Chicago Downtown
Industrial-chic boutique hotel with hostel energy. Graffiti walls, neon signs, eclectic lobby furniture, and an Inner Circle courtyard with a rotating art installation. Loud and intentionally irreverent.
Ask for an Inner Circle room if you want the art installation courtyard experience — these face inward so no city view, but the art and lightbox messaging are the whole point.
Why It Matters
First Moxy in Chicago. Check-in happens at a cocktail bar — you get a free 'Got Moxy' cocktail on arrival. The Inner Circle rooms face a Garden of Eden-inspired art installation where guests can send lightbox messages to neighboring rooms. Zombie Taco operates as a 24/7 walk-up taco counter inside the hotel. The Moxy Soundoff Podcast Booth is a professional-grade recording studio open to all guests.
River North's most social hotel is essentially a bar with rooms attached — and that's not a complaint. Moxy Chicago Downtown opened in 2018 as the city's first Moxy property, landing 156 compact but cleverly designed rooms in one of Chicago's most nightlife-dense neighborhoods. Check-in happens at Bar Moxy over a complimentary cocktail. The rooms run small (some under 150 sq ft) and the open-concept bathroom means the shower lives in your bedroom — a quirk families and modest travelers will want to know upfront. But the game room, 24/7 taco counter (Zombie Taco), vinyl library, and podcast booth make the communal spaces feel genuinely alive.
Where You'll Stay
5 room types available
Corner City View Guest Room
Corner location with windows on two sides framing downtown Chicago views. Guest reviews consistently call this the best room in the house — the views on higher floors are genuinely strong. Same open-bathroom design and compact footprint as all other room types, but that corner window placement makes it feel less closed in.
1 Queen · 14 sqmInner Circle Queen Guest Room
Same footprint as the standard queen, but the view is the differentiator. These rooms face the hotel's internal courtyard, which features a Garden of Eden-inspired art installation. Floor-to-ceiling untinted windows look directly onto the courtyard and neighboring Inner Circle rooms across the way. A lightbox on the nightstand lets you send messages to guests in the rooms across the courtyard. Priced the same as outward-facing rooms — Moxy's clever inversion of the usual view premium.
1 Queen · 14 sqmQueen Guest Room
The entry-level room and honestly the most practical pick for two people. Floor-to-ceiling windows, wooden floors, motion-activated LED guide lights, and a 49-inch Smart TV with streaming built in. The bathroom is partially open — the walk-in shower sits in the main room behind frosted glass, and the toilet has its own small cubby. No closet; clothes hang on wall pegs instead. A folding table and chair serve as the 'desk.' Compact, but well-designed for what it is.
1 Queen · 14 sqmQueen Guest Room with Twin Loft
The most unusual room type — a queen bed on the main level plus a twin bunk above it. Works well for three guests or travelers who actually want the bunk experience. Be warned: the lower bunk has very low clearance — sitting up against the headboard is awkward. The top bunk is the better sleep. No outward city view in this configuration — this room faces the alley side. Not recommended for just two people who'd rather have more floor space.
1 Queen + 1 Twin Bunk · 14 sqmTwo Queen Guest Room
The largest standard configuration at the hotel, with two queens and a bit more floor area. Same design language as the single queen — open bathroom, wall peg storage, Smart TV — but room for two separate beds. Still tight by most downtown hotel standards, but the extra square footage is noticeable.
2 Queens · 18 sqmThe Property
Eat & Drink
2 venues on property
Restaurant
On Property
How you'll actually spend your days.
Weekday happy hour at Bar Moxy, 4pm-6pm. $5 draft beers and wines, $7 select cocktails, and $8 beer-and-taco pairings. Consistently popular with locals and hotel guests alike.
Live DJ sets every Friday and Saturday night at Bar Moxy. The bar fills up with both guests and locals — more of a neighborhood bar event than a private hotel function.
Rotating monthly events at Bar Moxy including bar crawls, podcast recording sessions, and themed nights. Check the Zombie Taco events calendar for current schedule.
On-site game room with shuffleboard, foosball, and classic arcade games including Pac-Man and Dig Dug. Always buzzing, especially on weekends.
A noise-eliminating podcast booth with professional-grade recording equipment open to all guests. Whether you're recording a side project or just curious, all are welcome. Local Chicago podcasts like #WeGotGoals and Podlander Drunkcast have recorded here.
A curated collection of classic and modern vinyl records with headphones for listening. The communal table doubles as a co-working space with free blazing-fast Wi-Fi, an upbeat playlist, and plenty of USB and power outlets. Quieter than the bar and a genuinely good place to work.
Amenities & Practical Info
The details that matter for planning.
On-site 24-hour business center with printers and office facilities. Accessible entrance.
Free blazing-fast Wi-Fi throughout the hotel. Marriott Bonvoy members get complimentary in-room access when booking direct.
On-site convenience store stocked with grab-and-go beverages, salads, fresh fruit, pastries from West Town Bakery, and Zombie Taco merchandise (t-shirts, hats, flasks, water bottles).
Pets welcome. Maximum 1 pet per room, max 40 lbs. Non-refundable fee of $50/night. $10 of the pet fee is donated to the Anti-Cruelty Society, located across the street from the hotel.
No swimming pool on property.
No iron or ironing board in individual rooms. Each floor has a shared communal ironing station. Guest reviews note this is a minor inconvenience but rarely results in a queue.
24-hour front desk and concierge service. Staff are consistently praised in reviews for genuine helpfulness and local recommendations.
Same-day dry cleaning and valet dry cleaning available.
Marriott Bonvoy mobile key access via the app — skip the front desk if you're already checked in.
Parking available at Mart Parc garage, 401 N Wells Street, approximately 0.2 miles from the hotel. Cost is $59/night with in-and-out privileges. Bring your ticket to the front desk for a QR code. No on-site or handicapped parking at the hotel.
No electric vehicle charging stations on property.
24/7 complimentary fitness center with a boxing bag, signature racing bike, treadmills, elliptical machines, free weights, and strength equipment. Cardio and circuit gym all covered.
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