Pack earplugs
Good points first: This hotel is close to the O'Hare airport (this will also be a bad point), the bed was comfortable and the sheets and towels were very soft. The fridge and microwave came in handy. The front desk staff was okay; all young and immature. Bad points: The entire hotel needs an upgrade, the curtains and furniture were filthy and the noise was intolerable. I went to Walgreens and prompty purchased high grade ear plugs to block the constant airplane noise as well as the noisy hallway and adjacent rooms. The hotel has poor insulation and you can hear people talking in other rooms but again earplugs was my answer. The pool was not filled. This is okay for an overnight jaunt, but unfortunately I stayed there a lot longer. You can catch the blue line ('L' ) catty-corner from the hotel. Then switch to the red line at Jackson to get into the city. I did this everyday and had no problem getting around. Buy a CTA pass for best value (hop on and off all busses and trains). There is a Dominicks grocery a short walk north of the hotel. A good Chicago eat fairly close to the Holiday Inn is Gino's East, but I like to go to Rogers Park for more diverse and authentic food. Find something unique off of Devon, Howard or Clark Street from Jamaican to Mediterranean food.