Members-only rates
4.0 / 5 Great

Congress Plaza Hotel

Congress Plaza Hotel
Congress Plaza Hotel – Chicago, IL
Congress Plaza Hotel – Chicago, IL
Check in 3:00 PM
Check out 12:00 PM

About Congress Plaza Hotel

Directly across from Millennium Park and sitting on the iconic Michigan Avenue, Congress Plaza Hotel offers elegance, luxury, and history in the heart of downtown Chicago. This historic Chicago hotel offers stunning city and lake views, on-site dining options, and free WiFi. Offering a mix of contemporary amenities and classic, historic character, each room at Congress Plaza Hotel features high ceilings, expansive bathrooms and a flat-screen cable TV. Coffee makers, working desks, and ironing facilities are provided in each room. Some rooms offer separate living areas and family-friendly bedding layouts. Rafael’s offers a menu of American classics, coupled with creative seasonal chef specialties for lunch and dinner. For breakfast, guests can start the day off with breakfast at Gazebo or grab a drink and watch a game on the flat-screen TVs at the Congress Lounge, which offers city views and comfortable leather couches and chairs. A 24-hour fitness center, barbershop and same-day dry cleaning and shoeshine services are available on-site. The hotel includes 23 contemporary venue event spaces, including the infamous Gold Room, dating back to early 1920's Chicago. Room service, a business center, and multiple seating areas are also offered. Congress Plaza Hotel is within walking distance from Chicago must-see attractions such as the Art Institute of Chicago, Buckingham Fountain, and Lake Michigan. Shops, dining and entertainment on the Magnificent Mile is only 10 minute's walk. Navy Pier is only 2 miles away.

Amenities

  • On-site parking
  • 24-hour front desk
  • Meeting space
  • Fitness center
  • On-site dining
  • Valet parking
  • Bar / lounge
  • Café / coffee shop
  • Breakfast available
  • Business center
  • Express check-in / check-out
  • Concierge
  • Dry cleaning
  • Self-service laundry
  • Luggage storage
  • Multilingual staff
  • Full kitchen / kitchenette
  • In-room refrigerator
  • Spa / sauna
  • Family friendly
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Public transit access
  • Smoke-free property
  • Air conditioning

Reviews

4.0 / 5
Great 10163 reviews
  • Engine customer Jun 2026

    My room was old and simple. Because of that, some people may not like the room at all.

  • Engine customer Jun 2026

    Great location with easy parking right behind the hotel. Many activities in walkable distance from the hotel as well.

  • Engine customer Jun 2026

    Very cool place to stay on a budget. No parking, but we found good parking that was a 4 min walk away. Location and view was awesome. Would stay again for sure.

  • Engine customer Jun 2026

    Charm

  • Engine customer Jun 2026

    Ice machine on all the floors work, and car valet is advertised but nonexistent

  • Engine customer Jun 2026

    nice selection of drinks at the bar

  • Engine customer Jun 2026

    Friendly staff. Encountered a cockroach in the elevator.

  • Engine customer Jun 2026

    Good and clean.... Staff were nice and acted quickly with my requests... No complaints

  • Engine customer Jun 2026

    This hotel hasn’t been updated in decades. The staff do the best they can with a very old hotel that needs a significant investment to be nice.

  • Engine customer Jun 2026

    Check in was quick and easy. The room was pretty but the bathroom door didn’t shut correctly and it wasn’t cleaned prior to our check in. All of the staff was friendly. The bar could use more than one bartender on the weekend as many customers left because the wait was so long.

  • Engine customer Jun 2026

    A simple one night stay. Didn't use any of the services. Convenient location for our stay.

  • Engine customer Jun 2026

    Peeling paint on elevator, breakfast restaurant was very dark and and lack of sun light. You can hear your next door neighbor, you can hear traffic noise and sirens late into the night. Not the greatest insulation to prevent noise. However, our view from the hotel room was magnificent.

  • Engine customer Jun 2026

    Very clean. Room was spacious. Water temp fluctuated from cool to warm, rarely hot.

  • Engine customer Jun 2026

    Definitely an older hotel and you can tell, but the history is part of it! The room was great though, along with the location

  • Engine customer Jun 2026

    The smoke alarm started beeping due to low battery. Also due to it being an older hotel the walls and floors are thin and the couple above us had an eventful morning.

  • Engine customer Jun 2026

    Overall very old and dirty

  • Engine customer Jun 2026

    Overall 2.5 / 3 stars.

  • Engine customer Jun 2026

    Location, lake view and the lobby is all the positives I could think of. Once you go up to any floor, this building is in need of serious maintenance and upkeep. There's rust and peeling paint everywhere. Hallway carpet odor, broken bathroom vent systems, leaky shower heads spraying water at the ceiling. I'll stop there. I wouldn't stay here again. My suggestion is tear it down and build a new one.

  • Engine customer Jun 2026

    Parking not very good. Had to park outside in the rain

  • Engine customer Jun 2026

    The place it was nice, the rooms could have a little more updating, but good. When we arrived our car was half into the street. I did not like that in the roundabout. The men that was working in valet parking I guess, was rude to my husband. There was a red jeep parked in the middle of that roundabout that was in the way.

Frequently asked questions about Congress Plaza Hotel

Does Congress Plaza Hotel have free Wi-Fi?
Yes, Congress Plaza Hotel offers free Wi-Fi for all guests. Free wired internet is also available in select rooms.
Does Congress Plaza Hotel offer parking?
Yes, Congress Plaza Hotel offers both self-parking and valet parking. Fees may apply.
Does Congress Plaza Hotel have meeting spaces, conference centers, or conference rooms?
Yes. Congress Plaza Hotel features meeting spaces and dedicated conference rooms, suitable for corporate meetings and group gatherings. Banquet and reception facilities are also available.
Does Congress Plaza Hotel have a fitness center?
Yes, Congress Plaza Hotel features an on-site fitness center for guests. Additional wellness amenities include spa.
Where is Congress Plaza Hotel located, and how walkable is the area?
Congress Plaza Hotel is located at 520 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60605. With a Walk Score of 93, the area is rated Walker's Paradise. Most daily errands can be done on foot — ideal for travelers without a car.

What's nearby

Map of points of interest near Congress Plaza Hotel
  • Art Institute of Chicago 0.3 mi
  • Willis Tower 0.6 mi
  • Aon Center 0.7 mi
  • Trump International Hotel and Tower 1.0 mi
  • Great Chicago Fire 1.0 mi
  • Chicago Merchandise Mart 1.1 mi
  • Haymarket affair 1.2 mi

Why no public rates?

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