House 5863- Bed and Breakfast

I may not have read the small print but didn’t realize the bathroom for my room was in the hall and accessed by a keypad— very frustrating in the middle of the night. The shower pressure was terrible and there was no fan, just an open window. Breakfast food was minimal and full of preservatives— clearly bought in bulk and intended to last a long time. Worst of all, my deposit of one night fee was not returned for two weeks.||||On the plus side, the neighborhood is lovely.

Stayed here almost 3 weeks, 12 “business days” ago, and have not received a deposit back which was extremely high for the space. Was put into a room different than the one which was booked and felt pushed out by the caretaker before checkout time. There were pubic hairs all over the shower and trouble with the shower water handle. I stay in rentals all over the country full time for work and would not recommend this to anyone and would absolutely never come back. Poor customer service, the free snacks are not worth the price nor the headache. The lack of communication and straight up robbery of my deposit for a room I left tidy and barely used is really upsetting. The hotel I stayed at for two weeks afterwards had my deposit back yesterday, so just save yourself the hassle and get a room with a reliable business. Will update review if deposit is returned but seems doubtful after no response from text or email. Edit- I merely wrote a review about your own policies not being accurate. I have absolutely no idea what the “priest/ minister” comment is even about, very strange and believe you are confused maybe about a different guest. You can be nasty and lie if you’d like, the unhinged email about my sexuality can speak for itself. Thanks for outing yourself as a terrible person on top of a terrible business owner. Good luck in the future.

DO NOT BOOK THIS PROPERTY!! The owner will charge you more money than the advertisement states. He will ask for personal information that is irrelevant to your stay. He will ghost you when you’ve asked questions he doesn’t want to answer. I had to cancel my reservation because the dates got mixed up, but wanted to rebook for a later date. I was even going to upgrade to the larger room available. Expedia has tried to contact him, I have emailed, left a voicemail, and several texts. He has blocked me. Cowardly and unprofessional!! This property should be shut down.. I’ve had to resort to contacting my credit card company to get my “refundable” deposit back. Response to owner: WOW! You aren’t busy and know how to respond? I did contact Expedia.. who made several attempts to contact you. It was your lack of response that created this issue. Keep telling yourself you have a great establishment.. I shall never know. Your loss.

Safe and comfortable. The only thing I could ask for is more breakfast options like eggs and bacon.

BEWARE! OWNER IS A LIAR AND A FRAUDSTER. I WAS OVERCHARGED $170 OVER QUOTED PRICE. I waited OVER a month to see if I received ANY communication as to "why". NONE came. My only correspondence was a text thanking us for our stay. When I posted a less than stellar review, Owner LIED and said we damaged the room. AMEX is now checking into him. I have the City of Chicago (couple organizations) looking into his "alleged" FRAUD activities. ODDITY: Claims OVER 20 years in business but the website only has reviews going back 16 years. I realize that is only an "exaggeration" but is typical of his cavalier attitude towards basic business ethics. BTW, you libel me, and that's another offense against you. I HATE FRAUDSTERS

Was in Chicago to help celebrate a special event and House 5863 had an ideal location close to Andersonville - the pre-check in Covid vaccination requirement seemed a bit odd, but nonetheless we complied. Overall the accommodations were fine, nothing remarkable but generally satisfactory. One thing to note, however, was that the maintenance and cleanliness of the property - rooms and common areas - left quite a bit to be desired. Dust bunnies under the bed, water stains on the ceiling in the bathroom, and just a general lack of attention to detail in the cleanliness department in the common areas, including dusty floors and furniture. So probably not a come back place for us or a recommendation that we'd make for others, but if you're looking for a good Andersonville location and can overlook some of the issues we observed, House 5863 could be an option for you.

This B&B will be on my permanent list for a place to stay in Chicago! It's really an adorable and well-thought out abode. It has a kitchen, living room and beautiful outdoor deck for all guest to use. There are five hotel-like rooms with private bath and the rooms are very comfortable. ||||I know some reviews complain about the requirements of the facility, but really all you need to do is thoroughly read the requirements and follow them and you'll be okay. Erickson is a great host!

Please do not patronize this business. I booked a room via Hotels.com and when I tried to pay for it I was told it "didn't go through" and I needed to call the hotel with my credit card info. After I did this I found out I was charged a higher rate than on Hotels.com, and when I asked for a credit I was ghosted by the manager. I had no choice but to cancel my booking, which I did, and he didn't even return my security deposit of $150. I had to file a dispute with my credit card company, which was successful, and I received full credit, but I would never patronize someone so unethical no matter how nice their place.

We enjoyed our stay at House 5863 this past weekend. We were in town from Milwaukee for a quick visit to Chicago and this establishment met all of your needs. Checking in was a breeze. Check in times were clearly communicated and we were able to arrive on our schedule as all of the details we needed to gain entrance to the building and our room had been communicated to us prior to our arrival. The building itself is clean and cozy. Everything is on the 2nd floor. There is no elevator, but the stairs are wide and not at all hard to climb. If you do have trouble with stairs this might be something to consider, however. The 2nd floor has the guestrooms, a comfortable common area, and a kitchen area. We did not have time to hang out in the common area, but it looked like a nice space to relax: a comfy couch and some chairs, television, board games, writing desk. The kitchen was great. They have everything you need to cover the start of your day: cereal, oatmeal, pastries, coffee, juice, soda, fruit, and more. It's a help yourself kind of thing (you even load your own dishes in the dishwasher), but that makes it super convenient. You can just amble into the kitchen when you wake up and grab anything you want. This was a really nice feature. The room itself (we were in room 2) was clean and well appointed. It was not fancy, but it had everything we needed: bed, a place to hang up clothing and jackets, a television, a few chairs. The bed was comfortable. The room was a little warm and we could not figure out if we could adjust the heat, but adjusting the ceiling fan was all we eventually needed to make the room the right temperature. We had a private bathroom, but it was not attached to our room. We had to leave our room and cross the hallway. This was not a big deal for us, but something to think about if that kind of thing might make you uncomfortable. It looks like some of the rooms might contain a bathroom that is en suite, so if that is important to you maybe it is something you can request when you book your stay. The bathroom itself was clean. The shower was awesome, by the way. I really recommend staying here. It was comfy and cozy. The building itself was quiet. We could occasionally hear someone cough in another room, but it was not at all noisy. The neighborhood was also quiet. It's close to the L and within walking distance of some great restaurants and bars. We took advantage of the unseasonably warm weather and walked quite a bit Saturday night. There is quite a bit of street parking, but I recommend grabbing a spot before it gets too late. We parked around 4:30 and did not have trouble finding a spot, but when we came back for the night there did not appear to be many (if any) open spots. I'd say get a spot early and then use something like Lyft or public transportation to get around the city. We would definitely come back the next time we're looking for a place to stay in the city. It more than covered our needs and we really enjoyed our stay.

This is a nice little hotel on the surface, but the guy who runs it WILL CHARGE YOU HUNDREDS OF EXTRA DOLLARS without any reason or notice. My mom, my brother and I went on a trip to Chicago to visit some family, and my mom booked a room for us three. Upon booking it, she was charged as much as she was expecting, which was $271. But, when we arrived at the location and got our room, she was charged an extra $225 that was not listed or mentioned anywhere ahead of time: it was listed neither on the website or in discussion with our host. My mom, who paid for our stay, signed a document when we arrived at the location, but was rushed through to signing it because the owner was "in a big hurry." She was also not given a copy of the document she signed. When we flew home, she texted our host to ask about this extra payment, and there was no response from him. You are going to be paying twice as much as you think you will pay. Go to a nicer place instead, you will be paying the same amount anyways.

BEWARE FRAUDSTER. PLENTY of other places to stay that don't have REPEATED FRAUD in the reviews. BEWARE! OWNER IS A LIAR AND A FRAUDSTER. I WAS OVERCHARGED $170 OVER QUOTED PRICE. I waited OVER a month to see if I received ANY communication as to "why". NONE came. My only correspondence was a text thanking us for our stay. When I posted a less than stellar review, Owner LIED and said we damaged the room. AMEX is now checking into him. I have the City of Chicago (couple organizations) looking into his "alleged" FRAUD activities. ODDITY: Claims OVER 20 years in business but the website only has reviews going back 16 years. I realize that is only an "exaggeration" but is typical of his cavalier attitude towards basic business ethics. BTW, you libel me, and that's another offense against you. I HATE FRAUDSTERS. I DEFINITELY won't be trusting EXPEDIA in the future either. Wish I'd checked here and Trip Advisor FIRST :P

this hotel is a scam, the owner is a crook, he will respond to all reviews making up lies, but here this, we booked 2 nights for 300 dollars and he withdrew an unauthorized 600 dollars Citing a bunch of fees that were not originally in the booking. Im contesting the charges and reporting him to the better business bureau.

Looks nice on the outside but business-wise this is a SCAM : the proprietor has lots of miscellaneous fees and policies down in the fine print : he blames the customer if you are misled by how his business is represented on the internet. I originally booked via Expedia and then received the proprietors hidden fees and COVID-19 policies in an e-mail, after having made a non-refundable reservation - I am Vac'd, but after five vaccinations (original two plus 3 boosters) I have had enough of COVID-19 and the drama - I cancelled my reservation at his establishment for this reason - the proprietor claimed everything had been out in the open, yet his policies were not highlighted on the Expedia page that led me to make the original reservation - he claims this information is on his web site, but I didn't use his web site to make the reservation, I used Expedia - So pox on "House 5863" and Expedia !!! Beware of businesses who screw their customers.

I got this room for family members for one night when I moved to Chicago. We had a long drive and knew we would be checking in late. We tried to contact the property but couldn't get anyone to answer the phone. They finally decided to call me and threatened not to let us check in because it was getting to be too late. Thankfully, we got there in time to check in before they canceled the room. We booked the room for $114 for one night. There was no parking charge as I live around the corner and could easily walk or drive to pick my family up. Once they checked out, this place charged me over $300 for the room. I have been trying to get ahold of someone and yet again no one ever answers the phone. I have tried to go in person and still can't get anyone to help. I would avoid this place at all costs. Go somewhere else where you can actually get customer service. I went ahead and disputed the charge with my bank. Unlike what the owner says, we did check in and provided proof of vaccination. We have copies of the texts as well. I did not lose my dispute. I just submitted it less than 20 minutes ago. This guy is nuts. I never walked into the place. My family that stayed there don't even speak English. How were they rude and belligerent? This whole thing is crazy. I just wanted a phone call or for him to answer. If he does this to me, he will do it to you too. When people are driving for over 24 hours, we don't check emails consistently. At first you said we never stayed there. Now you know we did. You then said I was banned. That never happened. You then said I lost my dispute. The dispute hasn't even processed yet. Get your story and facts straight. You need to research before you type. JUST ANSWER THE PHONE OR CALL CUSTOMERS BACK. I JUST SENT A TEXT TOO AND IT WENT WITHOUT A RESPONSE. This whole review was about being overcharged with no explanation.

Don't do it! It was a nightmare. 1) make reservations on hotels.com and pay. 2)recieve an email from establishment wanting proof of vaccination 3) i can't provide proof for my daughter, so I ask for a cancelation and a refund from establishment. 4)establishment told me to call Hotels.com (knowing perfectly well the refund has to come from the establishment) 5) establishment propmtly blocks me 6) hours of my life I can't get back on the phone with Hotels.com, and they are unable to contact the establishment (they are also being screened or blocked) 7) realize they actually charged me $200 more than I reserved the room for. (386.75 total for one night) 8) file fraudulent charge claim with bank 9) pile on the negative reviews and F ratings on BBB. Lesson learned. I will get my money back. But this guy is a borderline sociopath. You cannot just take from people. I hope you will also learn a lesson someday soon. You will get farther in life showing honesty and friendliness. I'm not sure how you live with yourself.

Use extreme caution when reserving a room with Erickson. I made a reservation and he continued to send emails saying there was a problem with my payment., which there was not. He then began sending me texts message saying that he was going to cancel my reservation and give it to someone else. I attempted to call him several times to understand what he was doing, he failed to return calls. He later returned a text and said not to come for my reservation and that he was keeping my money and charging the other renter, double dipping. There are other reviews indicating the same scenario. I highly recommend not dealing with a con man

I had a bad experience with this hotel and wish I had read some of the previous reviews before booking. Indeed, the owner is just not a nice guy. If you book here, be aware that he will charge $182 for incidentals on top of your room fee and he only returns $150. When I inquired about this, he said it was a COVID-19 surcharge. It's explained in the fine print that only 150 is returned, but it doesn't explain why. And the fine print is quite small, so get your glasses out! I think it's very deceptive not to advertise it upfront as an extra charge. I plan to file a complaint just because I think it's shady. To top it off, I had to cancel because of testing positive for COVID-19. Rooms are non-refundable and he was not at all willing to consider letting me reschedule, even though I'd only booked two days earlier. That's fine--totally his prerogative. But he still kept the $32 covid surcharge (presumably for extra cleaning?) even though he no longer needed to clean my room). I know there's nothing technically wrong with that--but just pretty unfriendly not to meet me half way in a tough situation. Very unpleasant to communicate with. Would definitely recommend avoiding this business.

This place is a scam. Do not book a room at 5863! The property owner canceled our reservation before we arrived for no reason, and still wouldn't issue a refund. I will not rest until we get our money back.

This place is a scam! We booked a reservation for House 5863 through Hotels.com for $300.08 plus a refundable $150 security deposit. We were then understandably surprised to find that we had been charged $515.10 ($65 dollars over the agreed-upon price, if you assume this included the security deposit). We reached out to Erick to see what was going on and he claimed there were extra fees for the room and that "every guest pays the same fees". In short, after some back and forth with Erick and then Hotels.com, during which we requested that our original price be honored, Erick went ahead and canceled our booking, without our consent, returning only the $150 dollar deposit and keeping the remaining $365 under the guise that we had canceled a nonrefundable booking (keeping in mind that we never asked to cancel). We have filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and intend to sue if need be. Please avoid House 5863 at all costs and think twice about Hotels.com. We have been robbed by Erick. You will notice that anytime someone posts a bad review, Erick claims that they were rude and that they have been banned from the property. The reality is that Erick is incredibly rude and a criminal. A few minutes after posting my first review, he called to yell at me over the phone. Apparently, he threatened another reviewer with putting their driver's license info up on the web. Stay away!

This place is horrible. Stay away! We booked a room for $125, and they withdrew $350 from our bank account ($225 deposit on a $125 room, apparently), then they canceled the reservation for no reason, and then they refused to refund the money, saying it was a non-refundable reservation. But YOU'RE the ones who canceled it! We will get our money back, but we might have to get lawyers involved, unfortunately.

The name is boring but that's where boring ends. These guys run an awesome B&B! Modern and well decorated, the vibe is easy and clean with an air of freshness and hip. Across the street from a beautiful park on a tree-lined quiet street, this is a gem and worth the higher than normal price for a B&B. The most amazing part of this experience is the kitchen. They describe the food as a continental breakfast but, if that's what this is, it's far above and beyond the normal. Fresh fruit, many cereals, milk, orange juice, pastries, fresh eggs, bagels, even some classic trail mix! And that's only about 10% of what is available! Dishes, pots and pans, a stove... And it's all maintained and refreshed daily. Only one little issue: I booked it through Hotel Tonight and the guys have not figured out how to pass the self-check in codes through that service to the guest. I had to call them to get in the building. Great job guys! If I ever start a B&B, this is my new standard! As far as the earlier reviews, I'm perplexed. It seems people either love this place or hate it. I met one of the owners and had a phone conversation with the other. I believe I'm a good judge of character and I didn't pick up any bad energy from either one. I'm not saying bad stuff doesn't happen, but credit card fraud, tossing luggage into the street, and yelling and screaming at guests are just not happening or these guys would be in prison - or out of business at the least. This is a B&B - not the Four Seasons. Don't expect to not hear some noises from the kitchen and such.

This is an interesting review for me. I am torn somewhere between 3 1/2 and four stars. It was an interesting stay, with some ups and downs. Read on for more... *Positives*: I liked the self check in setup. It was fast and easy. I was sent a clear email and a text message before I arrived that contained the code to the front door and to my room. I stayed in room number five. That all went very smoothly, no hiccups. The common areas and the rooms are really well decorated and comfortable and well appointed, there are plenty of TVs, a nice little kitchen stocked with food, bowl of candy in the common area and overall really nice. My room, number five, was very comfortable, nice big bed, decent bathroom, enough space for me and probably another person if I wasn't going solo this trip. Had lots of windows, with good shades that could be opened to overlook a small courtyard. I really liked that the kitchen was stocked with bread, fruit, water, soda, yogurt, eggs and everything you might need for a nice breakfast or snack. Yes, water was from Costco, bagels, fruit, yogurt, cereal, eggs, peanut butter and jelly were from the store, but what would one expect? They were good, and all similar to what we all buy for ourselves every day. No complaints there, I was glad to have them. Nice soap and shampoo, conditioner and lotion in the bathroom, did the job and smelled good. When I briefly needed the onsite manager person, he was there and responded. Why did I need him? That's the next section. *Negatives*: Room #5 is right next to the kitchen. I understand, some room has to be and that can't be avoided. However, even as a deep sleeper, every dish clank, pot/pan bang, silverware drop, etc in the kitchen can be heard in that room. Beautiful wood floors, but wow does that sound carry. Not the end of the world, I'd rather have the kitchen than not. Bathroom light out and faucet loose, again, not huge, just needed some attention, preferably before the guest arrives if possible. Grabbed a bagel out of the plastic sleeve and it was covered in mold. I'm not easily spooked, so again, this wasn't the end of the world, I simply threw that one out and grabbed another one, checking it closely and carefully, of course. Here's the part that most concerned me. I went to take a shower and there was no water. No water in the shower, toilet or sink. Obviously, I was surprised and concerned. I needed to take a shower, shave and get dressed for an important meeting. I texted the manager/owner to ask what was happening and waited several minutes, no response. I stepped outside my room and found a cleaning person who told me that the water was out and should be on in about 20 minutes. Thank goodness I wasn't in the shower, covered in soap when the water stopped, but that was only by luck. I went downstairs and knocked on the owners/managers door to verify the "20 minutes." He answered promptly and was nice enough and explained that a pipe had broken and they were getting it fixed. These things happen, pipes break and that's not really his fault. However, he had previously texted me the entrance codes and clearly had contact information for those of us staying with them. If the water was going to be off, it would have been appropriate to receive a text letting us know proactively so we weren't caught in a bad situation. The water came back on shortly there after and everything was fine, but the lack of proactive communication was a concern. *Overall*: I enjoyed my stay here and didn't have any overwhelmingly negative experiences. If I were less laid back, some of the things mentioned above may have bothered me more. Would I stay here again? Yes, if I were in the area I believe I would. And, I want to believe that if you stay here, you will have a good experience also. So, I am going to give this business the benefit of the doubt and round up to four stars.

**The business waited nearly 2 years to respond to this review. You may find my response at the end of this review** Generally I am very relaxed, easy going, & understanding of most situations. However, my experience with this establishments was beyond POOR. I work as a consultant and I am visiting Chicago for the work week. Being that Chicago is in full blown tourist season - the majority of hotels were sold out or had extremely high rates. My first night - I actually stayed about 50 minutes outside of the city which was terribly inconvenient being that the facilities that I needed to visit were all inside the city of Chicago. So the morning after my first night at around 9:00 am - I thought I'd take a chance and see if anything opened up. To my surprise, the webpage reflected that this establishment had an opening for the 3 upcoming nights that I needed - YES!! I was so excited that I booked it right away! I received a confirmation and went about my work day. ***Things took a turn when I arrived to the establishment. I got to the front door with my bags in tow only to find that the door was locked. I knocked - no answer. I rang the buzzer - no answer. So I pulled out my cell and called the number listed - a woman answered (I did not get a name) I kindly told her I was there to check in but that the doors were locked. She asked for my name so that she could see what room number I was in and placed me on hold. She comes back to the line and says - I CANCELLED YOUR RESERVATION. I'm sure you can imagine my surprise to hear this. I asked why? how? please explain? (I'm slightly panicking as I know the hotel availability is slim to none at this point!) She GOES CRAZY over the phone! I'm in a state of shock. I can't believe that a business owner would ever speak to a potential patron the way that she was speaking to me. She is literally yelling and tells me that she sent an email stating that she cancelled my reservation at 7:14am that morning. (Mind you - I didn't make my reservation until 9:00 am that morning! Hmmm???) Although, I know that I never received such notice i immediately open my email again from my cell to verify its not in my spam folder - nothing! I told her that I didn't get any cancelation email whatsoever. Still screaming, she says IT'S NOT MY PROBLEM IF YOU DON'T READ YOUR EMAILS. My entire livelihood revolves around constant communication via email, phone, text etc. So needless to say - I check my phone MORE than several times a day. After all - had her statement been true - I find it hard to believe that myself or anyone would still show up attempting to check in somewhere that they "don't have a room". It was an awful situation to be in. She was terribly nasty, aggressive, & offensively accusing. She finally just hung up the phone as I was telling her that none of the things she was saying made sense and that it was inaccurate. I'm still near the entrance and I start surfing the Internet from my phone attempting to figure out what I should do next. Suddenly, the door flings open and a man is standing there with a laptop in his hand with just as awful of an attitude. Insisting that they were right and I was wrong. I told him how unprofessional they were and that their communication system was awful and walked away. Being the joyful person that I am, I couldn't stand their toxicity being spewed for another second. Overall, I would never recommend that anyone visit this establishment knowing that this is how potential guests are treated. Fortunately for me, I got a last minute steal at a WELCOMING hotel that is cozy and comfortable. :) *Response to establishment's note below: 1.) Why has it taken nearly TWO YEARS for anything to be said about this? 2.) HIGHLY unlikely that my AMEX corporate card was declined while being out for a week of business travel. Per Hotels.com's (NOT EXPEDIA ) customer service department, there is no way for a patron to have a confirmed reservation w/o an approval of sufficient funds available. YOU ARE LYING. 3.) You DID NOT send a notice about the cancellation 24 hours in advance because the booking was made the same day as the reservation. Furthermore, no documentation was received on that day which was part of the original complaint!See description above for reference. 4.) Regardless of the payment transaction, there's NO EXCUSE for the animal-like behavior displayed by your staff. P.S. - I've had about 4 people message me since this was originally posted whom also shared poor experiences at this establishment. This is nothing more than an attempt to "save face". Business as usual I suppose...

So you are looking for some finer lodging on the north side? Here it is - House 5863, a truly innovative variation (self-titled "hip urban rooms") on the standard doily-filled B & B. My hubby and I had a few guests stay here during our wedding weekend and all were extremely happy with the stay. There is a spacious common living area with a flat screen TV and carefully chosen, modern decor, a nicely planted back deck, a large kitchen stocked with a great selection of complementary drinks and breakfast items, and each room included a comfy robe. The House has only 5 rooms but prices are quite reasonable (small room for 99 dollars) and I am curious about the deluxe suite that occupies the entire bottom floor and sleeps six!

Never got to stay here and I would not recommend anyone stay here. Erick the proprietor requires full amount and it is non refundable, even during this awful pandemic. Most hotels just run your card or have you pay a Deposit. Erick required the entire amount and then when I simply asked for a portion of the money back because I could not go to the school because of covid, Erick would not make any exception to his rules. He said if I left him a bad review, He would be putting my drivers license on the web, illegal and he hoped someone coughs on me. How unprofessional. Even if he didn't do what I wanted him to do, this behavior-is uncalled for. I see there are a lot of bad reviews here. If amy of my personal information or drivers license is posted like Erick threatened, i will exhaust all legal avenues against this establoshment

So SQU*SQ*WEMOVECHICAGO on my bank statement is your business and charged twice for the amounts of $280 a piece. The total stay for 2 nights was $284.52 total for one room. I live in Findlay Ohio get real, NEVER have I had to make a report for fraudulent charges on my account until 2 days after I booked a room at your hotel, and it stated on the reservation agreement payment will be made at check in. I didn't stay at your establishment because I canceled my reservation and of said above nor will I ever stay there.

The room we had was lovely and neat - you really can't beat the king size bed. And the added amenities of cable TV, a stocked kitchen with water and treats, and a lot of common areas and outdoor areas to relax. The location is also perfect - a few blocks from the Red Line, but if you just want to stay close then Andersonville is right there for restaurants and bars. The one thing we wished was better was the internet - our room was at the end of the floor and we could barely reach it. Hope that can be fixed - otherwise, this is a well-run and well-cared-for B&B that I highly recommend to any Chicago travelers.

Stayed here for 2 nights. They got the 1st b right, great bed, nicely designed urban contemporary decor, and very nice common lounge area. The 2nd b (breakfast) needs work - undrinkable coffee, packaged and processed off-brand food, not very fresh. They surely can do better than this. Comment on reply: I'm sorry, I think you have us confused with someone else. We never spoke to you during our stay, and I was with my wife, not my girlfriend.

The worst, scary, abusive experience. I have never left a bad review on yelp or anywhere before, but I have also never been screamed at and had my suitcase thrown on the street before. I made a three night reservation, tonight was supposed to be the 3rd night, but we were locked out when we got back this afternoon. The code to get in did not work. I called and was told we only had a 2 night res and they could not let us in even to get our stuff until Erick (I assume it was him) was at Home Depot and would not be back for 20 minutes. So we waited on the street for 20 minutes, more perhaps. Then the door opened and a man (Erick I assume) began waiving a print out and screaming at us that we did not have res for tonight. I tried to show him the email I had saying we did. He said (screamed) the email had nothing to do w him. Wouldn't look at it! Threw the print out at us, and when I asked him not to yell and just look he said, "I'm not yelling, you'll know when I'm yelling!" It was a little scary, and all our stuff was inside. My wife said something like Can we at least go in and get our fucking stuff? And the he went nuts and screamed and threw our suitcases, and backpacks, our stuff thrown in by him or his staff, onto the street. It was horrible. It was bizarre, aggressive behavior, and, frankly, frightening. I mean, someone made a mistake somewhere, okay, him, Expedia? I don't know, but why throw stuff and scream at Your customers? He banned us from the premises. No need. since neither of us would ever set foot anywhere near him or his place again. I called Expedia and will try to straighten out what happened, but I am 66 years old and have traveled a lot and have never been exposed to such abusive behavior from a hotel or b&b. The place itself is a bit dumpy and inconvenient, but fairly clean. Stayed there because near my son's apt. Now at the The Homestead in Evanston. Beautiful, classy, same price for real hotel with service. And the bathroom is in the room, not across the hall as in house 5863 and you don't need a code to get in to bathroom every time you use it, as in house 5863. Should have stayed here in first place obviously. What a nightmare.

Booked a room recently at 2pm for a stay that same evening. The email confirmation never included codes for the front door or room. All calls to owner's cell phone went straight to voice mail so we used code from previous stay 2 years earlier for a different room than booked. (We needed to get our 70-yr old mother access to the room). This got the manager's attention as he said we would be charged a $51 upgrade fee for the new room and never offered anything close to an apology for his email confirmation system not performing as clearly indicated on his website. Owner of house 5863 also is president of iMove apartment rental service. Check their reviews to get more perspective on reputation he carries: http://www.yelp.com/biz/imovechicago-chicago http://goo.gl/EP1VRW

I'm a former resident of Chicago and still have close ties to Andersonville. It's inconvenient and pricier to stay downtown, so I was thrilled to find House 5863. But in reading past reviews, I'm wondering what's happened, because our experience was quite different. I agree that the rooms are clean and hip, but that alone does not make a good B&B. In fact, we referred to it as the B, because there ain't no breakfast, folks. For $129 a night, we expected more than canned Hills Coffee, powdered Coffee Mate, sugar cereals, boxed pastries from Jewel (neon yellow! ewww!), and one brown banana. B&B breakfasts can run the gamut -- even self-serve is cool w/me -- but this was pathetic, and guests deserve better at that price in that neighborhood. We also experienced several customer service issues. My (elder, non-Internet-using) parents were staying there at the same time and left several messages re: a reservation. I ended up making it for them online. The pass code for our room was incorrect, and luckily someone was there to let us in when we arrived. We couldn't get Internet access and left two messages, which they never responded to. The weirdest thing is that we're not even sure if anyone lives there to run the place. There's no desk, house phone, office, person to go to w/a question, etc. when you have an issue. We'll probably stay there again since there are no other options close to our family/friends, but you just need to know that once you're in, you're on your own.

I was surprised to receive Yelp's alert that the proprietor finally had responded to my review written three years ago. I expect this indicates his lack of commitment and efficiency. I was not surprised to see that recently other reviewers judge him a shonky operator. I'd add that our only contact with other guests was extremely pleasant. I stand by my previous comments, and urge him to attend hospitality training. Fortunately, our experiences at all other B & Bs throughout the USA during three six week visits were delightful. Sadly, House 5863 was an exception to our other American hosts.

I recommended House 5863 to my dad and stepmom who were coming in to Chicago for a day visit. It was close to my place, it seemed cool and hip from the website, and I knew the owners from my restaurant. Let me just tell you 5 stars!!! I had to stop by and check the place out for myself. It is beautifully decorated with artwork, furniture, rugs, and stocked to the gill with food and drinks for guests to share. The place is spotless clean and the rooms are very reasonably sized (and priced). The whole place is like an art gallery!! We shared an afternoon sitting on the outdoor patio balcony, and also on the patio below which houses small gardens and decorated with whimsicle iron works of art. My parents had a great stay and could not get over how affordable and upscale looking this cute bed and breakfast was. I highly recommend House 5863 to anyone who has guests coming in to town. It's so much better than staying at a cheap hotel that is so unpersonable. House 5863 provides you with a great comfortable bed in a spotless and clean environment that is simply divinely decorated!

Unresponsive. They did not refund money with over 29 days notice of cancellation.

We used up four of the five rooms in this place last weekend for our out-of-town wedding guests. They all loved it! The rooms are large and nice with their own private bathrooms. Parking on the street was very easy - even when we had a bunch of guests meet us there after the reception. As for that, we used the back porch and patio for our after dinner party and it was wonderful. They just redid the whole back area and it looks great! They were very accommodating and set up a table downstairs for us to use and even provided a couple extra coolers so we could keep some wine, beer and sodas on both levels. They even have outdoor speakers so you can use your iPod to play music outside! We had about 30 guests outside over all and it was a good size space for that many people. A few of the guests are already planning their next visit there, so it must have been a nice place to stay! I'm just glad that everyone liked it and that the party there worked out as well as it did. It's a great neighborhood gem!

First time ever staying in a bed and breakfast and we loved every aspect of it. Upon arrival we were given entry codes for the premise and our room and there were refreshments and snacks. We had the pleasure of staying in Room 1 and had a beautiful bay window facing the local school courtyard. Lots of natural light! There was not A/C in the room itself but did have a ceiling fan and there was a cooling vent in the bathroom. (I personally did not mind but my other half must have A/C) The common area upstairs was spacious and had an eclectic feel. There was plenty of street parking for our vehicle. Upon our check out we left freely and emailed Erick at 12pm, he responded immediately with a thank you. We felt at home all in all and will definitely be returning whenever we are in Chicago. Thank you House 5863 B&B

Wow a bit late on your response and if I can correct you, no the room you ended up putting me in was not what I booked or paid for. Regardless I hope your issues had have been corrected as I would've liked to have stayed there again because I'm in that area one a quarter.

My first trip to Chicago and I will be staying here every time! A short distance to the train and free street parking if you drive into town. It's the perfect size with only 5 rooms. The common living area and kitchen are clean, contemporary, well decorated, and very homey. Continental breakfast with a great selection and real food (versus chain hotels). Coffee is freshly brewed and even their dinnerware is nice and clean and you get full access to the stove and microwave. They have a large patio deck outside, and a super cute courtyard downstairs with a grill, nice landscaping, and an intimate atmosphere at night and during the day. Our room was spacious, clean, and cozy. The restroom was also large and clean and had a double vanity. The shower was huge and had a steam room, although I didn't check it out; the only draw back was a low pressure shower head. This will definitely be our go to place every time we go to Chicago.

Once I got past the process for getting into the place (tip - check your email every day after you place your reservation - you'll need the instructions...) I was very pleasantly chilled out. When I'm not working in Chicago I am at home making art and this little BnB is filled with art and is very aesthetically pleasing so I instantly felt at home. I found it peaceful and quiet and the street lovely. I like the self service kitchen. LOVE IT! I'm already thinking about stuff to bring next time so maybe I can whip up an omelet before running off to work. Maybe one or two gluten free items would be welcome..? I'm not real happy about having to come to Chicago from MIlwaukee for work but I'm in it for the next few years and I'll be damned if I am going to stay at a Holiday Inn and loose a precious bit of my soul each time! This place is cozy and for me, homey. It was also nice to see those 2 Herman Miller chairs at the top of the stairs. I always wondered how someone could use them (I'm a space planner...) and they totally work in that space! I never did like mid century modern but you guys have made me love it. Really nice job creating those spaces. Hoping next time I can get a room with a bathroom in it....but it was okay. I used to live in communal households back in the day :-) See you next time!

Still Living it herr. No problems ever, they are very accomodating. Could use a refresh on the coffee service, but otherwise great!

i really want to stay here (or did, previous to reading many of the reviews here!)... but i cannot get anyone from House 5863 to respond to me! i have alot of allergies and wanted to ask a few questions about whether many fragrances are used in the rooms... if there is a fireplace or woodsmoke on the property... i sent an email via the little "send us a message" on their website and got no reply. and then i *called* and left a voicemail and never got a reply. this was a few weeks ago. not good! not good at all!

I am first reading the owners response, to my original review, back in 2014. I was "trespassing"? Are you out of your mind? The B & B entrance is located exactly one step off the sidewalk. It is clearly a public access door, and left unlocked, to allow others the opportunity to investigate further. When asked about the pet friendly policy, the owner responded that although he was sitting in a common area with his large breed dog, animals are not allowed. What about consideration of potential customers with animal allergies? In reading further reviews, many have complained about outdated/stale food and beverages. The owners response, was that since reviewing the complaints, changes have been made. What kind of business owner, relies on complaints, in lieu of a conscience, to provide a healthy experience, for guests? If it were possible, I would leave less than a 1 star rating, for a business, operated by a thoughtless individual, who makes improvements, only when obligated to do so, as a result of repeated complaints.

I booked House 5863's event space for our rehearsal dinner at the end of July. The place was so perfect and provided us all that we needed. It was spacious enough to fit 50+ people, plenty of sitting and standing space, and really eclectic art pieces on the walls to provide conversation for the guests. Everyone especially loved that there was a cute outdoor area in the back for people looking to get some fresh air. There were string lights so it felt warm and cozy. Communication with the owner was a little spotty in the beginning but ended up being really easy to get ahold of the day of and worked out perfectly. I would definitely host another event here in the future.

Extremely well appointed facility. Very modern furnishings. Nice food selection in the open, self serve kitchen. Comfortable Beds. Very nicely remodeled - just would have been nice if they had added sound insulation between the rooms. I could hear EVERY word the person in the next room was saying. Very annoying. Convenient Location with plenty of restaurant choices within walking distance. Parking is a hassle. If you find a good spot - don't move your car.

To be fair, my rating and comment is entirely based on customer service since I have not had the opportunity to stay here. I made a reservation yesterday through Expedia and received my confirmation. Later I got a call stating they needed my address for billing. I called back a few minutes later and got a voice mail. I left my address on the message and assumed everything was good. Then I got an email, not a call, saying that one night of my reservation was not actually available because someone else had already booked it the night before. Here is the entire email: Got your message. Someone had booked the same room last night for October 4th. I do have the room for the 2nd and the 3rd. Let me know if that works. I am completely booked for October 4th. Sorry WTF???? Why would it be okay to stay only 2 of the 3 nights I reserved? No, I actually wanted all 3 of the nights.... That's why I booked 3 nights. Really love the 'sorry' at the end too. So unprofessional! I consider this to be a fairly decent screw up and would expect a business would be a little more embarrassed and apologetic for pulling this crap. Had the email been more professional and accommodating we might have stayed the other 2 nights and the b&b would have made money on a room that will now be empty. I would like to suggest better wording if I may: So sorry for the mistake, we would love to have you stay on 10/2 and 10/3 and would like to extend a discount of ______ in an effort to convey our regret for our mistake. If this does not meet your needs, we will cancel the reservation and any related charges immediately. Again, we are so sorry for the mistake and hope you enjoy your stay in Chicago. Please consider us when you visit in the future! Or just make a phone call!!! Not cool House 5863. The irony is that they have this written on their website: BE CAREFUL when booking reservations at establishments that are not licensed such as those offered by AirBNB and on Craigslist - you have no guarantee that the property is as described or that the room will be available when you arrive. More importantly, you do not know if the property is safe. Is staying in a safe hotel important to you? Ridiculous! I've booked through AirBNB dozens of times and never had a problem. That's some crazy fear mongering too - is safety important to you? All those other places are sooo dangerous and rapey. You don't want to be raped do you?

i was thrilled at how much parking there was, even late at night. up until today, it was a valentines day dream for me. my partner reserved this room, some time ago. dinner reservations, and a great, modern, and immaculately clean, urban b&b!! unfortunately, there is another reviewer who wants to slander other guests; painting a biased, and hurtful description of what was going on. and this is where the stay got ugly. my partner and i were unaware of this slander, until the owner emailed my partner directly with the review, and scolding us, without any consideration to us at all. to be described as some sort of overweight predatory pervert, is more than just repulsively insulting...it is downright bigotry. i'd love to retaliate and stoop to a new low...at least for myself, and sling mud. but it was valentines day. people at b&b's have sex...espically on valentines day. we weren't drunk. we'd rather splurge on pastry's if the calories are going to be empty... and yes, this other reviewer is 100% correct about this place's lousy excuse for a breakfast. with amazing LOCAL pastry shops in andersonville (think Taste of Heaven, or The Sweedish Bakery), they gave us Costco cereal, and folgers coffee. And those generic breakfast bars from Dominick's. Oh, the gallon of orange juice was 5 days past its expiration date too. it's nice to know you check up on the place often enough... and with this, i should say that if you write a bad review, prepare to get harrassed by the owner in his pseudo threatening tone.

I would not recommend this place to anyone, strictly because of the manager/owner Eric Ocasio. He, in my opinion, is a crook and he charged my credit card without authorization for a visit that was properly cancelled 20 minutes after booking through expedia. There was no cancelation policy for reservation cancellation provided. Worse, the numb nutt not only cancelled the reservation, but he charged the card for the entire visit initially proposed due to loss in opportunity to rent the room out (mind you, the reservation was max 20 minutes before being cancelled). He would cower and not respond to any calls or emails; guilty conscience I suppose. Fortunately, my credit card company was alerted to the fraud and charged it back. What a clown. His other business, iMove Chicago or something similar, is replete with negative reviews as well...

We actually liked the DIY check in situation, so no complaints about not seeing the owners/managers. And we also very much liked that there was food available 24/7 (cereal, snacks, water, soda, etc.). The rooms are nice (although just for privacy sake, avoid the room that has the unattached bathroom - you have to walk out into the common area to get to it). Our one complaint is the shower situation - they're terrible. Such low pressure, it's almost as if it isn't even on. We understand low flow plumbing and water conservation and all that, but the shower in our room was almost unusable. The other semi-minus is the fact that they charge you the ENTIRE stay immediately when you make a reservation - no holding the room with a credit card, you have to actually pay them the full amount right away. Not sure what would happen if you needed to cancel, but I'm sure it wouldn't be hassle-free.

My parents have stayed here a couple of times, mostly because it is close to where I live. It's run very efficiently, the kitchen and the back patio are awesome (we made a lovely breakfast and ate it out on the back porch on a warm November day). My only complaint is that the price is a little high for being so far from downtown. Ironically, my parents run a bed and breakfast in the southend of Boston, and they charge less (though are closer to downtown and Boston hotels are usually more expensive). I would still recommend this place to anyone who specifically wants to stay in the area (Roger's Park, Andersonville, Edgewater).

This is a wonderful place to stay in Chicago! a modern furnished flat in Chicago's Andersonville/Edgewater neighborhood. While it is referred to as a B&B, it felt more like an apartment rental, which was great for us. Our room had a private bath, a king sized bed and a pullout couch that was another king sized bed. Our room had french doors that opened to the shared deck/patio and garden. Our friends had a room with private bath and steam room shower and a king sized bed. The bed was so comfortable everyone was tempted to spend the entire vacation laying in bed! all the bedding and linens were great, and overall decor was nice and ikea modern. Wi-Fi, computer with internet. Our two complaints...The water pressure in the shower leaves a lot to be desired, and our cable in our room on the big fancy flat screen TV said temporarily unavailable throughout the entire stay. The kitchen was stocked with cereal, and breakfast bars, and breakfast type cakes. plenty of coffee, tea, cold and hot water and sodas were also available. Although we did not use the kitchen to cook, there were pots pans and plenty of utensils do do so. It was nice having a self serve kitchen. I do agree with some of the other reviews that The breakfast part is a bit of a misnomer, while there are self serve breakfast items provided, it isn't quite what I would call typical Breakfast. Again this situation worked out well for our group, however I could see how this could be a put off for others. We found an amazing Breakfast/brunch restaurant down the way called M. Henry which was amazing and worth the walk! I would definitely recommend House 5863 to a friend or relative, and look forward to staying here again in the future!

So, I think I was one of the first people to ever stay here when they opened (room #1). I was truly impressed with every aspect of my stay, and will definitely make House 5863 on my short list of places to stay the next time I am in Chicago.

This place was a very pleasant surprise. We had some visitors that we didn't have the space for, so we needed to have them stay here. It was fantastic. The room was large and comfortable; the kitchen area seemed overflowing with a variety of good stuff, including fresh eggs, cereals, treats, etc., etc.; and the front room had a lot of great books and activities. Again, it was such a pleasant surprise and we'll definitely use them again if our home is overflowing with guests.

Great Bed and Breakfast. Close enough to downtown to ride the train or drive but far enough to avoid parking issues. Great place to stay and my wife and I will definitely be staying here when we visit Chicago!

Stayed at this wonderful Bed & Breakfast. It was close to the lake and transportation. Loved that it was walking distance to the lake for Bike Riding. Breakfast was laid out and love the serve yourself style. I am one not to deal with other people in the morning atmosphere.. They laid out coffee, danishes and eggs and owner lived on premises and available thru phone, text and emails quickly for any questions or concerns. Love the idea of camera's at the front of building for security not that there was any reason for security camera's since the neighborhood is super safe. Thanks for a great stay.

OK, I'm not a B&B person, which may be why I liked House 5863 A LOT! First, I did not have to interact with any owners. Second, there was no potpourri in sight. Third, the self check-in worked perfectly. Fourth, the room was great and well worth the money (not cheap, but a wonderful location). Fifth, I didn't have to interact with anyone at breakfast--I could fix my own eggs, toast, etc. I'll admit that the Folgers was not the best part of waking up, and they could have had milk and half and half in the fridge instead of just milk. Sixth, wait, why would you possibly want a B&B breakfast when Clark Ave. is full of great places and, sorry, if you are in Chicago and staying at an upscale B&B, you really don't have to eat Fruit Loops. However, spring for some good coffee. Even Mrs. Olson quit drinking Folgers...she changed to Stumptown from Portland (full disclosure, I'm from Stumptown). House 5863 is a great place to stay. Go for room #4--the direct access to the deck is wonderful. One caveat. You have to climb about 15 steps or so--the rooms are on the second floor. So, if you have a ton of stuff, or if you aren't up to carrying your bags upstairs, this is not the place for you.

Great location if you want to be in northern part of city and close to the "L." Premises were clean and contemporary looking. It's the lots of other reasons I'm giving a poor review. It's one thing to not have an owner hover over you. The total absence of anyone is another, especially when you get in at night and don't have in your room what you should. Even during day, no greeting, no nothing. Our room was missing a light bulb in the nightstand lamp. No wifi in Room 4, though there was in 3.(We split our stay in two rooms because of availability.) Though we were supposed to have computer and printer access in the living room, there was no toner to print our return boarding passes. As others already said, don't bother with breakfasts. Folgers coffee? Mushy cheap bagels? Lid on the orange juice bottle had mold. TV in room 4 is on side wall above back of couch and to side of bed, so there is no comfortable, healthy way to view it. If this were inexpensive lodging, I'd look the other way. I'm not fussy as long as I have hot water, clean sheets, etc. It's just that for the price, I expected the details to be up to snuff. The owner finally showed up our last morning as we were preparing to leave. He asked about this review and actually offered us a discount on our next visit if we changed it. What a jerk. There won't be a next visit.

Apparently no one is on site. Not going to use for my out of town guests in the future. My cousin and her husband arrived and could not even get into the building. This after their reservation was confirmed and the charge made on their card. Their access code to the building and the room was supposed to have been emailed to them, but was not by the time they arrived. Other guests let them in the building, but they were dying to use the restroom after a long drive and could not get in their room. Multiple message were left on voicemail and then someone finally showed up by chance and was not even apologetic! No hospitality/welcome/warmth and no bargain for $170 a night.