Originally Posted by nba1017

Ritz was offering a $250 rate for a Superior room, inclusive of FHR benefits, and it was hard for me to resist. Upon calling the hotel and speaking to the front desk further, I was graciously provided with an upgrade to the Premier floor (which houses all of the hotel's rooms with separate showers and tubs) a couple days prior to my arrival...

So it was to my pleasant surprise when I was told at the desk that I had been upgraded further. Having been impressed with the pre-arrival concierge and front office service, I had shifted some reservations away from another Chicago hotel to the Ritz over the upcoming two months, and the hotel was kind enough to reciprocate by placing us in their 'Large Premier One-Bedroom Suite.'

concierge (Melissa in particular) was excellent at getting a couple of tough reservations as well as calling around and coordinating some activities for us. On Sunday morning, I called down for a copy of the Tribune (NYT and WSJ had arrived at the door per my request) and though the hotel was out for the moment, they sent someone out across the street to pick me up and deliver a copy to the room. I have to gripe about being charged for the NYT, and not being told I would be, but in the grand scheme of the service provided it was a small oversight.

We ordered in from the restaurant, Deca, one night, and enjoyed a wonderful classic french meal. The French onion soup and the Beef Bourguignon were as good as I've had anywhere outside of France, and the presentation was excellent--the food was piping hot when it arrived in our room, and we were served at our table by an elegant and gracious waiter.

It was a bit annoying to fight for elevator space and lobby sofas with a seemingly endless series of families with small, loud children, but I'd chalk this up more to the holiday weekend