I had the opportunity to stay at the W Chicago back on April 22nd for one night, for business purposes. At check-in, the service was fast and I requested a higher room floor facing the lake and this was honored. Was given a room on the 22nd floor, spectacular views of Lake Michigan (my first time in Chicago, and it's hard to believe that was actually a lake as it resembles an ocean/sea). The room had actually just been prepared, and it was very clean. I tend to pay close attention in detail to little things, but the room was in great shape and all furniture in good condition.
(Room on 22nd floor, comfortable beds and the room was in good condition. Yes, I know there are better W properties out there but this was still very good, especially for just one night)
(View from the 22nd floor)
I had a couple meetings scheduled and went back and forth between the hotel and meeting location. Upon exiting the hotel for my second meeting, one of the valet people asked me to try out the Acura experience rather than taking a taxi, and I let him know that I would do that when I head off to Martini Park later that evening. And it was a great suggestion that I did not even think of despite the fact that I have stayed at W's before. I had the opportunity to try the Acura experience and it was something I enjoyed despite the fact that it was not a long drive or anything, just a quick hop to my closeby destination in a very nice car. When I returned to the hotel later that night, I did go up to Whiskey Sky on the 33rd floor for a little bit. Decent crowd, service was nothing spectacular but nothing to complain about either. Headed back to my room around 1.30 AM to call it a night, and slept like a baby on the comfortable beds.
The next day, I had a meeting in the morning before needing to check out at 2 PM (I had late check-out confirmed), and the only small issue I had was that I was charged three times for internet usage after taking a look at my folio. I called the front-desk and they corrected that immediately without any issues and that was a fairly pleasant experience. I have had the unfortunate experience of being charged twice for internet usage at another hotel chain, and getting it taken off my bill was a hassle. However, this was not the case with the Lakeshore staff and I was pleased with the promptness and professionalism displayed ("Mr. xxxxxx, I apologize for the error. I just removed the extra charge, and the billed amount will be $xxx.xx. Would you like me to e-mail you a copy of the updated folio?"). Went down to the front desk, had a very speedy check-out and off I went to Midway to catch my flight back to Orlando.
One more thing, I had the chance to stop by the W store shortly before checking out, the one person working there was very nice, very professional, and these are the little things that just add on to an overall positive experience. I thought the customer service was fairly good, the rooms were good (W San Francisco is better), and I had a pleasant stay. I understand people will have bad experiences here and there, but even with the small issue of having an incorrect bill...an issue that was corrected very quickly, this was a good stay. One thing I often find people saying is that W's are not for everyone, they cater to a younger crowd that wants to have fun. The guests that were staying at this hotel the night I was there was very diverse, ranging from families, couples, young individuals, some older people as well and even though there was a club at the top level...noise was not a concern for me at all as I slept very well. I recommend staying at this property the next time anyone is visiting Chicago, the location itself I feel is very good with everything you need being within walking distance or a short taxi ride away. Thank you W Lakeshore.