Small rooms, but good service
When I checked in (my firast time at this hotel), the desk clerk saw that I was a taller man, and offered to upgrade me from the "petite" room to the regular room (not sure what term she used). I appreciated the upgrade, but when I reached the room, I had difficulty believing that they had smaller rooms than the one I was standing in. As older Chicago hotels go, it's pretty standard I guess, but it's definitely not roomy. The elevators are tiny and awkward, but typical for older Chicago hotels. And the bathroom is also cramped, which can make toilet necessities tricky. I had difficulty with my remote control unless I was standing less than four feet from the television. And the intenet connection was at times lousy, and when there's a daily charge for internet service, it should be perfect. That's probably it for criticisms. On the brighter side, the bed was very comfortable (except for a few down feathers that kept creeping through the bed padding), and the pillows were great. The A/C had a musty smell, but it held its temperature, which seems to be a rarity for many hotels these days, even the pricier ones. The bath towels were a step up from most. The marble shower stall was actually surprisingly roomy, and it had a nice high shelf to hold everything, a simple but appreciated feature. The shower head was fantastic! The water pressure was great for the sink, toilet, and shower. In fact, the shower head is so big and has such great water pressure, it single-handedly made up for the less-than-ideal elements of my stay. The room was very clean. The staff was very well trained and friendly and professional. And the buffet breakfast, even at $18.95, was much better than most. The breakfast potatoes were excellent! Room service was very good. And the hotel is in a great location. All in all, it was a very solid, though not perfect, hotel stay, and definitely better than most.