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Hard Rock Hotel
Rating Details »
Neighborhood: The Loop
230 N Michigan Ave
(between Lake St & Wacker Pl)
Chicago, IL 60601
(312) 345-1000
230 N Michigan Ave
(between Lake St & Wacker Pl)
Chicago, IL 60601
(312) 345-1000
Packages and Promotions!
Click to see current packages and promotional offers on our website: http://www.hardrockhot...
- Nearest Transit:
-
Randolph/Wabash (Orange, Brown, Purple Express, Green, Pink)
Lake (Red)
Clark/Lake (Pink, Brown, Green, Blue, Purple Express, Orange)
- Price Range:
-
$$$
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66 reviews for Hard Rock Hotel
What a great hotel! I'm pretty loyal to Starwood Hotels. But when Groupon put up the $99 special for the Hard Rock Hotel - I decided to check it out.
Check-In
Very efficient and friendly. I was checked into my room very quickly.
The front desk crew was very warm and inviting. Great start to the weekend.
The Room
Very urban hip - I had the Deluxe King. Very nice and roomy ---
The Hotel Bar
1. Great Service - Lara was on top of her game - very attentive and
friendly
2. The Bar Menu was great! I ordered the Mango and Asian BBQ
tempura chicken. Delicious...
I have to say there isn't one thing I could find wrong with the Hard Rock Hotel - I would definitely visit again (sorry Starwood) and would feel very comfortable putting my family up here when they visit Chicago.
Most of my stars go to the services. I was running late to a meeting and the doorman took my bag and hand my claim ticket quickly. Clerks and room care takers A+.
I must say 1. some of the rooms need paint jobs. 2.Ask for a Tub if you want one. 3. Ask or wait for a higher floor level. Nice view 17 or higher.
What a fun and fabulous Chicago hotel!
Everything about our stay was pretty near perfect. We arrived early from the suburbs, overloaded with our heavy backpacks, but the front desk was super nice and let us check in 4 hours early!
We giddily took the elevator up to our room, impressed with the all mirrored elevators and the white, European, short, skinny, boy with a huge blonde affro that stood silently and pretentiously with us (undoubtedly both wondering if he was someone famous).
Our room was on the 17th floor. Each floor is a different theme, we were on the Annie Lennox floor (perhaps we'll have sweet dreams we pondered).
The view from the room was awesome, overlooking the river and part of north Michigan Ave. The room itself was a view to take in with plush beds, tons of mirrors, and fun modern furniture and plasma TV. The bathrooms felt clean and new.
Needless to say, later that night, we had a lot of fun having some pre going out drinks. We had to resort to drinking in our room because the Base Bar within the hotel was ridiculously priced. We also had too much fun travelling to each floor to check out the different themes and memorabilia that was on display.
When it was time to go out, the doorman helped us hail a cab, very friendly. Upon returning at night, we fell into a blissful sleep on the most comfy bed I have slept in in a long time.
When we checked out the next morning, the concierge gladly held our bags for a couple of hours while we shopped and got brunch. We took time to admire the building one more time before heading out, and you have to admit that the hotel, which is in the old Carbide and Carbon building is one of the prettiest in the city. Modeled after a Champagne bottle, the roof top contains real 24 karat gold. Fabulous!
One of the best Staycations I ever took!
Nice room design with great views, but don't let the Hard Rock name fool ya... I was with a group of friends in one of the suites having a wonderful, but completely respectable/respectful gathering after skating at Millennium Park. We must have had grandma with her hearing aid still in, sleeping next door, because security was at the door beginning at 10 pm, until everyone was kicked out at 11:15. I was so embarrassed. It wasn't a rowdy party, just a group of friends and some wine in the suite that our hosts upgraded to. If 10 pm is "lights out" at the Hard Rock Hotel in downtown Chicago- They should reconsider rebranding as the Smooth Jazz Hotel. Boo!
Kinda has a rock star feel/appeal to it....which works, if you're feeling like a rockstar. ironically enough i was hanging with the amigos, who also were in town and ready to party like rockstars for one more nite in 2009. The top suite was the seen for this rowdy group, which didnt seem big enough, although it was very slickly designed. We had a great view, and the lounge, lobby, and adjoining bar made the scene complete for our big night out to see Sister Hazel. It wasn't anything super special, just looked good and over-priced...plus I think we were expecting the suite from the Hangover movie...minus the tiger, I guess. In any event, it did the job, and the chick at the desk after the show (around the 12:30-1am time frame) was unbelievably helpful and nice...just like everyone, the staff was always amazingly helpful.
Here's the secret of the HRH, the rooms are designed for the daring exhibitionist. The bathrooms have clear glass from the edge of the tub to the ceiling and all windows have a small ledge on the inside big enough to sit on.
For those that want to put on a show with plausible deniability, this is the place for you (how was I to know someone could see me?).
Some friends have stayed at the HRH just for this reason - it was the wife's idea - and it totally rocked their world. They can't wait to come back.
If that's not your thing then there are heavy black out curtains for you.
Phenomenal!!! This is the best Hotel I've ever stayed in. I went from the curb to my room (on the 18th floor) in a matter of minutes! The valet service is amazing. We left a pair of shoes in the car and they were brought to the room in less than 5 minutes. We needed to put stuff in the car and it was brought around very fast. I didn't need help, but the hotel staff seemed very friendly. Awesome decor...makes you feel a little better about yourself haha...that sounds weird.
Ok, I have stayed here in the past and remember it being very different. I must have been sick last visit because there are things this time that I cannot believe i missed last time.
When you check in the music in the lobby is so loud that you cannot have a conversation with the person who checks you in. You also cannot hang out in the lobby and have a conversation live, on the phone or any other way. I am not that old that this should be an overlooked factor.
My room. So dark that even with all the lights on I felt like a blind 90 year old. Then there is the fridge - you can't use it all. I had to call down to check it out/ They happily supplied me another fridge sent up by two little frail woman. I felt so bad for them that I took it off the cart and placed it on the floor in fear that one of these two women would hurt themselves.
Tip: Send up a guy next time, not two little Spanish women that the fridge is bigger than. If you need to send a woman - have her there to hold the door.
Then there was this noise. A clicking noise all night long outside of my room. I called to complain and the first time they said "we will check it out." No response. The next morning when I told the chick at the desk about the issue and she asked me "are you sure that the noise is not your alarm clock?" Really? My response: "I am not that retarded but thanks for checking." Problem never solved.
Then the last straw: No freekin Coffee. My lifeblood. Working on no sleep because of clicking. Can't get work done because of lighting. Can't work in the lobby because of noise then, two days in a row, no coffee in the lobby.
Day 1: "we are working on it." - waited for 10 minutes before swearing and leaving for my meeting.
Day 2: No coffee. I proceed to stand at front desk with my empty cup starting the conversation with "day 2 no coffee" and waited there front and center until desk guy goes in the back and gets me a cup. No refill and others look at my coffee with lust and hatred.
RUN far and fast from this place. Effort and atmosphere lacking. Seriously.
"Oh and be careful with your mini fridge. It is weight sensitive, so the moment you even partially touch a bottle in there your room will be charged" and then she ended that phrase with a cheerful, perky, giant **smile**
My brother and I were kind of in shock that they do that at the Hard Rock, because I mean if you stay here, you most likely are semi social meaning you would like to have a drink or two, but that phrase alone made my brother and me not even keep our leftover deep dish pizza in the fridge because we were so worried!! Instead we left the boxes on our AC! ha ha
But that aside, this hotel is pretty much amazing. We even brought over two friends to see our two queen bed, corner room with a view and they live in Chicago and were quite impressed with my brother's selection of a hotel heh. It has the coolest decorations ever and HUGE bathrooms.
Each floor is themed with a famous rock star, our floor the Annie Lennox floor, and there was a giant head shot of her in our lobby and my brother couldn't resist the photo op to pose like she was heh Every room has a flat screen tv and black out curtains and we even had a hallway in our room!! YUP!! a hallway!! And we didn't even have a suite, so I wonder how amazingly spacious and fantastic those rooms are at this place!! "Ummm adam, I can't see you because I'm in our HALLWAY" we found ourselves joking about for the night. And of course it is complete with a few full-length mirrors because any rock star has to have a way to check themselves out before leaving for a night on the town!!
The downside? Well it isn't cheap. The hard rock cafe is actually located elsewhere in Chicago (but there is a store downstairs for memorabilia) and parking isn't included (valet is $45 a night or something like that!). But you do get free wifi!!! And I mean how could you be a rockstar without free wifi?? I know I couldn't ;-)
I have to say, I had little if any expectations when I was booking our rooms here. Boy, was I surprised. All 18 of us had only positive feedback - not one negative or even sub-par comment (and that says a lot with this diva minded crowd).
GREAT, great, great staff. The building itself is gorgeous and easy to spot from the exterior. They're planning a renovation soon (very much unnecessary in my opinion- no sign of the typical wear-and-tear). There is a Starbucks located in the same building- bonus - and they are centrally located to everything.
I'll be staying here the next time I'm in Chicago - no question about that one.
Stayed overnight here last week and out of the two hotels I stayed at in my trip, this was def. the better of the two. I was able to check in at 1pm (even tho check is at 3pm) - very cool since I had been traveling since 5am and was pretty damn tired. Front lobby was nothing spectacular - a couple of couches and concierge but they do have some cool music playing there. There are also 2 computers in the lobby area that you can use for free!
The room itself is very sleek and modern. Lots of mirrors in this room! The bed was really comfortable - pillow-top mattress and down pillows! Aveda products to use in the bathroom - very nice! There is a sensored mini-bar - so while you can look, the moment you move the item, you will get charged. Whats great is that there is a 24 hr fitness and business center free of use age! Which is great because I love to check my email everyday.
Overall, very convenient location - 2 blocks away from Millennium park, Chicago River, near a lot of their subway lines, and many shops and stores. The comforter was a little thin though - but then maybe its because I'm always cold, and thought that even in July, Chicago was cold! Wish there was a complimentary continental breakfast like the Amalfi hotel had that I stayed in earlier in the month, but that's okay. Def. would love to stay here again when I come back to Chicago!
FAB metropolitan hotel... LOVE this place ! Gorgeous space, gorgeous rooms, gorgeous people. The Carbide and Carbon building is my favorite in Chicago & I have a birds-eye view from my office windows...Base Bar is the best modern lounge spot in the city if you are looking for a spot of chic - the whole feel of Hard Rock is comparable to the Opus in Vancouver, which is one of my absolute fave hotels in the world. Would recommend the Hard Rock to anyone coming to Chicago looking for a memorable stay.
I stayed at the Hard Rock in one of their suites as a birthday gift. The hotel is nice and has a fabulous location if you're visiting Chicago but what really made this night was the Hard Rock staff.
When I walked into the suite there was a bottle of champagne, balloons, and cupcakes from Molly's waiting for me with a hand-written note by the girl that had a hand in arranging our entire evening. We cracked open the champagne as we toured the suite and checked out the fantastic view from every window of our 36th floor David Bowie suite... sweet! We had only been in the room for about 20 minutes when there's a knock at the door. Someone from the front desk had come to check on our accommodations and deliver a complimentary bottle of wine! Obviously the Hard Rock staff are on a mission to satisfy me in every way. *snicker* I meant the wine and chocolate you dirty-minded people!
After relaxing a bit we headed down to the fitness center for massages. I was greeted by name and wished a happy birthday by the two gentlemen that were our masseurs (myself and my boyfriend). I had never had a professional massage before so I had no idea what to expect. All it took was a brief explanation and a quick strip and I was under the sheet for a full hour of total and blissful relaxation before going out to dinner.
We ordered breakfast in our room the next morning. I tried not to yawn in the face of the very perky and friendly young woman who delivered our breakfast and set everything up at our table for us, chattering away the entire time. I just wanted some coffee and to watch the news, poor girl probably thought I was a bum, but she was a good sport and really great.
All in all I had a fantastic experience here and would definitely recommend it.
My rating from this most recent visit would be a 3.5 star rating, but since it was a gracious offer from the hotel to stay there in light of our last experience, I will use 4 stars instead of 3.
The check in this time was smooth as silk. The front desk team was polite and attentive, and patient as my kids were acting like asshats before my husband got there to meet us.
We had 2 rooms that were joined by a door. I loved the layout of this. It added in a funky hallway. Unlike some other Yelpers, I actually liked that the room wasn't overly bright. It was very relaxing.
Aveda products in the bathrooms, big plus for me. I love Aveda.
We ordered a banana split and some wine that night. We ended up with a full tray of food. The only problem? While we got a great surprise with all this stuff, they forgot the banana split....and my husband didn't see the note (thanking us for returning, and letting us know that some of the items were as thanks for coming back) so he thought the whole order was wrong. A bit of a miscommunication there, but all was well.
My only other comment would be the TV and its reception. While I don't expect every hotel to have some HD tvs in there, the reception could at least be clear. The reception there was all fuzzy, almost like we were watching tv with the old bunny ears.
So, a HUGE improvement from the 1st visit....all in all, a good visit to the Hard Rock.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/9/2009
We stayed here once and never again.
- Our room was not ready by check in time, and was not ready… Read more »
Comment from Melissa M. of
Hard Rock Hotel
6/12/2009
At the Hard Rock Hotel Chicago we pride ourselves on…
More »
Get out that platinum card, because it's going to cost you.
Reserve early when tourism season comes around, because the rooms will be taken before you know it. And there's a very good reason for that. Even during off season, you want to try to to book as early as possible.
Emphasis on the chic and rock and roll. At the base of the building is the Hard Rock Bar, which is quite the spot to hang out in after a long days venturing throughout the downtown area. Alongside of course, is their little store of Hard Rock Cafe goodies. You know you have a collection of Hard Rock Cafe T-Shirts from different countries and cities somewhere in your closet.
The rooms themselves are fitted, at least the moderately priced ones, with spacious bathrooms that usually work as quasi jet tubs, modern interiors, and if you're lucky an excellent view of Michigan Avenue. They even offer the call for your very own masseuse after hours or during the day.
Overall, a memorable stay with excellent location and respectable prices given the amenities and service they provide.
Stayed for 1 night in July 2009 and it was great! The hotel is in the Carbon & Carbide building, a beautiful example of Art Deco architecture. Our room was surprisingly large and was well-decorated in muted grey tones in a Dwell Magazine style. We lucked out and had a nice view of the city. Our bathroom was sleek, but only had a large shower stall instead of a full tub. The hotel's location is perfect--steps from Millennium Park, the Loop, the Chicago River, and several metro and train lines.
The staff was helpful--especially Concierge Paula Nascimento, as she went out of her way to help us find a late night eatery when we were out-and-about at 10pm on a Sunday night and were calling her on a cell phone...She went the extra mile and checked in with several places to see who was still open and pointed us to a beautiful restaurant/bar called Chaise Lounge in Bucktown (http://chaiseloungechi...). Truly a great call!
The Hard Rock's rates were very reasonable if you book on http://hotels.com. In the past, we've also stayed at the Allerton Hotel and the Palmer House, both of which we liked. Overall, however, I would rank the Hard Rock on top, as it really gets the details right and has just the right amount of "coolness" to make your stay feel special.
Great people, great staff, awesome location, excellent "hip" rooms, great lounge, great rates! Our music groups love to stay here and their is a good reason!! They take good care of us!! I was just on tour with The Avett Brothers and we were suppose to stay one night, but we extended it to 3 nights!! I know why and I hope you find out too!
Easy in, easy out, just a great all around location, Concierge and Front desk staff are superb!! I want to live here!
I recently visited this hotel for an event for Bright Pink. Now I have not stayed at this hotel but my overall experience was fantastic. If I have a stay-vaca I will certainly book a room there. The service was awesome, the venue and event was fabulous. I can't really complain.
It was just OK. I booked my stay at the Hard Rock through http://Hotwire.com and scored the room for $129 a night..I stayed for four nights and for the price it was OK. Their lobby is very small and the bar is nothing special. Really, I expected so much more.
The location though is perfect. It's close to Millenium park and at the south end of the Magnificent Mile. Service was also just fine. Overall, I probably wouldn't stay here cause it really was nothing special.
This review is for the Hard Rock Store next to the hotel.
The guy there was very nice, helped us with our purchase and talked with us a bit. Great customer service, and some cool items.
For souvenirs, or for personal purchases, I recommend you visit this store. It's sad to say but it's not often that you get service like this.
This hotel is okay for what it is, but it lacks basic amenities, like a hairdryer, which I found strange. The location is great, the prices are reasonable I guess, and the people working here are friendly.
The beds were comfortable, but the sheets were stiff. And just a tip - don't eat breakfast here through room service. It's not very good, but it is very expensive.
A bonus is that they do have free wireless Internet if you are traveling on business. You simply have to agree to the terms ever 24 hours. I believe they also have free wi-fi in the lobby if you're looking for a place to work in the area.
This review is just for the bar area.
One star for fast service.
One star for a great dirty vodka martini.
Minus three stars for being super cheesy.
This bar reminds me of the bar at W Lakeshore. It's awful.
They Rock SooO hard here!! I've never actually spent the night, but I've celebrated a few friends 21st and 22nd birthdays here! Hands down the best party Hotel I've ever been too! We usually get all dressed up in the room, pre-game it up, and then go out and paint the town Pink! But this past weekend while pre-gaming it in the birthday room, we heard another party going on a few doors down-WOW OMG CRAZY!!! We just walked into the room and everyone in this other room was young and drinking and freaking watching hardcore porn! it was just crazy and i just felt like sharing this place is sooo much fun ta party in!
Thanks for the yuks, Hard Rock Hotel. My stay here was perfectly amenable, and, come to think of it, pretty much what I expected. I've been juggling my hotel choices a little upon my trips to your town, and thought I'd give the Hard Rock a whirl. The verdict? About par for the course for a mainstream downtown Chicago stopover: clean, comfy room, plenty of space, free wi-fi (which I gushed over..seriously, hotel people, sometimes it's really easy to make geeks happy), and a doorway to the Michigan Avenue whatnot that keeps those of us still learning our way around from seeming completely lost.
Things I wasn't as crazy about included the fact that the shower door doesn't close (it looks cool but inevitably you end up with a floor half full of water), and actually, that's not quite true. There's no shower door at all, just a pane of glass and an opening. I tried the downstairs bar, which was fine and appeared to be full of good company, but a little on the small side.
Bottom line, the Hard Rock Hotel tows the line you think they would: staffers occasionally referencing you as "my man," bellmen with the emo mustache, and space with all of the requisite memorabilia you might expect. And my stay there was pleasant, definitely. But I wouldn't shine a spot light on it and call it fifteen minutes of fame, either.
If you like fresh and new then this is the place for you.
I really enjoy staying at the hard rock. The rooms are really nice and there suites are excellent.
So......this was the place where we stayed for the bachelor party. I had certain expectations of this hotel. The Hard Rock Hotel in Downtown San Diego is awesome. First of all, I know I shouldn't go into anything having any expectations. It only sets up for disappointment. I wasn't disappointed per say, I was just thrown off a little bit from my expectations. First time being in Chicago, I never knew the history of the downtown area and some of the existing buildings that were renovated. This Hard Rock was renovated a while back and it's evident. Architecturally speaking, this building has charm and character. It's quaint for a large hotel if that at all makes sense. Check out San Diego Hard Rock Hotel.. You'll know what I mean.
The location is smack dab in the middle of where all our activities were. Just a short walk to Taste of Chicago and other interesting sites. We reserved the entire 32nd floor which was compromised of 3 suites. The Hard Rock did their best to renovate the rooms and to make them contemporary. But yet there was no air blower/fan in the bathroom which could make for a stinky situation sharing 1 bathroom with several dudes. Answer to the problem....can of Fe-breeze saves the day! Other than that, we had everything we needed with modern comforts. The views from our suites were simply spectacular, amazing, magnificent, you get the idea.
I was a little turned off to see so many spider webs outside our window however. But what can you do...it's an older building and we were after all on the 32nd floor. I'm amazed now how technology has changed. Case in point the mini bar. They have this thing rigged so that it actually measures the weight of all the bottles in the fridge. So in other words, I was thinking how I can swipe a bottle of liquor with a bag of sand ...a la Indiana Jones style.....
Concierge service was exemplary and they helped us with any questions or situations that we had. I should have stayed one more night with my friends, cuz apparently they met up with Snoop Dogg at the hotel on the day I flew out.....F*Ker's.... I'm jealous...I wanted to hang out with Snoop D O double Jizzle....
Final thoughts. I like it....it was different...cuz it was an older building. It certainly has it's own charm. I intend to go back to Chicago maybe in a few years. I'd like to stay at the new Trump Tower.
I stayed at the rock, for six nights.. the room was good...BUT!! there was no room for your belongings... the draws were filled with snack from the hotel & they even put a refrig in the other draws filled with beer, soda, ete..u had 2 little draws & 1 stand up dresser hanger only..other wise its was good... the service was very good ( BUT KEEP AWAY FROM THE CONCIERGE & THE CHINA GRILL THERE.. DRINKS ARE 18.00 & UP, WHAT A RIP OFF...)thats my opin...
Note this is a review for the lounge.
Friday night after work me and a couple friends met up here for some drinks. I expected this to be shotty service and a played out theme. This gem has been calling my name since I moved here but I never answered. I bucked up big Friday and made my move. Now, I'm more of a "rob roy" or "gin and tonic" guy. However, I had the pineapple/cilantro martini. Let me just say...what a treat that was. I eneded up with 3 of those and before I know it, i was flying high. The chicken tender appetizer they offer is pretty tasty. I'll go back here for drinks after work again, and maybe for a night cap but this place seems like somewhere to start and end your night rather than spend the whole time here.
I think this is my favorite of the contemporary designs, actually. That I've seen here, I mean.
I'd definitely stay here again. They've got a great restaurant in the building, nicely decorated rooms and a convenient location. My only complaint was the music options in the room. You would think the hard rock hotel would at least have some way to play your iPod in the room. But no. They did have a 6 disc CD changer and Sony receiver, but unfortunately I didn't bring my CD collection with me to the hotel. Come on guys, its 2009, the least you could do is offer up one of those clock radios that has a dock for an ipod. It's a minor complaint, but I'd really expect a hotel who's theme is music to not be stuck in the 1990s. Next time I guess I'll bring a few Pixies and Dinosaur Jr CDs so I can at least use their equipment...
Excellent little bordering-on-the-boutique hotel. I believe it has 300-something beds, so technically it's not a boutique but it has that feel.
It's located in the Carbon & Carbide building (which was built to resemble a green-glass champagne bottle- so cool!) and is in the perfect location downtown.
It's definitely not as 'hard rock' as you would think. It's more minimalist/ dark modern with accents of rock-n-roll. They do have meeting rooms which are very, very nice for your next board meeting (top of the line a/v stuff).
The sleeping rooms are very cool, sleek and outfitted nicely with soundsystems, Aveda products, etc. And reasonably priced! Great place to stay in the city.
Yeah yeah yeah its in the Carbon and Carbide Building. I love Chicago architecture but there are many architecturally significant buildings in the city and its not like the hotel and its decor reflected any of the buildings stylings.... so it really has nothing to do with the hotel.
BUT I liked the decor. Of both the room, lobby and bar area. Very sleek and modern. Loved the gray-purple walls in our room. The minimalist decor. The meant-to-look-expensive Warhol-esque rock-star images were cheesy but acceptable. Color-scheme - thumbs up.
Aveda bathroom products - good job.
Great bed and lots of extra pillows in the closet - rock n roll.
The curtains definitely kept the morning light out - but, the rooms were not quite soundproof (from the bed, which was some distance from the door, I could hear the elevator and neighboring rooms' doors opening and closing - strange, not too mention light Saturday AM traffic).
I laughed at the outrageous prices found while purusing the room-delivery menu and the mini-fridge items. Not like I was surprised. I just feel bad for the people (i.e. the out-of-towners up late night) who are stuck having to pay for all these things. (Whereas other guests may know there way around the loop or not be intimidated searching for a local convenience store). $3 for a can of pop. $7 for a bottle of designer water. etc etc. Good god, how horrible.
My friend, living in the suburbs, got the room to serve as the base for her birthday celebration and I enjoyed the comfort and swankiness of the hotel but wasn't *super* impressed.
The other guests we encountered during Saturday checkout were anything but urban sophisticates - which was cool. But contrary to what others have posted.... definitely touristy.
Basically I place like this is a bit too gratuitous for my tastes but I have nothing against it. It was pretty cool but still nothing to write home about.
I stayed with my husband at the HRH last week (May 2007) because the Hilton SCREWED up our reservations, only had smoking rooms, to which I said NO WAY, FIND ME A HOTEL, and everything was booked and finally the only thing left was a junior suite at the HRH.
And frankly, the suites are TRES COOL. Much better I bet than the Hilton Suites (between Chicago and Dearborn I think!)
So anyway, HRH is RIGHT on the bridge, very good location. The decor outside is kinda crappy, but as soon as you go in, I feel like Kurt Cobain is gonna come greet us, Sheryl Crow will be singing a tune at the bar, and Bob Dylan will take our reservations. Front desk was TOO attentive, offering us everything from late night munchies to things to do at 12:00 am in Chicago (that's when we finally go the room, thanks to the Hilton....). When we got to the room, it was TRES swanky (there were two suites to a floor, so imagine the size!!!). Amenities were normal to a regular room, although we WERE told about the fiasco regarding the mini bar, so we just opted for not even opening it. Beds were fantastic, bathroom was VERY big for a big city hotel, and all in all, I'd totally return.
Very hip. Much fun if you're into music. Very young.
Very me.
Very nice, comfortable and SPACIOUS rooms... no room for improvement in that area.
Service was fine, although the concierge was slightly pretentious. Eww.
Hard Rock is at a great location on the Magnificent Mile so its very easy to get around to Millennium Park and all the shops.
I wasn't terribly crazy about their bar, however, and found it on the smaller side... also it was filled with fanny pack wearing tourists (i.e., Hard Rock seems to be mostly families who were staying there which I am totally fine with but at 8AM when you hear kids screaming at each other and Mom & Dad yelling at them to shut up next door to your room it's not good...)
Overall I was impressed with Hard Rock and would recommend to others who are fine with that...but I'll probably try the James Hotel or the Sofitel Hotel next time.
the place was nice, but man, was the shower weird. it was a freezing cold bathroom and there was no actual door. we ran the water a little bit on hot, just to heat up the shower, but it really did nothing. the view is great, the lounge is a ok and the food was over priced.
I think it's a great place...
I stayed there for a long weekend and had a penthouse suite ...
fantastic views, oversized marble bathrooms, large bedroom, huge living room with a very cool sitting area, large plasma TV, they even had an 8 seat conference room with an all glass table... it was very cool..
one of my favorite was a bowl of M&M's in the living room that was very neat looking and was getting re-filled by staff on daily basis.. .needless to say that weekend my calories intake was astronomical
The decor in the hotel is great--dark, modern, and sophisticated. The lobby and rooms are well-appointed, with super comfy beds topped with down blankets (a must as far as I'm concerned) and feather pillows.
The rooms are reasonable, though amenities in the minibar are overpriced--common in hotels. The service is generally good. I had a few issues with the bar staff, but other than that, I enjoyed my stay. Frankly, though the W City Center feels more rock and roll than the Hard Rock.
Love the bar here. The atmosphere is super chill and the bartenders are awesome. They had killer specials on St. Pats including $7 carbombs, $6 Irish smashers, and $5 Guiness drafts. They definitely know how to double pour a Guiness here..the head was poured to perfection. We ordered the sliders, which for $12 was good, but not great. They were served on a pretzel bun (good start), but they described them as being "Kobe beef" sliders and I just didn't find the quality of the burger to be at the same level of some other Kobe beef burgers I had in Chicago (Sweets & Savories has an incredible Kobe burger by the way). Regardless, the service is superb, and drinks are strong, so will definitely be going back.
I guess the building is cool and the rooms are quite comfortable, but I just couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't anything special. Especially for the rates they charge.
My wake-up call never came - fortunately, I woke up on my own and didn't miss my flight!
Plus, when I was checking out, the person behind the desk never once made eye-contact with me.
I have never actually stayed here, but from what I've heard from people who have, it's awesome. The decor is very modern and chic, which I love. Although it is pretty expensive, but what can you expect in downtown Chicago.
My friend and I ate a light dinner at their Base Bar a few years back (we were seniors in high school and were downtown to sing at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for a school thing that night) and thought we were hot because we were chilling out in a hotel lounge (yeah, that's what us suburbanites like to do on Saturday afternoons to make us feel awesome). Anyway, we each ordered the sampler appetizer platter, and the little mini-hamburgers are fantastic, as well as the artichoke hearts - there were two other things included, but I don't remember (it was over 3 years ago). I'm assuming they still offer it.
Additionally, the hotel donated an awesome overnight package to Northwestern's Dance Marathon (a huge philanthropy event), and I know they work with a lot of local and suburban businesses, so they get mad props for that.
And, when my friend and I went there, the bartender was a former contestant on Big Brother (I think like the 2nd season maybe? The one when they brought everyone's ex-boyfriends on...I think her name was Amanda?)
