A Needed Option in this Neighborhood
I was thrilled to see that the Joie de VIvre group was opening their first hotel in Chicago, especially in a wonderful neighborhood which didn't have many hotel options before. This location puts you in the middle of Old Town, a beautiful residential neighborhood which has a very vibrant commercial area, full of interesting restaurants and shops. You will be a couple of blocks away from the world-famous Second City comedy club (a must), the Chicago Historical Society museum, and right across from the Lincoln Park Zoo. I lived in Chicago for nearly 2 decades, so I enjoy going back and staying in an area where I feel like a resident rather than a visitor.
The reason I seek out Joie de Vivre hotels is that they typically offer fun design and good locations without a huge price tag, and the Hotel Lincoln delivers on this. Decor is funky with a retro vibe: not at all your cookie-cutter chain hotel feel, nor is it a 5-star luxury hotel feel. This is a big city boutique hotel, so it was no surprise that the rooms were on the tight side. The 1920's architecture dictates the space allocation, to a certain extent, which means small rooms, but no smaller than at many other city hotels. The bathrooms have a sliding, rather than a swinging, door because the hallway is too narrow. Cool door, but zero sound privacy. The heating and cooling units below the windows were noisy and not functioning optimally. We stayed there after the hotel had only been open for a few weeks, and management knew there was a problem with this and was working on it.
Our Lakeview Junior Suite was a nice corner on a high floor, which we were given as a free upgrade, perhaps because I'm a member of their loyalty club. I was with my husband and two children, so having TWO full bathrooms in our suite made getting out the door in the mornings much faster. Ask for a room away from the elevator to avoid hearing a very loud ding every time it stops on your floor. Very comfortable king bed, not so comfortable (to be expected) pull-out sofa bed. Room lighting was a bit dim and should be augmented. Room design and colors were interesting, trendy.
The very young staff usually was pleasant and tried to be helpful, although some seemed inexperienced. Although there was a bellhop at the front door, loading and unloading luggage from cars, no one ever offered to bring our luggage to the room. Housekeeping was generally very good, but one night, when we got back to our room, it hadn't been touched. After notifying the desk, we had to wait a while before housekeeping arrived. Second floor business center has big iMacs, but dial-up internet service is very slow. Having a very good coffee bar, Elaine's, off the lobby was much appreciated.
Would I stay here again? Yes. When I want to be in a "real" neighborhood, not in the middle of downtown or a tourist area, but still having plenty of action nearby, Hotel Lincoln fits the bill.