GeoGirl
Dec 8, 10, 1:11 pm
This past weekend, Mr. Geogirl and I stayed at Elysian Hotel in downtown Chicago. The hotel is located on East Walton, and is quite close to Oak Street, the Magnificent Mile, and State Street. It's also located a short distance from the highway, so it's a fairly simple process to get in and out if you're driving.
We actually chose Elysian because we were shopping for a bed and Elysian is a partner hotel for Chicago Luxury Beds, offering a few rooms with VI-Spring beds, so you can try out the bed for a night or two before making a purchase. While we didn't fall in love with the bed (it was slightly too firm for us and we ended up going with a Hastens instead; FYI, most of the Elysian rooms have regular mattresses), we absolutely adored the hotel.
Elysian is the place you dream about when you wish for a hotel where the top priority is impeccable service. The staff take wonderful care of you to the point where you don't even have to move the revolving door yourself. And they won't accept tips, either, something that's slightly awkward when you initially try handing some cash to your bellman, only to be refused.
From the moment we arrived to the moment we checked out, my husband and I experienced warmth and friendliness from the hotel staff. They made sure that our every need was accommodated with a smile- a REAL smile. Staff members introduced themselves and each other by name and regularly engaged us in pleasant conversation. And after recommending a restaurant to us for dinner the night before, the concierge remembered us and asked how we enjoyed our dining experience.
As for the hotel itself, it's gorgeous and stunningly appointed. We stayed in a King room and it was the largest room I've ever had in Chicago. The room had a fireplace, LCD TV, and a TV that was actually embedded within the bathroom mirror. Everything was impeccably clean and we wanted for nothing. They had robes and slippers for us (one small pair of slippers for me, a larger pair for my hubby), and bottles of Evian were delivered with the turndown service.
Elysian has BMWs with drivers that will take you anywhere in the city within a 2-mile radius. Our driver took us to Gino's for my husband's first Chicago pizza, and when we discovered a line outside the building, he quickly changed course and took us to a second Gino's location, where we had no wait at all.
I have to confess that I wish we'd ordered in-room dining more than once. My husband and I enjoyed an in-room breakfast that was impeccably prepared and absolutely delicious. We'll have to try the dinner menu (and make restaurant reservations!) during our next stay.
I have absolutely no hesitation about recommending Elysian to anyone and everyone I know. In fact, even after only a mere two nights there, I feel like somewhat of an ambassador for Elysian. :)
More often than not, my husband and I stay in Marriott-owned properties when traveling around the world, because I inherited some timeshare weeks that yield a useful amount of reward points. But Marriott lacks customer service, and I've always imagined that there must be hotels out there where the staff cares about their work and provides an exceptional level of service. And Elysian delivers the kind of service I've always dreamt of- solicitous and helpful without being overbearing or false. You really get the sense that the staff really cares about their work and wants to do the best job possible.
The only concerns we had were things like not having an easy and obvious place to hang a towel for drying off after the shower and the BMW not being as available as we would've liked (one of their cars was in the shop during our stay, so the car was being used quite extensively during our weekend visit). Finally, I felt that the valet service, at $50/night was a bit steep, but the wait to get our car when we wanted it was about half the time I've waited in other establishments. In the face of such extraordinary service, minor details like this seem to stand out; but these are certainly not complaints, as I could find virtually nothing to really complain about in this hotel.
In short, Elysian takes the word "hotel" to a completely different level- it's more of a home away from home, but the home you wish you owned in downtown Chicago, where the people know you and make you feel totally welcome. Elysian delivers the kind of service I've always dreamt of- solicitous and helpful without being overbearing or false. You really get the sense that the staff really cares about their work and wants to do the best job possible. In short, Elysian takes the word "hotel" to a completely different level- it's more of a home away from home, but the home you wish you owned in downtown Chicago, where the people know you and make you feel totally welcome.
- GG
We actually chose Elysian because we were shopping for a bed and Elysian is a partner hotel for Chicago Luxury Beds, offering a few rooms with VI-Spring beds, so you can try out the bed for a night or two before making a purchase. While we didn't fall in love with the bed (it was slightly too firm for us and we ended up going with a Hastens instead; FYI, most of the Elysian rooms have regular mattresses), we absolutely adored the hotel.
Elysian is the place you dream about when you wish for a hotel where the top priority is impeccable service. The staff take wonderful care of you to the point where you don't even have to move the revolving door yourself. And they won't accept tips, either, something that's slightly awkward when you initially try handing some cash to your bellman, only to be refused.
From the moment we arrived to the moment we checked out, my husband and I experienced warmth and friendliness from the hotel staff. They made sure that our every need was accommodated with a smile- a REAL smile. Staff members introduced themselves and each other by name and regularly engaged us in pleasant conversation. And after recommending a restaurant to us for dinner the night before, the concierge remembered us and asked how we enjoyed our dining experience.
As for the hotel itself, it's gorgeous and stunningly appointed. We stayed in a King room and it was the largest room I've ever had in Chicago. The room had a fireplace, LCD TV, and a TV that was actually embedded within the bathroom mirror. Everything was impeccably clean and we wanted for nothing. They had robes and slippers for us (one small pair of slippers for me, a larger pair for my hubby), and bottles of Evian were delivered with the turndown service.
Elysian has BMWs with drivers that will take you anywhere in the city within a 2-mile radius. Our driver took us to Gino's for my husband's first Chicago pizza, and when we discovered a line outside the building, he quickly changed course and took us to a second Gino's location, where we had no wait at all.
I have to confess that I wish we'd ordered in-room dining more than once. My husband and I enjoyed an in-room breakfast that was impeccably prepared and absolutely delicious. We'll have to try the dinner menu (and make restaurant reservations!) during our next stay.
I have absolutely no hesitation about recommending Elysian to anyone and everyone I know. In fact, even after only a mere two nights there, I feel like somewhat of an ambassador for Elysian. :)
More often than not, my husband and I stay in Marriott-owned properties when traveling around the world, because I inherited some timeshare weeks that yield a useful amount of reward points. But Marriott lacks customer service, and I've always imagined that there must be hotels out there where the staff cares about their work and provides an exceptional level of service. And Elysian delivers the kind of service I've always dreamt of- solicitous and helpful without being overbearing or false. You really get the sense that the staff really cares about their work and wants to do the best job possible.
The only concerns we had were things like not having an easy and obvious place to hang a towel for drying off after the shower and the BMW not being as available as we would've liked (one of their cars was in the shop during our stay, so the car was being used quite extensively during our weekend visit). Finally, I felt that the valet service, at $50/night was a bit steep, but the wait to get our car when we wanted it was about half the time I've waited in other establishments. In the face of such extraordinary service, minor details like this seem to stand out; but these are certainly not complaints, as I could find virtually nothing to really complain about in this hotel.
In short, Elysian takes the word "hotel" to a completely different level- it's more of a home away from home, but the home you wish you owned in downtown Chicago, where the people know you and make you feel totally welcome. Elysian delivers the kind of service I've always dreamt of- solicitous and helpful without being overbearing or false. You really get the sense that the staff really cares about their work and wants to do the best job possible. In short, Elysian takes the word "hotel" to a completely different level- it's more of a home away from home, but the home you wish you owned in downtown Chicago, where the people know you and make you feel totally welcome.
- GG