The Congress Hotel disgraces Chicago

" ...The Congress Hotel is a substandard hotel and has been for several years.  The owners do not care about the guests and consistently the hotel has been plagued by lack of proper maintenance, cleanliness, and proper service. I have received more complaints about this hotel than any other hotel long before there was a work stoppage situation." 

–Marc Gordon, President of the Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association

When Chicago opened its doors to the world for the 1893 World's Exposition, the Congress Hotel was built to welcome throngs of visiting tourists. Today, the Congress Hotel disgraces Chicago. It fell into a state of shameful disrepair. The Congress' neglect of its physical condition was matched only by its stubborn disregard for industry labor standards and a sense of basic fairness.

Poor conditions and labor strife have cost the hotel millions of dollars worth of business and the region millions in tax revenue. Moreover, the protracted struggle between workers and the hotel owners – a reclusive family scattered across three continents – has done nothing but muddy the reputation of a city that deeply depends on the tourist, trade and convention industry for its current and future economic prosperity.

Before you book your stay at the Congress Hotel, read what other customers have to say about their experience and see if it’s right for you.  

For more information, contact congressboycott@unitehere.org or visit our union hotel guide for hotel alternatives.