Holiday Inn Express Hotel Cass

Originally dubbed the Hotel Cass, this property is housed in a 16-story Beaux Arts building that dates from 1925. Evidence of the original structure can be seen in the small but classy hotel lobby, which has beautifully arched floor-to-ceiling windows and parquet floors beneath the marble-top front desk. The lobby flows into a larger area where breakfast is served. Leather padded benches wind along the walls, making for lots of comfortable sitting areas. A lovely painting of the old building hangs above a white-marble fireplace, and vintage art posters pay homage to the building’s history. The adjacent Solarium is long and narrow, and resembles a classic diner, with black-and-white tile floors, red-leather and steel-frame chairs, and black granite tables. The vibe is quiet, and except for at breakfast, the mix of leisure and business travelers don’t linger much in the public spaces.

The hotel is centrally located in the heart of River North, an area packed with shopping and dining choices, and it’s a three-minute walk to Michigan Avenue’s Magnificent Mile. A Trader Joe’s is across the busy street, and the Water Tower and Wrigley Building are a six-minute walk. The John Hancock Center is an eight-minute walk away, and the Museum of Contemporary Art is a 10-minute walk. Millennium Park is a 14-minute walk away. The Red Line subway is a four-minute walk from the hotel, with easy connections to the airports and other parts of the city. Subway rides to Wrigley Field, United Center, and McCormick Place are 21, 35, and 40 minutes, respectively. It takes approximately 40 minutes to drive O’Hare International Airport (55 minutes by subway), and 27 minutes to drive to Midway International Airport (37 minutes by subway).

With icy gray as the dominant color, the hotel's 174 rooms are urban and polished, if a bit serious. Furniture is sparse as well. Platform beds in white bedding is accented by mint-green bed skirts and padded headboards. Stand-out features include gray granite-top desks with ornamental legs. Rooms are also small (145 to 250 square feet), with tiny closets with petite, three-drawer dressers. In Double Rooms, there’s scant space to exit the two beds, and desk chairs are the only seating. King and Queen Rooms are slightly larger, and add small benches. Standard amenities for all room categories include coffeemakers, voice mail, safes, 37-inch flat-screen TVs, and free Wi-Fi. Some rooms have mini-fridges and microwaves. Bathrooms, too, are cramped, but they sport chic subway tile and lattice-print wallpaper. They have small wood vanities with square white ceramic basin sinks and shower/tub combos with rainfall showerheads. Narrow shelves above the sinks provide space for a few toiletries. The hotel is located on a busy street in the heart of downtown, and rooms on lower floors pick up a bit of traffic noise. 

The amenities at this Holiday Inn Express are pretty standard for the brand. A hot breakfast buffet is included in the rates, and comes with meat dishes and eggs. Coffee, tea, and ice water are available in the lobby all day, and vending machines sell snacks and drinks. The hotel has an attached parking garage, with self-parking and valet options, but both are expensive. The small fitness center is open 24/7 and includes both weight-training and cardio equipment, along with free weights. The business center has multiple computer stations with internet access and a printer. Wi-Fi is free throughout the property, and valet dry-cleaning and laundry services are available. Free newspapers are available in the lobby as well.