Pleasant Hotel - Outstanding View of the City
This hotel is a little off the beaten path. It is north of the Loop and west of the Magnificent Mile area. I was suffering from a leg injury when I stayed here, and while the Merchandise Mart 'L' station is a straight shot through a skywalk, it was a long and painful walk for me. The hotel obviously has nothing to do with my injury, but visitors will want to know it's not just around the corner from all the sights. It's not badly located, though, and the rates here are quite a bit better than at hotels on Michigan Avenue or right in the heart of the Loop.
Entering the hotel is a bit odd, particularly when coming from the 'L'. After going through the mall at Merchandise Mart and across the skywalk, you enter the second floor of the Sun-Times building. You must then go down an escalator to street level and then up an elevator to the hotel lobby. They would do well to have signage for the hotel in Merchandise Mart itself and better directions to and from the 'L' station on their website.
The lobby was pleasant (with lovely Christmas decorations), check-in was efficient, and all the staff members I dealt with were very pleasant. My room overlooked the Chicago River and had a fantastic view of all the famous buildings in the Loop. Something the hotel might consider would be to have a brochure identifying the buildings, so guests know just what they're looking at. This view is the hotel's best feature. I've stayed in many Chicago hotels, and this has by far the best view of any of them.
The room was fairly large, and while it did not have the most modern decor, it was bright and pleasant. The bed was comfortable, and the bathroom was immaculate. The hotel was busy, but I didn't notice any excessive noise in my room.
I could not connect to the hotel's free wireless service with my Kindle (the device recognized a strong wireless signal, but it would not connect to it), and there didn't seem to be any instructions in the room for how to access wi-fi. I didn't complain or inquire, since I was able to get good wi-fi service at the Dunkin Donuts at Merchandise Mart.
The hotel restaurant struck me as overpriced, so I chose not to eat there. There are so many outstanding and inexpensive restaurants in Chicago's neighborhoods that it's hard to imagine eating at a hotel restaurant in any event. The restaurant and bar did look quite nice, and they would offer the same outstanding view I had from my room.
This is not a pretentious hotel, but it is a very pleasant place to stay. I would not hesitate to return here in the future.