The Carleton of Oak Park Hotel

We had a great experience at this hotel. The location was right along the L (metro). The hotel is in a very safe area, and walkable to many restaurants. The room was clean, and the bed was comfortable. One major benefit to this hotel is the free parking. We drove in from out of town, and upon looking into hotels in Chicago many charged $50-$70 a day for parking. I highly recommend this hotel, and would definitely stay here again!!

Check in and out was quick and efficient. Staff was kind and helpful. The room was exceptionally clean and roomy. The bed was extremely comfortable. The room was just the right temperature and we did not need to adjust anything. The decor was very nice and appropriate. The hotel is centrally located and we had access to many different types of establishments within walking distance. The only thing I should have looked into further would have been assistive devices in the bathrooms. The commodes were way too low and there were no grab bars to assist with sitting and standing to use those facilities. We truly enjoyed our stay and will definitely return here again in the future.

The location is ideal. We parked our car here for free and took the nearby L train into downtown Chicago. This saved us the $70 to $90 nightly cost to park at a downtown hotel. There are good restaurants, bars, and activities within walking distance. The bed was comfortable and the room quiet. Some of the light switch arrangements were a bit eccentric but, hey, it's a legitimate historic hotel.

Stayed here for a weekend in Chicago. The location was ideal for driving in from the west because you don’t have to deal with much city traffic and can park for free at one of the hotel’s 5 designated parking lots adjacent to the hotel. It is a 5 minute walk to the green line station which is a direct 25-30 minute train ride into the core of the city. It is a 20 minute walk to the Frank Lloyd Wright home and studio and near several restaurants and cafes. As for the hotel itself, I found it (along with the surrounding area) to be quiet. The staff were friendly and helpful. The room was spacious enough and clean. I found the bed to be comfortable and the water pressure of the shower to be good. Overall, a cute boutique hotel in a historic suburb that served as a much better option than paying more to stay/park right in the city.

For the past couple of years, my organization has hosted conferences in Chicago and set up our group block to stay at the Carleton- each time we've had a really great experience!! Their team is so enjoyable and easy to work with- very accomodating and flexbile to meet our needs. The location of the hotel is perfect for our nearby events and also provides easy access to downtown. There are also two restaurants located in the hotel for convenient dining as well as several shops and restaurant within walking distance. Highly recommend if you are looking to stay near/around Oak Park as an individual or with a large group!

We booked a room block at the Carleton for our wedding and had a great experience! It was conveniently located to our venue, within walking distance from lots of shops and restaurants, and the rooms were clean, comfortable, and reasonably priced. Katie was such a huge help every step of the way in terms of getting our block organized, and the front desk staff were all very nice and assisted in giving out our guest welcome bags. Would definitely recommend this hotel!

The 2 double bed suite was big and comfortable. The staff was nice and very helpful. Free parking at private lot behind the hotel. Lots of restaurants nearby, including two that belong to the hotel. Nice area appropriately 25-30min west from Millennium park area in Chicago. Pleasantly surprise and plan to stay here again in the future.

Beautiful hotel! We have stayed there several times and had a different room each time and each room was laid out differently. VERY ACCOMMODATING. Furnishings are first class. Staff is professional and very friendly. It has been maintained very well. Looking forward to our next visit.

The Carleton Hotel is a classic, historic location. It's surrounded by shopping and food venues that are within walking distance. Tip: The hotel offers free parking, which is especially rare at hotels in and around Chicago. I stayed here for just a couple of nights, and had a very pleasant overall experience - my suite was both comfortable and spacious. That said, this is an older hotel and there are a few drawbacks to staying here: 1) The elevators are what appear to be original equipment; while they've obvious been well-maintained, they're small and feel very crowded with more than two people at a time in them. 2) The AC units are individually mounted in the room windows; they work well enough, but they cycle on and off frequently and tend o be fairly loud. All the staffers I encountered during my stay were friendly and helpful, and the room rate was fair given the space and the level of accommodation. I wouldn't hesitate to stay here again :-)

Had an oppurtunity yo visit this place in Oak Park. The building looks kinda old. But it is well kept and maintained. More like a reception venue hotel. But its look very nice.

It is 2 in the morning. It is a beautiful 70 degrees outside with a slight breeze. However, it is 95 degrees in my hotel room. The heat is blasting and it cannot be turned off. The front desk lamented there is "nothing to be done" and "try opening a window". I want to leave this as a final record of what happened when I am found tomorrow cooked like a Thanksgiving turkey in my hotel bed! Beautiful hotel though.

The room smelled of old, caked on dirt. The room smells like an old, filthy, musty basement. They clearly haven't actually cleaned this room in years, and it shows. I found a long hair in a towel while drying myself. That was pleasant. The entire experience made me feel like I was staying in a depression-era flop house. I'd avoid this place, unless you really need a place to sleep.

I would've given a 5 star if it wasn't for the very very tall, thin, brunette, Caucasian woman at check in. We'd just driven 4 and a half hours from out of state, and were only going to be there a single night for me to go to my mother's funeral the next day. I only speak English. I only really understand English- since I was born and raised here in America. All I wanted to do was pay for our room once we arrived, since they wouldn't allow us to pay by phone the week before. I couldn't do it online since they didn't have the room we wanted. I wanted to simply pay. Park the car, and head back to my room to put away our suitcase and then leave for a movie we'd brought tickets online to see. She was so rude, and she embarrassed me so bad. She immediately tried to pick an argument. After four in a half hours, noone looks their best! I said, "Hi. We have a reservation that I'd like to pay for." She says, "So you're trying to change your debit card?" What? I said, "Well, I'm just here to pay for our room? We called and made reservations a week ago, and they said to pay once we arrived." She then asks, "So you've arrived?" I'm thinking to myself, I'm really confused by the question because I'm standing right in front of you, speaking with her face to face.. and you ask me if I've arrived to the hotel? So I say, "Yes. I'm here. I'm trying to pay for the room, because we made reservations by phone because I reside in a different state. They said to pay once we arrived. So I'm trying to pay for the room." She rolls her eyes. Smiles. And with a skary voice asks,"So you're trying to SWITCH the payment card." I just stare at her even more confused. Noone said anything about switching a payment card. Does she not comprehend that someone is saying that they're here to pay, NOW, because they couldn't pay by phone? No one is saying ANYTHING about switching a payment card. What?? And on top of that, she said it LOUD, as if trying to embarrass me. There were people hanging out in the lobby area, and began watching all of this happening... because she got loud. So I said, "No I am not trying to switch a card payment, I'm trying to pay for the room NOW.... since we're here! " Then she gets mad "ExCUSE ME MA'AMMm??! YOU need to calm down!" THEN, the guy to her right finally hears what's going on and he takes over. , she walks off and throws her hands up and says, "I'm not gonna-" and walks away and refuses to help me. Has her arms folded with an ATTITUDE. The guy at first thinks I'm the issue. He hears me out, hears what I'm saying, and immediately is like, "Oh! Ok. " and immediately helps me, no issue. NONE. Because of HIM, Is the reason why I'm not giving this place a 1 star. Because she then helped the next person and was as nice as can be to THEM, and didn't ask them any questions she asked me. She made it easy as pie! She's going to be single handedly responsible for bringing down this hotel. I am SO upset! She was wayy too comfortable talking to me in the manner in which she was. As if this is common practice for her to do. My money spends just like any other person in that hotel, and we don't HAVE SEVERAL PAYMENT CARDS. We have ONE. One bank account, two cards. One for him. One for me. SHOCKER! The manager explained to me my card was already on file from when I called to hold the room, and that payment would just be subtracted from that. She could have just said that instead of making life harder for no reason! I don't want a refund. I don't want a discount. I don't want any money. I just want to be treated like anyone else that walks in. That's it. Simple good treatment. Thank you to the gentleman who helped me. You are a diamond in the ruff sir! Will from now on stay at an Airbnb if I come into town again, even if it's $500.00. That private person at airbnb would be more than happy for my money, since it does spend like everyone elses, including hers. You will never do this again! I want to give a two star, but because of that manager who cared, I'll hold back. But something needs to be done here about how she's speaking to people. Because I seen for myself by the way she interacted with the other guests, that sye COULD'VE chosen to speak to me right, but didn't. She made a conscious decision to be selective of who would receive her kindness , and that tells me she's well aware of how this looks.

We were staying at the Carleton Hotel for a wedding. The wedding party and guests had a block of room in the hotel side. I never got to visit/see the motel side. The hotel is an older "boutique" type hotel in Oak Park, IL. Parking is available for guests in a couple different spots. We were able to find a spot on the North side of the building. There is no valet. There is a spot to park in the front if you have to drop off luggage. When you check in, you get a pass for your dashboard so you can use your car as much as you want and not pay valet to go in and out. The Front Desk is a challenge to find from the outside. There are multiple doors to the lobby from the outside. We found an entrance on the East side of the building that takes you through the attached restaurant/bar Poor Phil's. (review posted separately). We were greeted at the front desk and given our room keys. The staff member was polite and professional. He directed us to our elevator to the 4th floor. Certain parts of the hotel are only accessible by certain elevators so you have to make sure you use the correct one! The room we were in was a tad small but had a dorm-sized refrigerator and a microwave. There was a hair dryer in the bathroom and toiletries. Some of the other guests we talked to had a bigger or a smaller room which happens in a boutique-type hotel. The A/C worked well and the room was quiet!! The hotel has banquet rooms and there was a wedding that held its reception there. There was a breakfast served for that wedding party. There is no breakfast for guests, however, the neighborhood has plenty of places to eat or get coffee. The area is really nice with a lot of shops and things to do and see. Overall, the hotel was a good choice of places to stay and was decently priced for Chicago-land. If we were staying in the West suburbs again, we would consider staying here.

great wedding/reception venue option in Oak Park for small weddings! Katie was a wonderful coordinator to work with, attentive and able to handle a couple last minute surprises without breaking a sweat! The staff were great and food was delicious

Stayed at the Carleton a few summers ago (pre-CoVid) so consider possible changes since. The hotel has two separated portions; the "traditional" hotel at the corner of South Marion St and Pleasant St and an annex, resembling a motel, across an alley to the west at the corner of Pleasant St and South Maple Ave. Rooms at the annex are offered at an approximate 10% discount from the "hotel's rack rate". Our room in the annex was pleasantly, almost eerily, quiet. My sister knocked on the bathroom door as I showered to check on my health because there was no sound. Now that's what I call quiet! We breakfasted once or twice in the hotel's restaurant, rating it with 4-stars. The only low mark on the room's excellent cleanliness were the child's soiled shoe prints on the closeted extra blanket (see photos). After a call to the hotel desk, the blanket was quickly exchanged for a clean one.

I have stayed at this hotel a couple of times while visiting chicago. Most recently to celebrate my grandmother's 95th birthday. We reserved two suites. The hotel was very accommodating and didnt have any issues with us having a few visitors to help her celebrate. The rooms were spacious and affordable. I also love how the location is walkable to many local shops and restaurants. There was a street festival outside so we had fun with that too. This place is great for solo travelers or people wanting to visit chicago but stay in a less chaotic location.

I have been walking past this place for years. I've spent a few eves at Poor Phil's, but never stayed in the hotel. So, I was happy to have a chance to stay! The room was large and comfortable. Nothing fancy, but clean and bed was comfy. I was hoping that it would feel more antique and mean into the Oak Park vibe.

We stayed at your hotel last weekend for 2 nights, May 19/20. The Carleton has a nice location very close to shopping and food. Also since we were there for the Frank LLoyd Wright home tour, it was also convenient for that. The hotel had obviously been an attractive "historical" property in it's heyday. It looks a little tired now. It could use some refreshing. The customer service was fair. The clerk does not get up and come out of their office when you walk in. You have to get right up to the desk and then request them to check you in. At that point they come out of their office. Not very welcoming. The rooms are a nice size but again worn and tired looking. Bathrooms were clean, as were the rooms. There were no data ports for cell phones and computers. you had to unplug your light to use the outlet. Coming back to customer service. there was never a friendly greeting from the desk staff. they remained in the office. No good morning, This next part is something which I am forever perplexed by, during pandemic of course room cleaning was off the table. Is that the way it is always going to be now. Our rooms were not cleaned, I had to request clean towels. Are the days of coming back to your room and having the beds made, clean towels in the bathroom and chocolates on the pillow just a thing of the past? I know they say it's staffing, but I don't buy that anymore. Also if it is staffing then I am not getting all that I paid for and there should be a reduction in my bill. I should not be paying for full service. The Carleton was fine, but it definitely is not a 4 or 5 star hotel

We stayed at The Carleton Hotel of Oak Park for my son's wedding weekend! It was so charming. The rooms are lovely and everyone that works there is delightful and helpful! Katie Fox is so great. We had a block of rooms for my son's wedding, and she could not have been more helpful or delightful to deal with! Thank you, Katie. The location is fabulous! We walked to wonderful, coffee shops and bakeries every day. The surrounding neighborhoods are just stunning. The Frank Lloyd Wright, home and museum is a mere five blocks away and all the surrounding historic homes are just breathtaking! We are going back to spend a weekend to enjoy the area. We have not been to Oak Park for 40 years and we had forgotten how gorgeous it is! We had dinner at La Notte, at the hotel, and it was out of this world! Giovanni is a gem!

Stayed at the Carleton for three nights this past weekend and have mixed feelings. I liked the interior of the hotel. It was cozy and had a cute restaurant/bar attached. The room was very basic, but I loved the large bathroom with two sinks and several mirrors. Some of the staff members were unprofessional and rude...We had an issue with our room one night and were unable to get assistance until the morning. You have to ask to have your room cleaned which I didn't love. The experience was so-so. Liked the location and interior, didn't love the interactions with staff.

This is a pretty nice place to stay. I generally gravitate towards the national chains that have rewards programs but that wasn't a possibility on an October trip to the area for an interview. I looked at the other independent hotels in the area and settled on this one based on their Yelp reviews. I'm glad I did. They are an easy walk from downtown Oak Park and the L. They also have off-street parking for guests. For those visiting OP for the first time, that's a HUGE benefit. "Don't Park" seems to be an unofficial nickname. I chose one of their lowest-priced rooms and found it perfectly comfortable and pretty spacious. I was in their "motor inn" area and enjoyed the fact that I didn't have to wait for a single interview and the fact the car was close by which made getting in/out very easy. I also spent some time in the library in the main hotel getting some work done. It was a quiet place with good wifi and that's about all I need. Pro tip - if they still have the $20 gift card for $10 available at the front desk you should grab one and catch a drink in their bar.

Clean and safe environment. Friendly staff. Conveniently located Ina very walkable area. Two restaurants on property. Both places have nice outdoor areas. Excellent food!

Beautiful hotel! I held my wedding reception here in the Foxburrow ballroom and had a WONDERFUL time. Maura was the coordinator and was on top of everything! The room we stayed in was also fantastic. Clean, roomy, bathroom was HUGE, bed was super comfortable, and all the staff was friendly and accommodating. WiFi was fast, there's lots of parking for guests, and it has a great location in Oak Park. Very pleased overall.

I attended a workshop at the Carleton Hotel and stepped in to the hotel for the first time in over thirty years. I felt as if I were stepping back in time to a well preserved and updated hotel for the twenty first century. Try them out as a hotel or as a place for a meeting. They are intimate and close to downtown Oak Park.

I came from Washington DC for a two day trip. The hotel was ok (a little outdated) but nice for a get away. I came to get a procedure done from a place near by. I will say I will come back thanks to a bartender/ server named Louise. She works in the Italian restaurant in the lobby. She has 5star service and It's very hard for me to give a 5 star. If you visit be sure to try the restaurant. The food and drinks are amazing.

DLW and I wanted to do a vacation in Chicago, but the hotels downtown are unbelievably expensive, and they charge out the wazoo for parking. Although I hadn't done much time in Chicago, I knew enough that the best strategy would be to find a place near public transit, so we wouldn't have to drive around town. Finding this place was just what we needed: a block from the Green Line's end, in a historic neighborhood that's becoming gentrified and with plenty of things to see within walking distance. Even Frank Lloyd Wright's studios are close enough to walk. All this, and the hotel is a good $50 a night cheaper than downtown. One thing to note is that there are actually two options for staying here. The hotel proper is a 1920's vintage building with a beautiful lobby, and the attached lodge has a motel sort of setup where each unit has its own entrance. Apparently business persons like the lodge setup; one guy we saw in the parking lot said he stayed there for a couple of weeks at a time every month. We wanted the regular hotel experience, and our room was smallish but perfectly nice, and with all of the architectural details you get from an old building. With vintage you have to expect some workarounds, like a wall unit air conditioner. Two restaurants are attached, a nicer one only open for dinner, and a casual one open all day and late at night. We used them mostly to have drinks during happy hour, but the food will do in a pinch. In short this fit our needs pretty much perfectly. If and when we do another trip to Chitown, this would be a go-to option.

Location location location. In walking distance to green line train to Chicago, downtown Oak Park, Frank Lloyd Wright homes, and tons of restaurants and shops. Staff is friendly. I wouldn't say the hotel is "dated" per se, it's more of a historic building so it's lacking in some modern amenities. Outlets in the room were hard to come by, wall unit AC (but they did the trick), slow-as-molasses and tiny elevators. Would for sure stay here again, mostly because there are no other options nearby. Should one of these new Oak Park condo buildings offer modern lodging options, the Carleton will need to make some some improvements.

The Carleton Hotel was the venue for our wedding and it was one of the many great choices I made for that day!! (in addition to my husband of course :)) I was on a tight budget and Meghan, our coordinator, worked with me to find something that we could afford for my 150 guests :) My husband is also Indian, and she and the chef adopted one of the recipes I sent for an eggplant curry to serve on the day of, which was very nice and showed how much they cared about us and our guests preferences. All their food was delicious and we received many compliments. The ballroom is beautiful and not-at-all like a cookie cutter hotel room-- it was actually built in the early 1900s for the World Fair, and it has so much charm for our vintage-themed wedding! There was so much included as well. All of the linens, the dance floor, cake cutting fee, and the service and bar staff all were included for one low price and not a bunch of extra charges. She also let us come the day before to set-up, which was really nice! If you are looking for a beautiful, unique venue with a lot of charm, that has delicious food, great coordinator support, and all at an affordable price, please choose the Carleton! You won't be disappointed.

We just had our wedding in Oak Park and did a room block at the Carleton. Katie in the sales dept. couldn't have been nicer to us, and the hotel was very accommodating to all our requests. The guests loved their rooms and the groom's suite was very nice. The bridal bathroom was perfect for getting ready! There were a couple lovely places for photos too. All in all it's a great deal and I recommend the hotel to anyone staying in Oak Park!

LOVELY HOTEL - This review is long overdue, I've been meaning to write forever. We stayed here on our wedding night in the Hemingway suite and also took our pictures inside and outside this lovely historic hotel. The suite was amazing, it was perfect in every way, the staff even surprised us with complementary rose petals adorning the room and a bottle of champagne. I would highly recommend this hotel to anyone, there is no need to look anywhere else!

Thank you to Maura Wais and the staff at the Carleton for a wonderful wedding weekend. Everything was perfect! Maura works with you on every detail, and is then available the entire day of the event. Guests raved about the food, especially the salmon and stuffed pork chop. Carlton at the front desk was welcoming and extremely professional. And the staff were amazing at helping us pack the cars. Thank you so much!!

My parents come maybe 5-6 times a year to visit us and my daughter and because of its convenience and location from my condo they always stay at the carleton. Unfortunately every time they come they always end up either switching rooms or asking the bed sheets he changed. There's always several hairs on the sheets, either under the covers or on yhe pillows. They find this appalling, as do I. It's obvious they know they are the only hotel around, so they can do whatever they want to cut corners. Shame on them. 1 star review. I really hope management takes steps on improvement. This is really unacceptable. I may have to get them airbnb from now on...

So dirty! I'm contemplating not staying here. My husband and I stayed here two years ago while looking at houses in the area and really loved the charm of it. However, that stay was in the main building and it's now obvious there is a big difference between that and the creepy motor lodge rooms separate from the actual hotel. I was excited to come back and stay here but was soon met with disappointment when I checked in and they told me I was not booked for the main building. Upon walking into my room I was met with gross, moldy carpet I wouldn't walk barefoot on, tattered bath towels, and a bathroom that looks like it needs five hours of serious scrubbing. Not to mention having an exterior door to your room as well as some weird adjoining door that doesn't have a lock I'm able to adjust. As a single woman staying here it's very creepy. The only reason it gets 2 stars is because of our experience from our last stay. This visit gets a 1.

Don't get me wrong, this hotel is quaint. However, I did find it quite outdated. The room (King) while spacious, smells a bit like my grandmother's closet. The bed was decently comfortable and I did enjoy how many pillows are stocked in the rooms! The shower didn't function very well and again, I know this is just an old building but I do think it could use some updating. The elevators are super tiny, typical of the age. The location is good - close to the Frank Lloyd Wright hotspot.

We stayed here for a wedding. Great location, close to the El and the train. Great location to just walk around and enjoy Oak Park. Staff was awesome and very accommodating. We had a suite and shared it with a total of 5 people. The pullout bed was not bad but it had a dirty blanket on it. We did not see this right away. The room has a fridge, micro, sink, dishes, coffee maker. Would stay here again for sure but check that pull out couch.

We just had our wedding ceremony and reception at the Carleton, and the hotel, location and event itself were phenomenal! Since the majority of our guests were traveling it was important for us to make it comfortable and convenient for them. Everyone stayed at the hotel or motor inn next door (which cost a little less, but is very cute and convenient!), and they didn't have to move their car again until they went home after the wedding. It was a huge bonus to have everything in one place! Our ceremony and reception were in the hotel ballroom with cocktails in the bar/library area in between, and it worked out perfectly! Plus the downtown Oak Park area provided shopping and restaurants within a couple of blocks, which made it a great weekend getaway for everyone. My husband and I also stayed in the hotel, and the Hemingway Suite was beautiful and became a great home base for the wedding party on the day of the wedding. With all of that said, the people we worked with to plan our event were all spectacular! Dana and Katie in the Sales office took care of our guest rooms and reservations, and everyone was very happy with their rooms! Meghan was a pleasure to work with on Catering and details for our ceremony and reception. They were all very professional, helpful, knowledgeable and friendly and also very flexible to accommodate our special requests. Meghan made my vision and wedding theme come to life! And best of all...the food served at our reception dinner was AMAZING. We have received many compliments on how good it was, and I had to agree. We chose our menu carefully, and the chef and staff did not disappoint in any way. I highly recommend having an event at the Carleton!

Checked in to this beautiful Hotel and got a nice room with 2 double beds close to the elevator. The area around the hotel is so much fun and full of shops and areas to walk.

I just had a great wedding for 150 people at the hotel. It went amazingly and Meghan the coordinator made the whole experience very fun, easy and organized. I highly recommend the experience. We also stayed in the hotel for 2 nights as well as had 45 rooms for our guests and everyone had a wonderful time. It's such a perfect convenient place as well. Walking distance to the el train, shops, restaurants galore and a movie theater.

A big thank you to all of the staff at the Carleton who looked after my mother, who has been coming here for years when she's in town to visit her granddaughter - and to the owner who I finally met last week after all this time. The Carleton is nicely situated in the middle of Oak Park and offers convenient access to everything; you can walk to all the shops, restaurants and museums - including the Frank Lloyd Wright & Ernest Hemingway properties.

Outdated. Looks like the inside of an RV from the eighties. Not as advertised. Should have stayed at a motel. Would have been more comfortable. Inside of bathroom was so small it was uncomfortable for me to pee in there. I truly felt bad for my 6'5" husband. Weird pink stuff and hair on toilet, hairs on floor all over room, we received a used and reboxed hand soap in our bathroom. Towel in bathroom had stain, bedsheets had stains, check in was not good and desk attendant was rude because we used hotel tonight app which apparently requires 45 min to go through. Not my experience at other hotels. We left our party early drove back to the hotel to get our stuff and drove over an hour home instead of enjoying our date night, because we were too disgusted and uncomfortable to stay here. When I mentioned this to front desk staff i got a "sorry". Not what i would have expected out of a place like this. Extremely disappointed.

My fiance and I had attended her cousins wedding reception here. The reception was excellent. Food was good, service was good. But the customer service from the staff was very unacceptable. Upon checking in the lady behind the desk was very rude!! She asked if we were parking a car we said no we rode with my fiance's mom (who was standing right next to us.) And she had asked "I'm sorry are you parking a car or not?" When we got to our room it was hotter than hell. I turned off the heater and put the A/C on like full blast. After the reception it was still hot. I was not satisfied with my stay at all. Definitely not worth the money. Not to mention the elevators are really tiny.

This hotel is exceptional from the rooms to the front desk staff. The front desk staff are friendly approachable and go out of their way to make you feel comfortable. My room was huge with a separate bathroom sitting area and even a kitchen !!!!

Classy, beautiful, surprisingly affordable. We booked our room at Carlton last minute. We actually couldn't find anything in our price range anywhere outside Chicago, so we ended up expanding our search field until we found the Carlton at Oak Park. Customer service was polite and professional. The neighborhood was beautifully charming. The hotel itself was grand but not overly ostentatious. Our room was impeccably clean and well decorated. A word on parking: They had multiple small lots, which might have made parking daunting, but they were in close proximity to the hotel. They were private lots and they gave you a pass. They seemed fairly safe. The hotel was within walking distant of a quaint downtown area and the public railway. Overall, although the hotel was on the high end of our budget, they accommodated our same-day reservation, the hotel was affordable, lovely and definitely worth the stay.

One of the few choices for a stay in Oak Park. Rooms are large, clean, and the bed is comfortable. Even though the hotel was crowded the room is quiet. A good choice for an Oak Park stay.

My husband and I had our wedding reception at the Carleton in July. They were absolutely amazing to work with. We were able to use their beautiful ballroom for dinner and dancing, as well as a gorgeous 1920s looking bar, a sitting room and a larger event room for our cocktail hour and just as extra space for our guests to mingle in, relax, and have a great time. The hotel has a vintage beauty to it, which worked perfectly with our Art Deco wedding theme. Candice coordinated all the details of the day perfectly. She was so on top of everything, handled details with my vendors, let me drop off decorations at any point the week before the wedding, set everything up perfectly, and then boxed it all up for us after the wedding for pick-up at our convenience. She made the craziness that is wedding planning as stress free as possible. The food was wonderful, we received compliments from all our guests on their dinners. The service the entire night was quick and discreet. Every last detail was taken care of beautifully and exactly as I wished. My husband and I received a free stay in their honeymoon suite the night of our wedding, which was a beautiful space. We both appreciated the jacuzzi tub the next morning after a very long day and a night full of dancing. I found their prices to be very reasonable. If you're in Chicago and planning your wedding and are balking at Chicago wedding prices, consider looking a little further west to Oak Park and the Carleton. They made our wedding truly unforgettable.

Perfect for a classy, understated event. Free parking, too. Sure helps when the host and hostess are the classy, driving force behind the event! (xoxoxoxo Lisa B and David!!)

I stayed at the Motor Inn section for one night prior to an interview. Staff was very helpful, prompt, and had a good sense of humor. There are two parts to the hotel - The Carleton and the Motor Inn sections. The Motor Inn section was very old timey hotel and reminded me of the ones i've stayed in in northern Wisconsin. I could not find the thermostat in the room but that may be because I'm an idiot... the room was a comfortable temperature anyway so it didn't matter to me. Internet is free but for some reason it didn't work at all. I had to use the internet at an attached restaurant (also free). I couldn't pull up directions the next day because they were both down and it was really frustrating. I don't really know what else to say about the place. There was a big bed, a TV with cable (thank you espnews!) to keep me company. There was enough soap that I could have showered 183 times and not made a dent in it. Very spacious room. Parking was easy (I came back after 11pm and still had a spot).

The hotel and rooms are beautiful. For the most part, the rooms are quite comfortable and clean. There are two reasons why I cannot give it 5 stars: customer service, and room temperature. After entering the room and finding it quite warm, we turned on the air. After a couple of hours, when it was now hot in the room, and our family members staying on the same floor were complaining about the heat in their rooms, I called the front desk. They explained that the air conditioning was set to neutral and would not be set to cool until the summer. When I asked, "so what do we do about the heat?" They said, "open the windows." We were staying on the 4th floor. The windows had no bars or screens. In our party, we had children ranging in age from 1 - 9 years old. They were also doing construction on the hotel at the time and had a wedding party which went until late Saturday night. Open the windows?! We chose to overheat instead and it was extraordinarily uncomfortable. The costumer service was shocking. I once waiting over 10 minutes for someone to show up at the front desk (in all fairness, I had lost my key). When they arrived, with plates full of wedding banquet food, neither person apologized. If there were two people on duty, why did both leave for 10 minutes? Enjoy the food, but someone could easily have covered the desk. When we checked out, we were patiently waiting for the person at the desk to finish with another costumer. She shouted into the next room, "these people need something!" At which point someone else came out to help us. It was uncomfortable. My husband pointed out that for people who have large family events in the area, the Carleton is the only game in town for a nice hotel. Probably why they get away with it.

Aside from the slow elevators and slow internet I enjoyed my stay here even though it was under crappy circumstances (displaced by fire in my apartment building). Luckily the owner of my apartment building (right up the street) owns this hotel so we got a free room for two nights and a few other perks I wont mention. I was surprised to find a room with two sinks in the bathroom and a small room with a fridge, microwave, sink and a coffee maker. The bathroom was better than the bathroom in my apartment and not at all with a generic hotel look. If I ever move away from Oak Park and come back needing a hotel, this is the place I will stay!

I'm surprised to see a review of the motor lodge that says the rooms have an "old but clean look". I'm not sure if the rooms have been redone recently or not, or if the motor lodge that others have reviewed is a totally different section. From my understanding, however, my friend did stay in the motor inn section. The room was pretty modern, with a flat screen TV, kitchenette, and a pretty nice bathroom when compared with your average motel-type rooms. We were both believing he would be staying in the main hotel, yet were both somewhat impressed by the room, which he described as "artsy". For the price, the room was great. I'm not sure if his price was lower because he placed his reservation online or not, but it was a pretty sweet deal. The room had two beds, a table with four chairs, a flat panel TV, a kitchenette with coffee maker and comp coffee, dishes, silverware, microwave, mini frig, and cabinets. The room had a little hallway which led to both the closet and bathroom. There's no dresser in the room, but a wall with drawers in the back of this little hall. The closet has more than ample space, plus two extra pillows, two extra blankets, iron, full sized ironing board, an extra roll of toilet tissue, and plenty of towels is the bathroom. The only "bad" thing was that I saw no ice machine anywhere. There was however a soda machine outside. The beds were fairly comfortable as far as motel beds go, and he had no problems with anything in the room, aside from the wifi being slow. Everything worked, the front desk staff was incredibly helpful, and everything was just great. I've stayed in a few motels, as well has motels pretending to be hotels, and this is by far my favorite. The next time I want to just get away for the weekend, it's nice to know that I don't have to leave the state or even Oak Park, to find a nice, relaxing hotel at a fair price for a night or two.

Cute, old school hotel in the heart of Oak Park. Charming, though the rooms could use an update. Unfortunately, the WiFi in my room never worked for more than a few minutes at a time. Also, I could hear the people in the room above me stomping around, which kept me awake.

My husband and I got married and had the reception at The Carleton Hotel of Oak Park on September 28, 2013. The wedding coordinator, Annie, made everything so easy leading up to and the night of our wedding. We received so many compliments on the venue. Our guests loved the space and loved the food! The entire night, I felt like I never needed to worry about a thing. We had donuts catered by Glazed & Infused and Annie made sure those came out right when we wanted them. Honestly, everything went perfectly. Also, Annie had an idea to have food upstairs when we arrived, which probably SAVED the night for us. That was the only time we could really eat without worrying about being photographed or interrupted to talk to a wedding guest. It was brilliant. I would recommend that to everyone. It made it so much easier for us to go downstairs and enjoy the party. In addition, we used Barclays bar next door for an after-hours party that was completely ideal. We had a number of people spend some time there, and it allowed us to hang out with them and get in conversations we couldn't have during the party (because we were dancing like crazy). Finally, having access to the entire space throughout the night worked out so well. The dance party in the hall was pretty loud, and our parents and their friends were able to spend that time in the front, which worked out wonderfully. (because that space is beautiful and they had easy access to the bar) The Carleton, and especially Annie helped us have the best night of our lives - seriously. It was amazing. We will never forget it, and we will never forget how great they were to work with.

Dated, dingy rooms and incredibly rude front desk service. Will stay elsewhere next time despite the convenient location of this hotel.

I was born and raised in Oak Park, and my dad still lives there, so I had actually never been inside the Carleton until I booked a block of rooms there for out-of-town guests that attended my wedding in June of 2011. The Carleton is pretty sweet! It is old-fashioned without being run down. Our guests enjoyed staying there. It's in a nice part of Oak Park, with lots of restaurants and shopping nearby (as well as the Harlem Green Line and Metra stops- easy access to Chicago). I liked the variety of rooms (and prices) that were available for our guests to book. My husband and I booked the hot tub suite for two nights before and after our wedding. The hot tub was really nice and the room was perfect for all of the hair and makeup needs of my bridal party. The front desk staff was so nice and accommodating of us and all of our guests. Everyone recognized me as "the bride" and was especially considerate of my needs throughout the weekend. Their customer service made me feel special and very taken care of. We definitely brought the party back to Poor Phil's on Saturday following the wedding, and all of our guests had a blast. Thank you to the Carleton for putting up with us. We had a great experience there during our wedding weekend, and I would definitely recommend this hotel to anyone staying in Oak Park!

Stayed in the motel part of the hotel, but attended a marriage ceremony and reception in the main building. The motel is a real throwback, with multiple versions of patterned wallpaper, bright colored bedspreads, and drapes all mixed in with a combination of carpet and contrasting tile. It's a good thing I could give a s**t about decorating. The bed was comfortable and clean, and overall, the place is very nicely kept. Bathroom is tight for two (really, it's tight for one), but a nice, hot shower. The accommodations for the marriage ceremony and reception were top notch, and everything from the bartenders to the hors d'ouevres were excellent. And the dinner was incredible -- not sure I've ever seen a kitchen send out this much food -- and complicated food (beef wellington), no less -- and have it come out hot, crispy and delicious. Kudos to all for being spot on! TIP: Don't forget to ask for the WiFi password when checking in -- and the WiFi password expires in the middle of the night, so don't waste too much time trying to figure out why your network connection is gone in the morning...

Remember in Home Alone, that concierge at the hotel who was a total crab and wanted to bust Macaulay Culkin's ass? I think his dopplegangler works the front desk at Carleton. We had a group # for our wedding guests, but somehow a handful of their reservations disappeared. Maybe it was user error or maybe it wasn't, but when working in a hotel, you need to just drop the 'tude and satisfy your paying customers. You don't act like you're doing us a favor by letting us stay at your crusty hotel. Anyhow, besides all that drama, the hotel was fine. The cleaning ladies I ran into were super sweet. The rooms were clean and spacious. Their choice of fabric patterns for the curtains were unfortunate. The entrance was really weird. What hotel doesn't have automatic doors? Getting your stuff into the hotel is like an obstacle course. First you push through two sets of doors (no button for handicapped people to access), then you have some steps to make it through. To get to the right wing, you have to go up some more steps before making it to an elevator. Someone didn't think this through very well.