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November 2023 by Lo Y
It is an okay place; just okay. Nothing fantastic and staff don’t seem to know what their policy is. Each staff you ask a question offers a different answer. It was over prices in my opinion but I had to stay here cos I was in town for a wedding.I liked that the building has some history to it and they owners of the hotel have a nice touch that allowed guests to enjoy old book in semi private reading rooms.The hotel also has a hall for rent so the lobby was very busy on a Friday as a wedding party was had. Later at night, the hall ways were slightly crowded with the wedding party.A good think about this location is that it has access to food and other stores; a Target is close by.
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October 2023 by Barbara Stuetzer
Recently booked a Remembrance event at this hotel. Included an “effortless” lunch and that describes the entire experience. Katie Fox (Sales and Catering) was outstanding, personable, supportive, clearly explained options and pricing and was on site during the event. All staff were cordial, responsive and accommodated last minute changes. Great food catered and nicely presented by hotel restaurant, La Notte. Many compliments from guests. A lovely venue, conveniently located with vintage charm. Highly recommend.
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October 2023 by David Hong
Doing a regular review of the hotel as well as a wedding specific review:From a general hotel perspective - This is a lovely hotel. I am a frequent traveler and love Marriotts, but I'd recommend staying here even if you are loyal to brands and points. The location is perfect right by downtown and by the train stations, and you'll get plenty of parking lots to use. Very walkable to other places in Oak Park.Rooms - are large, often include a kitchenette kind of area, and have a lot of charm. Perfect for any length of stay including longer stays (I love when I can save some money by having a fridge/microwave/sink). They also have lower priced motel rooms which are totally fine and good as well. Some of the fancier rooms are really cool.Service is unparalleled. The front desk manager and the staff work to help you in a more neighborhood kind of way than at other hotel chains. You get a bit of charm in all the hallways. The food at La Notte is incredible. This isn't a typical "hotel restaurant" that sucks.The only downsides are 1. no free breakfast, no pool or anything that I'm aware of. You're not going to get those cool features of modern hotels, but you come here for charm and a mix of old school cool with modern aesthetics. For example their are two sets of elevators and they're small and narrow. Doesn't make sense, but the hotel is charming and it just works.Wedding - I would recommend doing wedding stuff here. First off - you get Katie Fox. She is the real deal. My wife and I worked with her and felt like she was a part of our extended family with the planning process. She doesn't try to be a salesperson, but instead focuses on making the day incredible. Don't look at other reviews and think Katie Fox can be duplicated. Katie goes beyond what is on her paid job description in a way that other venue coordinators will not.You get a honeymoon suite with the wedding. The food from La Notte (Staff led by Gio) are incredible. Unfortunately they have to make their incredible food "wedding food" which means removing allergens and making things more generic and less authentic Italian so that hundreds of guests can be happy. But make no mistake the food from Gio's real menu is incredible and the "Americanized" wedding food is almost just as incredible.The biggest ballroom is beautiful pretty naturally even without a ton of decoration. You really feel like the space is smaller at first, but it just works out. They can flip it for reception/ceremony. Their bar area outside is actually kinda perfect for a cocktail hour.I normally think of hotel weddings as boring because they're so generic. I've been to other hotel weddings where the big space is all just white and reminds me of a businses conference space. But with the charm of this hotel - you kinda feel like you chose a specific destination or specific location.
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October 2023 by Lucas William
My wife and I had an absolutely amazing experience using the Carleton as our wedding venue! I would highly recommend it to anyone in Chicago or the north west surburbs looking for a unique and beautiful venue with delicious catering from their restaurant La Notè! After the wedding I went to the La Notè bar with my friends, and that was a fun time as well. The Oysters Rockefeller were spectacular! La Note is a 5/5 restaurant. Don’t hesitate to book a wedding or a room at this amazing hotel, the wedding package came with a great suit with like 3-4 rooms and it was I think the nicest hotel room I have used, and i really appreciated the unique decor. Definitely consider it for your wedding venue!Rooms: The suit we booked was unique and magnificent. It felt very much more like staying at a high quality, classic Chicago apartment than a cookie cutter hotel. A sophisticated and elegant hotel.Food & drinks: The Oysters Rockefeller at La Notè were outstanding
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September 2023 by Nicole
I'm torn on writing this review. I arrived late in the evening & had to leave very early. Not much of a chance to rate much. Lobby is pretty. Parking is odd. I had a standard room that was a decent size but not nearly as nice as the pictures on the website. The bed was beyond uncomfortable to the point my back still hurts. Elevator is very tiny & made me uncomfortable, old & noisy. Neighborhood seemed safe with different shops within walking distance. It was an experience to stay here other than a chain hotel.Walkability: Shops nearbyFood & drinks: Restaurant within the hotel.
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September 2023 by Natasha McCoy
Beautiful hotel in a prime location. Staff was very helpful and professional. There are some stairs you may have to take, but the rooms are nice and large. Visit Poor Phil's next door for seafood and drinks, then walk up the block for some good shopping!
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September 2023 by Chelsea N
When we checked in we asked if we could do a late check out and the guy told us yes he will make note of us checking out at 12 instead of 11. The room was not clean, the bathroom had hair all over it which was disgusting but we didn’t complain because it was just one night. We ended up waking up to loud construction which we were not aware of outside our window. We then had the cleaning lady knocking on our door at 10:45 even though we had the door not disturb sign. I answered and let her know we had late checkout. Then at 11:12 I get a call on the hotel phone asking if we wanted another night. I said no the guy told us we could do a late checkout and the woman on the other end very rudely said we don’t do late checkouts you need to be out, best we can do is 11:30 or we charge you. I tried to explain about the convo with the guy the night prior but she didn’t care. Very unprofessional and just blatantly rude staff. Also def should give people a heads up or discounted rate for the construction noise.
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August 2023 by Jennifer Humphrey
I stayed here for a work event. It's an older hotel, so the elevators are smaller, which is probably the only part I wouldn't rate 5 stars. I loved my room! It was like a small apartment! The location was perfect for me, as I was less than a block away from where I was working. I didn't encounter many staff, but the ones I did speak with were friendly and helpful. I'm looking forward to my next visit!Rooms: My room had a galley kitchen with a small refrigerator and microwave. Perfect for leftovers! There was a sitting/dining area that was perfect for putting together my presentations for work. The king size bed was comfortable, and I probably slept better during my two night stay than I have in a month!
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August 2023 by Erica Bednar
Stayed in the hotel - booked a room because of the great location, included parking, and in-room amenities (refrigerator, microwave), and price. The room was clean and a nice size, the bathroom seemed the most recently updated part of the room, and the space was reasonably quiet even with construction happening across the street. The elevator and room-door width seemed narrow to me, so if you have large luggage or require some extra space you may want to ask the hotel staff for assistance or alternatives. I would definitely consider this hotel again for a future stay, especially if parking and easy access to points around town are needed!
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July 2023 by Bonnie
Everything was lovely and we’ve already rebooked for our next trip. The motor inn portion of the hotel was perfect for our needs. The hotel lobby was beautiful. I loved how close we were to the train station, and there were so many nice places to eat very close to the hotel. Free parking was such a perk too. And the staff was great, from the front desk clerk to the maids.Safety: The neighborhood felt super safe and it was also really clean. I saw workers cleaning the sidewalks up and I really appreciated that.Walkability: Super close to many great restaurants, Whole Foods, Target, anything you could need. The train station is less than a five minute walk.
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July 2023 by Dan Kohnfelder
Great old timey hotel in oak park. Jazz playing in the lobby and two restaurants lobby connected.
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May 2023 by Nick Sheridan
A lovely old hotel with kind staff.I’m glad it’s not an anonymous chain. Clean room, comfortable bed, near to cafes, restaurants and train station. I’ll be back.
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May 2023 by David Andrew
Historic hotel in the heart of Oak Park. Two on-site restaurants and most attractions within walking
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April 2023 by AlanandMichele Klein
Stayed here while visiting family. Great rooms, very clean and I am picky!!Beautiful older hotel.Italian restaurant attached was delicious too.
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March 2023 by Shelia Childs
Very nice hotel. Beds are big and comfortable. Good location. The front desk check in was very easy and a smooth process.
