Glad you asked. This is one of my favorite properties. The rooms vary very widely in size throughout the hotel. We recently stayed with friends who were on the non-towers floors and they reported that the service and room amenties were quite a cut below the towers.
The express elevator to the three towers floors are a major blessing in busy times and they are very elegant conveyances indeed (we love the benches inside, now fully repaired). In addition to the breakfast and hors d'ouvres already mentioned, there is a fridge that they stock all day with soda and juice. You can take these to your room and avoid the dreaded minibar. When the bartender is on duty, he or she will gladly give you whatever canned soft drinks you want to take to your room or enjoy in the lounge.
The property has a policy that you can book the towers for a fixed charge over your basic rate plan, even on cheap rates. I've always booked the tower rates with cheap basic plans. I think it's $35 currently. The towers has a per person charge ($15) if you reserve for two, but they are very good about 'spouse stays free' and will drop the extra person charge.
The 'in-house' reservations (it's in Texas but dedicated for the Chicago Hiltons) has much more access to rates than the national Hilton reservations, including specials and the ability to add towers upgrades to most rates.
You might check the web or in-house reservations to see how booked the towers are for your dates if you are considering paying for the upgrade.
When you check in, I suggest if you are at all unsure, check out the room before you move in and ask what else might be available if you care. As we've stayed there more we have come to know what we like and what to expect
Beware that late night check ins are at the mercy of what's left, even though they do try to block rooms. It's absolutely worth calling during the day to request a blocked room and give an accurate arrival time. If you are staying a while, offer to move the next day if the rooms available aren't what you want.
If you are traveling with others, a particular favorite room is the towers room with two full baths (one at each end). It's not a suite, but there are a number of these large rooms. I don't know if they exist on the lower floors, but I suspect they've chopped the space into two small rooms on the floors below.
Even though I have reserved towers every time, I always feel well treated as a gold member and get the sense that the desk clerks try to find the nicest rooms they can. I have never been offered an upgrade to a true suite even when I have politely asked, but the rooms described above are darn good rooms.
Let us know how you make out.
Miller's Pub, next door to the Wabash entrance, is open very late with a reasonably-priced menu featuring prime rib, ribs, some Greek food and generally friendly (even amusing) service. The Big Downtown (also open quite late) on the ground floor of the hotel is not bad in price or quality for a hotel restaurant. We tend to eat a lot of meals at Miller's, though. :-) I don't know of much else that's open late in the Loop; they roll the sidewalks up early in that part of town.
The Berghoff on Adams is wonderful, but eat early. No late dining there. And we were most impressed with the selection and bargain prices at Under 55 a massive lunch oepration under the office tower next door at 55 Monroe Street.
Charles