-in fee: USD 49.00
Minimum check-in age: 18

Check-out

Check-out before noon
Late check-out subject to availability
Late check-out fee: USD 59.00
Express check-out available

Special check-in instructions

Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival at the property
Information provided by the property may be translated using automated translation tools

Access methods

Staffed front desk

Pets

Pets not allowed (service animals are welcome, and are exempt from fees)

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome
Rollaway/extra beds are available for USD 25.0 per day

Property payment types

Important information

Fees

You'll be asked to pay the following charges at the property. Fees may include applicable taxes:

  • Deposit: USD 25.00 per night

We have included all charges provided to us by the property.

Optional extras

  • Fee for full breakfast: approximately USD 16 to 23 for adults, and USD 12 to 18 for children
  • Uncovered self parking fee: USD 62.00 per night
  • Early check-in fee: USD 49.00 (subject to availability)
  • Late check-out fee: USD 59.00 (subject to availability)
  • Rollaway bed fee: USD 25.0 per day

The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
The name on the credit card used at check-in to pay for incidentals must be the primary name on the guestroom reservation
This property accepts credit cards, debit cards, and cash
Safety features at this property include a carbon monoxide detector, a fire extinguisher, a smoke detector, a security system, a first aid kit, and window guards
Please note that cultural norms and guest policies may differ by country and by property; the policies listed are provided by the property
This property provides central air conditioning in summer and central heating in the winter. In-room climate control is not available.

We should mention

Only registered guests are allowed in the guestrooms

Frequently asked questions

Is Congress Plaza Hotel pet-friendly?

No, only service animals are welcome at the property.

How much is parking?

Self parking is available for USD 62.00 per night.

What time is check-in at Congress Plaza Hotel?

Check-in start time: 3:00 PM; Check-in end time: anytime. Early check-in is available for a fee of USD 49.00 (subject to availability).

What time is check-out at Congress Plaza Hotel?

Check-out is at noon. Late check-out is available for USD 59.00 (subject to availability).

Where is Congress Plaza Hotel located?

Located in Downtown Chicago, this hotel is steps from Columbia College Chicago, Museum of Contemporary Photography, and Auditorium Building and Theatre. Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies and Fine Arts Building are just steps away. Harrison Station and Chicago Van Buren Street Station are within a 5-minute walk.

Can I cancel my reservation for free and receive a full refund?

Yes, this property offers free cancellation on select room rates, because flexibility matters! Please refer to the property cancellation policy on our site for more details about any exclusions or requirements.

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Reviews

Congress Plaza Hotel Reviews

8.0

Very Good

8.2

Cleanliness

7.4

Amenities

8.4

Staff & service

7.2

Property conditions & facilities
Rating 10 - Excellent. 4604 out of 10314 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 2658 out of 10314 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 1632 out of 10314 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 763 out of 10314 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 657 out of 10314 reviews

Reviews

Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Christina

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Perfect location loved our stay!
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2026
Verified review

6/10 Okay

Carter

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Amenities
Great location
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2026
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Kelly

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Can't beat this location in Chicago, close to everything, Michigan Ave, Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, Planetarium, and on several bus and train routes to go to the Navy Pier or Museum of Science and Industry.
Stayed 5 nights in Jun 2026
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

ILYA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Unique historic hotel downtown Chicago close to everything. Gorgeous lake and Grand Park fountain views from the window
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2026
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Graciela

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great location and very helpful staff. Thank you for the wonderful memories.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2026
Verified review

8/10 Good

Danielle

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great location, hotel staff were friendly and helpful. Only complaint is the noise. I slept with earplugs in.
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2026
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Priscilla

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This is our 2nd time staying here, our 1st was for a wedding held there last year. It was great & we stayed in a renovated room. Amazing & we will be back. Rooms were spacious, very clean, & amazing room. We decided to splurge & upgrade to a lakeside view. Check in was easy, great area, & love that they can hold baggage as well after you check out. Lastly great sleep! Bed was very comfy & pillows were amazing. Until next time
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2026
Verified review

8/10 Good

Edwin

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Convenient location at walking distance to main attractions in downtown. Small but clean room. Hotel parking at public parking locations.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2026
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Gloria

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Iconic hotel located in the heart of downtown Chicago. Friendly staff and fast check in experience. Clean rooms. Loved it for our Soldier Field event.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2026
Verified review

6/10 Okay

Nichole

Liked: Staff & service
Generally well located and clean, but so noisy due to being right on Michigan.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2026
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Stacey

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
Loved the location in the staff was very helpful. Front desk staff not super friendly, but they took care of business as needed. Transportation and luggage bell hop Assistance was superior!
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2026
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Julie

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
The Congress Hotel is a beautiful older hotel. It unfortunately is in need of maintenance. Is a wonderful hotel of significant historical value.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2026
Verified review

6/10 Okay

nelda

Disliked: Amenities
Great location. Beautiful Lobby. Rooms have some upgrades but minimal need work low water pressure
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2026
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Beth

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Love the old classic hotels like the Congress, and its one of the best. Great location near a couple of el stops, cafes, and coffee shops. Nice people. Steve in the lobby was especially helpful. Recommended.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2026
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Samantha

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Walking distance to the Field Museum, the aquarium, Art Institute, and Grant park. Clean rooms. Comfortable beds. Parked at the South Millennium Garage which was an easy walk even with luggage. Very convenient place to stay to enjoy all the touristy spots of Chicago.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2026
Verified review

8/10 Good

Jennifer

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Neat old building on Michigan Ave and clean room. Convenient location for our college orientation at CCC. Reasonably priced. Biggest complaint was that breakfast in the restaurant downstairs was slow. I’m
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2026
Verified review

6/10 Okay

Catherine

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
The hotel is actively being renovated. Our first room was outdated and the TV didn’t work. Because of the TV issue, we were moved to another room that was renovated much more recently. The staff were friendly and helpful. However, keep an eye out for pests. My mother found a roach in her room. We also spotted a rat running down the hall and into one of the restaurants.
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2026
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Brad

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Wonderful location - we were right across from Buckingham Fountain. From the 11th floor, we had a great view of the lake. Old style elegance. The a/c - heating system is of a different era. I would not book a lake side room during the height of the summer - I don't think the system could keep up.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2026
Verified review

6/10 Okay

Gregory

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Amazing location and cool historic building, but it clearly hasn't been maintained well. Halls and rooms had a musty odor. Suspended ceiling in hallway was collapsing. Peeling paint in stairwells. House cleaning is every other day. Restaurant was gross. My salad came with brown avocados that were clearly bad. It's relatively cheap, so in this case you get what you pay for.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2026
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Alisha

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We were on the 8th floor. The room was very spacious and very nice. It came with a mini fridge and coffeemaker. The bathroom was very small. When you used the toilet your knees touched the bath tub. There was rust in the bottom of the tub but that didnt bother us at all seeing as how we didnt take a bath just showers. The staff was very helpful and very nice. We did order doordash and we had to walk down to the security office to pick it up which didnt bother us. The only thing I wish they had was free parking. We had to pay $125.00 for parking near the hotel.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2026
Verified review

6/10 Okay

Eileen

Property was old style, needed up dates. Room ac very noisy and hard to regulate temperature in the room. Water shower pressure weak. Hotel was clean and staff nice.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2026
Verified review

6/10 Okay

Steven

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Amenities
It is an old hotel but well maintained and very beautiful. Being old the room temperature could not be controlled. We were there in April and it was cool in the evening and at night but they didn't have the heat turned on. We had to ask for a blanket. There is no free breakfast and like everything in Chicago, their restaurant was very expensive. For a little extra, you can get a decent view of Lake Michigan. The room was good sized. They have a concierge service that can help you get tickets to things like the Chicago River cruise.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2026
Verified review

8/10 Good

Joan

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
It was nice to be able to stay in a hotel that was closer to a 24-hour time than any have ever been in before. Checkin at 3:00 and check out at noon worked great for us to make the most of one night stay there. Expedia fail regarding parking options and pricing. However, I called the hotel directly to find out that I should download the Spothero app which I did to find parking close and convenient and at a far lesser price than Expedia was noting. The area felt safe and we easily walked to numerous places including the riverfront which was most enjoyable. There's lots of places to eat and drink in the area. The hotel does provide options but they're a bit pricey. We did enjoy a nightcap though there. The bar area is nice. Staff helpful and friendly.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2026
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

John

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We are a family of four (2 adults and 2 boys ages 15 and 13) and we stayed 3 nights in the Congress Plaza Hotel in mid July 2026. This was our third stay in the hotel within the past 7 years, so we knew what to expect. The location is awesome, staff is ok, and lobby is amazing. Our room was fine: it was comfortable, clean, and cool (good AC). Wifi was fine, bathroom stuff was fine. Our toilet would run if you didn't jiggle the handle, but it was not a big problem. The overall vibe is that the place is a little dingy and run-down in very insignificant ways, but felt very comfortable and safe for our family. We would gladly stay at the Congress again during a future trip to Chicago. Our visit coincided with some terrible air quality thanks to wildfire smoke blowing down into the city, but our room remained comfortable.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2026
Verified review

2/10 Terrible

Wanda

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Upon arrival nice greeting, held our luggage until checked in. Checked IN and received room key go to the room key don’t work. Back Down to counter to get another room, key works. Second room bathtub horrible not clean. Asked for to be clean twice before receiving after a clean tub. Then take a shower and the water is up to ankles with water cause it’s slow drain, report it nothing done. Then in the middle of the night smoke alarm go off with the beep every few seconds cause it was time to change out but they couldn’t cause it was wired in not a battery. Anyway we tried to stay out the hotel much as possible, like we always plan. But the hotel is in great location and staff and nice. It’s was things kept happening. Overall stay 5. Rate Besides I learned the building was over 100 years old on the north side. Thanks
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2026