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Ambassador East Hotel
Rating Details »
Neighborhoods: Gold Coast, Near North Side
1301 N State Pkwy
(between Banks St & Goethe St)
Chicago, IL 60610
(312) 787-7200
1301 N State Pkwy
(between Banks St & Goethe St)
Chicago, IL 60610
(312) 787-7200
- Nearest Transit:
-
Clark/Division (Red)
- Price Range:
-
$$
21 reviews for Ambassador East Hotel
We had our wedding guests stay at the Ambassador East. The Ambassador East is so easy to work with and incredibly responsive. The hotel is so charming and in such a nice area. Our guests loved the feel of the space. For many of them, it was their first trip to Chicago & they were very pleased with the hotel.
It was a great home away from home the weekend of my wedding. Highly recommend it.
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The preferred hotel for my client, it was suggested I stay here as they get a special rate. It's pretty close (three blocks) from the Red Line station, so it wasn't too much of a hassle to stay here instead of one of the hotels closer to the River. It's in a nice neighborhood with plenty of restaurants within 5 or 6 blocks. I felt safe enough walking the streets in the evening as there is plenty of foot traffic.
The room was decorated nicely but only of an average size and without much of a view other than tall condos and a very narrow slice of the Lake. Mostly quiet, I could only hear the neighbors if I was perfectly quiet, such as without the TV on that I never watched anyway. The bed was comfortable, but with a flat bottom sheet that was almost big enough, it kept coming loose and leaving me on the mattress. Ick. Ever heard of fitted sheets, people?
Tons of in-room food options, they leave a massive tray of goodies on the desk plus the mini-bar over-stuffed with booze. I was able to put all of this crap on a side table so I wasn't tempted to spend $8 for a can of popcorn or salted cashews. There's also a room service menu that's not insanely expensive. I kept meaning to try their club sandwich (only $2.75 delivery charge plus 18%), but i wound up eating from many of the nearby restaurants instead.
Free wireless Internet worked only reasonably, getting very slow after 9 PM. Overall, a nice enough property. Since it's not affiliated with Marriott/Hilton/Starwood, you're not going to be accumulating any points with those.
If I'm back in Chicago for this client, obviously I'll be here again. If I am in Chicago for another client, I'll stay elsewhere.
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I have been bringing my family to this Hotel since 1978. The Pump Room continues with superior food and conviviality, Just last Thanksgiving <2008> the Pump Room brought up a 30 pound roasted turkey and all the 8 other courses to the Presidential Suite where we were lodging. They served us and 8 of our guests. I have stayed at the grandest hotels in the owrld and this is at least at good as the best in Rome, Milan, London or Paris. In the USA on par with the Plaza or Fairmount in San Francisco or Mark Hopkins. Forget the me generation plasticene scene by the Water Tower. Enjoy the Best! stay at the Amnassador East! and then enjoy a maritini at the Pump Room and dance with the combo.. See you there this Holiday Season
Ciao
I recently planned a small conference at the Ambassador East. Everyone I worked with in the sales department to the Concierge was great. I had a couple less than stellar interactions with the front desk, but otherwise everything and everyone I interacted with was topnotch. We got an great rate & everyone was impressed by the lobby. The rooms were nice, though showing their age. The location was great. You could definitely do worse than the Ambassador East. I would plan another event there without hesitation!
positives: staff was service oriented - a plus. Neighborhood location quiet and convenient. Comfortable bed. Room was clean.
negatives: room was small and outdated. old finishes/furniture. very small old tube-tv with channels that would suddenly go out. desk had no available power outlets. Wifi service was not great. Very old feeling hotel that needs updating.
I would rather spend the same money for a reliable Courtyard Marriott.
Clean rooms, Great location. Not right on the bars so it's not noisy but the whole city is really within walking distance from the hotel, and it's close to the red line "L". Doesn't have the most modern amenities in the rooms, but i don't need that when I'm only in the hotel room to sleep anyway. Courteous staff, And the pump room is a legend. I highly recommend
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I stayed here for business and I'm glad that I was able to relax and finish up my reports while I'm at the hotel.
It is a little far from the McCormick convention hall, but it was worth the taxi ride to see other parts of Chicago. McCormick area does have a lot of place to go, but if I would have stayed there, I would have never seen other parts of Chicago.
I like it that I was able to go run by Lake Michigan and it was not that crowded from where I was staying. There were a lot of sushi places near the hotel, just walking distance.
The bed was very comfortable, but they do need to update the design. The toilet space was puny and my shower tub at home is a lot better than what they had at the hotel.
Overall, it was a quiet place for a business traveler like me and I was able to see more of Chicago by staying at this place.
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I live in Chicago, but I stayed here with my mom and brother when they came to visit me in march. The hotel had a very classic look, and I loved how it was tucked away in a quiet area, but still close to public transportation and to division street. The staff was very friendly and accommodating, and I think one of our nights was free! The room was more than big enough for the 3 of us. If it wasn't snowing and really cold that weekend, I would have taken advantage of how close the hotel was to the lake and walked over everyday! This is a great hotel, and I would recommend it to anyone coming to Chicago to visit, or to anyone in Chicago looking to have a mini-vacation in our own city. Pretending to be a toursit for a weekend in the city you live in is much more exciting than I expected it to be, I did all sorts of stuff I've never done here before, it was great. Wonderful hotel.
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stayed here twice both times there were bugs in my room. the owner really needs to put some money into this place and hire better maids to clean the suites maybe blow the bugs off the bed as a turndown courtesy. if gary sinise ever stayed in the gary sinise suite he would think these people hate him. Tip to the owner, call empire and put in wood floors in the suites the super stained carpet is really gross. the balcony suits are decrepid now maybe name them after celebritys that match the rooms looks like the angela landsbury suite, or the nipsy russell suite. pump room jazz is still fun. dress codes been dropped though which sucks. but because its got good history and the managers nice i would use it again in a jam.
I was hesitant about the hotel after reading the 9 prior reviews, but I have to say I liked this hotel. It's tucked away in the Gold Coast but it's really close to Michigan Avenue, Division Street and La Salle. Immediately upon trying to park, the bell hop advised that he knew of a cheaper place to park (instead of paying the $41 daily!). So we parked a block away for $20 (still expensive but much better). The lobby is old school quaint. They even have a fireplace in one of their rooms. The concierge was super friendly, same with the check-in counter and they even gave me a bandaid so I could run with my i-walked-too-far-in-uncomfy-shoes ankle.
The rooms were "ok". It's old school, so the rooms and bathrooms are smaller. But everything was clean and it had all of the amenities one would need. I barely stayed in my room except to crash late at night and I was outta there early enough.
The bellhop and other people in the lobby told me and my friends that they loved having our company - I guess we provided entertainment value for them and to come back and forget all those other hotels (i.e., drake and omni) on Michigan.
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I stayed at the Ambassador East for a business trip - unfortunately, it was a very quick trip so I didn't get to explore the area, but appreciated that it was tucked away (read not a lot of outside noise) yet still very accessible to the rest of the city.
I was very pleased with the staff. When I arrived at the hotel, the doorman, immediately greeted me at my cab, helped me with my bag and directed me to registration. Laura, the woman at registration was very courteous, and welcomed me to Chicago. When I went up to my room, I found that it wasn't made up - when I went back down, Laura was VERY apologetic and immediately moved me to another room. This one was made up and had no problems, and about 30 minutes after I arrived in the room, Laura called up to make sure that everything was fine and to see if I needed anything else. The room wasn't huge, but if you've ever frequented New York hotels, you really can't complain. The bed was comfortable, I had space to work, the bathroom was a nice size - my only real complaint was that the towels were a little small and not terribly plush. But in the long run, not a deal breaker for me.
While I was there, I also attended an event in the Byfields Lounge, just off the lobby. It was a beautiful space, and the service was great - very attentive.
Overall, I enjoyed my stay, and was pleased with the price. It'll remain on my list of Chicago hotels.
I really enjoyed this place. The staff was SO friendly, helpful, and hospitable. The door man/valet always greeted us with smiles and the lady at the front desk was just so nice. They felt like family by the end of the week.
We lucked out on the room and it was really great! We had a huge king bed, comfortable pillows and comforters - a clean bathroom. What more could you ask for of a hotel room?
Additionally, they supplied robes for the room and what's more fun then walking around in robes all day? :)
As far as the area goes, it's in a nice upscale residential area. I felt very safe there. It's also not far from The Magnificent Mile which has lots of great shopping (Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Tiffany's, etc). Just beyond that is Millennium Park which is also a great tourist attraction. This isn't very walkable from the hotel, but it's just a short cab ride away.
Overall, I would stay here again if I found myself headed to Chicago.
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The famed Ambassador East, it definitely had its day.....'had' being the operative word here. It's a "Vintage" hotel (read: old & somewhat dated) but the service and adjoining Pump Room are both great. I've been on a few occasions for weddings and it's not too bad for a night or two.
The rooms are pretty small and leave you feeling cramped, as do the bathrooms and shower space. The Hotel and the Rooms are also not very feature friendly either.....and that's not necessarily an indictment on the place, rather just an inherent problem you run into when dealing with a building that's over 80 years old; it's a victim of circumstance, if you will, and no amount of "light rehab or refurbishment" will change that.
It does have an attractive looking lobby area, and as mentioned, the Pump Room is on the ground floor too, which is an icon of Chicago. Overall a 3/5, (service, lobby, Pump Room being the main draws) but at the end of the day, it is what it is, just a rather dated Hotel that had its day.
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I would love to give these guys a better review... but their management is really disappointing. I love that there is a lot of history but lets not rest on our laurels guys.
They need to "freshen up" the place a lot. It is very close to teetering over the edge towards run down. The hallways smell. The decor is tired. The furniture is overbearing in the smaller rooms.
If you are planning to have a room block here be aware of the poor management. We were promised, in writing upgrades for all the rooms. I was there when my parents checked in with the letter promising upgrades but received some story about how that was only certain rooms... um yeah that is not what it says. They were to deliver the welcome bags for my guests... they did not deliver a single one. I had to have my guests go back to the front desk to pick them up after the rehearsal when I found out that none had been delivered. Then they gave my sister the welcome bag for a different wedding that was there that weekend. Nice.
They were to have the "skyline room" all set up for us with beverages and what not... the room wasn't even unlocked and they sent my hair stylist to the wrong floor.
They are very unorganized and need to rehab before they fall much further. It is a fine hotel for visiting if you can get a deal on the room but I would not pay full price and would very cautious with using them for a wedding room block.
I'm rating the amazing restaurant the Pump Room - home of the Sinatra Booth. The restaurant has an amazing atmosphere with excellent servers. This is the real Chicago, the old school Chicago that can never die. In one word: classy. This is something that is becoming a treasure as dining experiences become corporatized and commoditized. The elegant decor and ambiance make this place excellent for taking family from out of town or a special night with an SO.
So let's talk about the food. Their scallop appetizer is the best appetizer I've ever had, bar none. The scallops melt in your mouth and are paired with a delicious chorizo (best chorizo ever) that makes it Latin America's #1 ambassador, what Benjamin Franklin was to the US. However, nothing can compare to their duck breast, it was beyond sensational. It was the best meat I've ever consumed, and I would rather go to hell eating that than become a pure vegetarian (which I am in the process of becoming). I hope people don't find out about that duck meat because if they did, we would have no vegetarians nor ducks left on this planet. In fact, we would just have huge duck farms and chefs that could make that dish would become king of the world, not just the god of my soul.
Yeah I could talk about the delicious goat cheese cheesecake or the best sorbet desserts ever, or their excellent wines and strong drinks. But really, I'm still obsessed about that duck. The duck is cheap too, only $25 for the best meat dish on the planet? Out of control. But don't forget the rib-eye though... god that's so good too.
Sorry Ruth's Chris, we have a new #1.
Faded Glory!
And that works oh so well for the Ambassador East. On a recent trip to Chicago, this is where my husband and I stayed. We ate dinner at a company function in the Pump Room. The food was absolutely wonderful. The service at this hotel was absolutely impeccable!
Our room was clean, but a little small. Also, the carpet was a little worn. But the bed was enormous, perfect for two people to sleep and, well! Just avoid the mini-bar unless you want to pay $6.00 for a bottle of water! The Ambassador West was across the street, but it is no longer functioning as a hotel. They were once connected by an underground walkway.
The Ambassador is, as another reviewer said, hidden away on a side street and it is definitely part of the neighborhood. It is a few blocks from the "L" but there are buses nearby on Clark Street to the west and Local Lake Shore Drive to the east. The buses on Local Lake Shore Drive will take you to the museums, the zoo, North Michigan Avenue. So you really don't need a car here.
So if you want some boring Ramada Inn with a pool, then by all means stay in the suburbs or near O'Hare. But if you want a nice old place, with a lot of character, that is close to the best that Chicago has to offer, you should give the Ambassador East a try.
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We've reserved a room block for our wedding guests at the Ambassador East. Not only have they been very accommodating in negotiating a contract for the rooms at great rates and guaranteeing particular rooms for our bridal party, but Rebecca (in sales), responds quickly to my emails and always puts me at ease whenever I come up with a new concern, such as "what if some of our guests need late check-in" or "what if others need their bags held at reception if they arrive prior to check-in." Rebecca takes care of it all. She's been great and a pleasure to work with. Can't wait to see it all come together!
This was my first trip to Chicago and I'm so glad we stayed here! The hotel has an old fashion kind of feel which I love, service is great, and it's in a great area. There are plenty of things to do in walking distance. We walked to Navy Pier, Michigan Ave, Rush Street where there are a ton of places to eat and shopping. I LOVED the neighborhood. I wish I knew then that the original Playboy Mansion is right down the street though, or I would have walked there as well!
Two memorable events were the prom (I was a sophomore dating a senior) and the rehearsal dinner the night before my wedding. The building is an old hotel with classic fixtures and lighting. You can imagine the Burnham's hanging out in the olden days. I'm just saying that - I have no clue if Daniel Burham actually hung out here. They put on good hospitable conferences and large dinners, and the meals are good to very good.
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This hotel is tucked away in the Gold Coast, where the neighborhood has a residential feel about it. The lobby has a fanciful air, and its rooms are decent though not as good as in the good ol' days. Their most famous feature is the Pump Room restaurant.
I attended a conference here and first of all, I got lost going there since it was in the middle of a neighborhood but overall, the staff was very friendly and the atmosphere was lavish. The Baked Alaska is amazing at the Pump Room, the restaurant inside.
