Many small complaints that add up to an overall bad experience
I recently stayed at this hotel for work and was underwhelmed and surprised at the positive feedback from others. Overall, there was no one terrible thing about the hotel, but it was the small problems that made this for a bad experience for my first trip to Chicago.
Pros:
- Most of the staff was friendly
- I don't know much about Chicago, but this was in walking distance to a lot of interesting places for a first-timer
Cons:
- Terrible room service/meal options: There is no traditional "room service" or continental breakfast at this hotel, which is strange seeing as they seem to cater to business travelers. You have the option of ordering from the only restaurant downstairs which is an English pub. As you can imagine, few healthy breakfast options on the menu (i.e. no wheat toast, egg and fruit option) and many heavy high-fat meat meals for dinner. Not the best option for the business traveler trying to mitigate bad eating while on the road. A few places close by, but generally unhealthy choices.
- LONG WAIT AT THE FRONT DESK: When I checked in and when I was checking out there was a line at the front desk. Sure, at any time this could happen, but they frequently were only staffed with ONE person. The worst experience after I had checked out, I went back to the hotel to pick up my bags before going to the airport. I had a cab waiting for me to go to the airport and still had to wait in a line of five people checking in with only ONE person at the front desk. I waited over 15 minutes before I was even able to put the request in to pickup my bags and that took an additional 10 minutes. They have "self service" kiosks, but the person at the front desk just ends up showing everyone how to use them. If that's the case, there should be more people staffed in the front.
- Hospitality closet = inconvenience: They mention they had a "hospitality closet" for guests. This is their fancy way of saying ironing boards/irons and extra blankets are in the hallway and NOT stocked in each room. Very inconvenient when you're rushing to get ready for meetings in the morning and have to go down the hallway half dressed to see if an ironing board is still available... only to have to return it when you're finished and headed out the door.
- Terrible sheets: Usually I try to be understanding about sleeping outside of my home, but these sheets were REALLY uncomfortable. They must have been a low thread count, because they were stiff and felt damp/not warm while sleeping.
- Small, unimpressive room and toiletries: Again, not a huge deal, but just added to the generally under-impressed experience I had with the hotel.
This hotel is do-able for a solo business traveler, but I imagine there are many other, better-equipped options in the area.