A few firsts of 2008... Chicago, Thanksgiving in the snow,…read moreand a first at a bed and breakfast. 2 years later I still reminisce. I regret forgetting the owner's name but he really was the most pleasant and hospitable person. My favorite part of the mansion was a quiet comfy library nook that had a hanging decorative wreath made of artfully interwoven branches and lights. It spread across the ceiling and added warmth to their hospitality. I wouldn't hesitate to board here once more.

A very interesting bed and breakfast. Being from the west coast, I wasn't expecting a giant house…read morequite like this. Filled with antiques, it's a really quite extravagant inside and out. The owner Steve was very friendly, and prepared a great breakfast for us. Afterwards, he sat around and talked about the history of both the house and the city of Dundee. The bed was comfortable, and we were in the biggest suite, so we had a HUGE tub in our room. It definitely is a place to consider if you're traveling through this part of the country!

I've been here a couple times for events! It's such a beautiful place! The Barn is perfect for any…read moreevent! Summer concerts outside are so much fun! I love it here!

This venue is amazing! Beautiful, tucked away with the lake, and perfect for a wedding ceremony…read moreand reception. My neice's wedding was absolutely stunning! She and my new nephew's wedding photos show the absolute beauty of the scenery outside and the venue. Mgmt is great to work with, as it has that personal ownership that truly cares, not a corporate feel at all. Check out the photos and know you have found your perfect venue! Thank you, Bear!

The Guesthouse hotel is fantastic. A home away from home! Perfect for families. Excellent customer…read moreservice. If you need accommodations in Chicago, book the Guesthouse. You won't be disappointed!

Bedroom door is squeaky with a deep need for WD-40 and I am in deep need of sleep…read more The tot fell asleep at bedtime but the creaking of escaping parent woke him up and now four hours later we are still not achieving bedtime because he's playing the squeaky door as an instrument. This hotel isn't family friendly. Aside from the ridiculous door, the dressers are not properly secured for children. I guess the menu of complimentary request able goods is great but maybe the basics?

We stayed six nights and had a wonderful experience. It is a very charming B&B with a lovely living…read moreroom and patio. Our room and bathroom were very clean and comfortable. The innkeeper, Beth Harvey, could not have been more accommodating. The location was terrific: walking distance to the Wright attractions, restaurants, and trains to Chicago

I didn't stay at Harvey House but had made a reservation to stay there for a visit to Chicago…read more Very bad experience. First, they made me put a $350 deposit down and told me that if I did not cancel at the 2 weeks to go time point I would then be liable for the cost of my full stay if they did not fill the room. Then, I learned from reviews, and after my wife talked to the owner, that the "breakfast" part of the deal was not quite the B&B experience I'm used to. It's more like a continental set-up with like hot scrambled eggs. Not the home-cooked interesting breakfast items served by the house, different items each day. This was not disclosed to me when I called to make the reservation. Then, when I decided to cancel (mainly for those reasons), 3 weeks out from my date, the house withheld $50 of my $350. This was not disclosed to me when I called to make the reservation. The lady said it was on the "small print" of the email, and indeed it was. BAD PRACTICE! Maybe if you are a frequent visitor and you've enjoyed your stay, great. If you're coming from out of town and never went there, consider these practices. NOT GOOD.

If I were anything other than a grad student, I would stay else where- literally anywhere else…read more This "guest house" is basically a super old motel/ hotel that hasn't had to compete because it's the only onsite accommodation and is insanely overpriced... my dorm room was nicer. The beds are old and uncomfortable, there is a weird high pitched running water type sound that won't stop, and they didn't even provide soap for the bathroom. The decor is old as well- you can see in the crunches the curtains and bedspread were at one time red but have now faded to a gross brown. The beds each have a single, old feather pillow which is a dense solid and (if I had to put money on it) weighs over 10 lbs (in what??? Dead skin cells? Ew) seriously, bring your own pillow. There is no temperature control in the room, which is easily 80 degrees inside, and the ice machine is broken so we don't even get that repute. I don't think I could try and make a more uncomfortable hotel. Pay to stay somewhere else.

ID Please. Ok. Are you a citizen of the United States? Yes…read more So i'm going to assume President Obama WAS NOT in the building this week but the security clearance to get in this place is insane. I attended a wedding this past Friday and a block of rooms were reserved here. Definitely an interesting location. The guest house stands in the midst of all of these other top secret buildings and this little area even has its own fire department. Be prepared to check in with security and to possibly get lost since the "campus" is huge! Security clearance aside the actual guest house was clean, well kept and looked like your standard 3 star hotel. No glitz no glam but definitely not motel 6. And considering the fact that we were one cavity search short of prison they were actually quite lax when we got inside with the entire bridal party and brought in cases of wine and boxes of beer. Would I stay here willingly if not for a wedding? probably not. it gives me the heebie jeebies

This is a great place to bring the family to. Toni is great to work with. We will no doubt be…read morestaying here again.

Love this place! My wife and I stayed here the night before our wedding in Streator -- such a…read morelovely stay. Toni went above and beyond to make sure we had what we needed, adding special touches. Our wedding party got ready here the next day, too! Toni set up fruit and champagne, among other amenities to make the morning go perfectly. It is such a charming house and Toni was the perfect host. We are hoping to stay again for an anniversary!

We spent the long July 4th weekend visiting Chicago, and stayed in #3. The space worked very well…read morefor two couples. The unit was very clean and very quiet. The beds were comfortable and the linens nice. The kitchen and bath were tastefully done with granite and nice fixtures. All was in working order. The location was perfect. A short walk to the Brown Line, easy on street parking, lots of fun places to eat nearby. West Roscoe had an upscale family neighborhood vibe. We ate at the Turkish place and the Vietnamese place - both very good. A note to anyone who books #3. Make sure that you are comfortable with 2 flights of steep stairs. Make sure you know how to reboot a WIFI. And, ask about the A/C which must be on some sort of preprogrammed setting. We happened to be there when it was quite hot, so we had to often set the A/C to manual to cool off. This condo was a great home base for our 4 day weekend. It's always fun to be able to come "home" after a long day of sightseeing and relax and enjoy each others company in a comfortable space.

Five of us came to town for 5 days for our son's wedding, and stayed in one of the guesthouses…read more The location was convenient to all of our activities. The guesthouse was our "base of operations". The place was immaculate and had everything we seemed to need in the well appointed kitchen. I even put the backyard grill to good use one night. The beds were comfortable, bathrooms had plenty of hot water, parking was convenient, and lots of interesting restaurants within walking distance. The neighborhood was full of happy children, and we enjoyed a game of Frisbee in a nearby park. We go well acquainted with the #50 bus to get us anywhere in the city.The neighborhood was full of happy children, and we enjoyed a game of Frisbee in a nearby park. We go well acquainted with the #50 bus to get us anywhere in the city. Our "wired" set took full advantage of the fast wi-fi connection. I had wanted to stay in a hotel, but my wife thought this would be more "homey" and see was right, it was a great decision. The only downside to us was that the toaster seemed to be hard-wired to the smoke alarm, but once we figured out to turn the exhaust fan one before we did any cooking all was well.

First impression: WOW! How many times can you say to your friends and family that you stayed in a…read moregrain bin? It's incredible how transformed it is inside! Marcia is a wonderful hostess. Very flexible, welcoming and great conversationalist! She called to make sure we arrived all right since we were getting in late, and gave us plenty of breakfast options for the morning. It was gorgeous to see the moon out the window in the bedroom loft and be away from the city lights. We even woke up to birds happily chirping right outside our window, too! The silo is quite roomy, perfect for quiet getaways away from the noise of modern day life. There are modern amenities like a TV, but why bother when you can enjoy snuggling around the ironcast fireplace? We will definitely be recommending this once in a life time experience to all Starved Rock/outdoor adventurers!

One day, I was abducted. No need to be sorry for me; I had…read moreactually been warned in advance by an "anonymous" letter which was signed "The Bridal Shower Gang". My friends had indeed decided to take me away from my groom-to-be for a weekend to be just-us-girls together. They set their choice on a rustic retreat, far from the city and all the book-induced headaches that we all shared as students/instructors at U of C. So after a little ride in Mimi's old faithful we arrive in the outskirts of Ottowa and park in front of a silo. The weather is really grey, a cold wind is blowing and we are welcome by Marcia, the lady of the house. Emmanuelle quickly leaves us behind to go say hi to Mary-go-round, the local mare while we patiently listen to Marcia explaining all the high and lows of the area. If you don't know where to go, what to do or what to eat - she's definitely your woman and an endless well of information............ The premises are nice but not fancy. The silo we stayed in was newly renovated and it showed - there's a neat mezzanine with a queen size bed and a couple pieces of furniture, a adorable bathroom and a lot of kitchen amenities (microwave, fridge, a burner, glasses, etc.) and a wood-burning stove - which was much appreciated in this cold November weekend! There's also an AC unit for the summer months. Overall it's a cool place to hang out - but you have not to mind sleeping in the bathroom or on a bench under the window....if it sounds weird, it's because it is! I also have to mention the dozen or so of dead flies by the upstairs window...I didn't mind them but I would understand if some people don't enjoy their company that much. If you decide to go pay a visit to Marcia, the silo is your best bet. The little house where my other friends stayed didn't sound too appetizing, and even rural charm has its limits: the three of them had to share the bed because the couches were covered with mouse excrement.... and it really looked worn out, like an old hunting hut which hasn't known the loving touch of a woman for years. Almost everything was forgotten though the next morning around breakfast which was plentiful, satisfying and filled with the purrs of Simba, the most adorable and social cat we had ever seen..... It is 10 minutes away from Starved Rock State Park and it really makes you forget the hustling and bustling of the city. And Miss Illinois slept there!!! If THAT is not an argument!!!

Really beautiful chapel! I have lots of fond memories growing up here and exploring all the…read moregorgeous art and statues housed within. There is art just about everywhere you look. Be sure to take the walkway behind the altar or check out the choir lofts to see even more.

I was here for a women's retreat with my church- we didn't go to the church but went to the retreat…read morecenter called Techny Towers. This is a totally cool place with a beautiful sanctuary. The meals for the retreats are very good- great selection with a big salad bar, fruit, soup and then hot choices too. They have basic retreat rooms- very simple but I think they each have their own bathroom and the rooms were very clean. The meeting rooms are also good. Overall I highly recommend Techny Towers for a retreat!

A great place for a weekend stay in the city. Clean, comfy and convenient…read more The owner is nice and accommodating and it's more like you're staying at a good friends house than some big dirty hotel. You get a section of the house all to yourself. Includes a living room, bathroom and bedroom. I stayed here with my mom when she came to visit. The bed was SO comfortable. Theres also a fridge with free water bottles and snacks in the room. Free wifi. My only complaint about this was the bedroom and bathroom locks are old and don't actually lock. You have a section of the house to yourself but I'd still like a bathroom door that locks since its in the hallway. I'd stay here again. Close to the L train, shops and food. And is clean and comfy!

I loved staying here with my husband. It was private and we got a room with a beautiful view of…read morethe new DePaul music building. We used the guest house as a staycation in our own city, and it felt like we were in a whole new city. Amazing service and beautiful home!