Good location, service, and comfort
There are lots of hotels to select from in Chicago, and we’ve been to lots of them but this was our first time at the Fairmont… and we found it exceptional. It’s about a block to Millennium Park and an easy walk to most downtown locations (including the movie theaters and even Navy Pier – admittedly the latter is somewhat a longer walk) but it is in the same general location as the Hyatt, Sheraton, Radisson, Swishotel, Embassy Suites, and you should be able to obtain a competitive rate. Versus some of these others I liked the fact that it didn’t appear to be so big and busy as I sometimes get the feeling upon entering the Hyatt and Sheraton, for example. Although, upfront, the one exception is that the Fairmont lobby is somewhat small and disappointing. In the morning it is crowded and in the evening, when it doubles as a bar, it makes the whole entrance noisy. But none of that noise, or anything from the restaurant, or local surroundings got up to our room (33rd floor). The room itself was quite nice and didn’t have a hallway effect that sometimes happens with the positioning of the entrance and the bathrooms; giving an overall affect of spaciousness. The bed was comfortable, TV in good order and in a good position to the bed and lounge area. There was plenty of desk space as well as closet space. A special treat is breakfast at the Aria. It’s not inexpensive but the menu was most imaginative, quality was excellent, and if you choose the buffet you won’t be disappointed. The space was nicely designed and the ambient noise level was quite low so it was easy enough to talk with those at your table. Indeed, we ate there all three mornings. I image that the menu and atmosphere are also perfect for dinners.