The "cheap" hostel I booked in Chicago cost me double in the end

Found a spot in Wicker Park for $28 a night on Hostelworld last month. Turned out the $5 lockers didn't fit my bag and the shared room had no AC during a 95 degree weekend. Ended up buying a portable fan and paying for two nights at a La Quinta just to sleep. Anyone else have a "deal" that backfired with hidden costs?

2 comments

2 Comments

maxm6311d ago

The La Quinta thing really hits home. Had a similar situation in New Orleans where I booked a place for $35 a night that was basically a converted storage room. No window, just a ceiling vent that sounded like a lawnmower. Ended up spending like $60 on Uber rides to cafes just to have somewhere to sit with AC during the day. The worst part was I had already paid for four nights nonrefundable, so I was out that money plus the extra hotel room. Learned my lesson about reading reviews for "no AC" and "no window" specifically. Now I always check if the hostel has a common area with decent air or a rooftop where you can actually hang out.

simontorres11d ago

I mean, not to nitpick but Wicker Park isn't really Chicago's downtown area, right? It's more of a neighborhood a few miles west. Still a pain about the AC though, 95 degrees with no fan is brutal.