[VIDEO] Explore Chicago: Why Switching Hotels Enhances Your Travel Experience

By SweetnSpicyLiving on June 18, 2025 • ( Leave a comment )

My brother loves to travel, as in really love to travel. I told him several times that he would be a perfect one to have a travel blog. He travel mostly in Asia and within Philippines but the places they had visited was simply stunning. He took great photos of attractions and the hotels they strayed but even the beautiful photo he took does not give justice to how beautiful the places they visited.

One of the interesting thing that they do when they travel is that they stay in different hotels, at least 2 for a week vacation. A lot of people (me included) would think that this a bit tiring and a hassle to move from one hotel to another when you can just stay put in one hotel. But as I ponder on it, I started to see the point and convince myself that it is maybe a good idea to do, so why not give it a try.

One convincing reason for me is the experience of being in a different hotels. You know, different amenities, room, view and location. Sometimes, you can even get a better prices rather than staying in one a bit pricey hotel.

Another reason for me is the location. I find that when I travel on vacation, I like staying in downtown area or in the area that are closer to attractions. Changing hotels make more sense for this. I get to split what and where I visit depending on the location of my hotel. I visit the attractions that are close to the hotels, in some ways it saves me some walking time.

Another reason is I like the idea of fresh clean room, different look and different hotel amenities. I stay outside most of the time when I am on vacation, but it is still nice to have a hotel that I look forward to going back at the end of the day. In my Chicago vacation, I decided to not packed my schedule and take time to really relax and enjoy. My stay at CitizenM Hotel made this possible.

In my Chicago one week vacation, I decided to try the idea of staying in 2 different hotels. The first hotel I stayed was Arlo Hotel located within the Chicago Loop. Very nice central location, clean room, good service and nice staff. The best thing about this hotel is the central location.

Facts About Chicago

Chicago is the largest city of Illinois and third largest city of the United States after New York City and Los Angeles.
Chicago has various nicknames including “Chi-town”, “Windy City”, “Second City,” the “City of Big Shoulders”, and “American of big cities”.
A unique downtown Chicago feature is its multi-leveled streets, the most well-known of which is Wacker Drive. This double-decker street comprises an upper-level riverfront boulevard and a lower-level roadway for commercial and through traffic.Chicago’s downtown area is known as “The Loop,” which refers to the area encircled by the Chicago Transit Authority’s elevated (‘L’) train tracks.The CTA operates the nation’s second largest public transportation system. In an average year, the CTA provides more than 450 million bus and train rides.

The second hotel I stayed was the CitizenM Hotel also. located within the Chicago Loop area. I only stayed 2 days at this hotel but it was totally worth it for me.

This hotel was unlike any other hotel that I stayed before. I have to admit that the colourful, fun interior is what really attracted me to this hotel. This is a boutique hotel, the hotel rooms are quite small but they are really interesting.

This hotel is maybe more suitable for single or small group travellers more than a family or large group. I do not mind the small room because I really find the interior fun. The important thing for me is that the room is clean and the hotel location is central. Let me show you how fun this hotel, let’s go!

General Information

Address: 80 E Wacker Pl, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
Duration:
Website: www.CitizenM.com
Hours of Operation:
Entrance Fee:

Ground Level Lobby:

This here is the ground floor lobby of the hotel which is by first impression looks so much fun and colorful. It is not muc for a lobby but a good teaser for what’s to come when you go upstairs to the checkin area.

Nook:

I love this small nook area where you can have a meal or some alone time to do some work or reading. They have this is close to the checkin area and the green one is close to the dining or kitchen area.

Kitchen:

How fun is this? have you ever seen a colorful retro looking dining and bar area like this? The black, white, grey and red theme really made this area so unique for a bar and dining area. They have good food and drinks option in their menu just make sure to bring credit card with you as they do not accept cash payment.

Dining Room:

Living Room:

Second to the rooftop, the communal living area space is my favourite place to hangout. Not to stress the already obvious vibrant colourful theme, the furnitures are very comfortable for lounging.

I love the interior decorations, the colourful and uniquely shaped furniture, and the eye catching hanging pendant light. There are 3 large living area space for people to sit and relax. When I was there, I did not see this space crowded which was really nice. Probably because I went out really early when most people are still in their room and return in the evening when most people are out exploring the city.

Communal Working Desk:

Meeting & Lounger Room:

If you are booking as a team in this place and requires a more quiet meeting room, they have 2 large rooms dedicated for this. This room here is enclosed with large table to gather and a very comfortable sofa that could accommodate a lot of people.

CitizenM Hotel Conference Room Area Chicago Illinois USA

Rooftop Lounge Room:

Now we’ve come to my favourite part of the hotel, the rooftop lounging area. This area was so cozy and beautiful day and night. It is spacious with divided areas that people can sit and relax. Look at how beautiful the ceiling design 🙂 It is fun and funky while staying connected to the theme of the entire hotel. Love, love, love this area.

They have 3 separate sections, some side chairs with tables for people who would like to eat something. Most people use the sofa area for lounging and drinking, and those who like to eat uses the side chairs with table. You can order food and have it served in this area.

Bedroom:

The bedroom, the. most important part of the stay. The bedroom was quite small compared to Arlo Hotel where I previously stayed but this room has its own charm. I was really please when I walked in, not to mention happy and excited to spend few days here.

Comfortable bed & pillow for a good night rest

This room almost feels like a dormitory room but it does have the basic things you need for a short stay. The bed is large enough for me, the firmness of the mattress was perfect, and the pillows are so pillowy soft 🙂

I love the shear curtain so that you can close it when you sleep.

Ipad operated dimmable lights

The light are all operated using an iPad which was cool. You can choose to have night lights only if you do not like sleeping in complete darkness and a full blown light when you are awake. The blind is switch operated which made it easy to open and close it.

TV to keep you entertained

They have a TV, never got the chance to use it though.

Pullout cabinets, hanging racks and a safe

They also have pull out cabinets under the bed if you have more clothes with you. They also provide a safe to keep your valuables. The safe is hidden inside one of the bed pullout cabinet.

Let’s get clean

They have small hanging rack by the entrance door and a vanity mirror with table and water faucet for washing your hands and face and brushing your teeth. They really maximize the space in a very nice and neat way.

Washroom

You must be wondering where is the washroom? That area with purple light is the washroom. It is quite small, fits one person only but it was more than enough to get the job done. The important thing was it was clean. You can get the toiletries supply from the checkin area. They have a table with bathroom supplies. I only knew of this on my last day when I saw someone took something from the table.

I forgot to take a photo of the inside but I captured it in video so have a look at the video to fully appreciate this space.

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Categories: Attractions, Chicago, Travel, Travel Video, When in USA