HI-Chicago 
Chicago 
HI-USA 
Hostelling brings the world to Chicago!
Located in the center of downtown Chicago and in the heart of Chicago’s thriving education district. HI-Chicago is very close to Lake Michigan and within walking distance of Millennium Park, Buckingham Fountain, the Art Institute, Field Museum and Shedd Aquarium. Our neighborhood is safe, fun and easy to get to from anywhere in Chicago. Activities from the hostel include free walking tours and excursions throughout the city. You will also receive discounts to many of Chicago's best attractions, including Chicago Architecture Foundation, Bobby's Bike Hike, Sears Tower and Hancock Observatory. The hostel has capacity for 500 guests and facilities include internet access, laundry and friendly staff to help you explore Chicago! We are open to serve you 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
The BEST place to stay in Chicago! • Best location in downtown Chicago |
The FUN is on in Chicago!!! Take advantage of all this great city has to offer, starting with a stay at Hostelling International Chicago! |
 Add to your adventure with HI-Chicago! We cater to Girl Scout Troops who stay at our hostel with a spirit of adventure, interaction and discovery. |
 Groups of 10 or more receive a special group rate. Our Group Sales Manager, Emily Paxson, is ready to help you plan your stay at the hostel. |
What's New: Great Food the Hostel!
Dairy Queen opens next to the hostel on the weekend of March 28th! Travelers and staff are excited about the extensive menu, which includes ice cream cones, Blizzards, hamburgers, hotdogs, and sandwiches.
Cafecito is a great cafe and sandwich shop located right in the building of HI-Chicago. Enjoy their signature café con leches, free wifi internet, and what has been voted the BEST Cuban sandwich in Chicago!
Free Breakfast!
All guests receive free breakfast from 7:00am to 10:00am in the large dining area. The breakfast buffet includes bagels, muffins, cereal, fruit, coffee, tea and juice. Travelers at HI-Chicago can begin their Chicago adventure with a good breakfast and a great opportunity to meet other hostellers and swap suggestions for the day ahead.
FREE WiFi!
Do you travel with a WiFi enabled laptop, pda, phone or other gadget? The entire common area on the 2nd floor of the hostel has free internet access through WiFi. Coverage extends through the lobby, library, meeting rooms and dining area. If you don’t have your own computer, the hostel has internet kiosks for you to use for $6/hour.
Plan Ahead for Summer Festivals!
The big downtown hostel is the best location for Chicago’s major festivals, because most of them are just a short walk to Grant Park from our front door.
- June 26 - July 5: Taste of Chicago in Grant Park
- July 3rd: Independence Day Fireworks and Concert in Grant Park and lakefront
- July 17-19: Pitchfork Music Festival in Union Park
- July 25th: Venetian Night boat parade and fireworks at Monroe Harbor
- August 7-9: Lollapalooza! in Grant Park
- August 15-16: Air and Water Show along the lakefront beaches
- August 29-30: Viva! Latin Music Festival in Grant Park
- September 4-6: Chicago Jazz Fest in Millennium Park
Explore Chicago with the HI-Chicago Staff!
HI-Staff and Volunteers can help you learn all about Chicago before you even get here with free, downloadable pdfs with a lot of great information. Click here to start exploring!
Best Large Hostel in the World 2 Years in a Row!
Thank you to our travelers that rated HI-Chicago as the Best Large Hostel Worldwide for 2006 and 2007 on hostelworld.com. This award is based on ratings by over 600,000 travelers from around the globe.
Highest Comment Card Scores
Our guests are happy to speak out about their awesome experience at HI-Chicago. We have won the award for Highest Comment Card Scores for HI-USA!
Thanks for all your great feedback!
The Break Away Alternative
Break Away and Hostelling International USA are strong partners in providing you excellent inexpensive accommodations and resources to connect your group to service. Many of our hostels have provided a place for Break Away to host their Alternative Break Citizenship Schools.
Hostels provide a great, low-priced accommodation for your group while volunteering in communities throughout the country. Chicago is a leader in this partnership, and Hostelling International Chicago provides site leaders with a downloadable brochure (270k PDF) with great information on how to lead an Alternative School Break in Chicago. Please contact our Groups department for more information.
Discounts!
The hostel works hard to get you the best discounts in Chicago!!! Find out about all of our current offers when you check in. These include: Sears Tower, Hancock Observatory, Bobby’s Bike Hike, Chicago from the Lake boat tours and more.
Get Involved!
Volunteer at HI-Chicago! Volunteers are essential to the vitality and uniquely Chicago character of the hostel. Click here to Get Involved!