Name: HI Chicago Hostel
Address: 24 E Ida B Wells Drive, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America, Chicago, Illinois, US
Price range: $102–$404 per night
Rating: 8.6

What guests think

HI Chicago Hostel earns strong praise for its central Loop location, friendly staff, overall cleanliness, sense of security, and good value, while mixed feedback cites train noise, occasional maintenance or cleanliness lapses, and inconsistent or absent breakfast.

Many guests find rooms simple and comfortable for the price, though top bunks and ladders can be awkward and temperature control can vary. Large lounges, games, and guest activities foster a social vibe, and kitchens and lockers are handy, but elevators can be slow and some kitchen equipment or supplies may be limited. Expect a budget-friendly, central, social stay with a few trade-offs.

Facilities

Cleanliness

Rooms

Service

Location

Dining

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Facilities

Large common areas with games and workspaces plus frequent activities and tours are a highlight; kitchens and lockers are useful (bring your own lock). Drawbacks include slow or limited elevators, occasionally disabled or understocked kitchen gear, and paid bag storage.

Related guest reviews

10

Ella

Jul 22, 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

Everything was absolutely amazing when staying on this property! This was my second time staying at a hostel ever and it was so nice! The common area was super cute and had lots of fun stuff to do and help connect with other people there! Free coffee and tea and a really nice kitchen area as well! I also liked that they had the option to join fun activities and tours around Chicago, would’ve definitely done one if I had more time! Rooms were super clean, well maintained, and staff was amazing!

10

Fernando

Aug 19, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Felt safe. Good shower water pressure. Pool tables nice staff

10

Mathew

Apr 16, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Only one elevator was working and it was super slow. The free tours and events were great!

10

randall

Aug 3, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Fantastic kitchen

8

Emelie

Jul 7, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Had a great stay here, unfortunately storing your bag is not free.

10

Saurav

Jun 5, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

24 hours open check-in, private lockers, clean bathroom, great common area, lots of activities to partake in

8

Alistair

Dec 3, 2023

·

Stayed 7 nights

The proximity to Chicago's trains makes the location very convenient but also very noisy. An apt comparison would be good university dorms - shared toilets (unless you book a private room with ensuite), shared pantry (fridge microwave; stove was disabled and cookware/tableware was unavailable), shared laundry room, and lots of communal areas. Free breakfast is very appreciated and surprisingly decent. Try to plan your arrival around the check-in time, or your bed/room may not be ready.

6

Reid

Jul 19, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The internal signage wasn’t great, trying to figure out where breakfast was, for instance. But the breakfast was good, and the places to hang out were fabulous once I found them. Ask for earplugs! The front desk has them, and that makes the train noise bearable when you’re trying to sleep!

8

Karen

Jun 23, 2025

·

Stayed 10 nights

I had a wonderful time in Chicago. The Hostel was a great inexpensive option. The challenge was other residents not respecting the community rules and a few staff people not doing their jobs in the kitchen area. I made coffee numerous times. I cleaned the kitchen numerous times. A few times it was disgusting!

10

Eric

Jan 2, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Very clean, super friendly staff, the bed, pillows, blankets were super comfy. Right in the loop so easy access to all public transit. Second floor had two pool tables, ping pong, and many board games plus free events daily like trivia and tours. Highly recommend and will be staying with them again

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Cleanliness

Many guests describe rooms and bathrooms as clean, but there are recurring notes about hairs, stained linens, clogged or leaking fixtures, and messy kitchens.

Related guest reviews

10

Saketh Gajapathi

Nov 1, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Clean room, Friendly Staff

10

Nidhi

Nov 8, 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

Kitchen had all the facilities, was super clean and so were the rooms.

10

Emilia

Oct 26, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Clean, and very nice. The bathrooms were super clean and everything was up to date and it was just a very good experience overall. It was quiet even for being next to the train. I was surprised how quiet it was. Would book again.

8

Eric

Nov 13, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Great for the price, they didn't have any bottom bunks left which kind of sucked cause I'm a heavier guy, and there was hairs all over the restroom area.

6

Aulegra

Nov 3, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Bathrooms were not clean to be shared. Fridge was stocked with spoiled food although there was a sign that it will be cleaned out daily. You get what you pay for. Convenient area. Cool if you don’t mind all of that and the hostel set up.

10

Eric

Nov 18, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Clean room, friendly staff

10

Sonia

Mar 17, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Clean

8

Marty

Dec 4, 2024

·

Stayed 5 nights

Great hostel in downtown Chicago. Close to the lake, museums and park. Walkable with easy public transportation. Stayed in the 8 ladies room. The room roomy with 4 bunkbeds, lockers (lock not provided), shower, toilet and dual sink all separated. Could use a deep clean. Kitchen available for cooking with plenty of room for refrigeration. Good hot basic breakfast every morning. Coffee and tea wasn't always available. Occasional group dinner provided with social activities. Walking tours with local volunteers was very informative. Many international visitors.

6

Jillian

Sep 1, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Generally nice with average amenities. My provided towels and sheets were a bit dirty and stained. The area directly surrounding the hostel was a bit sketchy but 2/3 blocks over was nice. Despite advertised, there was no complimentary breakfast which was disappointing but staff was nice. Does the job.

10

Mindy

Nov 18, 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

The staff was very friendly and helpful. I love all the events they put on for the guests. The room was a great size and clean. The bathroom and showers were always clean.

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Rooms

Rooms are basic and generally comfortable with decent space and reliable Wi-Fi. Common concerns include train and street noise, awkward top-bunk ladders or missing curtains, and occasional HVAC or temperature issues.

Related guest reviews

2

Tre

Jul 28, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The thermostat was in another room and we couldn’t control it , the forks were on the 2nd floor, it was very cold and I had to get 2 extra blankets to take to the room, there were no coffee or tea or hot chocolate to keep warm. There was no breakfast. The elevator was so slow and people kept pushing the button so I was on the elevator for a long time. The microwave and fridge and sink were the three things that worked in the kitchen.

8

Linda

May 24, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

This property was not as comfortable as the HI Hostel I stayed in in Copenhagen last fall. Temperature control was all over the place. Freezing cold in my room and bathroom. Stuffy/warm on first 2 floors. Breakfast left a lot to desire. The sustainability factor in the breakfast area was great 1 day out of 3. The other two days it was all paper and plastic. The front desk staff were extraordinary when I checked in, utterly rummy from 2.5 days on the train.

10

Arianna

Aug 6, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The staff was friendly and it was easy to check in. They had a welcome event that I was able to go to and meet some people and have fun I enjoyed that. The room was clean the sink the bathroom shower the bed everything was nice and neat. The only problem I had was that the ladder going up to the top bunk was a little difficult to navigate. It was horizontal and bolted to the bed frame so it made going up and down a little scary. Overall I had a great experience and I will be more than happy to book with this hotel again.

10

MICHAEL

Mar 20, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Had room 710-3. Room was spacious, clean and had quaint, unnecessary iron and ironing board. There was an uncomfortable problem with the HVAC where the room temperature was 81 deg F at night and a loud, constant fan noise. No way to stop HVAC or adjust. Got a poor night's sleep.

6

Lydia

Sep 21, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

72 years old - ladder to upper bunk was straight up and down (not at an angle) - while I am in good shape (weekly yoga, Nordic walking, swimming), this was beyond difficult- while a lower bunk remained unused for a long time, front desk could not supply a lower bunk option.

10

Jon

Jan 20, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

No frills accommodation, but clean, quiet, and exceptionally convenient location. Excellent WiFi, decent continental breakfast, and an unbeatable price.

8

Michael

Oct 1, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Only one working elevator in a place that large was cumbersome with long wait times. At least 1/4 of the rooms have a mass transit rail line immediately outside the windows with a train going by every 6 minutes. Since I’m a light sleeper, I won’t be staying here again. The train did not bother my wife, who is a heavy sleeper.

6

Ernest

Jun 28, 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

Location is great, customer service was great (minus running out of towels one morning), however the AC not working in the upper floors during a hot stretch is my reason for the downgrade. Customer service was excellent about trying to get a fan to try to make the room somewhat useable. Windows dont open, so no luck getting any outside air to cool down the room. No water pressure for the shower, but thats dealwithable. Assuming the AC is fixed, i would absolutely stay here again just based on the customer service alone.

8

Albert

Aug 15, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Decent place for the price. Fairly typical for a hostel. Very noisy due to being adjacent to the L train. Ear plugs essential.

10

Eriqa

Sep 30, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

HI Hostel was awesome. I stayed here twice, the first time I got the best room I've ever had in a hostel with privacy curtains and not too crowded, as well as a common area only for the two dorm rooms adjacent, besides the main common area on another floor. The only downside was the insanely small cupboards for your things, you cannot lock your bag away anywhere. The second time I ended up in a room without privacy curtains either, which was a let down.

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Service

Staff are widely praised as friendly, welcoming, and helpful, with smooth check-in and quick assistance like room changes. Some reports mention inconsistent communication or unhelpful responses.

Related guest reviews

8

Myrna

Oct 8, 2023

·

Stayed 5 nights

My group and I truly enjoyed our stay! Staff was super helpful and our stay was quite pleasant! My only issue was with our reservation. We booked through Expedia and were at the front desk checking in for over 45 minutes. If you book for the hostel ( and please do it was very worth it ), book directly with them instead of through Expedia. Expedia messed up my reservation and we had to rebook after a long flight. Otherwise, it was an excellent stay in the dorms and private rooms!

10

Leland

Jun 3, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

The staff were friendly, check in was quick and easy. Really enjoyed the property!

4

Theo L

Jan 4, 2023

·

Stayed 19,360 nights

Staff is what disappointed me most. Lack of communication. Asking for late check out day before but next day house keeping trying to kick me out and i said i already told front desk yesterday for late check out. She even asking for key and i was sick that's why i need to rest. After Storming in to my room in and out and rude. After i told them they said they didn't have anything say i want late check out. Seriously!? Then she said i have to come down to pay to stay. I have 99F fever! First be nice when talking to people not treating like a homeless shelters if i don't have money i wouldn't ask for late check out. Place is loud can hear next room talking and i got sick because of you guys has no proper blanket! I was sleeping in cold shaking! Had to grab towels to cover myself. It was 2 night in hell on new year. I thought it nice location that's why i got this place. If i know they have linen cover some dusty (don't even know what's it call) fake blanket in 25F in Chicago. Nope. Beside that just...... No coffee. It's the first hostel I've been that has breakfast but no coffee

10

Kevin

Aug 4, 2025

·

Stayed 5 nights

Staff was above and beyond

10

Tabitha

Jun 5, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

The staff were super friendly and helpful. The place was clean and very welcoming. The air was not working in our room so the staff quickly moved us to another room. They were very accommodating. They are also kid friendly. I stayed with my 13 year old son. He had so much fun playing pool and ping pong with lots of different people. Great experience!

10

Menya

Nov 18, 2024

·

Stayed 4 nights

I spent 4 nights at the property in a 4-bed dorm and had a good time. First night was rough because I was assigned a top bunk and had to use the toilet a lot. But I went downstairs and they switched me to another room right away.

8

Oscar

Sep 1, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

It was interesting to meet and interact diverse people. Perfect location. Attention could have been better, staff felt a bit cold, not very welcoming.

2

AKASH

Jun 12, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Rude staff, unclean property and looks very shady

10

Angel

Nov 10, 2025

·

Stayed 5 nights

Staff knows me upon arrival. Very welcoming.

10

Angel

Nov 10, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The staff was exceptionally amazing.

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Location

Central Loop location near trains, buses, and major sights makes getting around easy. Several guests noted unhoused people and street noise nearby, though many still felt safe.

Related guest reviews

10

Jesse

Sep 16, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Homeless camp 24/7 smells like urine outside the door of property.

10

Elaine

Aug 3, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Very well located hostel!

10

Christopher

Oct 8, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Wow! What an incredible place. Central location, clean, friendly, convenient to everything in downtown Chicago and all the train lines. Would definitely stay again, 10/10

10

Sarah

Aug 5, 2025

·

Stayed 5 nights

This is by far the best hostel I've ever stayed at! Stayed here for Lolla and it was a quick 5min walk, just one block over. Easy access to anywhere in the loop, great transportation, felt very safe as a solo female traveler. Loved it!

10

Hammad

Oct 28, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Central location , clean rooms , comfortable

10

William

Sep 29, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

Amazing location close to transport and tourist spots. The staff was friendly and very helpful. It was nice being able to store my bags with them before my second room was ready after extending my stay in the city. There's free breakfast - nothing extravagant, but free and appreciated. The place is quiet and very clean, cleaner than some hotels I've stayed at during previous visits to the city. I went with a private room because it was my first time staying at a hostel, but I'd honestly be fine with one of the multi person dorms after seeing the atmosphere. I'll definitely stay again whenever I visit Chicago!

10

Boonthida

Aug 3, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The hostel is located in the center of the city where “ can go anyway by walk. It is super close to grant park and the cloud gate. The room is clean and quiet.

10

Jennifer

Oct 22, 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

Great location. Variety of offerings. Great experience all around for me!

10

Devesh

Oct 21, 2025

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Stayed 3 nights

The location is incredible. Loved the kitchen too. I especially loved the social programs… including the trivia quiz which I ended up winning, making ye stay even more memorable. One issue though is that there were only 1 bathroom and shower for every 8 persons. That ratio could have been better. And there was only one additional common bathroom and shower on each floor.

10

Gabriel Sarahi

Aug 20, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The place is well located, close to all types of transportation and really close to main downtown so it’s pretty much walkable and has nice areas to spend time at with nice views

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Dining

A basic free breakfast is offered in many stays but availability and variety are inconsistent, and a few guests reported no breakfast. A convenient cafe or restaurant next door provides additional options.

Related guest reviews

6

Brian

Aug 11, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

No breakfast provided as was described in amenities when booked. Policy notice was on property notifying of change (since booking) but no effort was made to tell me prior to arrival. A meal option not included as described is a significant change in terms

8

Ericka

Nov 25, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The bed was super duper comfy, we had the private room with a king bed. keep in mind, the bathrooms are separate it wasn't clear when booking. The staff was really nice, and it looks like they offer group activities. The restaurant connected to hostel was really good too.

10

Emmi

Apr 8, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Hi Chicago was a great hostel exceeding my expectations! It was very clean, comfortable and had a big hangout area and kitchen. Every bed had their own lamp and socket and the shower and toilet was always clean. Getting free breakfast was a huge bonus! Loved my stay and would recommend it to anyone

10

Sabina

Mar 7, 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

Great hostel in a great location, the highlights are free breakfast and group activities- I would stay there again!

10

Jon

Jan 20, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

No frills accommodation, but clean, quiet, and exceptionally convenient location. Excellent WiFi, decent continental breakfast, and an unbeatable price.

10

Laarni

Feb 28, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

It was easy. Great for the price amd i really like the breakfast and the recreation room

8

Elzbieta

Aug 14, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Hi Chicago is my to go hostel when I am at Chicago loop. The location is perfect, it is clean and affordable. I stayed in 4 beds women room without the bathroom and had a good night sleep. Cafecito is also convenient next to the hostel.

10

Zarifa

Feb 10, 2024

·

Stayed 14 nights

Awesome as always, larger than New York and San Diego! Huge comp breakfast, Cuban cafe. I like the food choices in NY better, but I don't remember a comp breakfast in NY. Great view!

8

Christine

Jul 31, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Toilets were clogged in our room. No more complimentary breakfast :-( Staff is always friendly but was smoking outside of the hotel. Always clean, cafeteria lounge area was up and lit at 2am, surprisingly. The roomies are always friendly.

8

Gurhan

Aug 1, 2024

·

Stayed 8 nights

Definitely need more options for breakfast. Maybe some veggies like lettuce and tomato to make a sandwich with the toast breads and cheese. Boiled eggs are always cold, I wish there were hot boiled eggs too. Juice, milk, tea and coffee, blueberry muffins, apples and/or bananas, bagels and a fee cereal options good. Events are very nice, varied and informative, bringing people together.

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Month	Average price
January	$71
February	$80
March	$105
April	$109
May	$155
June	$166
July	$166
August	$172
September	$150
October	$158
November	$98
December	$83

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16 $207	17	18	19
20 $124	21 $116	22 $121	23 $124	24 $164	25 $213	26 $212
27 $120	28 $122	29 $116	30 $116

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
				1 $118	2 $163	3
4 $142	5 $120	6 $124	7 $163	8 $219	9	10
11 $404	12 $179	13 $122	14 $126	15 $174	16 $231	17 $190
18 $147	19 $102	20 $153	21 $160	22 $147	23 $187	24 $182
25 $112	26 $121	27 $117	28 $121	29 $122	30 $161	31 $160

Select dates to see prices and availability

Monthly average prices

About this property

Location

Room options

Private One-Bedroom Suite Ensuite

Bed in Men's 4-Bed Dorm

Bed in Women's 8-Bed Dorm Ensuite

Twin Over Full Bunk Bedroom

Bed in Women's 10-Bed Dorm

Bed in Men's 8-Bed Dorm Ensuite

Bed in Men's 6-Bed Dorm Ensuite

Full Size Bed

Bed in Women's 4-Bed Dorm

Bed in All-Gender 4-Bed Dorm

King Size Bed

Bed in Men's 10-Bed Dorm

Bed in Women's 6-Bed Dorm Ensuite

Guest reviews

Fabulous

Who stays here?

What guests think

Property Policies

Check-in instructions

Good to know

FAQs about HI Chicago Hostel

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Prices for upcoming dates