Virgin Hotels Chicago: meeting the Virgin hype?

100   Recommended
Grand Chamber Suite
May 14, 2017 by

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Virgin Hotels Chicago
 Map | 1 Review | 100% Recommended

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Grand Chamber Suite

Liked:
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Service
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Grand Chamber Suite

So many people have recommended Chicago to me, that I couldn't wait to visit the city. I had an amazing stay, and it is one of the friendliest cities I have ever been to. 

Check In

We arrived in the evening and first impressions were good (despite music playing outside - I was worried that this hotel would be one of these ones with a disco at reception, but my worries were misplaced as it was actually quite subdued. 

There were two screens for self-service check-in, however, the staff immediately offered to check me in. 

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Room

I loved the room! It was so bright, with a distinctive red, white and grey colour scheme. The red was not overpowering, and very subdued in the bedroom where white was the overarching tone. 

This picture doesn't do the room justice. 

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The bed was very comfortable and huge (as you'd expect giving it was a king sized bed), with charging points nearby. I know that we have to cut down on 'blue light', but I'm not at that stage yet so appreciate charging points near the bed.

The sitting room had a bright red sofa, dining table with a chair which was modelled from a Vespa, and a mini bar. There was also a tray of chocolates, spirits at more or less high street prices. 

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No bath, however a huge shower room, double sinks and a separate WC.34610694166_4b420f8346_b.jpg 

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Incidentally, the lifts were excellent, with minimum waiting time (I can't bear waiting for elevators)

Service

Service was very good - they have mastered being friendly but also not being 'your best mate' which I don't really like. 

You could also request service from the Virgin Hotels app. 

Take care with the reservations service, I have found a few glitches. 
For example, the website will sometimes offer a 15% off voucher if you don't book straight away, but by selecting the code, you can miss out on lower rates where the 15% discount is not valid. 

Additionally, I had booked a refundable stay and a few days before arrival, I noticed that the rates offered were half what I had paid. So I was able to cancel and rebook (using Kaligo to earn more miles!). 

Generally I found the rates offered to be very reasonable, but you do have to be careful and dont assume that a discount code will allow you to access the cheapest rates. 

Dining

We had breakfast here and I really enjoyed it. Sitting down you receive a couple of blueberry doughnuts, which were so tasty, almost decadent. 

The Commons Club is the bar on the second floor, where a daily happy hour meant free drinks for guests from 7pm to 8pm, and the menu included premium brands. It emptied after that, except on our last night where we met some friendly locals (did I mention how friendly Chicago is?!) and I preferred this bar to the rooftop one. The rooftop bar had a DJ, thumping music and queues to be served. I didn't much like it but it was good to experience it. 

Breakfast Menu

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The Commons Club

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Location

So central - there are L stations within yards, the river was close and it was a very pleasant walk to the theatres. 

Overall

I am a fan of Virgin Atlantic, but find that as a brand, Virgin tends to over hype what they offer. I found the Virgin Hotel to be the best representation of Virgin - friendly staff, some quirky decor but backed up with an amazing bed, a walk-in shower big enough for six and right on the Loop: perfect! I've booked my next stay already.

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