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Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers
Rating Details »
Neighborhood: Near North Side
301 E North Water St
Ste 1
(between Columbus Dr & Park Dr)
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 464-1000
301 E North Water St
Ste 1
(between Columbus Dr & Park Dr)
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 464-1000
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Visit http://www.starwoodhot... to enjoy more vacation…
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56 reviews for Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers
We stayed at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers from Thurs 10/23-Sun 10/25/09. It looks nice on the outside & lobby. We had a room on the 26th Floor - I thought was ok, kinda old.
Room has a king size bed, single cup coffee maker to make Starbuck's ground coffee or Earl Grey or Herbal tea (from bag), alarm clock, 1 TV, 3 chairs & 1 small couch.
Bathroom: Shower/tub, 1 sink, hair dryer, tiny bottles of Shine by Bliss Mandarin & Mint Shampoo, Conditioner, Lotion exclusively for Sheraton.
Nice view of the Chicago River & Lake Michigan.
There's several places to eat in the Sheraton. We didn't look around. Something about a Burger Bar, Bar for drinks, Steak place, Cafe.
Evil: Local call were $1.75 ea. On our bill before leaving it said $2!
Walking distance to Magnificent Mile, grocery stores: Fox & Obel, & Dominicks.
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Please AVOID this hotel at all costs. As indicated in other reviews here and on Expedia, and unless you're accustomed to a Motel 6 experience, this is a two/three star property at best, with outdated rooms, '70s style era Moen/Home Depot-cheap fixtures, cramped rooms, pathetic service (leading all the way up to the CEO of Starwood as I've found) and room service...that NEVER arrives.
And like other reviewers here and elsewhere, I too was FRAUDULENTLY charged for items/services never ordered and never received. Now we're getting serious here as this is the stuff people go to jail for especially if it's part of a pattern of abuse and indeed directly or indirectly endorsed/encouraged by management. Stay tuned on a possible CLASS ACTION notification that will destroy this company.
Like many of us, I've been in great/good/bad properties all over the world, I've NEVER had this treatment happen to me and this is only part of the story. PLEASE help put this dying dinasaur out of business. Pathetic.
Solid hotel with extra points for consistency of service and quality. My check in was quick and I got some extra amenities for being a Starwood member.
Rooms are fairly spacious, clean, and I enjoy their beds and linens. I would suggest placing the "do not disturb" sign up if you're not an early riser. I forgot to do so two mornings in a row and I had housekeeping knocking at 7:30am (that's 5:30am PST for me so I was a grumpy face).
Their meeting rooms are average but were ALWAYS freezing. However, they quickly came in to adjust the thermostat every time we called. I also don't know if it's because Chicago is such a high union-based city but the rates and charges for the meetings services were MUCH higher than other cities I've worked in. Note to self, budget wisely.
This Sheraton has a great location and beautiful views. Their Chi-Bar had tasty cocktails and somewhat of a swanky decor.
Overall, I look forward to coming back in March for our event. Let's hope the weather is on our side! :)
3.5 Stars
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The Sheraton is a cool old, giant hotel right in the heart of downtown. It over looks the river, some rooms over look the lake, and it is a quick walk to everything: ~400 yards to the lake, 20 yards to the river, lots to do near by.
Rooms are decent, normal hotel rooms. Beds were wicked comfortable and the room was cold.
This hotel gets high marks from me for it's consistency over the years. I stay at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers at least once a year for a global conference and it never fails to come through on all fronts.
The guest rooms are spacious and very clean with all the special amenities and bed linens that make you want to stay in bed all day!
The views are spectacular! Looking out on the lake, or the river or the city you really cannot go wrong. It makes our fine city look even better!
The restaurants and bars have friendly and helpful servers working in them (a special thanks to the bartender in the lobby bar who brought a smile to my face the other night- you know who you are even though I've forgotten your name. Must have been all those martinis you were pouring for me!) I am here so often- that even the banquet help recognize me and say "Hi" and "Welcome back" when they see me.
The Sheraton is located in a great spot- close to anything you want to do in Chicago and the concierge is always willing to toss out a new idea or two (especially helpful when all your global friends keep wanting to go get "Chicago pizza" or go to "Navy Pier" which, while great, are really not what I want to show people about our fine city!
Valet parking is a breeze- just know that you need to take the elevator by the front doors down to the parking garage to pick up your car. It will not be brought around to the front of the hotel.
Great location- close to everything Chicago has to offer, clean and spacious guest rooms, meeting rooms with all the necessary items to make sure things go smoothly, AND great help? Now this is a hotel that I don't mind coming to time and time again.
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If you enjoy and/or need a firm mattress, this hotel is NOT for you!
The Sheraton has taken the "pillow-top mattress" concept to a whole new level, one which I (fortunately) had never experienced. One which takes effort to crawl out of. One which is nearly impossible to roll over in. One which I would dare call a "pillow mattress", with no back support whatsoever. Our room had two double beds, which we ended up using because we kept sinking into each other.
The linens and duvet were lovely, our room had a great view of the river, service was good, it's an easy walk to Michigan Ave... I would have given it 4 or even 5 stars with a firmer bed.
PS: We Pricelined it day-of for $89.
PPS: Overnight valet parking was $48.
PPPS: It's offically called the Sheraton Sweet Sleeper(sm) Bed, a "custom designed plush top mattress set", introducing, "a whole new level of comfort". I'm sure there are folks out there who consider it cushy indulgence; I'll let you be the judge.
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Had a nice stay at the Sheraton. We booked this hotel last minute on priceline on the way in to Chicago and ended up with a great room overlooking the river. Perfect location for walking to Navy Pier, Mag Mile, Mil Park (bean), etc.
Only one small problem during the stay... the beds were WAY too soft. I usually like a nice soft bed but you sink so far in that you have to wiggle just to get up out of the creases!!
Otherwise it was a great hotel. I would def stay here again!
On a recent trip to Chicago, this was my home for 3 nights. I love the location of the hotel, it is in very close proximity to all the major attractions in Downtown Chicago such as Navy Pier, shopping, etc.
When you drive up to this hotel and even when you walk in the lobby, you get the feeling that this is going to be a fantastic hotel with the grand entrance and the beautiful lobby. However, in terms of the rooms itself, I was kinda dissapointed especially because it is a Sheraton Hotel. We got what I believe is a standard room on the 18th floor and even walking through the hallway to get to the room, all the doors look dated and worn down. When we arrived at our room, my travel companion commented on how the lock looked as if someone broke it to it before. The room itself was also looked pretty dated with some heavy wooden closet doors, older looking bathroom and dated decor. The chair I'm sitting on even creaks like crazy every time I move. Though I have to say the most annoying part is the heavy doors to the rooms that slam shut everytime someone walks in and out of their room on the floor, so loud that I'm woke up every time...boo! But the bed itself are ok, pretty comfy.
In terms of the other facilities offered by the hotel, the fitness center is equipped with some very nice treadmills (with the tv built in) and a full set of weights available for arm workouts. The pool itself, although indoor and relatively small is a nice place to relax after a hard workout as well. Since both are located on the 7th floor, you get a beautiful view of the Lake when you sit on one of the chairs around the pool. Another nice feature is the sundeck where a few sun chairs are set up and where you can soak up some sun. Unfortunately the sauna was broken or else I'd love to have used that as well.
Overall, it's a great hotel in a prime location and awesome facilities. Would stay here again next time I'm in Chicago.
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The lobby is next to Chicago River. Our room was faced to the east so we could see Navy Pier out of window... such a nice view. I did not go this time but there is a bar and a steakhouse (Shula's).
I really liked the staffs who helped me at the entrance. Two gentlemen were so polite (well, yea, they are Sheraton staffs); they were such friendly people and when I was going out for a walk they stopped me and we chatted for a little bit. I do enjoy such times.
Bed was a bit too soft for me but it was not a big deal. Maybe it was because the room was located at the very end; the night was very quiet and I spent a peaceful night.
Ah, but the fridge was noisy.... very noisy....
I did not have a chance to go but they have a fitness center which I heard was very decent and a small but nice pool.
There is Dominick's really close by (3-min walk) and I went there to pick up some wine to enjoy in the room later on. How convenient.
Breakfast @ LB Bistro.
Well, any hotel meals are pricey.... I do not think the food is worth the money. *** I am talking about breakfast. Dinner might be different. But we did not have much time so we just ate there.
I am a big breakfast eater so I chose buffet. I would like more items for buffet. They could have many more different kinds items.
But my egg white omelet was very well done. You put whatever ingredient you want in the bowl and give it to the cook, and he'll cook while you get other foods on your plate. Juice was very fresh, so it was good. Coffee was not good at all. Starbucks coffee I made in the room was far better.
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The Good Stuff--
Close to Navy Pier & Michigan Avenue.
Friendly staff, great concierge services.
Decent restaurants & good drinks (EXCEPT the pomegranate martini which tasted like cough syrup).
The Not So Good Stuff--
Really, really, really uncomfortable beds--unless you like being stuck in a marshmallow.
Elevators are slow - you have to build 'commute time' into your schedule.
We were pleasantly surprised by this hotel as the reviews are somewhat mixed. We thought the location was great, we walked everywhere besides Wrigley which is a short train or cab ride (walked to shops on N. Michigan Ave, Millenium Park, Hancock Bldg, Navy Pier, Chicago River, bars on Rush Street, El station, Walgreens, etc.) Our experience exceeded our expectations. The beds were comfortable, the view from our room to die for and the customer service was great! I would recommend this hotel to anyone!
Just absolutely love this hotel, it's staff, and everything about it. Great location if you are visiting Chicago, want to be within walking distance of the great sites (i.e. Michigan avenue, Navy Pier, downtown, etc.), but do not want to be caught up in the tourist histeria of Michigan avenue hotels.
The views of the river, lake, and city are outstanding if you get a city view that includes all.
Having traveled for years nearly 100% of the time earlier in my career, and staying downtown quite a bit, I think I have stayed at most of the great places in Chicago and in most big cities that I have been to. So I think I have seen it nearly all, both good and bad.
This place is the most consistent that I have stayed at in Chicago outside of the Union League Club and the team here always exceeds my expectations, bar none.
Traveling with the family? I really recommend their mini-suites that are along the river, with an adjoining room for the kids. Nice large room with lots of space to unwind, and with the adjoining room, you end up with two full bathrooms, three TV's, 3 phones, and 2 entry ways for everyone to fight over, plus a very large dining table if your order in, or need some extra space beyond the two desk areas to do work or have the kids play games.
They really have kept the place up and it is very nicely appointed. As far as the earlier comments about knobs or dials instead of digital readouts, these don't bother me. I would hate for them to upgrade the units just to get more advanced readout displays, and our space was really well ventilated and comfortable.
Pool and workout space is great, very clean, and well monitored.
If you arrive early and your room is not available, or if you need a place to hang after checkout, I really recommend the club or concierge room on the 33rd floor.
Great complimentary snacks (great hors'vrs in the evening), fruit, coffee, tea, and bottled water, plus on the second level, great business center with computers for your use.
Also, nice entertainment area for watching tv and relaxing. My real favorite is the leather massage chair. Really a nice perk!
Oh, and if you are a starwood member (http://spg.com) you get express check in and check out, and you can use your points to get free rooms or discounted rooms that are an absolute steal.
Be nice, and depending on availability, they will upgrade you for free. They are really happy to do it, and you'll be happy too!
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A nicer Sheraton than most. A little out of the way for shopping, food, and work, but that's why it's a little bit less expensive.
They have the BEST beds.
But they need to work on the cooling situation. The hotel was so hot when I was there and the air didn't work in any of the rooms. And what's a comfortable bed when you're sweating in your sleep? You just can't have one without the other if you're looking for a good night's rest.
We stayed here for my friend's wedding and the hotel brought us girls complimentary champagne and strawberries the night before the wedding. That was pretty nice of them. And I love that they have Starbucks coffee in all the rooms. It sure beats Folgers!
Be careful with the valet though... apparently if there's a "shift change," as one employee explained to us, then they can lose your car. We were 45 mins late to the rehearsal dinner because they lost our car and it took them an entire hour to find it! Com'on, Really?!
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Going to have to give Sheraton Hotel & Towers three stars.
I've spent the night at at hundreds of hotels in my 26 years, and the decent majority of them all keep up with the times.
Completely understand the dire economic situation we are all facing, but hot DAMN!
An air conditioning/heating unit with DIAL-KNOBS? In 2009?? On the Club Level??? Really?!?! Mmmmkkaaaay.
Otherwise...
B+ for the staff
A+ for the restaurant service (granted I used to work for Shula's so they hooked me up because I'm a member of the fam)
A++ for the bed quality, even though I couldn't sleep at all due to my fear that my alarm wouldnt go off and I would be late for my morning appointments.
Still can't get over the 80's style heating system. Totally bunk.
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sheraton chicago is a bit generic, but what can you expect from a hotel with 1000 rooms?
staff seems very polished and its obvious this is one of sheraton's better properties. the lobby has a modern decor, but falls flat as anything more than a area to pass through. still, it seemed very active-- couldn't imagine how crowded it would be if the hotel was ever really busy.
location is meh. it's across the street from an amc + lucky strike which is good/bad depending on how you look at things. it IS a good location for public transit connections, however, is a couple block's walk to any of the subway/l trains.
rooms are fine. they're not anything special, but i probably wouldn't pay top dollar for them. the rooms do have nice views of the chicago river.
all in all a nice hotel in an almost sleepy corner of downtown chicago. i would say this hotel fits the bill if you're looking for something big, clean, and comfortable with good access to michigan ave and the river north areas.
I had a nice stay here. They greet you with candy while you wait in line to register. Awesome. The room and bathroom are nice, and they gave me a nice view, can't complain about that. I ordered some chocolate cake thing for room service and it was aweeesomeee. After a long night out, my friends and I came back to the hotel and went into the lounge room. They have a massage chair, loved it, internet, tv, food, and a nice view of the city. I just can't think of something bad about it. It was a very nice stay at the Sheraton.
3.5 stars to be exact.
Want a place close to Michigan Ave, clean rooms and friendly staff? This is your place.
This is not your place if you expect gym access to be included in your $200+ room/night or count on a handful of cool places to eat and drink right around the corner. Sure MIch Ave is right there so not that much of a biggie.
You're on business, stay here.
Want to explore like a local, try some boutique hotel elsewhere.
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It was quite some time ago that I stayed here, but for some reason I just thought of my need to review it....
As a young suburban girl, with a Christmas Eve b-day, turning 21, there's not much you can do to save yourself from shittiness. I certainly tried. I got this hotel room for me and a bunch of my girlfriends after a dinner at Harry Carey's and it was really quite lovely. At one point we ended up wandering down Michigan Ave with grocery bags full of booze and ice cream, but that could happen to any PMS'ing Chicagoan lady. For serious.... It happens to me all the time.. anyway, this hotel is not the Four Seasons, but it's not the Motel 8 either. It gets the job done with decent quality rooms and service and that's all a drunk bratty child can really ask.
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The good:
- The location on the river is great for the scenery, especially if you have a river front room, which I happened to draw.
- The lobby is very pretty.
- The bellmen are great and courteous, as are the concierge attendants.
- The hotel accomodated my early check in on a Sunday, excellent.
The bad:
- The climate was impossible to control
- The nearest CTA station is a fairly brisk walk
- The maids were terrible
- The restaurants are all impossibly closed for hours at a time
- The convention space is limited and spread across several floors
The ugly:
- The exhibit hall floor was dark and the ceiling was too low
- Chicago Burger Company is a disgusting restaurant, way over priced and food poisoning inducing.
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We stayed here for two days and it was alright. We had to upgrade to the club level because they were not going to give us a room with a king sized bed. Even though we called ahead of time to re-confirm they said they just had a handicap room or double beds. We've been stuck in both before and now we know better. We upgraded to club level, and while I enjoyed the extra breakfast and cocktail hour snacks, it's didn't quite make up for the extra $75 price increase.
Also, shockingly, when I woke up after my first night in the Sheraton bed I found my legs covered with an unsightly poison-oak-like rash. VERY MYSTERIOUS! I had been on a plane all day the day before, not frolicking in the woods, so I can't say where I picked up this uncomfortable affliction. Do they use weird laundry prodcuts? Allow pets in the rooms? I don't know, but it has made my legs red and bumpy and not too attractive in my skirts and dresses. Boo. That and the bathroom in the room is sketchy. The light hums LOUDLY and the shower has no water pressure. The sink taps are strangely designed and difficult to turn on and off. Bad design in there. Otherwise it was an ok hotel. Close to Navy Pier and the art museum.
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It's tough to distinguish between the many 3 1/2 - 4 star hotels in Chicago, but I really enjoyed the Sheraton and think it compares favorably with all the others in its class.
The lobby and room decor is contemporary and very inviting. The valet and front desk staff were appropriately friendly and attentive. The bedding was exceptionally comfortably although it was the softest mattress I've experienced in a long time. It's really too soft if you need a firmer mattress. The biggest advantage is the location. Our view from the 30th floor on the river side was outstanding. We could see up and down the river and could see the lake and much of the loop. While the hotel is several blocks off of Michigan Avenue, it's an easy walk to all of the Mag Mile, Millenium Park, Navy Pier and State Street.
I've noticed that the Sheraton's room rates are normally at the higher end of comparable properties, but we got a great rate with parking included. This made it an especially good experience. Unfortunately, they got our bill wrong, but a visit to the front desk got it easily corrected. Overall, I'd say the Sheraton is worth a visit, and if you can get it for a deal, it's definitely a worthwhile place to stay.
We stayed here because the hotel was convenient but it's definitely not a Westin. We received an "upgrade" and had a great view. But the room was absolutely awful. Flushing the toilet was an ordeal as it was so noisy.
The flat screen TV was in contrast to the aging furniture and decor. For the amount of money we were paying, the value was minimal.
Despite having a Do Not Disturb sign on the door, housekeeping called to ask a question. What's the point? The front desk gave a room key without checking ID, which is very scary.
In one word, underwhelming. The lobby looks great, but when we checked in we got bumped from a king to a double room, no biggie but not great.
The room was OK, but little things like paint peeling in the bathroom, the bathroom door having seen better days, the phone next to the bed missing most of the buttons, a late night dessert taking about 45 minutes to arrive, a great view of an air-conditioning duct ... when you're paying a not inconsiderable amount for a room you want better than this.
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The only hotel I've stayed in my two visits to the Windy City. The hotel itself from the outside is fairly isolated and definitely imposing. Checking in was a breeze (it helps being a Starwoods Platinum member), but the lobby was both spacious and elegant. Sometimes at a Sheraton hotel it can be a bit hit or miss unlike the more upscale SPG affiliated Westin and W's.
On both visits I had a 2 double bed setups and it definitely makes the stay more scenic if you can get a room faced towards the water because the rooms on the city side isn't much to really gaze at. I haven't tried the restaurants or lounges in the hotel, but they all looked busy and competent. Definitely a great starting point for anyone looking for an affordable hotel to stay in downtown Chicago.
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Great location - close to Navy Pier, Michigan Ave, downtown, and Grant Park.
While location matters a lot to me, the hotel wasn't as great as I had hoped. The rooms were clean - but not sparkling - and they charge for EVERYTHING. Internet (even in the business rooms, it cost $13 for 6 hours), access to the gym, water, parking... when you pay more than $300 for a night's stay, you'd think they could throw in SOMETHING.
Just returned from 5 days and 4 nights at this establishment for a convention. Yes, in Chicago in February. Lucky me, the snow stopped but for half-time on Super Bowl Sunday and immediately after my flight cleared Chicago airspace headed for home!
Convention accommodations: the exhibit room hall had a few issues. As an attendee, I wasn't particularly thrilled with the layout or the noisy HVAC system that was above some of the break out "rooms" that were on the exhibit hall floor. The ballrooms and river or lake rooms were neither hot nor cold, but sometimes the temperature and attention to detail (like the coffee running out) was a bit lacking. Having to ride the labyrinth of escalators was also a bit trying -- but basically the staff was reasonably attentive to the needs of the convention goer.
Rooms: I had a 15th floor corner King. It was clean, my housekeeping staff were quite helpful and mindful of my privacy and the view (facing east) of the ice laden river and vast expanse of the frozen lake was breathtaking. Because I was under the weather for a good portion of my visit, I didn't get to go exploring or utilize the workout facility. For this, I will need to return when the temperature is well above 25 degrees fahrenheit! And next time, I hope to be up just a little bit higher. Nonetheless, I had an auto club association rate that BEAT the rate negotiated for the convention, so I had no real complaints about what my money was being spent upon.
Proximity to services: I wheeled myself from the CTA station at Clark & Lake with ease - and found that the neighborhood had many of the basic necessities. Particularly important was the closeness of the Walgreen's -- which when one feels like the bottom of an icy river covered with a burning inferno -- is a welcome sight!
In hotel services: I had breakfast room service -- which was pricey but decent portions. Too bad I couldn't really taste anything! Business center staff, concierge and front desk have the 411 on assisting the business traveler and the bellmen have the taxi queue dialed in so one didn't have to venture out into freezing weather and wait for very long.
Yes, Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers, I noticed that you appear to still be renovating some of the rooms -- your 32nd floor Presidential Suite was stunning and well appointed -- so please keep at it -- and I will recommend you to all of my friends who wish to stay on the "north" side of the river!
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Thing about hotel business is... it's all about the service, the willingness to go over and above for their guests, and the attention you give to your guests.
Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers had it all.
Also what everyone should understand is that... it's the nature of the business to enjoy all those things above when you have a connection. So I guess you can say I have somewhat a biased opinion.
We stayed in a two-room suite complete with two LCD TVs, two double beds, two full bathrooms on the 19th floor.
We also had access to the Club Lounge on the 33rd floor which was great. Free breakfast every morning. Hor'dourves and snacks served in the afternoon.
When we had a difficult request for a particular service, the staff went over and beyond to get it done. And they were kind about it from the beginning to the very end, making sure it was to our satisfaction. They even made a couple of calls to our room to make sure everything was ok. Now THAT's what I call caring for their guests!
Now it's not to say that they don't have ANY flaws. With the kind of price they charge their guests every night, high-speed wireless internet should be FREE.
But that's a minor concern. After all, don't we all want to be AWAY from all the craziness of emails and things-to-do's when we're on vacation??
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I was not impressed by this place. the location is decent, but that's about it. It is a hike to get to an el-stop, to transfer on busses would be easier said than done as well. The things that stood out to me were the lobby, which was welcoming though it was a bit dirty for me, and the Chicago Burger Company.
Ken M wrote that CBC was disgusting but I think I'm going to have to disagree as my bleu cheese burger was cooked great and the fries were awesome at the time. I would have to visit back for another assessment but from what I've experienced so far, it wouldn't stop me from trying out again. As for the rooms...standard room.
I organized our company holiday party at the Sheraton. The staff was so helpful! A number of my co-workers and I decided to spend the night at the Sheraton and had mixed reviews.
I loved it. I was placed in really nice room with a great view of Navy Pier and the lake. The bed was divine! I almost wanted to skip the party and stay in my comfy bed. They also left me a little basket of fruit and nuts along with a bottle of water. It's good to be a VIP. ;)
My co-workers complained. The rooms that they were in were of a very poor quality. The hotel explained that they are in the process of renovating the rooms on this floor. Also, one person said that when he entered his room he noticed hair all over the bathroom counter. EW!!!
I'm glad that I was the party planner and could live the "high life" while everyone else was stuck in the "slums."
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I've only stayed here once so far, but I'm not sure I would do it again. First I'll go with the positives.
- As has been mentioned, it's got a nice view. I'm usually in my room for sleeping, so the view doesn't matter all that much to me.
- Pretty good location. I got in late (O'Hare lost my luggage, who would've thought), and I was pleased to find a restaurant (PJ Clarke's) and grocery store (Dominick's) within close walking distance. Dominick's is open until 1am which helped out a lot.
- Concierge is helpful. She pointed me in the direction of the places found above.
Now on to the negatives...
- Room feels old. The linens reminded me of my grandparents linens from the 70s. The bathroom was antiquated with old fixtures, decent shower.
- Dirt in my bath tub. Not sure why and it washed out fine, but seriously.
- Ethernet cable didn't work. I called to put in a request to fix it, went to get take-out and to the grocery store. Got back about an hour later and no one had come by to fix it. Called again and they sent someone up shortly, but you shouldn't have to call again.
- O'Hare lost my luggage, I notified the bell man that they would be delivering my luggage over night. He assured me they would leave me a message if it came letting me know it was in. Wake up the next morning with no message, assume it has not been delivered. Check on the airlines website and it says it was delivered overnight. Sure enough, went downstairs and it was there.
Overall just wasn't the greatest experience. Cheaper than the Westin, but I prefer the Westin River North to the Sheraton.
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Really- this was the worst hotel experience I have ever had. I am not a complainer but I felt like everytime I turned around there was something to roll my eyes about with this hotel.
My girlfriend and I arrived after a 12 hour car trip from Philly at around 12 am. We knew that places like this fill up quick and called to ensure that our room (that had been reserved 3 weeks prior) was kept even though we were getting there late- no problem. We arrive and they have no rooms w/ beds left...so they gave us a room w/ a sofa bed and told us they'd upgrade for the following night.
The sofa bed had no sheets on it, there were no pillows in the room and no remote control for the t.v. OK. Called the front desk, asked for these items and waited. Waited some more. Called again. A guy came up with 1 pillow (when we asked for 2-not an unreasonable request) and sheets. 10 minutes later someone came with the remote. Next day they told us the room could not be upgraded so we were moved to a traditional room (lower then what we originally booked). We got back from doing our touristy stuff, got the keys for our new room and our luggage was nowhere to be found (they told us they would move it), so we had to call a couple of times and have it tracked down.
To be fair they discounted us $150 dollars and sent up some free fruit and water(whopee). Not worth the mental hassle and time it took away from Chicago enjoyment.
The valet guy - Ed, I believe his name was - was very nice and patient while we unloaded a ton of bags from our car.
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The Sheraton Chicago is very beautiful with lakefront views and right on the river. With their recent reconstruction, the insides are stunning and very nicely done.
I've attended a conference here and customer service is just fabulous and the food catered in for lunch was pretty good for conference food. Shula's Steakhouse is also right there which provides for another great food option. It's super convenient and close by a lot of entertainment, including Navy Pier, AMC River East & Lucky Strike Lanes (bowling) and of course, the Magnificent Mile for your shopping and dining pleasure.
Also, this is one of our final two options for holding our wedding reception - Elisa has been a real treat to work with. Even though we didn't decide to go here for our wedding, Elisa was really fabulous and easy to work with.
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My mom stayed here when she was in town to visit. I have no idea whether she liked it or not, but when I met her there they had some delicious cookies in the lobby/lounge. I mean... good god, they were great. The 5 stars are based purely on how much I enjoyed that shit.
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Ever wish there were a separate rating for cleanliness/maintenance in Yelp? Sheraton should lobby Yelp for one.
This mammoth Sheraton has all the makings of a wonderful hotel: great river view, impressive lobby, lots of rooms, plentiful conference space, and a nice greeter. Top notch at first sight. They even give you a post card when you arrive and offer to mail it for you for free. Nice touch -- But I wish they'd spend those 19 cents on cleaning my room! The rooms are so run down and badly maintained, it makes makes you long for a $50/night motel.
Here's a list of things wrong with my room that I noticed in my short one night stay:
- Coffee cups not clean
- Lid missing from coffee machine
- Burned out light bulb in lamp
- Broken wire to handset in the phone
- Beaten-up toilet seat
I'm on hold right now for guest services (using the speakerphone since the hand set is broken) listening to their recorded message brag about their newly refurbished rooms. Too bad they're not newly cleaned too.
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I stayed here in Jan 2007 for a week long class at the Univ of Chicago. And I was back again in Sep 2007 for a conference.
This review is for the facilities and rooms, not the food which is covered separately.
My biggest peeve here are the public restrooms for the conventions. They were designed and laid out but the accountants. Let's see here...there are usually 1200 people on one floor of our convention area, and about 2/3rds are men. Most guys need about 5 min to do their business....there are 1440 minutes in a day....8 stalls, half standup and half sit down..thats a total of 11,520 available minutes in a 24 hour period. That should be more than enough. WRONG. In addition to the very busy bathrooms during the break, they never cleaned it regularly. The very small trash cans were overflowing and people had to throw the paper towels on the floor...Geezzz even the public bathrooms in Istanbul were cleaner.
Rooms were in good shape and well maintained. I must have been in one of the recently remodeled ones. But nothing extraordinary like a Ritz or Four Seasons......
The money in that hotel is spent of the public areas...the lobbys...the elevator waiting areas...the ball rooms......for my tastes...I rather see the money being spent in the rooms where I spend most of my time in the hotel....not in the general public areas......HOW ABOUT THE RESTROOMS????????
2 stars because this is a Sheraton and it was a corporate disgrace.
This is a very big and very busy hotel...made for conferences. This is not a destination hotel for the family. I would take my family down the street to the Embassy Suites without hesitation as my first choice. Nothing personal mister, but it's just business.
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I like this building because it reminds me of an updated Merchandise Mart.
Definitely one of my better hotel experiences in Chicago (relative to the W Lakeshore). Staff is friendly. And even though I was only at Gold SPG member at the time, they upgraded me to a junior suite. Everything's within walking distance (Michigan Ave., Navy Pier, etc.) so that makes things convenient. A good experience overall.
The Sheraton is a great value for a nice hotel in downtown Chicago!
The rooms here are comfortable and nice (especially for the price in downtown Chicago!). They are in need of an upgrade, though when this happens the price will go up considerably.
The Sheraton has a great view of the Lake, the river, and the city. It's a wonderful location. You are in between the south and north Michigan Avenue, which means that you'll be a comfortable walking distance from suh attractions as the Art Institute and Millenium Park on the south end of Michigan... and the Magnificent Mile and the Watertower on the north end of Michigan.
I do not recommend the food here. We had brunch one morning and the price was outrageous and the food below par. There are so many great restaurants in the area... just don't eat here!
Cold shower 2 mornings in a row? Need I say more? This is a Sheraton ... hot water should not be an issue.
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UPDATE:
Added a star for the gym that I recently visited and really liked. Might warn up to this hotel if I can get over the cold showers.
