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3 Best Motels in Chicago (2026)

Independently ranked by our review of ratings, reviews and reputation · How we chose

Lorian Hartfield
By Lorian Hartfield, Real Estate and Financial Expert · ✓ Data verified July 2026 · 7 min read

A motel booking in Chicago usually comes down to one thing: will the room be there and clean when you actually arrive after a long drive or a late flight. Between them, the motels on this page have racked up just over 8,100 Google reviews, and the ratings run from 3.9 to 4.6, a gap that matters more than it looks once you read what's actually driving it.

Short answer: Hotel Blake, Ascend Hotel Collection is the strongest pick for motels in Chicago, holding a 4.6 rating across 2,011 reviews, with guests repeatedly praising the front desk and bell staff by name. Ohio House Motel is the more traditional motel choice at 4.3 from 1,366 reviews, a vintage River North property that's been open since 1960. Motel 6 Schiller Park is the budget option near O'Hare at 3.9 from 4,749 reviews, the most reviewed of the three but also the most mixed on room condition.
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Chicago's motels, side by side

# Business Rating Reviews Best for
1 Hotel Blake, Ascend Hotel Collection 4.6 2,011 Overall / boutique motel experience View ›
2 Motel 6 Schiller Park, IL - Chicago O'Hare 3.9 4,749 Budget stay near O'Hare View ›
3 Ohio House Motel 4.3 1,366 Classic downtown motel in River North View ›
3 Best Motels in Chicago (2026)

Our top picks, reviewed

Hotel Blake, Ascend Hotel Collection logo
#1 Overall

Hotel Blake, Ascend Hotel Collection

4.62,011 Google reviews

Hotel Blake is a boutique property in the South Loop, part of the Ascend Hotel Collection, a short walk from Grant Park and the Loop's main attractions. It leans upscale for a motel-adjacent stay, with a full-service front desk and bell staff rather than a bare-bones check-in counter. Reviewers describe long-tenured staff, some with the property for decades, and a lobby set up for lingering rather than just passing through. The building sits a little further from the main tourist strip, which guests note trades some walkability for a quieter block.

What people praise

  • Front desk and bell staff called out by name repeatedly across reviews
  • Rooms described as spacious and consistently clean
  • Easy access to CTA and public transit
  • Housekeeping praised as thorough and unobtrusive
  • Attached to Meli Cafe for breakfast

Worth knowing

  • No pool on site
  • Set slightly back from the busiest tourist corridor
Reputation scorecardrank in Chicago
Rating4.6 / 5
Review volume2,011 · 73th
Confidencevery high
Recency3 weeks ago
Info completenesssite · phone
Rating breakdown71% 5-star
✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: Hotel Blake earns the top spot on the strength of its 4.6 rating held across a real volume of reviews, and guests keep returning to the same detail: staff who remember their names.

500 S Dearborn St, Chicago, IL 60605

Motel 6 Schiller Park, IL - Chicago O'Hare logo
#2↩ Responds to reviews

Motel 6 Schiller Park, IL - Chicago O'Hare

3.94,749 Google reviews

Motel 6 Schiller Park sits just outside O'Hare, the airport-adjacent option for travelers who need a bed near the terminal rather than a base for exploring downtown. It's part of the national Motel 6 chain, so the room format is standard and the price point is the draw. Management responds to nearly every review, positive or negative, which is unusual for a budget property at this volume.

What people praise

  • Convenient for airport convention-center traffic
  • Affordable compared to downtown options
  • 24/7 front desk staff praised for hospitality on good stays
  • Management actively responds to guest feedback

Worth knowing

  • Room condition and cleanliness are inconsistent across reviews
  • Airport noise is a recurring complaint given the flight path overhead
Reputation scorecardrank in Chicago
Rating3.9 / 5
Review volume4,749 · 98th
Confidencehigh
Recency7 weeks ago
Info completenesssite · phone
Rating breakdown60% 5-star
✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: This is the highest-review-volume motel on the page by a wide margin, and it ranks third because that volume comes with a wider spread of experiences. Book it for proximity to O'Hare, not for a polished stay.

9408 Lawrence Ave, Schiller Park, IL 60176

Ohio House Motel logo
#3↩ Responds to reviews

Ohio House Motel

4.31,366 Google reviews

Ohio House Motel is a vintage motel in River North that's been welcoming guests since 1960, a rare surviving example of a classic Chicago motel inside the downtown core. It sits minutes from the Magnificent Mile, Millennium Park, and Navy Pier, and the property leans into its retro character rather than hiding it. The site describes clean, cozy rooms and on-site amenities aimed at a stress-free, no-frills stay.

What people praise

  • Genuine downtown location near major landmarks
  • Clean rooms and comfortable beds noted across reviews
  • Friendly, efficient check-in and check-out
  • Walkable to restaurants and shops

Worth knowing

  • Room AC is centrally controlled rather than guest-adjustable
  • Thin walls between rooms
Reputation scorecardrank in Chicago
Rating4.3 / 5
Review volume1,366 · 57th
Confidencehigh
Recency4 weeks ago
Info completenesssite · phone
Rating breakdown57% 5-star
✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: Ohio House ranks in the middle on a strong rating with a smaller review base than Motel 6, the trade-off of a boutique-scale classic motel over a national chain property.

600 N La Salle Dr, Chicago, IL 60654

4

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How we score

Rating is the live Google average for each motel. Review volume measures how many guests actually rated them, weighed against every other motel in the city. Confidence blends the two, so a strong rating built on thousands of reviews scores higher than the same rating on a handful. Recency checks how recently people are still leaving reviews, since a property can change fast. No business can pay to change any of these numbers.

How much does a motel cost in Chicago? (2026)

Motel rates in Chicago swing hard by neighborhood and season. Airport-adjacent budget motels run well below downtown boutique properties, and rates spike during conventions, Cubs homestands, and summer festival weekends.

Serving all of Chicago

These motels cover a real spread of the city, from the South Loop and River North downtown to Schiller Park near O’Hare. Wherever you land, whether you’re heading straight to a Cubs game at Wrigley or catching a flight out, there’s a motel near you covered on this list.

What to ask before you book a motel in Chicago

  • Is parking included or an extra fee?
  • What’s the cancellation policy for a last-minute change of plans?
  • Is the AC/heat individually controlled in the room?
  • How far is the nearest CTA stop or bus line?
  • Is breakfast included, and if so, what does it actually include?
  • What’s the noise level like, especially for rooms near elevators or main roads?

Frequently asked questions

Are these rankings paid?

No. Rankings come from public Google data. A business can pay to be a Featured Partner (badge and top placement), but that never changes another business’s score or position.

How did you choose these motels?

We pulled real Google ratings and review data for motels operating in Chicago, then ranked them by a blend of rating, review volume, and how recently people are still reviewing them.

How often is this updated?

This page was verified in July 2026 and gets refreshed periodically as new reviews come in.

Is a motel near O’Hare a good choice if I’m not flying out early?

It depends on your plans. Airport-adjacent motels are convenient for early flights or late arrivals, but you’ll spend more time commuting if your trip is centered downtown.

Do Chicago motels typically include parking?

It varies by property. Some include it, some charge a daily fee, especially in denser downtown areas like River North.

The bottom line

For most travelers, Hotel Blake is the safest default: a strong rating held across real volume, with staff guests keep naming by name. If you need something right by the airport, Motel 6 gets the job done, just book with your expectations calibrated to the price. Check the cancellation policy either way before you commit.

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