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LondonHouse Chicago, Curio Collection by Hilton {US-IL}

LondonHouse Chicago, Curio Collection by Hilton {US-IL}

Old May 31, 2016, 9:51 am
  #16  
 
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Funny side note about the towels, I noticed on of the handtowels was Conrad towel (new) so I looked at the some other towels hand and bath towels and the label had been cut off
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Old May 31, 2016, 9:59 am
  #17  
 
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Here are some pictures (hopefully this works have not posted pics here before)
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Old May 31, 2016, 10:05 am
  #18  
 
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Apologies for the bathroom shot in the above post being sideways. If you look straight out you the big Trump letters of Trump International are facing you smack in the face since its right across the from the London House. However if you look sideways there is a nice view of the river.

I do want to reiterate that this room/suite, while nicely appointed, is narrow in a Midtown Manhattan sense (which I personally do not like). The suite area of the suite is very tight you could only put two people there on the coach as its a small loveseat. There is a small fridge under the desk which is on the bedroom side.

Room came with robe (comfy terrycloth) and slippers. Toiletries are Malie +Goetz.
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Last edited by Miesque; May 31, 2016 at 10:11 am
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Old May 31, 2016, 10:09 am
  #19  
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Good pictures.

The long-term plan is for a "destination" restaurant on the ground floor.

As for the Nespresso capsules, if you want to restock on your own, there is the big Macys (formerly Marshall Field) about 4 blocks away.
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Old May 31, 2016, 10:19 am
  #20  
 
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By the way, the set up of this suite is a great illustration of why I for the same sq ft would prefer a junior suite set-up because its more open making you feel like you have more space.
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Old May 31, 2016, 10:59 am
  #21  
 
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Originally Posted by Miesque
I just got back from Breakfast which was down in the lobby bar and the breakfast voucher which indicated (full breakfast on it) basically you could chose whatever you wanted off the list which was not very long (I went with the ham and cheese quiche and it was done attempting to be fancy). The coffee is really good coffee, very smooth, I had several cups. I noticed last night the room service menu was also pretty lean in terms of options. There is not a buffet or anything like that if you were looking to eat and run.
Interesting. Well, better than a continental-only option. Since it's so early, I wonder if they're just getting the F&B going. The website mentions some sort of actual restaurant on the 21st floor; that strikes me as a more logical place to serve breakfast. However it just calls it "LH on 21" and links only to a rendering. So maybe they haven't secured a chef or built it out yet?


Originally Posted by Miesque
The suite was actually the next available level room since I had booked a Vista Room which is at a premium to their regular King room. Its not as big of an upgrade as it might first appear.
Yeah, interesting. I'm using a cert so just the base level room for me. Not expecting much of an UG. Also, all of the times I've searched I've never seen a suite for sale so it seems like they've sold them out or are holding them back for something (Upgrades? Haha!)


Also, regarding earlier posts on their rooftop bar, I inquired how guests might have access, and they responded by linking to a website for paid reservations - which are sold out through June 30 - and then saying that they also take "walk ins from our guests based on availability". Though given that reservations are sold out I would not think there to be much of said availability. Either way seems somewhat distasteful IMO given the room rates they are asking. I am sure others will disagree as is always the case.
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Old May 31, 2016, 11:40 am
  #22  
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Originally Posted by Miesque
I am in the midst of my one night stay. I booked a Vista room and was upgraded to the Vista suite. It is well decorated and apportioned but the one thing that is noticeable to at least me is the room/suite is definitely on the narrow side (it was especially noticeable to me since I was in an Executive Suite at the Hyatt Mag Mile which has an open spacious feel to it).

The elevators are different here in that there are no numbers in the elevator, you press the floor you are going to on a pad to summon the elevator (I had never seen this before and curious if others have). Complimentary HHonor water is two bottles of small Voss. Room service was good, had the filet mignon and truffled mashed potatoes.

I just went up to the Rooftop bar area to check out the action and was not allowed to see the actual rooftop bar, just the inside bar area adjacent to the elevator. I was told it was already pretty full (it was just before 8 PM Chicago time) That left a bad taste in my mouth as an actual hotel guest. I was annoyed because I actually made an effort to change to a blazer and pants to head up there (had been in robe and slippers).
Yes this is very popular in Europe and recently here in NYC. The only other Hilton, in the States (I know of), to use this elevator feature is Hilton New Orleans Riverside.
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Old May 31, 2016, 11:54 am
  #23  
 
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I'm struggling to see any real positives here, which is a shame as I was really hoping a Curio in Chicago would be good. Things like no cups for the coffee will be sorted out pretty quickly, but the lack of eating and watering holes and the small rooms seem more permanent.
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Old May 31, 2016, 11:56 am
  #24  
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Thumbs up

Originally Posted by Miesque
Here are some pictures (hopefully this works have not posted pics here before)
Posting in a Fluffy Terry Cloth rob! ^ ^ ^ For a min I thought you were going to go (fill in any D list celebrity bathroom selfie) style and break the internet!

I love pictures with reviews as visuals always help.
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Old May 31, 2016, 12:03 pm
  #25  
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Originally Posted by Truffles
I'm struggling to see any real positives here, which is a shame as I was really hoping a Curio in Chicago would be good. Things like no cups for the coffee will be sorted out pretty quickly, but the lack of eating and watering holes and the small rooms seem more permanent.
It's Chicago, there are plenty of restaurants over various style and price point within a mile of the entrance. Dining options is not an issue.

Small rooms? We've had a report about a narrow room. Without seeing more reviews on more guest rooms, I don't understand how this is a negative.
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Old May 31, 2016, 12:25 pm
  #26  
 
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Originally Posted by KENNECTED
Small rooms? We've had a report about a narrow room. Without seeing more reviews on more guest rooms, I don't understand how this is a negative.
For some context:

The LH rooms page states that a regular King room is 316 ft2 and a regular King Vista room is 360 ft2. Whereas the Vista suite is 402 ft2 and the regular King suite is 530 ft2 (yes that seems backwards but it's what it says...).

At the Waldorf-Astoria Chicago, the regular King room is 371 ft2, the Deluxe King room is 632 ft2, and the suites are 775 (Waldorf), 1124 (Luxury), and 1264 (Gold Coast) ft2.

At theWit, a Classic King room is 315 ft2, a Spa King room is 445 ft2, a Spa Suite is 585 ft2, and a Paramount Spa Suite is 815 ft2.


So the base rooms themselves do not seem small; however the suites - of which the OP was in one - are, quantitatively, small compared to similar Chicago properties, not even to speak of the palatial suites one would encounter in many Asian, Middle Eastern, etc. properties.
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Old May 31, 2016, 1:34 pm
  #27  
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Story about the soft opening of the rooftop (mostly photos of the view):
http://chicago.curbed.com/2016/5/27/...ftop-deck-view
http://chicago.curbed.com/2016/5/26/...-hotel-opening
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Old May 31, 2016, 1:41 pm
  #28  
 
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Another article, including a scan of the bar menu:

https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/2016...er-is-now-open
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Old May 31, 2016, 2:12 pm
  #29  
 
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Originally Posted by arlflyer
For some context:

The LH rooms page states that a regular King room is 316 ft2 and a regular King Vista room is 360 ft2. Whereas the Vista suite is 402 ft2 and the regular King suite is 530 ft2 (yes that seems backwards but it's what it says...).

At the Waldorf-Astoria Chicago, the regular King room is 371 ft2, the Deluxe King room is 632 ft2, and the suites are 775 (Waldorf), 1124 (Luxury), and 1264 (Gold Coast) ft2.

At theWit, a Classic King room is 315 ft2, a Spa King room is 445 ft2, a Spa Suite is 585 ft2, and a Paramount Spa Suite is 815 ft2.


So the base rooms themselves do not seem small; however the suites - of which the OP was in one - are, quantitatively, small compared to similar Chicago properties, not even to speak of the palatial suites one would encounter in many Asian, Middle Eastern, etc. properties.
Thank you so much for the suite size quotes. When I stay at the Waldorf I stay in either the Waldorf or Luxury (the later of which is quite an experience). I stay at the Drake a lot in their Lakeview Junior Suite (awesome views of Lake Michigan) and that is 600 sq ft of open space on a corner of the hotel so it feels very spacious. (by the way I think the Drake is the best bang for the buck, no its not as fancy as the Waldorf or LondonHouse, but the service is excellent and it has a nice older charm to it and the rooms are decent sized and the views of Lake Michigan are hard to beat) The night prior to my stay at the LondonHouse I was at the Hyatt Mag Mile in the Executive Suite which is 735 sq ft and it has an open spacious sort of layout. When in NYC I stay at the Conrad which the regular suite is 430 sq ft but its a bit wider and a bit more open architecture so it doesn't feel as constrictive as the Vista Suite did.
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Old May 31, 2016, 2:30 pm
  #30  
 
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My overall sentiment after last night (as I sit at O'Hare watching a storm roll in) is that it is a property that has promise. The staff was excellent which is always a plus and it does have a lot of nice touches. That said, whether I stay here again will depend on what the rates are relative to the other properties I am prone to stay at. My gut pricing instinct is that the rates will be just under that of the Waldorf and if that was the case I would either splurge for the Waldorf or go the Drake. The feeling I had this morning was that I rather missed the old Conrad, I loved their rooftop bar (which was obviously less grand but I could just wander up and enjoy a nice cocktail and bite to eat at the end of the day). Admittedly, I have become a big Conrad fan based on the limited US exposure I have had and hope the new Chicago Conrad fits the bill.

Even after I got used to the elevator scheme I still did not like it. The rooftop not being accessible (at least as far as I was concerned also irked me).

One thing I did really like was the relatively close proximity to the Blue line so no transfer needed to the Red line such as is the case with the Mag Mile/Gold Coast properties (unless you walk from the Blue Line, which I actually did on Sunday to get to the Hyatt Mag Mile because I just hated dealing with the transfer with luggage)

Last edited by Miesque; May 31, 2016 at 2:36 pm
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