Fellow FlyerTalkers.... I'm starting this thread in attempt to aggregate our best experiences at the Starwood Properties... both to give praise where praise is due... and to also build a repository of the best properties for future reference when any one of us start travelling to new cities... i thought it would be cool if we could just start a log....

Nomination 1 -- W Lakeshore (Chicago)

I've spent an extensive amount of time at a number of properties in Chicago (Starwood and Not)... so here's my take....

For staters, I love the property. The location is fantastic… I get Downtown Chicago with the beauty of the water. Someone told me that it used to be a Days Inn or something and I am just amazed at the transformation. Everything is fantastic and lives up to what I love about the W Hotels. However, what I have learned in my travels is that the property can be great but it’s the staff that makes the difference. So….

Please let Ryan at the Front Desk know that I always appreciated his great demeanor EVERY single time I checked in. After sitting in Coach (sadly), rental car agents and driving through the notorious Chicago traffic, showing up to a friendly face is always a great way to change one’s mind set. He is always so accommodating, always so friendly, remembers the littlest of details about me and I thank him for that… Even during my little travel crises, such as extended stays or cancelled flights, Ryan was fantastic..

On to the food… God bless everyone at Wave… Both morning, noon and evening… fantastic food with friendly staff, I loved ever meal. But I must forewarn you… I may need someone to get the gnocchi with sausage recipe for me… although, I must say…it did throw a kink into my marathon training diet….

Amy and Derrick in the W Store were saints in helping me with not only a little gift for myself but also some mementos for loved ones from home… and if I understood everything correctly I think Derrick brought my shoes over from W City Center….

The Living Room staff at the Bar can pour a mean martini and always remember how I like it (up, barely dirty with NO olives) … just one of the little touches that make your guests so comfortable – to the point where you have earned the right to call it a “Living Room"

My rooms have always been so well manicured and so well appointed, it’s been fantastic every single night... with fantastic furniture... the waterfall shower heads and a top notch, totally fun minibar...

And finally, the Concierge Staff. Ask anyone I travel with and they will tell you my #1 traveling mantra “The Concierge is Key”. As a business traveler, I’m always looking for something new, something different and something to love… To that end… Sheryl and Stephen have got to be two of the best that I have ever had the pleasure of dealing with… So friendly, So fun, So “W”….. They never steered me wrong… whether it be dinner reservations, tickets to Annie Lennox or which direction to run for my training…always spot on.