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W Chicago - City Center
Rating Details »
Neighborhood: The Loop
172 W Adams St
(between La Salle St & Wells St)
Chicago, IL 60603
(312) 332-1200
172 W Adams St
(between La Salle St & Wells St)
Chicago, IL 60603
(312) 332-1200
- Nearest Transit:
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Quincy/Wells (Orange, Brown, Purple Express, Pink)
Jackson (Blue, Red)
Adams/Wabash (Orange, Brown, Purple Express, Green, Pink)
- Price Range:
-
$$$
81 reviews for W Chicago - City Center
After a conference in Chicago, I moved to the W to stay the weekend. It was an o.k. choice. It's a great location and the aestetics are very typical for a W hotel. It's located in a historic building and they juxtapose that with modern design. The lobby and Lobby Bar are nice with lots of little niches for your group to have cocktails. They also have the world's largest table lamps!
The rooms are small, but fine for Chicago. And, the walls are a VERY thin. I had to call security on our neighbors who were have "Dance Party USA" at 2 a.m. But, the hotel sent someone up to talk to them right away and it stopped.
All in all, the customer service and room were very nice. We did have a problem when we requested movies for our room...a standard service. They didn't have any of the four we asked for. If they are going to offer a service, they need to be able to provide it.
I cashed in points to stay here and would stay here again.
The W in San Francisco is much nicer than in Chicago. My biggest concern was the size of the rooms! I know it's an old building and such but I thought my room was down some narrow hallway and the room itself was rediculously small. The air conditioner made a loud BANG sound every 10 minutes which isn't good when you are jet lagged as it is.
The customer service was quite good as the concierge spent about 20 minutes with me figuring out the best way to get to Northbrook, but that was the highlight of the stay.
I haven't been to the W Chicago - City Center in a while, so I thought it was time for a visit while in Chicago. I'm a points whore so doing a "mattress run" is a no brainer for me.
Hotel is located in the southwest portion of the loop, directly across from the Quincy CTA station.
I arrived at 11 AM and noticed the lobby has been renovated. It's eclectic modern. Oversized lamps and an s curve sofa make up the main area of the "living room". I walk thru the living room and over to the pods which are located in front of the elevators and I'm greeted warmly by not just one, but two staff members. Since it was so early I was going to ask if my luggage could be stored until check-in time and ill go out and do some other things. They tell me no problem and as a returning guest they've assigned me a nice suite. Surprisingly I was told my room was ready. The property recognizes my Elite status, asks if I need a late checkout and inquires if I need my receipt emailed to me after check out.. Little things like this go a long way.
I go around the corner and enter what I describe as the vertigo elevators of death. If you look at that mural for too long, you'll be sure to earl.
I walk into my room to find I've been upgraded to a room I'd previously been assigned. The room has been renovation the wall and door that separated the parlor from bedroom have been removed. There is now one central wall that houses a flat screen TV for each "room"
When you enter the room, there is a powder room on the right and closet on the left. As soon as you pass thru the entry you're in the parlor portion of the room. There is a wet bar are and a half wall with a TV above and a desk below. The desk is nice and very practical but with only a few sockets.
The furniture on the parlor side of the room is a bit tacky and its like the hotel was trying to hard to be eclectic. It's just didn't do anything for me. The sofa is hideous!
Passing thru to the bedroom side of the room, the decor is much better, now this what I think a W should "look" like. The W Bed is totally inviting. On the wall is 40 HD TV that is identical to the TV in the parlor.
Due to the location there is not much of a view, but the room does offer a view of the Quincy CTA Station, which is perfect for train spotters. I thought being close to the train might cause some noise, but I didnt hear a peep
Off the bedroom is a hallway that houses a closet and leads you to the bathroom. The bathroom is rather awkward. Walking into the bathroom, on the left near the door is the sink and to the right is the toilet and tub/shower. Disappointing that the room doesn't have a double vanity and that there is no separate shower.
The sink is pretty small and does not leave much space to spread out. Two people cannot use the sink area at once. In addition, I got water everywhere. The room doesn't have a shower only a tub, but it's got some nice hardware and good water pressure. The bathroom is stocked with the typical Bliss sink side six pack of toiletries.
Sweat has nice equipment, cardio machines and free weights, but there is no pool.
Some additional information: There is a small business center on the mid mezzanine level.
High speed internet available for free in the lobby and its $14.95 in room and the hotel offers Acura service within five miles of the hotel.
At checkout on of the associates I'm familiar with said, "you're one of my favorite guest. You're so funny. You've got to stay with us for more than just one night the next time you come."
FINAL IMPRESSION
If you'd like a good hotel while in Chicago this is the place for you. Just know that on weekends there isn't much around the hotel, so you'll need to travel outside of the loop for dining and entertainment options.
The overall staff attitude has greatly improved. They appeared to be appreciative of being employed and more than willing to help. After checkout, I had a small billing issue (this is why I always request that my folio be emailed) where 36 dollars of items from the mini bar was charged to my folio. When I called about this, it took a minute to remove, the staff apologized and I wasn't made to feel like a liar. Good recovery and follow-up was good.
I would return to this hotel based on price and time of year, in the winter months i would prefer to be closer to Michigan Avenue.
It's a nice hotel for a business or leisure traveler, but better suited for the business traveler based on the location.
Definitely not up to par with other Ws, but considering the area, it's not a bad place to stay for business. The rooms are a little cramped (even the upgraded rooms), but it's clean and the Living Room can be pretty entertaining.
DON'T. EVER. STAY. HERE.
OK, I said it. I arrived at this hotel for business last week. From the beginning, customer service was terrible. The guy up front snickered that I didn't have any Starwood points. I asked if he could help, because all my points are being diverted to Delta. Sadly, no.
My room was tiny, even by Chicago standards, the bathroom so cramped and crowded that my makeup fell into the toilet. The bed had a glowing light underneath that I couldn't figure out how to turn off. I had to sleep with the light on.
The water got turned off one day into the trip. Hotel staff offered me a Fuji water to compensate for the fact that my co-worker and I could not flush our toilet, brush our teeth, or take a shower. Gee, thanks.
We arrived back at the hotel at 6pm to find the water still turned off. Front desk arranged for a transfer to W Lakeshore but was not courteous at all. The woman I spoke to refused to let me speak to her manager. We moved to another hotel and I complained to Starwood corporate. The hotel compensated me some points, but the whole experience was way horrendous.
Very trendy, cool looking hotel. However when I tried to get information for a wedding and reception for 45 people I was told that my party was too small and perhaps I'd be better elsewhere. Thanks for the suggestion!
This place was a big disappointment. The experience really dulled my view of the W brand.
- We were initially placed in a (tiny) room directly across from an elevator bank. We were kept awake until about 4:30am by guests in the hallway and, alternately, the elevators' chimes. The noise began, again, around 7-7:30am.
- Without apology, the hotel said they would move us to another room the next day. We were told we could just leave our bags in the room and they would move everything by our return that afternoon. When we returned late in the day to get ready for a wedding, our things hadn't been moved and a new room hadn't been arranged. After re-explaining the situation, we were offered another room with a smaller bed. "How much less is it a night? We pre-paid for a king." "Same price," the receptionist said. "Why would someone opt for a smaller bed at the same price?" "Some people like smaller beds," she said. "Yeah, but we pre-paid and opted for a King size..." To which she said, and I'm not even kidding, "You'll be fine." At which point she handed us our key. We moved our luggage, ourselves, to the new room.
- A bunch of the cable channels weren't working properly. But, more annoyingly, the in-room pay per view movies weren't working. We called the front desk and they said nothing could be done. We asked that we not be charged for the movie we couldn't watch - no problem, they said. Apparently, there was a *little* bit of a problem because I still got charged for it and then had to plead at check-out for the charge to be taken off.
- On our final night's stay there was no running water (!). This was Labor Day weekend, a different weekend than what was mentioned by another commenter without water. So I guess it's a recurring issue at this hotel. Except we didn't get offered a bottle of water or anything.
Sure, the hospitality business isn't easy - there are things that are beyond management's control. But when you sell yourself as being a luxury brand and charge accordingly, you can't have multiple problems for a guest's stay. And you *definitely* can't have even ONE of these issues without being extremely apologetic. We didn't get any of that. And it's not like we were making anything even resembling a big stink about anything at the time - though maybe we should have.
You know what would have gone a long way? A complimentary *anything*. It's not hard and makes slighted guests feel better: Sorry you couldn't sleep last night, how about a cup of coffee? Sorry we can't accommodate the size bed you pre-paid for, can we give you a drink at our bar? Would you like us to move your luggage to your new room like we said we would? Sorry about the water not running, here's a bottle of water on the house so you don't have to use the $5 bottle of water from the mini bar. Nope, none of that. Just a "you'll be fine" from the front desk. Yeah, of course we'll be *fine* - but we're paying a bunch of cash to stay at a friggin' W Hotel, not a Best Western.
After my stay, the manager-person sent me a form-email asking how wonderful my stay was. I decided to write back to see how/if they'd make amends. So I wrote an email listing the issues. The manager sent back another cookie-cutter email with an added line about trying to see if they could make the elevators quieter... and that she looked forward to me having a better time next time I came back to Chicago. Huh? Next time?? This experience has put me off staying at *any* W Hotel - least of all the the W Chicago - City Center.
The lobby is beautiful. Have you been in there at night (like 3am), when it's almost empty, dark, and the disco balls are lit, so it looks like stars in the sky? It's amazing. So romantic, and beautiful.
The room was so nice, wonderful bed, huge TV, pillows to sink into. I loved it. Free wifi in the lounge, cozy seating areas that make it feel private, free workout gym. I love the gym. Every time we went, there were alway other people there. The machines had TV's and they had headphones for you to use. There was also face wipes, towels, water, and apples.
I also love how it is part of NWA/delta's vacation packages and you can use your miles to pay for part of the hotel room. What a great deal!
In general, this hotel was a disappointment. I was expecting much more from a W.
The front desk is in an odd location - it requires directions to find. The decor in the hotel is modern.
I checked in around midnight and had booked a room that was supposed to a "Wonderful Room" with 253 sq ft. Instead, they sent me to a room about half that size. The bathroom was so small that there was no room for the waste basket - which they positioned practically in front of the toilet. The vanity was so small that there was definitely no place to put the regular toiletries people bring when they travel. I assume they think you will be running these back and forth between your luggage and the bathroom.
The person checking me in informed me that this was a newly renovated room and it did smell that way. However, they missed small details such as the air conditioner against the wall was not caulked and the old wall was showing behind it.
When I called to let them know I was not satisfied with this accommodation, they offered to upgrade me for another $70/night. Eventually, I went down to the front desk and the next person on duty was excellent. He was anxious to make things right and immediately moved me to another room that was twice the size - probably the room I reserved at 253 sq ft. (no additional charge)
The lounge was nice. The service was good and the waitresses were friendly and helpful. The security personnel were also nice as were the people at the bell desk.
The exercise room was reasonable (called the Sweat Room) - but the thermostat was set too high and it was pretty warm in there. I guess that's why they call it the sweat room:-) There was a relatively small collection of equipment but it was in good condition and well maintained.
Other than the bad first impression, this hotel is okay. It is nothing exceptional though and for the price, there are better places.
This W staff here is 100x more approachable and friendlier than the W on Lakeshore. The lounge/lobby is beautiful and inviting. Concierge very helpful and accessible. Even though the rooms were small, the bed and shower were very comfortable and made our hotel stay very enjoyable. The fitness center is very well maintained, they provide water, towels, cold wet towels, apples, headphones, aerobic machines with tvs on them, free weights, mats to stretch. I would highly recommend checking it out. The individual rooms did not have their own coffee pots, but they provide complimentary coffee til 10am every morning in the lobby.
Yes the walls are very thin but I've noticed this in most hotels (i.e. The James, and the W on Lakeshore). I would recommend rooms far from the elevators. I would have preferred to stay at a more prime location, but its very close to the mag mile and millenium park.
What's up with the average 3 stars?
Guess they weren't in Suite 1209 -1210
After a hell day of travel, miss connection due to Delta errors, cold front and rain... I was soooo elated to check in!!
The lobby was extremely inviting with tall white tufted serpentine couches, chess tables, coffee table books, and bar. We just didn't have time for it. Our main purpose was to see as many shows at Lollapalooza as possible.
Whatcha get:
King size bed
Two bathrooms, two plasma screens, comfy couch, streamline sound system that we turned up late night with out a peep from our neighboring guest's complaint.
Bliss products
Lots of closets
Over-sized lamps and a view that was on the sad side (but who cares we were out enjoying the streets of Chi Town)
Concierge was friendly and didn't mind answering questions like: where to buy an cheap umbrella (which we brought at Walgreens -Totes brand did the job fine), how to get to the metro, is it worth taking the architectural tour etc
Maid service fine.
All-in-all great clean, peaceful stay and won't hesitate to visit again.
DO NOT STAY HERE - 4 WORDS - CUSTOMER SERVICE IS TERRIBLE! THEY NEVER RETURN YOUR EMAILS OR PHONE CALLS. I AM SPECIFICALLY SPEAKING TOWARDS THE W CITY CENTERS SALES TEAM.
If you are a business traveler looking for one or two nights stay, sure - go for it - don't say I didn't warn you. But if you are a frequent traveler and believe in consistency in service, then I guarantee you that W City Center is NOT the place to find it.
There are plenty of other places where customer service is regarded has a high priority. W City Center is not one of them!
The W: Very upscale youth hostel. Thin walls. High concept. Disco ball spinning in the main lobby. Comfy, modern lounge couches all over the lobby. Friendly front-desk staff behind hip-looking glass (or stone) lit from within. Expensive drinks, and you have to wade through a clot of self-important people to get to the bar, but that wouldn't have been a problem if I'd seen the nicely-tattooed waitress earlier.
My room was tiny (my traveling partner said his was huge), but super-stylish and comfortable. Nice TV, DVD player included, space-age design to the desk and all the electronics. Cheesy-yet-fun strip of disco lights under-lighting the bed. Cheesy-yet-fun inspirational saying on the wall instead of a generic abstract painting or seascape.
Sadly, the walls are so thin that I could clearly hear the movie my neighbor had going -- though he/she probably had it too loud, it wouldn't have been so bad with real insulation. I'm surprised in the refurb they didn't fix that. It took 2 calls to the front desk to get it quiet enough to sleep.
You can't beat the in-the-Loop location -- at least not by much.
Overall, I'd stay again if the price is right, which it was on this trip.
I've been to a few get togethers and parties at this hotel, as well as have stayed the night. It is beautiful lobby and great layout. the staff is amazing, probably one of the most professional in the city. Great group of people. The rooms are nice too. Great place for a wedding or reception.
Starwood (who own the hotels) have specials from time to time so check their website. otherwise just check out drinks in their lobby (called the Living Room)
Love it.
Loved the lounge area, and that night they had happy hour or cheap drinks, can't remember but it was nice. The rooms and bathrooms were very nice too, a bit small, but decorated very nicely. Bad view from my room, but I didn't mind since I wasn't staying there very long. Location was perfect, so close to Michigan Avenue, Millennium Park, Union Station, and great restaurants. Every time I visit Chicago I want to stay here, but can't always find a good deal. This is definitely one of my favorite hotels to stay at.
We visited Chicago over Memorial Day weekend and stayed at the W City Center. It has the same feel as other Ws we've been to; hip, stylish and sleek. The interesting thing is that once you enter the cavernous lobby, you look up and the architecture appears to have a more Victorian, turn-of-the-century feel. Ornate ceiling moldings and the like, juxtaposed against sleek modern...definitely an eye-catching combination.
The elevators have an interesting sleight-of-eye decoration inside and truly, I wouldn't want to be tripping when riding in one of them. Just being stone sober inside the elevators could give you a headache if you weren't careful.
Our room was recently updated, according to the deskperson, and definitely smelled of fresh paint when we opened the door, The paint small clashed a little with the gentle orange scent that otherwise perfumed the air. The room itself was utilitarian, but TINY. I'm talking smaller than New York City hotel rooms. Really. A great little space, but emphasis on little. As long as you're not staying in your room much, the space is just fine for sleeping. The bathroom was updated nicely and was surprisingly spacious compared to the room itself.
Overall a nice place to stay, centrally located and near a Starbucks which is nice for morning coffee. We'd stay here again!
My husband and I stayed at the W for the 4th of July weekend. While I must be honest, we got a good deal on the room, but we stayed because of its location to the Theater district.
I was very intrigued by the living room bar decor. It was quite unique, and I loved the giant table lamps. When we checked in, I felt like I was in a Vampire movie, to be honest. The gentleman checking us in was very nice and friendly.
Although we expected to leave our bags with the concierge as we headed to a noon Cubs game, we were able to check in early, at 11:00. What a special treat!
My only complaint, seriously, is the fact the walls seemed rather thin. We stayed in room 617, which is immediately facing the elevators. We could hear the 'vator "ding" all night long.
Also, we had a rowdy child and an aggravated parent with a deep baritone voice (which carried perfectly through the walls) in the room next to us. After a late Saturday night, and listening to them for an hour, I was THRILLED when they left at 6:30 am on a Sunday morning.
The bed was just amazing. I loved it, and think I'll go back for another stay-cation in Chicago. This hotel is only a few blocks from Union Station and public transportation.
I will def stay again, but with caution on room selection.
Nothing to write home about.
Standard W rooms, noisy as hell with the L running right around the building Your typical service and W lounge/lobby down below.
Next time I am in Chicago I am in no hurry to stay here.
Oh and guess what if you aren't staying down here for business there is nothing much around
This place is interesting. Lobby and decor are modern, as other reviews will tell you. I hate the cologne in the elevators... Rooms are OK, but nothing to write home about. It's an old building refurb, and there is only so much you can do... Service is phenomenal, which, along with central location, is what moves this from a 3 to 4 star review.
This review is strictly about "The Living Room Bar" in the lobby.
Loved it.
Maybe it's because we were there early on a Saturday or because it wasn't a busy weekend, but we had the place practically to ourselves.
We strolled in just for drinks on a whim while walking home.
It's romantic, quiet and has cool decor.
Our server was prompt and attentive at the right times and the drink list is great. Sure, it's probably $12 or so for the average drink, but it's a lounge-type place where you go to start of the night or to end it.
I'd definitely go back if I was wandering by again.
This review is only for the lounge/bar. We randomly decided to come here on a Saturday night. We were hoping to find a nice quiet place where a group of 8 girls could catch up. This was the perfect place for that. The decor was gorgeous and the service was great. It was pretty much empty so we had no problem finding a place for all of us to sit.
The drinks were overpriced, but that's expected for the W. I'll definitely keep this place in mind for a cozy night out.
This is a review of the room service and for screwing up my check in / bill.
The room service is AWFUL. Your food will take 90 minutes when they tell you 40. You ask for fresh veggies and you ask them what they have? They say its seasonal mixed. Your entree FINALLY shows up 90 minutes later.....and shows up with no veggies. You call down, and they come back with an entire bowl of brussel sprouts ANOTHER 40 MINUTES later. I kid you not. Whole bowl of brussel sprouts? Aren't they just about everyone's nemesis?
Oh and it will set you back like $70
Great location, comfortable rooms,
I love "W" Hotels. They always have friendly staff and cool, loungey atmosphere in the lobby. Two very small examples of why my stay at the "W" City Center was memorable. It was my Birthday weekend and"W"-Insider Jessica Young took the time to send me a little birthday platter of goodies! AND this "W" had a particularly AWESOME fruity smell coming from around the elevators. Two little examples of how the hotel serves and comforts its guest.
I chose, will recommend and will stay at the W City Center again instead the more socially centric W Lakeshore for a number of reasons. Since it caters to business travellers it tends to have much better weekend rates. It is also very close to the Sears Tower, Greek Town (I'm Greek so it was important I go see how my people are doing) Millennium Park (The Silver Bean) and Grant Park (The Fountain from Married: with Children). Plus there is a Loop stop at the corner AND a water taxi stop down a block that will take you to the Navy Pier. Can't go wrong at the W!
no water until 8:30 on a Friday? then only decaff the next morning? f'real how does a hotel run out of coffee?
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/7/2009
This is a bizarre hotel and it seems to be more of a concept hotel than anything else. The front… Read more »
W. Whatever.
What happened to the luxury that was the "W"? I haven't given up on the W brand, but I probably will not be staying at the W Chicago City Center again.
Here's why:
1. Rooms are old, small, and run-down.
2. Whiskey Blue was an all-around disappointment
3. Did I mention the rooms? (Not good).
"Whatever, whenever!" What a lovely motto for a hotel chain!
I'm loving my stay here, it's one of the few bright spots of the week. At first I was incredibly nervous, I had booked this place for a dozen executives and lawyers and I was afraid that it would be a little too funky for them.
The lobby, while very cool, is like walking into a night club. It didn't make the greatest first impression on the people I needed to impress. But that was the only speed bump. From that moment on, the absolute attention to service and detail has been amazing. Literally, pick up a "whatever, whenever phone" and they'll "grant your wish" as soon as possible. The staff at this hotel has made all of our stays wonderful. They've taken a lot of stress out of my life, and I'm grateful for that.
If you're a lawyer coming into the area, the W is also incredibly close to the Federal Court House, which is why I picked the hotel. We've been able to get back to our hotel, have lunch and a little breather during the short lunches and breaks that we've had throughout the week.
Great location and excellent service, hands down.
As for the lobby / nightclub. While my bosses may have thought it was "too distracting" I was very happy to stroll through there every evening. Made me feel like I was taking a short break from all the craziness. And the waitresses... (sigh)
This is just a review for the bar:
Dark, plenty of seating, expensive but decadent cocktails, luxurious setting. This bar makes me want to wear stilettos and fancy jewelry, in a good way.
I agree with Claire H.; the lemon drops are yummy here. We had that and cookies and milk...a roomful of booze in the lounge and we ordered...yup...a plate of chocolate chip cookies and a tall glass of milk to share! Before going to bed...
the rooms are a bit small here...but we loved the rain showerhead...
We didn't really pay much attention to the price...I was there for work. The staff was super nice....
We stayed at the W the weekend just before Christmas. I went with a bit of trepidation, given that I am not a particular fan of the W on Lex in NYC. A major discount on the regular rate was the motivation to give it a try.
When you walk in the front door, you could swear you are walking into a mini versus of the NYC Lex W with Whiskey Blue on the left and a popular after hours lounge the right. However, after spending a few more minutes soaking in the atmosphere you'll notice the vaulted ceiling, tile, and marble accents that give it a warmer, more dignified feel. The elevators will almost knock you over with their 3-d holographic-like walls.
Expecting the usual W-esque room, we were amazed to find out they upgraded us to a large junior suite. It looked like the head designer from Pottery Barn just redid the place. Very impressive. What was not impressive is that they want $15 to connect to the net for the day (and no Boingo), though the lobby wireless was free.
The staff was especially pleasant. Though it was -30 windchill, the door man stood outside for almost 15 minutes trying to find us a cab. He then convinced the Acura driver to drive us to Midway for no charge. They have a joint promotion with Acura to drive you anywhere within 5 miles for free to show off their cars. We wish we knew this earlier.
The only problem is the location if you are going for a weekend. It is only one block from the Quincy L stop, which is nice if you are coming from Midway. But you have to transfer (or jaunt up to Clark and Lake) if you plan to use the trains for anywhere else. It is not a bad walk to State Street to Marshall Fields (ugh...."Macys"....) but a bear to get up to Mag Mile if it is zero like it was the weekend we went. Cabs are the order of the day, but not easy to find in the financial district on the weekend. Very few decent restaurants in the area.
Overall, we were happy with our stay, but the location leaves a lot to be desired.
I stayed here a few nights while working on a project. In fairness to this hotel property - I suppose it was true to itself, but it just wasn't me. I just couldn't get comfortable. If you like clean line architecture, modern decor and darkness with smatterings of artificial light - this place might feel like home for you. However, it wasn't just this that I didn't like so much - it was number of things, one being the uselessness of the room set-up. The rooms were clinically beautiful, but the Plasma TV was at such an angle that when you pulled it out to watch from bed, the remote sensor was covered by the molding, rendering the remote useless. Also, I went to retrieve ice from one of the ice-rooms and my key wouldn't work, so I called down to the staff and they stated that every floor's ice room had that issue (they offered to promptly bring me ice). But I just couldn't help but wonder - every ice room on each floor wasn't functioning? Really? I also didn't like the fact that there wasn't a terrace or any place I could "go-outside" and maybe read a little bit. The property was very constricted and cold.
This isn't about the staff - honestly - they were insanely helpful and courteous. I just don't get the purpose/model of the hotel. It reminded me of going to a pretentious French fusion restaurant where the entrees are big on pretty and small on taste. A little confused I guess. I've been to other W's and they were very nice. This may be an anomaly, but I think I'll check out the other hotels in the area.
LOVES:
-the hotel itself is just majorly cute and has a great vibe
-great concierge, Jeff, who will tell you where the hot parties going on that weekend are
-car service available for hotel guests
-awesome hotel restaurant (WE) for once!!
-attention to detail and the overcleaning! notice that the floormats will change in the morning, afternoon, and evening!
-everyone loves a W hotel room
DISLIKES:
-it's in the financial district. you are not in epicenter of things if you stay here! expect to cab it everywhere.
-stores and restaurants in the area will close late
All in all, we were pretty happy with our stay but wished that the location was better (like the Courtyard Marriott) although it is super easy to hail a cab anywhere in Chicago!
So many ups, so many downs.
I've been here a few times for drinks in the lobby and parties in their ballrooms. I love the space and always have had a good time. My 30th birthday was held here. It was good but there were a few glitches. I was pleased that they let me bring in cupcakes from Sarah's.
Most recently, I was in a suite. The rooms are very nice. The customer service was outstanding. I would definitely head back!
In every way but the service, this is a three-star W. After staying at the Lakeshore location with its drool-worthy views and conveniently located Bliss spa, the City Center one was just kind of eh.
That said, the staff did everything they could, both before and during my stay, to make sure I was happy. I e-mailed the manager to ask for a quiet room and request a room upgrade. Done! The Spectacular room was definitely a great size for a room in the middle of a big city, and I loved playing with the big squishy plum-shaped pillow.
Other pluses:
* Fantastic lemon drop in the lobby bar (it was $14, but it came with a pint-size martini shaker full of lemon drop on the side, so it was really more like two $7 martinis)
* Super close to the Blue Line El stop (so convenient to O'Hare!)
* Better-than-average room service food
* Late checkout
* iPod sound dock
Although I still prefer the Lakeshore for its views and lack of train noise, the City Center was definitely a pleasant surprise based on some of the negative reviews I read here.
I get the appeal of a trendy boutique hotel, but there are definitely better places to stay downtown and not feel cramped in your room or alienated by the thumping music in the lobby or the staff looking down their nose at you.
The bath products are the only ones I've ever sought out after using them in a hotel.
Also, this is another place that you pay handomely for a night's stay, and they STILL charge you for internet. That's like how places used to charge like $2 for long distance calls; It's just tacky.
I stayed here for a business trip and had an average-good experience. At least it was not the boring cookie cutter hotel I usually have to stay in for these sorts of trips. I got in pretty early, around 10 am and I was able to check in which was great. I didn't have much interaction with the staff but the bell hops out front who opened the front doors for me about 30 times in one day when I decided to try to see Chicago in 8 hours in between fielding work requests were great.
The room itself was fine and as to be expected from a hotel like this. Not overly wonderful but certainly comfortable. The bathroom was pretty small and there were too many doors that you had to open and close. If you're staying here for a while you might want to make sure you have one of the bigger bathrooms. There seems to be a lighting problem in this hotel - there were not enough lamps in my room nor did they emit enough light.
I too had the $28 oatmeal and coffee! Seems to be the breakfast of Yelp champions. I do agree it was way overpriced, even by room service standards.
I feel bad for the people that work at the front desk here, they have to do everything by candlelight. They should at least let them have bigger candles.
My worst W experience ever.
1. Went to check in at 11 pm, no one at the desk had to call the hotel from my cell (while standing at the counter) to get someone to the desk.
2. Didn't have a food menu in my room. Called to get a menu, after a 10 minute delay they called back to say there was no one around to bring me one. The receptionist had to dictate the menu over the phone.
3. WiFi is free in the lobby and $15/day in your room. So if you want to be comfortable and relaxed you have to pay a ridiculous fee.
4. I was woken up by maintenance work on a neighboring room at 8am on my first day. I talked to the manager and he claimed it was work being done by the city (outside). I disagreed because I had a room that wasn't facing the street, but gave up since he offered no compensation what-so-ever and sure enough on day 2 the maintenance guys were working on the room next door at 8am again.
5. The heater in my room was ancient and barely worked. Fortunately, it wasn't all that cold during my stay.
I'm not sure if I'll ever trust the W again, but certainly if you're thinking of staying at a W in Chicago make sure it's not this one.
I like to stay at W Hotels because I get Starwood points and use them in Europe or NYC. I stayed at the W Chicago for 3 days, and it was only memorable in how painful it was to stay there!
Upon checkin, there was a line a mile long in the hotel to the point that the bar was taking drink orders from guests waiting to check in. Not free drinks for our trouble, but we had to pay and still wait!
Then, we had made arrangements to receive a very important package at the hotel. When I checked in, they told me it was in security, and when I asked them to retrieve it, it was nowhere to be found. This carried on for 8 hours, until 1am when it finally appeared. Pretty annoying.
The customer focus at this hotel is completely lacking. I asked to have the package shipped after we checked out, and I told them, no rush I don't need it sent overnight. I arrive home the next day and lo and behold the FedEx guy is at the door - and I've been charged for overnight service. Ever get the feeling people don't listen!
Sorry - hip doesn't cut it.
Personally, I am not a fan of the W Hotels. Personally, they try too hard.
They love to deck out their lobbys, put velvet plum pillows on top of beds, adorn their bathrooms with Bliss products, make sure music playing when you get back to your room, and play out all the Hotel Costes chillout-esque music possible in their lounges. But their service is crap, and you know when the service is crap the hotel's pretty crap also no matter how nice it is. Which is why it's so ironic they have their infamous "Whatever. Whenever." motto. They don't stand by it.
Anyway, besides that, my stay was nothing special. Yeah the room's nice but gosh every time you flush the toilet you feel like you're flushing an airplane toilet; talk about high pressure. Then you wonder if the rooms around you can hear you and you feel bad at the same time if you're going to the bathroom in the middle of the night, which brings me back to the service. They're so lazy they don't want to bother having plumbers on staff to fix a clogged toilet so they equip each room with the highest pressure toilet they can find. Genius.
This place is a dump. Actually, for a party in the lobby area the place is fantastic and amazing. But as far as the rooms... and people.. It seems as though they have some severe service/management/upkeep issues. Well, except Jessica is great!
The rooms are small--not "hotel in the city" small, but Times Square Hotel in the City Small. (The room 10' wide and was no more than 160 square feet). The bathroom was extremely tiny, as I sat on the toilet my foot had to rest on the metal doorstop. But that's the least of their problems.
The shower didn't drain, and I didn't want to take a bath. So I ended up taking a shower in water that got to be over 6" deep... I told the maid (who came and knocked on our door at 9, even though we were only staying one day and had requested a late check out--something a good hotel would make note of and not bother interrupting you over) ... they came and fixed it, but still a hassle.
There was no room service menu in our room, just a "Dining In" book... But then there was a Room Service button on our phone, so I'm pretty sure they did have regular room service. We ordered breakfast, it took 45 minutes to get our order, then it came and it wasn't correct. They serve potatoes but didn't bring ketchup. They serve toast but didn't bring BUTTER? How can room service not bring butter for toast? It was $48 for an omelet/potatoes/toast, 2 scrambled eggs/bacon/potatoes/toast, and one orange juice. And it wasn't even good, neither of us finished eating even half of it.
The room wasn't wide enough to have the TV in front of the bed, it was off to the side and didn't really pull out/rotate so you could watch it head on... (BTW, someone else on here complained about it, but not having FOX News on their channel lineup is a good thing as far as I'm concerned.... ). If they really were as hip as they think they are, they could have easily put a flat panel TV on the wall in front of the bed...
The lobby space is very architecturally pleasing; the hallways are filled with the wafting smell of gardenia, which I like....
The door man didn't bother to open the door for me as I was walking out, he just stood there watching... (maybe I'm being prissy, but he IS a door man, and he wasn't doing anything at the time, and he was standing right in front of the door).
We were told wifi Internet was actually $25/day to use (which includes free calls, too... something I could care less about) not $15... Either way it's overpriced.
The rooms were very loud. Every noise in the hallway, upstairs hotel room, adjacent room, outside cars, el, etc were heard.
Parking is $38 which is high but is probably fairly average for hotel rates, even though garages in the area aren't more than $20/day.
I'm never staying here again, and will highly recommend against it to anyone who asks. And if you do go, avoid room 609... As cute as it sounds, it's just bad news! I hope not all W Hotels are like this one. Insanity reigns at the W City Center.
