Chicago International Hostel

Chicago International Hostel is one of the cheapest in Chicago, while still being bearable. The decor and the hostelers have a decidedly international flavor, making the hostel a unique experience.

The Location

The location is ok. The hostel is located about three blocks away from both the Granville and Loyola metro stops on the red line. This means that via public transportation, you are thirty to forty minutes away from downtown Chicago, and maybe twenty minutes from the cool and rather yuppie neighborhood of Evanston. The hostel is located in a middle-class, primarily African American neighborhood nearby Loyola University. There's not a ton of local culture or places to eat, but at least you can buy necessities nearby.

Rooms and Bathrooms

Each bed (which is a regular bed, not bunked) includes drawers for storing luggage. However, the doors on the rooms do not have locks, and the only lockers in the hostel are tiny. Additional complaints are the lack of air conditioning (which makes visiting in August rough) and that the train runs nearby, making a lot of noise (this would not be a problem if you go to bed late, however, as the train stops running at midnight). Male and female bathrooms are present on every floor, containing a few stalls and showers, but amenities leave something to be desired. Half the showers are missing curtains, the toilet paper is in need of replacing, and there is no soap provided (bring your own).

Common Spaces

The common spaces are rather roomy, and the eclectic decorations are nice in a bohemian sort of way. There is a large living room with a television and a piano. There is a kitchen (it is roomy and well-equipped for people to cook and eat together, but it smells kind of funky). There is also a laundry room and a back room for free luggage storage (only the hostel staff has keys). The hostel is not overly crowded, but other hostelers are sociable and friendly enough, despite the sweltering heat.

Summary

Overall, we find the hostel to be ok. For Chicago, the price is good. Additionally, the hostel decor is rather charming in its own way (everything from oriental furniture to numerous music and movie posters). However, amenities are not what one could find at one of the nicer chain hostels, and without air conditioning, staying for several days in the 90-degree summer could be unpleasant. Additionally, checkout is rather early at 9:30 a.m., and even when not checking out, the hostel requires that hostelers not be in the hostel from about 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for cleaning (so no sleeping in). If you can live with the drawbacks, we recommend the hostel for the price, especially in the more moderate months of spring and fall. If you are looking for a hostel primarily to visit sites in downtown Chicago though, and you don't have a car, you may want to look for a hostel actually located downtown.

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