Location is (the Only?) Thing: A Review of The Hilton Chicago O’Hare Airport Hotel

I visited Chicago earlier this week to visit Delta Air Lines’ new home at O’Hare’s Terminal 5.

That presented me with a chance to stay somewhere I always wanted to try: The Hilton Chicago O’Hare Airport Hotel.

I needed a hotel for just one night and didn’t want to spend a crazy amount of points or money — but also wanted somewhere close to O’Hare.

How and Why I Selected The Hilton Chicago O’Hare Airport Hotel

The Hilton Chicago O’Hare Airport Hotel is about a 5-minute walk from Terminal 2. And it’s around 5-7 minutes (depending on your route) to the Airport Transit System (ATS) tram that takes passengers to/from Terminals 1, 3, and 5, and the Multi-Modal Facility (rental cars, economy parking, etc.).

It’s fantastic in terms of proximity. You can’t beat it.

Thanks to The Platinum Card® from American Express, I’m a Gold status member of Hilton Honors (enrollment required). I knew that would give me either an $18 food and beverage or 1,000 bonus Honors points.

And maybe I’d score a complimentary room upgrade, though I wouldn’t hold my breath. (Or really need it, especially given my stay lasted only a night.)

I went to make my reservation: but the Hilton Chicago O’Hare wanted 50,000 Hilton Honors points for a single night — or something like $350. My Honors balance was on fumes and I didn’t want to spend so much money for just one (short) night.

So, I booked a room at the Holiday Inn & Suites Elk Grove Village (home of the Chicago Seminars) for 17,000 IHG Rewards One points. It’s about a 15-minute ride; I have some Uber Cash thanks to The Platinum Card® from American Express and American Express® Gold Card; that would help me save a little money on ground transportation. Plus, I’m very familiar with the hotel and have a sentimental connection to it.(Enrollment is required for the Uber Cash benefit. Terms apply. Uber Cash deposits are made monthly and expire if not used. To receive this benefit, you must have downloaded the latest version of the Uber App and your eligible American Express® Gold Card and/or Amex Platinum Card must be a method of payment in your Uber account. The Amex Benefit may only be used in the United States. Effective November 8, 2024, an Amex Card must be selected as the payment method for your Uber or Uber Eats transaction to redeem the Amex Uber Cash benefit. )

But then I remembered American Express® Membership Rewards® was running a great promotion: transfer Membership Rewards points to Hilton Honors at 1:2.6 ratio.

I transferred 19,000 Membership Rewards points to Hilton. About three minutes later, my Honors account held over 50,000 points and I made my reservation!

My Upgrade Offer

I received several upgrade offers shortly after completing my reservation.

I didn’t bite — as much as I love runway view rooms at any airport-adjacent hotel. Again, my stay lasted only a night. Plus, I rolled the dice and wondered if my Gold status would pay off.

How to Get to The Hilton Chicago O’Hare Airport Hotel — from the Airport

Get thee to Terminal 2 baggage claim and then follow the signs.

From there, you have three options: the elevator, stairs, or escalator (assuming the last of the three is operable).

From there, walk through the tunnel and follow the signs.

Once you reach the Hilton “connector” you have a couple of multiple options to reach the lobby: an elevator or escalator.

Checking into The Hilton Chicago O’Hare Airport Hotel

(Quick caveat: I arrived at 10:00 PM. The pictures below are a combination of day and night images.)

Checking in was a breeze. The gentleman at the front desk confirmed my upgrade was, indeed, a runway view room. (Yay!) He also offered me a couple of bottles of water.

I opted for the $ 18-a-day food and beverage credit over the bonus points. (I know, I know.) But I’m pretty much a free agent when it comes to hotels — and knew I had some F & B research to provide my readers.

More on that soon.

Here are some views from my room.

Pretty decent, right? I wish I had more time to just sit and look out the window. O’Hare is such a busy airport; plane spotting, people-watching, and trainspotting would keep me entertained for hours.

How about the room itself? Well, it needs refreshing.

The place certainly shows its age. (Fellow writers: we may say it “has some personality.”)

I didn’t see any USB ports. That surprises me yet doesn’t: again, you stay here for the location. Not the amenities. (Plus, most of us travel with our own power supplies.)

I don’t know about you but I love a cold bedroom. The thermostat read 65 F — but felt a good 10 degrees warmer. It took several hours for the room to cool down.

To be fair, my first night’s sleep somewhere new usually isn’t fantastic.

The mattress was fine but unremarkable. I didn’t crawl into bed and say, “Wow, this is Heaven!” Nor did I gripe, “This is awful. I’m sleeping on the floor!”

That said, I didn’t sleep well. I love airplane noise — except when it wakes me up almost every hour. I think I read somewhere the windows are sound-resistant. That’s a big difference from soundproof. Aircraft noise woke me up several times throughout the night — right after I had just fallen asleep.

If that’s a problem for you, bring earplugs and/or request a room that doesn’t face the closer runways.

The pillows weren’t as firm as I like. Most Marriott and IHG pillows seem just right.

The bathroom was fine. Kind of dark. Needs some (brighter) LED lights.

There weren’t any hand towels or washcloths — just two bath towels. Given I was the only room’s only occupant and there for one night, that certainly wasn’t a big deal. Again, it seems like Hilton knows you’re there only for the location. So, why bother with anything too fancy — like hand towels?

Bonus: this hotel hasn’t submitted to the refillable toiletries movement.

(Food and) Beverage

The hotel features a few restaurants that look pretty good. As much as I love hotel breakfasts (I truly do), I decided to hold out for eats at the new Delta Sky Club. (I wasn’t disappointed.)

I put my $18 food and beverage credit to use and visited the bar not long after I checked in.

I sat at the bar and chatted football with an amicable guy next to me. He ordered the chicken wings — and was very impressed. (They looked quite tasty.)

This blog’s regular readers know bourbon is one of my vices. My favorite cocktail is an (good) Old Fashioned. (The canned Tip-Top Old Fashioneds that Delta serves are very tasty. Unfortunately, it seems Delta’s canned wine doesn’t pass the taste test.)

The Hilton O’Hare’s Old Fashioned was not impressive.

I think the bartender overdid it with the sugar or simple syrup and bitters ratio. (I later learned their well bourbon is Jim Beam — I should’ve ordered it with Maker’s Mark.)

This seemed like an especially busy weeknight — and the bartender looked a little overwhelmed. That said, he and the waitress were both welcoming and provided good service.

Awesome Benefit: Late Check-Out

The Delta event ended around noon — and my flight wasn’t until well after 5:00 PM.

Delta Sky Clubs don’t allow guests to enter more than three hours before their original departing flights. So, I needed somewhere to spend two hours where I could edit a couple of hundred photos and get some writing done.

Hilton Gold status to the rescue! The front desk rep said I was allowed a 2:00 PM checkout. And that helped a lot in terms of getting work done.

Even for people taking flights in the late afternoon or evening: the later you can access your hotel room, the better.

Would I Stay at The Hilton Chicago O’Hare Airport Hotel Again?

Like most airport hotels, this is geared toward travelers needing somewhere to stay for one night. Maybe two. Perhaps some people who are attending a convention or other event in the immediate area.

If I were visiting Chicago as a tourist, I’d stay somewhere downtown.

If I were on something like an MQD status run, maybe. (That assumes I had enough Honors points.) You cannot beat the convenience to O’Hare.

Final Approach

Hilton seems to know its Chicago O’Hare airport hotel is the only game in town when it comes to location. The room quality and prices certainly reflect that.

But for one or two nights? Sure. It’s good. Especially if you stay on your employer’s dime or find a great deal (money- or points-wise)

And if O’Hare is merely a layover or somewhere your “big” trip starts, this hotel works. Just don’t expect anything luxurious. But you will pay for it.

Is it worth it? That’s subjective. If you stay somewhere away from O’Hare, consider you’ll have to take a train, taxi, ride share, or hotel shuttle to get there (and back). Plus, I assume your time is worth something, as well.

I received a bargain for 19,000 Membership Rewards points — simply because of the promotion running when I booked. But I’d have a hard time coughing up 50,000 points for this property.

What do you think? Have you stayed at the O’Hare Hilton? Please share your thoughts in the below Comments section!

To see rates and fees for The Platinum Card® from American Express, please visit this link. Terms apply.

To see rates and fees for the American Express® Gold Card, please visit this link. Terms apply.