Essex Inn Chicago

It's not a bad hotel to stay in, it's cheap, and it's close to a bunch of big touristy things - the museum, planatarium, the aquarium. We didn't spend much time in our room, but the bed was pretty good, and the room was nice and clean. The one drawback, and a huge selling point for me - the bathroom. The bathroom has those cheap toilets like you see at old elementary schools - and the bad tiles with the black mold that is in almost every older hotel bathroom, and the shower is much less than inviting...but here's how you circumvent the shower problem: DO NOT SHOWER IN YOUR ROOM. Sounds crazy, but it's the best thing. You want to head up to the swimming pool, which I loved because of all the sunlight. The bugs weren't so great, but lots of fantastic light. Take a nice leisurely swim, have some exercise and bring your shower items with you. Do not return to your room to shower and change there, take a look at the shower room they have at the pool. Take a look at the huge, newly renovated shower with about 7 different nozzles aimed at all different parts of you, with the wonderful rain style shower-head on top.
That my friends, is a wonderful start to your day in Chicago.
You'll also note, or I hope for you, that the pool and shower room were as utterly deserted for you as they were for me and my travel buddy so that you can have the hour long hot and luxurious shower you deserve.