Courtyard Chicago Ohare

Booked a stay at the Courtyard O’Hare as a result of missed connection due to weather delays. The shuttle service was non-existent. We waited at the designated pick up locations for over an hour. Called multiple times to only be told that it would be another 15-30 mins. Eventually got fed up with waiting and took a Lyft to the hotel.

I booked the Courtyard by Marriott Chicago O’Hare because I needed an airport-area hotel and was trying to save a few dollars. Unfortunately, this was one of those “the savings were not worth it” decisions. The one bright spot was the bartender working both nights. I wish I had caught her name, because she was genuinely lovely: friendly, funny, and happy to chat with me about Portugal. They did not have tequila, which was tragic, but she still managed to make the bar feel welcoming. Everything else was disappointing. The room felt worn out and tired. Not charmingly old. Just tired. It was the kind of room where you walk in, look around, and immediately lower your expectations to “well, at least I only need to sleep here.” There were also very few real amenities, and the in-room toiletries were not properly stocked. Both the conditioner and body wash were empty when I arrived. I asked the next day for towels and for the conditioner and body wash to be replaced. They brought towels and body wash, but no conditioner. At that point, I just gave up. The housekeeping policy made the stay even worse. Housekeeping is every other day, which I understand has become common since COVID. But when a guest is staying only two nights, “every other day” effectively means no housekeeping at all. None. For a short airport stay, that feels like a policy designed to technically exist while providing no actual service. To be fair, I arrived exhausted around 7 p.m. and mostly needed a place to collapse before continuing my travel. In that very narrow sense, the bed served its purpose. But that is about the highest praise I can give. The bartender deserves credit. The hotel itself needs serious attention. I would not choose this property again.

Crashed at this hotel when Chicago weather was really crap, and spent 13 hours in the plane before we could finally go and find a dayroom. Barbara at the reception really took care of us and made sure we're comfortable. Shoutout to Barb, who even took my headphones to the airport after her shift was over when I left them in the room. Amazing customer service and dedication! Kind of restores my trust in humanity! I'm paying this forward and Barbara is our guest when she's in Budapest.