Hotel Cass, a 1920s hotel building in River North

Holiday Inn Express Chicago (Hotel Cass)

A 1927 hotel near the Mag Mile with free breakfast
and budget-friendly rates — location over frills.

Cass Hotel1925Oldefest & WilliamsBeaux-Arts 640 N. Wabash Avenue, River North

Holiday Inn Express Chicago - Magnificent Mile by IHG. Cass Hotel, 1925, Oldefest & Williams, 640 N. Wabash Avenue. Photo courtesy of Holiday Inn Express Chicago - Magnificent Mile by IHG.

Hotel Cass exterior
Hotel Cass exterior view. Photo courtesy of Hotel Cass.
Hotel Cass exterior
Hotel Cass exterior. Photo courtesy of Hotel Cass.
Hotel Cass exterior
Hotel Cass exterior view. Photo courtesy of Hotel Cass.
Hotel Cass exterior
Hotel Cass exterior view. Photo courtesy of Hotel Cass.
Lobby at Hotel Cass
The lobby at Hotel Cass. Photo courtesy of Hotel Cass.
Lobby at Hotel Cass
The Hotel Cass lobby. Photo courtesy of Hotel Cass.
Lobby at Hotel Cass
The Hotel Cass lobby. Photo courtesy of Hotel Cass.
Lobby at Hotel Cass
The Hotel Cass lobby. Photo courtesy of Hotel Cass.
Lobby at Hotel Cass
The Hotel Cass lobby. Photo courtesy of Hotel Cass.
Restaurant and bar at Hotel Cass
Dining and cocktails at Hotel Cass. Photo courtesy of Hotel Cass.
Guest room at Hotel Cass
A guest room at Hotel Cass. Photo courtesy of Hotel Cass.
Guest room at Hotel Cass
Hotel Cass guest accommodations. Photo courtesy of Hotel Cass.
Guest room at Hotel Cass
Hotel Cass guest accommodations. Photo courtesy of Hotel Cass.
Guest room at Hotel Cass
Hotel Cass guest accommodations. Photo courtesy of Hotel Cass.
Guest room at Hotel Cass
Hotel Cass guest accommodations. Photo courtesy of Hotel Cass.
Guest room at Hotel Cass
Hotel Cass guest accommodations. Photo courtesy of Hotel Cass.

What guests are saying

What guests love

  • A real-value rate in River North, a 5-minute walk to the Magnificent Mile.
  • A small, straightforward hotel with included breakfast and the essentials done well.
  • A 1920s building with more character than the usual budget chain box.

What to keep in mind

  • A budget property — compact, simple rooms
  • Fewer frills than the boutique hotels nearby

Best for Value-minded travelers who want a no-fuss, well-located base near the Magnificent Mile without a downtown splurge.

Summary of guest reviews. Sources: Date, height, foundations and architects from Frank A. Randall, History of the Development of Building Construction in Chicago (University of Illinois Press, 1949), p. 266. Hotel Cass, Preservation Chicago. Photography courtesy of Holiday Inn Express Chicago - Magnificent Mile by IHG, used with permission. Details may change over time.

Why this building matters

The Hotel Cass dates to the 1920s, one of the modest, sturdy hotels that grew up just off Michigan Avenue to serve travelers arriving in a booming Chicago. It has kept its name and its useful corner of River North through the decades, now operating as a Holiday Inn Express — an affordable way to stay in a historic pocket of downtown.

Randall records it plainly: the “CASS HOTEL, at 640 N. Wabash avenue, built in 1925, is 16 stories and one basement high, on caissons. Oldefest & Williams were the architects.” Caissons rather than wood piles is the tell of a building meant to carry real height on Chicago’s soft ground.

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