Loved it and would love to return!
We arrived very early. Reception offered a 3d floor room that was ready, but we had hoped for a higher floor, so we left our bags and went site-seeing. We experienced friendly and mostly efficient service. The side-by-side hotel with SpringHill Suites and the elevator-to-reception set up are unusual, but truly minor stumbling blocks.
Checked in later, room 1903, a corner King Suite – wonderful! Spotless, super-comfortable bed and pillows, lovely soft sheets, good working a/c, comfy sofa and armchairs, full fridge, m/w, coffeemaker, mini d/w, and, get this – even salad/dessert forks as well as regular ones. What a thoughtful touch! The kitchen had just the right amount of pots, pans and stuff for those planning a few meals in the room. Unfortunately, to me the dining chairs weren’t comfy enough to sit on, but they were fine for my husband. 
The black out shades were good.
We weren’t there for the view, as ours at home is breathtaking. Still, it was nice to see the green-roof garden below, the fun Harry Carey building on the corner, and a few other notable buildings in the skyline that were described on the CAF boat tour.
There’s construction underway on the roof just below the dining/kitchen window, so who knows how bothersome that could become. But it was fine while we were there, and the windows seemed fairly soundproof. However, at one point I did smell noxious solvents being used outside. You may want to request a room away from that roof if construction sights, sounds and smells are a concern.
As others have described, the bath/toilet are separated by a door from the vanity/sink area. Those who like such an arrangement will appreciate this. But I don’t like opening a door without washing my hands after using the toilet. I wished for one of those hand-washing-sink-toilet topper things. Also, I wanted towel hooks. That said, the towels are large and soft. And the tub was so clean and inviting that we took long hot baths – which I never do in a hotel – and ahhhh, yes, it was relaxing! 
We were there Thurs. night, and had that special Manager’s Social – burgers (including veggie burgers, another nice touch) and salad. These special buffets change, e.g., Pasta night, Comfort Food night, etc. They'd be a welcome amenity for hungry families. I’m a vegan foodie, so it didn’t float my boat. There was complimentary wine/beer, but we gave it a skip, so can’t attest to the quality. We can say however there was a long and eager queue for it.
From the breakfast buffet I had just coffee (was ok) and a banana to go with the Kashi Go Lean and soymik I’d purchased at the WF 6 blocks away. But my husband enjoyed everything - sausage, eggs, cereal, bagels, juice, apples, bananas, yogurts etc. (there was even more than that - muffins, donuts, waffley things, a great variety of teas, and fruit chunks that looked fresh though sadly tasted a bit more institutional than fresh). I would have had the peanut butter, but it was a pb product blended with sugar – not just plain pb. That’s too bad, because pb was one of the buffet’s few vegan items and the only with protein. I suggest offering unadulterated pb. Why not? But the bottom line is the RI deserves credit for their varied buffet that I’m sure most people will enjoy. 
24 Hour coffee/tea service is available on the SpringHill Suites side if you need it. Free bagged ice is in the “Market” area where you can also purchase junk food snacks and personal care items. Pay for them at the Reception. I’d like them to implement a better system for that, because you must wait your turn to pay for a little snack while others are checking in/out.
We didn’t use the pool (the many kids there seemed to be having fun, in fact the hotel had a nice mix of business and family guests), nor the fitness room or laundry, but all are available.
We rode the train from O’Hare into town for under $3 each, whereas a cab would have been around $45, yet the same amount of time! Chicago mass transit is great, though oddly the airport train wasn’t as baggage-friendly as it is in Philadelphia. Still, service was prompt, and everything was clean and typically user-friendly. BTW, our only bad experience in Chicago came from a cabbie when we left very early Sunday morning, who, after we asked to be taken to Union Station, dropped us off at a track/stairway about two blocks from the main Canal Street entrance where we needed to be. We didn’t have a clue. We found our way to the main entrance, thanks to our Garmin. But if we’d been frail, pressed for time, or in bad weather, his mistake would have been serious. That was not cool, cabbie.
This hotel’s Loop location was perfect for walking to the sights and eateries we had planned for our 3 days, a visit made even better by mostly gorgeous weather. We walked to the Willis Tower Skydeck (amazing – do it! Get tix on line and arrive early), to the launch-point of our Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour (perfect – totally recommend! Get tix on line and arrive half-hour before departure), to Portillos (wild!) and America’s Dog, to Lou Malnati’s for deep dish pizza (What can I say? We’re tourists!), to Navy Pier where we rode the Ferris Wheel (fun!), and to enjoy all the eye candy in and around the area: the theaters, the Lightscape, the Magnificent Mile, Burnham Hotel, Chicago Cultural Center, and Millennium Park with its must-see Crown and Buckingham Fountains, Cloud Gate, and so much more. Alas, no museums for us during this short, sunny trip.
We took the #22 bus to The Chicago Diner (a dream destination for years, and it did NOT disappoint!) and enjoyed the ride through the Lincoln Park neighborhood. 
The hotel is also just around the corner from Rick Bayliss’s XoCo and Frontera Grill (yummy to both and great service once you get the hang of things!), the Protein Bar which I did not try but hope to some day, and a CVS. Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods are close, also. My pedometer logged 7 miles daily, and we loved every single step because Chicago is just that fabulous.
I’d definitely go back to this Residence Inn. The suite was priced fairly and so comfortable. We truly had a pleasant, restful, and enjoyable stay there.