Ben N.
Yelp
The Majestic may not be any great shakes in its own right. Although the pricing is fair for a big-city hotel in a safe neighborhood, it might seem a little overpriced on the surface, given its faded, dated, and somewhat bland style and decor.
But in my mind, it's got some stuff going for it, mainly location. First, it's not downtown or in the Mag Mile, in the middle of all the tourist commotion. Instead, it's in a real residential neighborhood, Lakeview, and even on a very pretty residential street with U-shaped courtyard apartments that pretty much personifies Chicago, at least an upscale version of it. The Majestic hotel building itself seems like it must have been an old apartment building at some point. This is the generally kind of experience I look for when I travel.
And no, Lakeview is not the best restaurant neighborhood in the city, nor is it especially diverse. But there is plenty to do and see in this very walkable neighborhood, and the Addison Red Line stop is blocks away, with trains ready to whisk you--or tediously inch you, depending on what kind of day the CTA is having--up and down the lakefront. Wrigley Field is just on the other side of that stop, which, depending on who you are, may be a big plus or minus when the Cubs are in town (FWIW, I hate the Cubs and the Cubs fan-ethos but will readily recognize Wrigley as the best ballyard there is). The lakefront, great for running, walking, biking, etc., is only a block away.
Plus, in-and-out parking is available around the corner for $22 a night, which is expensive for most of the U.S. but a damn sight cheaper than most of the lodging downtown.
So there is all that. There are also the rooms, which while somewhat old-hat, are clean, spacious for the price compared to options downtown, and have comfortable beds. The hotel mini-bar is about as inexpensive as it gets. The building itself as charming as the rest on the street, but there are few window views from the rooms. The staff is polite and helpful. There is a free breakfast in the lobby/lounge; as other say, the food itself is nothing special, but it's a pleasant, cozy room for dining.
