Illusions of Grandeur
I pride myself on picking out phenomenal hotels for the best budget...so when I discovered Public Chicago's website with a rate offering of $135/night for a standard queen room I was ecstatic! I should also state that I hate to write negative reviews, so this chews me up a bit inside for what I'm about to say. I hadn't known anyone who had stayed there so I trusted the amazing photos on their website and other trip advisors reviews, I was sadly mistaken.
The hotel itself looks great from the outside, the staff is attentive and helps you out of your cab an inside with a smile on their face, and when we went to check in, the 20something model-looking girl was friendly enough, but not all that helpful with some questions. I should also state that upon entering the hotel in the daytime, it's very cool and modern (though a bit loud) but at night there should be a line outside the door and a giant doorman with a red rope. It's dimly lit, it feels like a club, and the music "pumps" so loudly that you can't hold a conversation from outside to the elevator. The elevators seem old (like they hadn't been redone to match the new exteriors) and if you look close at the walls/doors, you can tell that a lot of the "remodeling" was a not so great paint job over another - the building felt very old but with a fresh coat of paint (if that makes any sense).
I asked the model/front desk attendant how we got our "complimentary access to David Barton Gym" which is the reason we chose this hotel over The James and she said, "It's not that close. It's about a mile away." As regular gym goers with varied routines, this was NOT at all convenient. We did end up using the gym on the 11th floor which was fine (empty except for us and the cleaning staff) but we would have preferred a full gym. The website does not make it clear that this gym is not nearby. A mile isn't walking next door for a quick workout...the jog there and back is a workout in itself.
Now to get to our room. Again, we opted for a standard queen at $135/night. What felt "too good to be true" was entirely TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE. Our room was the smallest hotel room I've ever been in. Heck it was the smallest bedroom that I've ever been in and I live in NYC! There was no dresser for your clothes and the area that could have been a dresser they utilize to hock their "Public Hotel" shirts, hats, and super expensive mini-bar items. The floorplan on their website shows a chair to sit in though there was not one in our room and frankly there is no way to fit one. You open the door and practically hit the bed.
If you're staying there with another person, you can't pass by each other without one person going on the bed because the room is THAT tight. The hairdryer is one of those tiny terrible miniature ones you'd find at a motel. The soap is in these plastic packages which are impossible to open with wet hands (a random afterthought but just didn't add to what we were experiencing). 
Now I don't believe reviews should be entirely one sided so here are some positives: 1) Public Express (they're quick meals to go) are great. They're expensive but no more so than most room service and for a quick meal on the go it's better than any fast food joint with delicious, healthy options, 2) Location is lovely but not super close to the Loop if that's important to you 3) Beds are comfortable but not overly plush...very different from the "Heavenly Beds" offered by W type hotels. 4) Minimalistic decor and furnishings are very cool and chic looking. 5) Staff was nice and attentive...our to go items were there in less than 8 minutes.
End of the day - I would have paid more for a nicer room though the "club" atmosphere of the lobby doesn't feel inviting after a long day of sightseeing or attending a wedding.