Strange that one of the best 12-hour deep sleep sessions of my life started with some major concerns. My room faced the side of another building and sounded like an echo chamber during the day. Every small sound in Millennium Park sounded like it was amplified x5. Surprisingly, things quieted down in the park at night and I slept (maybe better than I ever have). The view was extremely disappointing, but the room was clean and comfy. My initial draw to book at Hotel Julian was the historic building -- I think it is complemented nicely with modern decor. Noise concerns aside, I'd definitely stay again. read more

Arlo Chicago - Hotels Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Yes this is a very nice cozy hotel in the Chicago area. Highly recommend it. Close to great restaurants and has one in the lobby area as well. And diagonal to millennial park. It is hard to get a cab right in front as it's one of the busiest streets but you can go around the corner and easily get one read more

Recently stayed at the Hotel Julian for a single night, just to enjoy the Christmas sites in downtown Chicago. We were just extremely happy with the choice of hotel. The hotel decor reminds me of the west elm catalog. The bed was extremely firm and comfortable, there was a wonderful little person couch under the window that has a nice view of Illenium park, and it has a nice little corner table. Every single outlet in the room has two USB cords. The bedframe has the dresser drawers underneath them. The room also comes with a Keurig coffee machine. The bathroom showerhead has a full on blast which is wonderful. Love the security in this building if you arrive back at your hotel after hours, you have to use your room, key card to open the doors to allow you access to the lobby. Also, you can only ride the elevator to your floor because you have to scan your key card to activate the elevator to push your floor button. Did not take a vantage of the hotel restaurant to sample the food, but did stay at the bar. Drinks reasonably priced very well poured by the bartender. read more

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The walls are extremely thin. You can hear everything in the hallway and everything in the room next to you. Other than that, the hotel is adequate. Staff were friendly, room was clean enough, lights worked, gym was well equipped. I would not stay here again - there are a variety of hotels in the area that are similarly priced. Overhearing all hallway and neighboring room activities is miserable. read more

Very comfortable and nicely appointed rooms. We met our family and all stayed here for a wedding. Great location and good restaurant in the lobby. Although we only ate breakfast at the hotel each day. I also enjoyed the espresso maker in every room and the mini fridge too. read more

Arlo Chicago - Hanging out in the room - Hotels Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

BED BUGS! BEWARE!! I was bitten more than 40 times by bed bugs at the Arlo Hotel in Chicago on Saturday, January 25, 2025. I woke up Sunday morning itchy (I have reactive skin, so I welted instantly), and upon inspecting the pillows and bedding, I found evidence of bed bugs at all stages of their life cycle - dead and alive. I captured two bed bugs under coffee cups and watched one crawl by while I was recording video footage of the entire room. I had to bag all of our personal belongings and replace one full set of winter-appropriate clothing (including shoes and coats), head to toe, for myself AND my 8-year-old son to ensure we didn't take any bugs into our friend's car or into our home. I was told to provide the receipts for these purchases, but the hotel now refuses reimburse me. I am now on day 4 of a high dose steroid to alleviate the histamine reaction of 40 BITES and am already showing signs of scarring. I requested a copy of the pest control report that made a positive identification of the bed bugs (which was confirmed in a voicemail left by the manager of housekeeping) and have been met with silence. I will be sharing photos and videos with the Chicago Department of Public Health and have initiated contact with a lawyer. If/when this happens to you, demand a written incident report with details on how they are handling it, because they will not follow through with their spoken word. I do not believe my situation has been handled properly - both on a customer service level and on a legal level. read more

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I think I'm going to do my review in a pros and cons style since I'm only doing a 3-star review. That way I can highlight both without one outweighing the other. Pros: - Right on the Magnificant Mile! Literally feet from everything, including Millenium Park and the red line (and right across the street from the Nutella Cafe) - The customer service was great for us. I was worried about the reviews, but we had a pleasant check-in and check-out. - Free water. You normally don't get anything free in a downtown Chicago hotel, so this is good! - Comfortable bed. I slept pretty well! - Affordable. We paid $80 on Travelzoo for a Friday night (in November) - Nespresso machines in the room. Cons: - The bathrooms have a sliding barn door, which means no privacy! I mean there is limited privacy, but I wouldn't suggest sharing a room here with someone you weren't already cozy with (I went with my spouse). - Tiny rooms. This is expected, being a downtown hotel. - Awful views. Well, at least our room (wish I would have remembered the #). Our view was of an alley and construction but could see some of the taller buildings. read more

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If youd like to do a 4 hour wait before check-in due to the hotel having VIP guests at your room that you already paid for, call 5 times before they are able to provide basic necessities such as water and toiletries, and have staff tell you that for everything else "it is just not in my department" then stay at Arlo. read more

Hotel Julian We visited this hotel over the extended Thanksgiving weekend. Visiting Chicago frequently, I've stayed in my share of nice hotels. My mom had recommended this hotel due to its boutique atmosphere, and stellar location. You are steps away from Millennium Park, amazing restaurants, and Miracle Mile shopping. Our room didn't have a view, but that was fine with me. It was extremely clean, offered comfortable bedding with extra touches that made it special. The motion sensor lights that light up when your feet are placed on the ground ( a convenience I never knew I always wanted) to the roomy bathroom with a walk-in shower, to the complimentary robes and water at check-in, to the Nespresso coffee machine and mini-fridge to store our drinks, to the Peloton bike and well-equipped gym with free weights to boot. It all was perfect. The updated décor and upscale atmosphere was a treat to behold. The service was fabulous at check-in - the gentleman checking us and the bellman in the lobby were all very polite, friendly and helpful. It was a memorable holiday weekend that will go down in the books - thank you to the staff for making it the perfect weekend. Bottom-line - Check out Hotel Julian for your next stay in Chicago and you will not leave disappointed. I can't wait to come back! read more

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This is the perfect hotel to stay at in Chicago! The staff was friendly and allowed early check in. It is affordable for the location. Millennium park, restaurants, and river walk are just steps away. Rooms were clean and up to date. Staff offered to hold luggage until end of the day. read more

Arlo Chicago - Lobby area - Hotels Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great hotel in a perfect location for exploring the city! The staff was polite, the room was clean and the bed was comfy - I'm not sure what more is needed in a hotel room. I didn't eat in the restaurant, yet did have a glass of wine there one night with a friend. Decent service and delicious wine. Stayed here in September 2019 for a weekend. read more

We paid for a deluxe room with a king size bed here. When we checked in and got to the room, there was not a king size bed in the room (it was either a large full size bed or small queen). I'm 5 foot 5 inches and when laying across the bed, my shins to my feet hang over the side of the bed. This wouldn't happen on an actual king size bed, which is 76 inches wide. The staff at the front desk insisted it was a king size bed, and that it "just looks smaller than usual." I would not recommend staying here. Go to the Chicago Athletic Association, The Hoxton, The Ace, just anywhere else. I spoke with a manager in the morning and he insisted that the beds were "European king size beds". This bed was slightly smaller than an American queen sized bed. Using European sized beds while not advertising them on your website as such is a hustle. This hotel is in the US and nowhere on their website mentions that the beds are not standard American size beds. He said, "Even if it doesn't say it's a European size king bed, it's still a king bed." What a racket. Oh, on top of that, they also charge what they call an "Urban Tax" ($16) per day with your stay, but what it really is is a resort fee for amenities like the water bottles they give you, Nespresso caps, robes in the room that you can use, and a copy of the Wall Street Journal. Can you legally call something a tax on an invoice that isn't actually a tax? read more

Arlo Chicago - A "king" size bed. It was 60 inches wide. - Hotels Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We got a room less than 24 hours before arriving...and paid a dime. So thank you Hotel Julian! I love you for that! Great location. Easy walk to all the main touristy stuff. If youre driving in you can park at the large garage on the north side of the park and its half what you'd pay for a garage spot in any hotel. The staff was great, and they had lots of umbrellas to share! But they took our room number which means be careful not to leave the umbrella underneath a chair somewhere else in the city or you'll get charged. It took us some time to figure out the espresso machine in the room. We're old now I guess. I'd generally prefer regular coffee but Im not picky. We didnt get to stop in the restaurant bc it closes early. Oh well. read more

The staff here is the best. Big shout out to Leah who upgraded us to a gorgeous city view room after finding out it was my birthday. read more

Arlo Chicago - Directly across from a Stan's donuts and did I mention the view? - Hotels Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We love this hotel. Service was amazing and location is fabulous. Also restaurant is really great. Totally recommend.

Such a cute little hotel right next to cloud gate. I'm always looking for a hotel that has good amenities like a gym. I like to work out and stay activity on vacation so i can eat more lol. Staff was friendly and the area felt very safe. Walking distance to cloud gate but a little far from where all the restaurants are. Very close to a 7-11 and CVS for all your needs! hotel itself was really clean and overall good experience. Would recommend this place for first timers visiting Chicago ! read more

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I stayed here for two nights while visiting Chicago. I love the hotel because of the location of several bars and restaurants and the proximity to public transportation. Also, the hotel Cleanest was immaculate. I would recommend this hotel to anyone visiting the Windy City. read more

I found this place on the Hotel Tonight app and booked it about a day and a half before I arrived. The location is amazing! It's caddy corner from Millenium Park and walking distance to theaters and shops and lots of dining locations. The service was fantastic, warm and friendly. The decor, cool and classy with a modern edge. The rooms are small but well-appointed with an awesome clothes steamer, motion activated lighting, touch key cards, nespresso machines and refrigerators in each room and a 50 inch tv for entertainment. The showers are HUGE! The bathroom lighting was perfection and the spa products smelled delicious! The gym with Peleton bike and other equipment was needed to keep all the calories I was taking in, at bay. The restaurant was also good and I ended up there two mornings and one evening. I'd happily stay there again. read more

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This hotel is lovely. Elegant, quaint, great location. Sadly, I left a beautiful sweater and slacks in one of their gorgeous under the bed drawers. I contacted them the day after and was told they would check with their cleaning staff and return my call. No call. Disappointing. I returned to the hotel yesterday - 3 weeks later - to spend the night. I thought with COVID19, things get chaotic, I'll be patient. I asked a hotel receptionist - she said she'd return my call after checking with the cleaning crew - didn't happen. Returned again to staff inquiring about my items. People leave things in hotel rooms all the time. This shouldn't be a unique inquiry. The cleaning staff supervisor allowed me to search through a box of dirty, old materials. No items of mine found. I asked the hotel staff how this was going to be rectified? No answer to my email except an earlier email apologizing this "inconvenience." Very, very frustrating. The staff clearly stole the items - while managing to leave the crappy materials behind. Perhaps "it is what it is" - staff steals items left behind - perhaps this is a common occurrence. But, I live 24 minutes from the hotel, called the very next day - and no resolution to this matter. So ... too bad - great hotel - but, they DO have a Lost and Found - my beautiful sweater and lovely slacks were not there - where did it go? Stolen. I think they think that because so many people who stay there do not live 24 minutes away, so they won't return to retrieve left items - it's a safe bet to just steal a guest's left behind clothing. Even the sweet cleaning worker couldn't refute my argument. So, sadly, never again. It's super disturbing. read more

Great location for river walk, museums, restaurants, subways, elevated trains, etc. Staff was always helpful and friendly.

I stayed there for a week and it was great, if it's your first time visiting, this is the best option. You can walk everywhere, the restaurant is DELICIOUS, you have to try the buffalo sandwich with a mimosa. Everyone is very friendly at the front desk. read more

Hotel and restaurant staff were friendly and attentive. Rooms were well appointed and exceptionally clean. The location was perfect for downtown tourism. Located at the northwest corner of Millennium Park, home of the "bean" monument, Buckingham Fountain, and Art Institute of Chicago, and one block away from pickup point for water taxi and architecture river tours. Walk to Sears Tower, (aka Willis Tower) took about 20 minutes. I would definitely recommend Arlo Chicago to anyone visiting the Windy City! read more

Stayed here for one week to attend a wedding and do some sightseeing. TL;DR - Would only recommend this place if you only care about location. We did not experience the good service that the other reviews were raving about. +1 star for location, +1 star for water/luggage hold service. First, the good: -The location was extremely convenient. Right across the street from Millennium Park and walking distance from most things in the downtown area. It was easy to catch the bus/train to take us wherever we needed to go. -Free water bottles on request -Luggage hold service was great and the guy working was friendly and efficient -The male front desk worker was very helpful the few times that we saw him. I wish we got his name because the front desk ladies we interacted with were quite the opposite! Now onto things that could be improved: -There was a half-eaten salad in our mini fridge left by a previous patron. The fridge has a glass front door so it was clearly visible without opening the fridge itself. If housekeeping missed this, what else was missed during cleaning? When we informed the front desk, all that was said was oops, please throw it away. -We were informed that our room would be cleaned every 3rd day. That's fine, but our room was cleaned two days in a row and on the second cleaning day, a bag of pastries we had purchased was thrown away! The bag was on top of the fridge, not near the garbage, so no idea why it was tossed. No explanation or compensation offered by the front desk. The lady passed the blame, bluntly saying she wasn't housekeeping and doesn't know anything about the situation. Again, not even a 'sorry' or anything! -Bed sheets kept coming off the bed so we were sleeping directly on the bare mattress (ew!). Mind you, we weren't moving around a lot, it's just that the flat sheets were barely big enough to cover the mattress so any slight movement would pull it up. -Not once during our stay did the front desk answer the phone. Morning, afternoon, night, the phone just kept ringing, or someone picked up only to hang up immediately. So any time we needed something, we'd have to physically go downstairs. -Ladies at the front desk were rude and made it feel like we were inconveniencing them by asking questions. -Only 1 small elevator for all the guests so it can take a while to catch one that's not full. The hotel can't change this, but something to keep in mind, especially if you're going during peak times. read more

This hotel has the absolute worst customer service ever. My flight was canceled into Chicago. I was-willing to offer proof and documentation. The hotel would not accept it. Would not cancel reservation because of their policy. The front deist staff was tolerable at best. Do not stay here. It is not worth the bad attitude and smug righteous behavior. read more

Arlo Chicago - Carpet is disgusting - Hotels Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Very friendly and clean rooms. Street parking and garage parking very close if needed. Is located by a train line but I promise you can't even tell. I definitely recommend and will stay here again! read more

we stop in to try some wine my bf order a cocktail I order rose next time we planing to stay in the hotel and definally try the food read more

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The hotel staff seemed nice and I enjoyed the location convenience. While getting ready to leave we noticed stains on the duvet through the cover. There were many of them and it worries me to think that they have not been cleaned between guests. We found this on our last night and are extremely disappointed that even after house cleaning had been to our room during that stay that it had not been changed. read more

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WORST HOTEL EXPERIENCE EVER. NEVER AGAIN. A partial refund is owed! (Please read before booking) Actually DONT BOOK WITH WITH THEM . I took my sister to Chicago, one last trip for doing well in school. I usually use chains (Hilton, holiday Inn). BUT this was was in the heart of the city, so I chose it instead. * My pillow had blood on it. * we call the front desk countless times, no one answered. * we needed towel as no room service ever came * we call the front desk countless times, no one answered * we go down stairs, NO ONE WAS THERE. * we noticed our room wasn't clean, random trash in tucked places. * we call the front desk countless times, no one answered * the workers was all very BRUTE, short and rude. NO HOSPITALITY. * their is no room service due to corona, we was never informed of this. Ever!!! I've still called to properly speak to a manger. Still no one answered! If you want to get treated rude and ignored with a dirty room, by all means! (Below, is the picture of the pillow) read more

Arlo Chicago - Blood stains on a ripped pillow at hotel Julian - Hotels Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

First night here, check in was very slow process even at 11pm. Only one person working the front with 7-8 people already waiting to check in. As well as people waiting to get scan cards fixed for the elevator. After check in we came to our room which is suppose to be an elite king room... I don't feel there's much elite to it. The bathroom was beautiful and well designed. Needs some attention but overall pretty good. There was only 4 hangers to hang out clothing on for an entire weekend. (Dresses, dress shirts) no drawers, no space to put suitcases so your not tripping on them. Stains on the carpet and then here's the icing on the cake (I always and I mean always check beds) and I think you know why. But huge stains looks like they should be in a motel 8. Pics to show... for a 1000 bucks for a weekend we could of gotten something in the woods for a week. But we wanted luxury not homeless mattresses. The noise from other doors closing is scary in the middle of the night. Not thrilled for the price. read more

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Okay -- having stayed here again, I have to echo one of the previous reviews. If you are unfortunate enough to get a room with a door adjoining another room, there is zero sound-proofing on that door. First night, that room was empty -- my stay was as lovely as before. Last night, my neighbors were playing music and doing what young people full of hormones do in a hotel room until at least 4am. The thing is, I didn't feel right complaining directly to them, because they honestly weren't being loud about it. There was just literally no sound-proofing on the adjoining door -- it almost sounded like they were in my room. I hate updating this like this, because the staff remembered me from my last stay and were super nice and friendly to me at check-in... and the room is still super comfortable... but this was not a happy experience. read more

Three night stay & the room was clean, comfy, & smartly designed. The smell of the lobby is amazing...so great the I had to purchase the signature room spray as a souvenir. read more

No complaints. Although I didn't get to take advantage of any of the amenities at the hotel, we had an amazing stay! The receptionist was extremely helpful. I believe her name was Sydney or Cindy. I booked a standard king , decided to upgrade to the vista view. Well worth it !!! Great location: easy access to many stores and also the Millennium Park. read more

Arlo Chicago - Lobby Elevator - Hotels Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great boutique hotel. Smells amazing inside. Rooms were very nice and clean. Large tv. We didn't have a view unfortunately. Priced fairly and staying in a new hotel is very nice. The elevator is really cool as well. Would give five stars if not for noise pollution from other rooms. read more

Arlo Chicago - The elevator is really cool - Hotels Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The good: * The hotel is quite stylish, loved the nespresso machine, the beds and pillows were very comfy. * The bellhops were super attentive. * The price was an incredible bargain. * The staff was pleasant and hardworking** The bad: ** The woman who checked us in was a piece of work. She was a real know-it-all who spoke to us like we were a couple of bumpkins. She really couldn't have been any more unpleasant. The same woman when asked for a recommendation for late night eating sent us to a restaurant that was closed. Would I stay at the Julian again? Absolutely! Would I hope this employee is no longer working there? Absolutely! read more

Forgot to mention that Brian and Tatiana were the front desk workers that helped me out. Really appreciated their help. They did amazing. read more

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New hotel on the Mile. It's a close walk to the subway/el, which is why we stayed here. Rooms are on the small side, but were well appointed. The bed was COMFORTABLE. One of the best hotel beds I can recall. It was just soft enough but not so soft that it didn't provide good support. Very comfortable night's sleep. The bathroom is also a bit small, but the shower is large. Great water pressure, a very good shower. If you are going to have a smaller bathroom the place to use the space is shower, which Julian did. The shades do not entirely black out the room, there is light that gets in around the edges. The AC worked, but I don't think it ever got to my desired temperature of 65. I want hotel rooms to be 3 things: dark, cold, and clean. This one was definitely clean but did not get quite dark and cold enough for my preference. I had the room service (see separate review) but the hotel bar closes fairly early, even on weekends. This was a bummer, as we were in town for events that brought us back to the hotel at or near 11 each night and we wanted a couple of extra drinks. The employees directed us to the closet bar, which is less than a block away. But, it was annoying to stay in a hotel with a bar that closes that early. Internet is free and works well. They ask for your email address for you to sign onto the internet, which is I assume so they can add you to a marketing list. But, so far (knock on wood) my inbox has not been inundated with messages from Hotel Julian. Every employee I encountered was very friendly throughout our stay, and the woman at the front desk remembered us, including our names. I would absolutely stay here again. read more

I got woken up at 8:30 am because the cleaning lady wanted to know if she can clean my room. Good luck going back to sleep with all the noise going around. Rooms are tiny, I feel claustrophobic. Overall the hotel doesn't look like it is managed well. read more

This is the second time I've stayed at Hotel Julian and honestly it might become my Chicago hotel go-to for business trips. My first room had an amazing view of the city with the top corner of Millennium Park. A big fluffy white bed with pretty solid pillow options (I'm very picky with pillows). There's a restaurant/bar in the lobby. When you check in you get two FIJI waters and sometimes a little treat. This place has a little more personality than say maybe a Marriott which I like plus it's free to store bags while you explore the city or go to meetings which is key for me. It's also in a GREAT location. I will say this time there was a little snafu with the room being ready on time but they made up for it with chocolates and a free drink at the restaurant bar. Without that, I might have given it 5 stars. read more

Arlo Chicago - King size bed (looks way better when you walk in but I laid on it already) - Hotels Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Upon check-in, we were not notified that housekeeping comes every 3rd day, thus we could only request fresh towels and to place the dirty towels outside, minor irritation.... The ALK restaurant was great, friendly staff along with a great menu, Donnell was so hospitable...The bar was friendly as well and accommodating. The bar closes at 11 PM, but we showed up after 11 PM and Tim the bartender told us that a night cap would be fine to take to our room. read more

I stayed here for a month with my company with over 30+ people. The rooms were modern, and nice aesthetically, but were cramped, and lacked storage space. Customer service was some of the worst I've ever experienced at a hotel of this calibre. I was able to see a lot of the rooms because we had so many people staying from our company. The double rooms are the largest and some rooms have storage under the bed. Still, there isn't anywhere to put your luggage, and most rooms have a closet that can only fit two or three hangers. The pretty decor is quickly forgotten when you realize there isn't a lot functionality in the room. Service was terrible! While the front desk is nice (for the most part), there is no follow through and requests were rarely followed up on. The male manager was rude and condescending. When I had an issue he was disingenuous and not good at handling a difficult situation. Everyone before him was authentic, kind and wanted to help, they just didn't have the resources to act on their promises. It was just rare things were followed through for our company. Many people in our company had trouble getting their rooms cleaned. We were all told that if wanted to make sure it was cleaned, we needed to call the front desk. Cleaning of the rooms was very inconsistent. There were Nespresso machines in each room, but the pods were very rarely replaced. There were instances when my bathroom was cleaned, but the room was not touched. I only requested my room cleaned twice a week. It was very frustrating. This hotel is not made for long stays. Its location is great, and I believe a short stay would be good. Anything past that, go somewhere else. read more