Last edit by: SkiAdcock
Hat tip to dcchi: "Whenever we do staycations in downtown Chicago, we use the ParkWhiz app to find parking. Normally pretty substantial savings off of hotel parking rates and even minor savings (and sometimes more) off of garage posted rates. If you're willing to walk one or a few blocks, this works well."
Marriott Bonvoy hotels in Chicago, IL
#961
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: BDU
Programs: DL:MM, Marriott:LTT
Posts: 8,779
...Ironically, I have a placeholder res at the River North FI, and an hour after I booked the UIC property...I get an email from the FI general manager asking if there's anything they can do for me leading up to my stay. For being a lowly Gold, that's a rare occurrence for me.
#962
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Aussie in ORD
Programs: Marriott Plat, Ua Gold, GE.. Sucker for punishment
Posts: 4,237
I'm at the Mag Mile FS Marriott this weekend with the family.. Very mixed so far.
We are in an older room, whole top level is being renovated apparently.
Lovely bar area, great views from the 37th floor which we are on.. Killer location! And we got a great rate..
The room we are in is VERY tired.. Utter lack of power outlets .. TV needed fixing by hotel staff to get more than 10 channels and shower is next to cold (very unpleasant).
Flew into Chicago after staying at the Marriott Union Square in SanFran and the contrast is huge..
Oh and, as has been reported: No CL on the weekend and NO comped breakfast.. 1000 points instead.. When there are three of us staying the value of the breakfast was very large. Got to say this property is not up to the standards I expect from a FS property.
We are in an older room, whole top level is being renovated apparently.
Lovely bar area, great views from the 37th floor which we are on.. Killer location! And we got a great rate..
The room we are in is VERY tired.. Utter lack of power outlets .. TV needed fixing by hotel staff to get more than 10 channels and shower is next to cold (very unpleasant).
Flew into Chicago after staying at the Marriott Union Square in SanFran and the contrast is huge..
Oh and, as has been reported: No CL on the weekend and NO comped breakfast.. 1000 points instead.. When there are three of us staying the value of the breakfast was very large. Got to say this property is not up to the standards I expect from a FS property.
#963
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: GRR
Posts: 544
I'm at the Mag Mile FS Marriott this weekend with the family.. Very mixed so far.
We are in an older room, whole top level is being renovated apparently.
Lovely bar area, great views from the 37th floor which we are on.. Killer location! And we got a great rate..
The room we are in is VERY tired.. Utter lack of power outlets .. TV needed fixing by hotel staff to get more than 10 channels and shower is next to cold (very unpleasant).
Flew into Chicago after staying at the Marriott Union Square in SanFran and the contrast is huge..
Oh and, as has been reported: No CL on the weekend and NO comped breakfast.. 1000 points instead.. When there are three of us staying the value of the breakfast was very large. Got to say this property is not up to the standards I expect from a FS property.
We are in an older room, whole top level is being renovated apparently.
Lovely bar area, great views from the 37th floor which we are on.. Killer location! And we got a great rate..
The room we are in is VERY tired.. Utter lack of power outlets .. TV needed fixing by hotel staff to get more than 10 channels and shower is next to cold (very unpleasant).
Flew into Chicago after staying at the Marriott Union Square in SanFran and the contrast is huge..
Oh and, as has been reported: No CL on the weekend and NO comped breakfast.. 1000 points instead.. When there are three of us staying the value of the breakfast was very large. Got to say this property is not up to the standards I expect from a FS property.
#964
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Chicago (ORD)
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, UA Gold, AA Gold
Posts: 566
Let me jump on the down vote for the FS Marriott on Michigan Ave (Mag Mile). I've stayed there before in an unrenovated room and aside from the room view and location (which are both excellent), the stay was terrible (crowded like a zoo continually; totally tired rooms as others have said; etc.). As the saying goes, fool me twice, shame on me.
We stayed two nights on a great AAA weekend rate that included self-parking for $111. I won't stay at this Marriott again. Check in was again a zoo, with long lines and waits. We got a "renovated" room this time, but the miniscule bathroom is terrible. It's literally so small that you cannot have more than one person in there at once and where if anyone is using the facilities (ahem) there is literally no room to even open/close the door. They have a granite sink but the tub tiling is from the early 90s it seems like (Most RI/FFIs/etc. have much nicer bathrooms than this Marriott). Worst of all is the toilet. It drains like the 30 year old toilet it is.....EXTREMELY SLOWLY. Many sins can be forgiven with a nice powerful showerhead, but this one was only so-so really.
Room itself is decent size. VERY few free outlets to speak of (this is not a Marriott where they've redone the desk and it has those pretty nice outlet/plug modules...Instead, they added a couple of outlets under the desk which actually don't even work well...my iOS chargers kept falling out of them). No outlets by the bed/nightstand. Room was pretty cold because of a draft at the window (you can actually slide it open slightly to let air in but it was winter), and the thermostat never seemed to work even though we raised the temperature.
At check-in, because of elite status, told that since it was the weekend, they would provide 1000 points per night (2 nights = 2000 points) in lieu of breakfast since the lounge was closed. We'll see if that posts (I'm sure I'll have to chase Marriott for my PAG points too...)
The extra towels requested at check-in that were supposed to arrive never did until I called again.
The self-parking (across street at the "Row Parking Garage" at 50 E Ohio) was the only thing that worked pretty well (after checking in, brought garage ticket to valet stand to get it validated with in/out privileges.
But, like I said, this hotel is dropping off my list of downtown Chicago Marriott-brand hotels. I'd much rather stay at the RI/SHS on Dearborn, or any of the other Marriott brands just 1-3 blocks off of Michigan.
We stayed two nights on a great AAA weekend rate that included self-parking for $111. I won't stay at this Marriott again. Check in was again a zoo, with long lines and waits. We got a "renovated" room this time, but the miniscule bathroom is terrible. It's literally so small that you cannot have more than one person in there at once and where if anyone is using the facilities (ahem) there is literally no room to even open/close the door. They have a granite sink but the tub tiling is from the early 90s it seems like (Most RI/FFIs/etc. have much nicer bathrooms than this Marriott). Worst of all is the toilet. It drains like the 30 year old toilet it is.....EXTREMELY SLOWLY. Many sins can be forgiven with a nice powerful showerhead, but this one was only so-so really.
Room itself is decent size. VERY few free outlets to speak of (this is not a Marriott where they've redone the desk and it has those pretty nice outlet/plug modules...Instead, they added a couple of outlets under the desk which actually don't even work well...my iOS chargers kept falling out of them). No outlets by the bed/nightstand. Room was pretty cold because of a draft at the window (you can actually slide it open slightly to let air in but it was winter), and the thermostat never seemed to work even though we raised the temperature.
At check-in, because of elite status, told that since it was the weekend, they would provide 1000 points per night (2 nights = 2000 points) in lieu of breakfast since the lounge was closed. We'll see if that posts (I'm sure I'll have to chase Marriott for my PAG points too...)
The extra towels requested at check-in that were supposed to arrive never did until I called again.
The self-parking (across street at the "Row Parking Garage" at 50 E Ohio) was the only thing that worked pretty well (after checking in, brought garage ticket to valet stand to get it validated with in/out privileges.
But, like I said, this hotel is dropping off my list of downtown Chicago Marriott-brand hotels. I'd much rather stay at the RI/SHS on Dearborn, or any of the other Marriott brands just 1-3 blocks off of Michigan.
#965
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: New York (Brooklyn)
Programs: Delta Gold, Marriott Lifetime Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 440
I also think the FS Marriott on Michigan Ave is pretty awful. The last time I was there, I couldn't check in until nearly 6:00 (as a platinum), the first room was awful (nice view) so they moved us to a much smaller room (though at least the water and TV worked). Their location is about all they have in their favor.
I recently stayed at the Hotel Chicago Downtown, Autograph Collection, and I liked it MUCH more than the Magnificent Mile property. I was upgraded to a very large room/suite, everything worked in the room, lounge was small but pretty empty, nice staff, good location. That's my new go to place when I have to go to Chicago.
I recently stayed at the Hotel Chicago Downtown, Autograph Collection, and I liked it MUCH more than the Magnificent Mile property. I was upgraded to a very large room/suite, everything worked in the room, lounge was small but pretty empty, nice staff, good location. That's my new go to place when I have to go to Chicago.
#966
Join Date: Jan 2012
Programs: AC *E, SPG Plat, Hertz
Posts: 73
Marriott-family hotels in Chicago, IL
Stayed at the residence inn River North for 3 weeks with the family while on business earlier this year. Rooms are smaller for an RI, but the staff at breakfast and reception is top notch. Made us feel extremely welcome, and went totally out of their way to accommodate us. The 3 staffers were Imelda, Cindy and Chandra. Probably some of the best hotel staff I've come across. Pool on the top floor has a great view (and is warm), and there's plenty to do around the hotel itself (lots of great food options, although I'd say the attached restaurant isn't one of them).
#967
Join Date: Nov 2005
Programs: Chick-Fil-A Red, Wawa, Red Cross blood donor
Posts: 4,823
Lounge, though, is nice.
#968
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: ORD
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Platinum, Avis President's Circle
Posts: 402
I will always pick the Ren over the FS Marriott. Personally, I think the Ren is in a much better location, particularly if you're driving. Getting in and out of there onto Wacker is generally less hectic, although it can be tricky if you want to head north on State and it's rush hour.
#969
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Chicago
Programs: Marriott Platinum
Posts: 18
Trip Report: Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile
Stayed at the Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile this last Friday (Jan 2).
tl;dr: Really good stay. Would stay again.
After reading this thread I was expecting the worst from this property: unhelpful staff, coffin rooms, obnoxious guests, and an awful experience overall. I braced for the worst but I'm happy to say that our stay was quite the opposite.
To preface my review, I don't stay at many FS Marriotts and I'm just a measly silver but it was a very pleasant night.
Check in:
I've been to this property a few other times for conferences and events but never as a guest so I had a general idea about the lobby area and hotel layout.
The lobby is dominated by a loud bar but we were able to find the check in desk pretty easily and apparently came at a quiet time (6pm?) when there was no line.
The front desk attendant was very courteous, thanked me for being a rewards member and recognized my status, which really isn't often.
During the check in process my SO offhandedly mused to me that she could go for a coffee. The attendant smartly mentioned that while they were "re-imagining" the lobby Starbucks into a market, the bar had coffee and there were several Starbucks (if we were "really obsessed" with Starbucks) within a 5 minute walk.
As a side note: another thread talks about some properties putting large holds on credit cards upon checkin. There was a sign at the checkin desk specifically about debit card holds. I don't remember the exact language of the sign but it mentioned how much would be held and how long that hold would be on the debit card.
Finally, she included a card in our key envelope:
Others here might have seen this card before, but it was a first for me! While we couldn't take advantage of the half off breakfast, the comped high-speed WiFi was a nice perk.
The Room
We got a high-floor (34th) king room far away from the elevators with a great view of Michigan Ave. facing East towards the lake.
The room was smallish but not as small as some rooms I've had in NYC. There was space for a convertible sofa next to the bed.
The mattress was great -- comparable to other FS Marriotts.
Other posters were correct -- not many power outlets.
Bathroom was small but we could fit 2 people inside at a time. Water pressure was good and stayed hot for a long time.
Service
This property utilizes an optional iOS app called Guest Services where you can make requests at any time. We used it to ask for more soap. After submitting the request while out for dinner, I received a notification 15 minutes after submission saying it was completed. When we returned to the room, they gave us not just one, but two extra soaps!
The room had the new tip envelope.
The Lobby Bar
Before dinner, my SO and I stopped at the lobby bar, called Rush. It has a sports bar theme (large wall of flat screen TVs). As mentioned above, the lobby/bar area is loud.
The draft selection included a nice variety of local brews for decent prices compared to local bars ($7.50 for a Half Acre Daisy Cutter) and cocktail prices were in the $10-15 range. A Diet coke and Tito's Vodka was $10.50.
Using the same Guest Services app, a notification popped up while in the lobby that they had a special. That night it was half off apps in the restaurant till 5pm or free snack appetizer at the bar from 7-9pm. We had to show a code on the app to the bartender who had to get manager authorization but resulted in a not-too-shabby bowl of Sriracha Lime Pistachios.
After our night out we ordered a late-night snack from the bar -- corn fritters. They were just OK.
Vending Machines
On every floor but only for beverages, not food. Because they don't have a Market and the gift shop closes at 9pm, there was no alternative to the cheesecake served at the bar for my sweet-tooth but lactose-intolerant SO to have as a late night snack.
Check Out
Slept in too late.
Used the express checkout feature in the Guest Services app and dropped our keys in a bin by the Bell Services desk.
Asked the bell hop to hold our bag so we could do some shopping before we left. While I still had it it my hand he asked, "would you like me to take it or is it ok to have it touch the ground?". That's a nice touch.
We didn't use their parking garage or valet so nothing to report there.
Post-stay
Not more than two hours after check out was the 3k bonus points promised with the rate code posted to my account. Still waiting on the stay and regular points.
Edit 1/6/15: Stay and points have posted correctly.
Conclusion
I might be small fries to some folks here but it was an absolutely enjoyable staycation for us.
Would stay at the Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile again.
tl;dr: Really good stay. Would stay again.
After reading this thread I was expecting the worst from this property: unhelpful staff, coffin rooms, obnoxious guests, and an awful experience overall. I braced for the worst but I'm happy to say that our stay was quite the opposite.
To preface my review, I don't stay at many FS Marriotts and I'm just a measly silver but it was a very pleasant night.
Check in:
I've been to this property a few other times for conferences and events but never as a guest so I had a general idea about the lobby area and hotel layout.
The lobby is dominated by a loud bar but we were able to find the check in desk pretty easily and apparently came at a quiet time (6pm?) when there was no line.
The front desk attendant was very courteous, thanked me for being a rewards member and recognized my status, which really isn't often.
During the check in process my SO offhandedly mused to me that she could go for a coffee. The attendant smartly mentioned that while they were "re-imagining" the lobby Starbucks into a market, the bar had coffee and there were several Starbucks (if we were "really obsessed" with Starbucks) within a 5 minute walk.
As a side note: another thread talks about some properties putting large holds on credit cards upon checkin. There was a sign at the checkin desk specifically about debit card holds. I don't remember the exact language of the sign but it mentioned how much would be held and how long that hold would be on the debit card.
Finally, she included a card in our key envelope:
Silver Elite Benefits
Thank you for being a valued Silver Elite member. Your current point balance is XXXXXXX and you are only X nights away from becoming a Gold Elite Marriott Rewards Member!
Did you know that as a valued Silver Elite member we offer 50% off the full breakfast buffet, Monday-Friday, in Harvest, our restaurant on the 2nd Floor?
We also provide you with one night of complimentary high speed WiFi to help keep you connected!
Thank you for being a valued Silver Elite member. Your current point balance is XXXXXXX and you are only X nights away from becoming a Gold Elite Marriott Rewards Member!
Did you know that as a valued Silver Elite member we offer 50% off the full breakfast buffet, Monday-Friday, in Harvest, our restaurant on the 2nd Floor?
We also provide you with one night of complimentary high speed WiFi to help keep you connected!
The Room
We got a high-floor (34th) king room far away from the elevators with a great view of Michigan Ave. facing East towards the lake.
The room was smallish but not as small as some rooms I've had in NYC. There was space for a convertible sofa next to the bed.
The mattress was great -- comparable to other FS Marriotts.
Other posters were correct -- not many power outlets.
Bathroom was small but we could fit 2 people inside at a time. Water pressure was good and stayed hot for a long time.
Service
This property utilizes an optional iOS app called Guest Services where you can make requests at any time. We used it to ask for more soap. After submitting the request while out for dinner, I received a notification 15 minutes after submission saying it was completed. When we returned to the room, they gave us not just one, but two extra soaps!
The room had the new tip envelope.
The Lobby Bar
Before dinner, my SO and I stopped at the lobby bar, called Rush. It has a sports bar theme (large wall of flat screen TVs). As mentioned above, the lobby/bar area is loud.
The draft selection included a nice variety of local brews for decent prices compared to local bars ($7.50 for a Half Acre Daisy Cutter) and cocktail prices were in the $10-15 range. A Diet coke and Tito's Vodka was $10.50.
Using the same Guest Services app, a notification popped up while in the lobby that they had a special. That night it was half off apps in the restaurant till 5pm or free snack appetizer at the bar from 7-9pm. We had to show a code on the app to the bartender who had to get manager authorization but resulted in a not-too-shabby bowl of Sriracha Lime Pistachios.
After our night out we ordered a late-night snack from the bar -- corn fritters. They were just OK.
Vending Machines
On every floor but only for beverages, not food. Because they don't have a Market and the gift shop closes at 9pm, there was no alternative to the cheesecake served at the bar for my sweet-tooth but lactose-intolerant SO to have as a late night snack.
Check Out
Slept in too late.
Used the express checkout feature in the Guest Services app and dropped our keys in a bin by the Bell Services desk.
Asked the bell hop to hold our bag so we could do some shopping before we left. While I still had it it my hand he asked, "would you like me to take it or is it ok to have it touch the ground?". That's a nice touch.
We didn't use their parking garage or valet so nothing to report there.
Post-stay
Not more than two hours after check out was the 3k bonus points promised with the rate code posted to my account. Still waiting on the stay and regular points.
Edit 1/6/15: Stay and points have posted correctly.
Conclusion
I might be small fries to some folks here but it was an absolutely enjoyable staycation for us.
Would stay at the Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile again.
Last edited by joehallissey; Jan 6, 2015 at 10:06 am Reason: Added update for stay and points posting date.
#970
Join Date: Apr 2001
Posts: 1,386
If you want an awful Chicago Marriott property, try the "Hotel Chicago", formerly the House of Blues two or three brandings ago.
#971
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2002
Programs: UALifetimePremierGold, Marriott LifetimeTitanium
Posts: 71,007
#972
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: New England
Programs: UA 1P, Hyatt Diamond, HH Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,497
Chicago Ohare Marriott
Just stayed at this hotel last week. Overall it's OK but not impressive.
Pro:
-Super-close to ORD, maybe 15 minutes shuttle ride.
-Shuttle comes every 20 minutes so it's quite frequent.
-Gold gets full breakfast, didn't get upcharged for upgrading from continental to full (YMMV).
Con:
-Long wait time at checking (around 9PM). There was a dozens of people waiting but only two persons at reception.
-When I request a shaver and creme at front desk but was told the shaver is not free I tried again next day and magically shaver is free this time.
Pro:
-Super-close to ORD, maybe 15 minutes shuttle ride.
-Shuttle comes every 20 minutes so it's quite frequent.
-Gold gets full breakfast, didn't get upcharged for upgrading from continental to full (YMMV).
Con:
-Long wait time at checking (around 9PM). There was a dozens of people waiting but only two persons at reception.
-When I request a shaver and creme at front desk but was told the shaver is not free I tried again next day and magically shaver is free this time.
#974
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2002
Programs: UALifetimePremierGold, Marriott LifetimeTitanium
Posts: 71,007
#975
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: MCI
Programs: AA Gold 1MM, AS MVP, UA Silver, WN A-List, Marriott LT Titanium, HH Diamond
Posts: 52,501
Chicago Marriott Magnificent Mile...what an utterly awful hotel. Why Marriott lets this place be exempt from honoring elite benefits when their lounge is closed, I have no idea. There's nothing special about it, other than it's a substandard version of a full-service Marriott. The physical building is fine...is the "service" part of full-service that lacks.
Check-in was a total circus. We mobile-checked-in, but the area where the mobile check-in keys were was throng of people doing all sorts of things that weren't mobile check-ins. So I went over to the main check-in desk, where they were able to pull up my reservation...and then the clerk waded through the throng of people at the original desk to get my keys.
My two rooms were originally separated by 8 floors. So I asked the FDC if I could get two closer together, and got a lot of pushback about how that wasn't possible. Another clerk overheard us and was slightly more helpful, getting us at least two on the same floor. None of the rooms were upgrades in any way...wasn't like the one of our original assignments was a suite or something. So basically, I learned that rooms together were available (and probably were all over this large hotel), but they cared so little about us that they didn't think to assign them that way. A friend of mine (Platinum) booked a third room at a walk-up rate of $139, so this hotel obviously wasn't anywhere near full.
I was aware that elites get no benefits at this hotel (other than the 1,000 points that you sometimes must fight them to get posted), but many elites aren't: I overheard two conversations with nearby Plats at check-in who weren't aware of the exemption and who frankly thought it was crap. I agree with the members in this case!!
We booked both of our rooms at a $119 parking-included rate, but we had to fight them at check-out to get the parking charge taken off our bill, even though we booked TWO rooms (both with parking included) and only parked ONE car.
Check-in was a total circus. We mobile-checked-in, but the area where the mobile check-in keys were was throng of people doing all sorts of things that weren't mobile check-ins. So I went over to the main check-in desk, where they were able to pull up my reservation...and then the clerk waded through the throng of people at the original desk to get my keys.
My two rooms were originally separated by 8 floors. So I asked the FDC if I could get two closer together, and got a lot of pushback about how that wasn't possible. Another clerk overheard us and was slightly more helpful, getting us at least two on the same floor. None of the rooms were upgrades in any way...wasn't like the one of our original assignments was a suite or something. So basically, I learned that rooms together were available (and probably were all over this large hotel), but they cared so little about us that they didn't think to assign them that way. A friend of mine (Platinum) booked a third room at a walk-up rate of $139, so this hotel obviously wasn't anywhere near full.
I was aware that elites get no benefits at this hotel (other than the 1,000 points that you sometimes must fight them to get posted), but many elites aren't: I overheard two conversations with nearby Plats at check-in who weren't aware of the exemption and who frankly thought it was crap. I agree with the members in this case!!
We booked both of our rooms at a $119 parking-included rate, but we had to fight them at check-out to get the parking charge taken off our bill, even though we booked TWO rooms (both with parking included) and only parked ONE car.