Waldorf Astoria Chicago {US-IL}
Jun 17, 2018, 3:30 pm
#301
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 114
sorry for the delay.
Below my email sent to the hotel while one site.
When I read it again, it was the check in who kind of made everything bad.
However beside this check in girl, all staff was pleasant and helpful (probably better than pen) I'm currently staying in and faced a bad check in experience
- agent not smiling at all
- she mentioned the gold HH (amenities) but I'm diamond (will be nice to have a piece of paper with the amenities).
- forgot that it was an FHR stay and to provide the paperwork until I mentioned it
- didn't even mention where is the elevator
All the above are major enough but nothing to compare to the following :
- she was LYING to me on pretending that no gold Coast suite was available.
When I said that there were available on the Web site she said that they don't upgrade to gold suite.
LYING again (or inexperienced at least) as I was already upgraded from an entry level suite to gold coast.
- last October I booked an entry level suite and end up in the same deluxe suite (that I booked and paid for my current stay)
- if I booked a deluxe suite is because I was hoping for my one level upgrade (i.e gold suite) if available.
There are available but still no upgrade....
If there is no upgrade to gold suite even if available which is your right you should have mentioned it.(for example Skyloft in Vegas doesn't upgrade to 2 BR suite but they did say it)
So this is at least a lack of communication/information and probably you're going against the FHR rules.
- by the way, she mentioned after I asked that my key will work until 4 pm. Could you please recheck this is correct as I'm not going to go up and down with a hurting leg.
Other points :
- Jacuzzi at the SPA is out of order. Nobody never mentioned it to me (nor when I book the room, nor when I book my massage). I was looking forward to the jacuzzi.
- on the Hilton app, it's indicated as a diamond benefit 2 bottles of Voss water from the mini bar, but there is no Voss water.
- are you still a no tipping property ? People seems unhappy that I don't tip them (beside restaurant)
- Margaux : Main dish served without fork / knife. Not only you don't bring them prior to bringing the plate but waiter didn't notice they were missing. (For his credit he was quick to bring them when I told him that there missing
:
Below my email sent to the hotel while one site.
When I read it again, it was the check in who kind of made everything bad.
However beside this check in girl, all staff was pleasant and helpful (probably better than pen) I'm currently staying in and faced a bad check in experience
- agent not smiling at all
- she mentioned the gold HH (amenities) but I'm diamond (will be nice to have a piece of paper with the amenities).
- forgot that it was an FHR stay and to provide the paperwork until I mentioned it
- didn't even mention where is the elevator
All the above are major enough but nothing to compare to the following :
- she was LYING to me on pretending that no gold Coast suite was available.
When I said that there were available on the Web site she said that they don't upgrade to gold suite.
LYING again (or inexperienced at least) as I was already upgraded from an entry level suite to gold coast.
- last October I booked an entry level suite and end up in the same deluxe suite (that I booked and paid for my current stay)
- if I booked a deluxe suite is because I was hoping for my one level upgrade (i.e gold suite) if available.
There are available but still no upgrade....
If there is no upgrade to gold suite even if available which is your right you should have mentioned it.(for example Skyloft in Vegas doesn't upgrade to 2 BR suite but they did say it)
So this is at least a lack of communication/information and probably you're going against the FHR rules.
- by the way, she mentioned after I asked that my key will work until 4 pm. Could you please recheck this is correct as I'm not going to go up and down with a hurting leg.
Other points :
- Jacuzzi at the SPA is out of order. Nobody never mentioned it to me (nor when I book the room, nor when I book my massage). I was looking forward to the jacuzzi.
- on the Hilton app, it's indicated as a diamond benefit 2 bottles of Voss water from the mini bar, but there is no Voss water.
- are you still a no tipping property ? People seems unhappy that I don't tip them (beside restaurant)
- Margaux : Main dish served without fork / knife. Not only you don't bring them prior to bringing the plate but waiter didn't notice they were missing. (For his credit he was quick to bring them when I told him that there missing
:
Jun 18, 2018, 6:56 am
#302
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 246
Essentially the tale of a whiny Diamond member who didn't get upgraded to a suite at check in and then catalogued everything else he could think of to complain about. Two reminders:
1) Diamond Members are not promised space available upgrades to suites. From the Honors Terms and Conditions: "At Waldorf Astoria® Hotels & Resorts, Conrad® Hotels & Resorts, Canopy™ by Hilton, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Curio - A Collection by Hilton and DoubleTree by Hilton™ and Tapestry Collection by Hilton™ properties, Diamond Hilton Honors Members will receive upgrades to preferred rooms, based on availability at the time of arrival (excludes Napua Tower at Grand Wailea and Imperial Floor at Rome Cavalieri). Upgrades for Diamond Hilton Honors Members may include upgrades up to “junior”, “standard” or “one-bedroom” suites. Upgrades may also be rooms with desirable views, corner rooms, rooms on high floors, rooms with special amenities or rooms on Executive Floors Upgrades. Upgrades exclude executive suites, villas and specialty accommodations (which may include, but not limited to, "Vista" and "Villa" accommodation types), subject to the discretion of the hotel. "
2) Upgrades are 'based on availability at the time of arrival'. 'Empty' or "Available to Pay For' do not equate to available for upgrade. Above all, upgrades are 'subject to the discretion of the hotel'.
Clear enough?
1) Diamond Members are not promised space available upgrades to suites. From the Honors Terms and Conditions: "At Waldorf Astoria® Hotels & Resorts, Conrad® Hotels & Resorts, Canopy™ by Hilton, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Curio - A Collection by Hilton and DoubleTree by Hilton™ and Tapestry Collection by Hilton™ properties, Diamond Hilton Honors Members will receive upgrades to preferred rooms, based on availability at the time of arrival (excludes Napua Tower at Grand Wailea and Imperial Floor at Rome Cavalieri). Upgrades for Diamond Hilton Honors Members may include upgrades up to “junior”, “standard” or “one-bedroom” suites. Upgrades may also be rooms with desirable views, corner rooms, rooms on high floors, rooms with special amenities or rooms on Executive Floors Upgrades. Upgrades exclude executive suites, villas and specialty accommodations (which may include, but not limited to, "Vista" and "Villa" accommodation types), subject to the discretion of the hotel. "
2) Upgrades are 'based on availability at the time of arrival'. 'Empty' or "Available to Pay For' do not equate to available for upgrade. Above all, upgrades are 'subject to the discretion of the hotel'.
Clear enough?
Jul 7, 2018, 4:49 pm
#305
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Pennsylvania
Programs: UA Silver, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 14
Underwhelming
My wife and I are currently staying at the WA Chicago (4 night total stay). We don't often stay at 5 star properties but I decided this was a special occasion. We didn't have time after the wedding to go on a honeymoon so we decided on this mini-getaway a couple of months afterwards when our schedules calmed down.
I booked a deluxe king room and arranged ahead of time with the concierge to have some pre-arrival arrangements in the room. This included roses, a bottle of champagne, and a chocolates platter. When we arrived at the hotel, we were complementary upgraded to a Junior Suite, which was very nice of them. However, when we got to the room, only the flowers were there, no champagne or chocolates. Called down to the front desk, they apologized and about an hour later, the rest of the stuff showed up.
Third day, we keep hearing this beeping coming from the fridge area. They send maintenance up and the crew says the mini-bar / fridge was giving an error code and tripped a breaker. They reset the breaker and clear the code. 30 minutes later, mini-bar / fridge starts beeping again. Maintenance comes up again and says the unit is overheating for some reason and needs to be replaced. They say it would take 1.5 - 2 hours to remove and replace the unit. I tell them to turn it off (it's evening now) and they bring up a mini-fridge for us to put our stuff in. The mini-fridge they bring up looks like it fell off the back of a truck (it's comical) with scratches, dents, but it's functional so whatever. Maintenance tells us to let the front desk know when we head out in morning so they can come replace the unit when we're gone.
Next day, we leave the hotel around 9:30 AM and I let the front desk know we're headed out and would return in the afternoon. I tell them specifically that maintenance told us they wanted to replace the refrigeration unit in the room while we're gone. They tell us no problem. We get back to the hotel around 3:30 PM and nobody's been in to service the unit (still off). Call front desk and maintenance comes up and tells us they're short staffed (only 1 person working in the morning) and that it's fairly labor / time intensive to change the unit. I tell them we'll call when / if we leave the room for the evening.
I get that all hotels have issues and a broken fridge / mini-bar and some missed pre-arrival arrangements isn't a huge deal. What annoys me is that it seems like no one really cares. No apology that our fridge isn't fixed yet, no follow-up on whether they could provide anything (like cold beverages or water) since everything in the mini-bar is warm now. Yeah, I re-read what I wrote above and I can definitely see it being a bit nitpicky, but I guess I just thought the whole 5 star hotel deal would be a bit better than this (i.e. better service recovery, experience). Though like I said above, my wife and I aren't that experienced in staying at nice places like this, so maybe our expectations are too high. The whole experience so far just feels underwhelming to us. Am I being too harsh?
I booked a deluxe king room and arranged ahead of time with the concierge to have some pre-arrival arrangements in the room. This included roses, a bottle of champagne, and a chocolates platter. When we arrived at the hotel, we were complementary upgraded to a Junior Suite, which was very nice of them. However, when we got to the room, only the flowers were there, no champagne or chocolates. Called down to the front desk, they apologized and about an hour later, the rest of the stuff showed up.
Third day, we keep hearing this beeping coming from the fridge area. They send maintenance up and the crew says the mini-bar / fridge was giving an error code and tripped a breaker. They reset the breaker and clear the code. 30 minutes later, mini-bar / fridge starts beeping again. Maintenance comes up again and says the unit is overheating for some reason and needs to be replaced. They say it would take 1.5 - 2 hours to remove and replace the unit. I tell them to turn it off (it's evening now) and they bring up a mini-fridge for us to put our stuff in. The mini-fridge they bring up looks like it fell off the back of a truck (it's comical) with scratches, dents, but it's functional so whatever. Maintenance tells us to let the front desk know when we head out in morning so they can come replace the unit when we're gone.
Next day, we leave the hotel around 9:30 AM and I let the front desk know we're headed out and would return in the afternoon. I tell them specifically that maintenance told us they wanted to replace the refrigeration unit in the room while we're gone. They tell us no problem. We get back to the hotel around 3:30 PM and nobody's been in to service the unit (still off). Call front desk and maintenance comes up and tells us they're short staffed (only 1 person working in the morning) and that it's fairly labor / time intensive to change the unit. I tell them we'll call when / if we leave the room for the evening.
I get that all hotels have issues and a broken fridge / mini-bar and some missed pre-arrival arrangements isn't a huge deal. What annoys me is that it seems like no one really cares. No apology that our fridge isn't fixed yet, no follow-up on whether they could provide anything (like cold beverages or water) since everything in the mini-bar is warm now. Yeah, I re-read what I wrote above and I can definitely see it being a bit nitpicky, but I guess I just thought the whole 5 star hotel deal would be a bit better than this (i.e. better service recovery, experience). Though like I said above, my wife and I aren't that experienced in staying at nice places like this, so maybe our expectations are too high. The whole experience so far just feels underwhelming to us. Am I being too harsh?
Jul 7, 2018, 5:03 pm
#306
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 4,216
My wife and I are currently staying at the WA Chicago (4 night total stay). We don't often stay at 5 star properties but I decided this was a special occasion. We didn't have time after the wedding to go on a honeymoon so we decided on this mini-getaway a couple of months afterwards when our schedules calmed down.
I booked a deluxe king room and arranged ahead of time with the concierge to have some pre-arrival arrangements in the room. This included roses, a bottle of champagne, and a chocolates platter. When we arrived at the hotel, we were complementary upgraded to a Junior Suite, which was very nice of them. However, when we got to the room, only the flowers were there, no champagne or chocolates. Called down to the front desk, they apologized and about an hour later, the rest of the stuff showed up.
Third day, we keep hearing this beeping coming from the fridge area. They send maintenance up and the crew says the mini-bar / fridge was giving an error code and tripped a breaker. They reset the breaker and clear the code. 30 minutes later, mini-bar / fridge starts beeping again. Maintenance comes up again and says the unit is overheating for some reason and needs to be replaced. They say it would take 1.5 - 2 hours to remove and replace the unit. I tell them to turn it off (it's evening now) and they bring up a mini-fridge for us to put our stuff in. The mini-fridge they bring up looks like it fell off the back of a truck (it's comical) with scratches, dents, but it's functional so whatever. Maintenance tells us to let the front desk know when we head out in morning so they can come replace the unit when we're gone.
Next day, we leave the hotel around 9:30 AM and I let the front desk know we're headed out and would return in the afternoon. I tell them specifically that maintenance told us they wanted to replace the refrigeration unit in the room while we're gone. They tell us no problem. We get back to the hotel around 3:30 PM and nobody's been in to service the unit (still off). Call front desk and maintenance comes up and tells us they're short staffed (only 1 person working in the morning) and that it's fairly labor / time intensive to change the unit. I tell them we'll call when / if we leave the room for the evening.
I get that all hotels have issues and a broken fridge / mini-bar and some missed pre-arrival arrangements isn't a huge deal. What annoys me is that it seems like no one really cares. No apology that our fridge isn't fixed yet, no follow-up on whether they could provide anything (like cold beverages or water) since everything in the mini-bar is warm now. Yeah, I re-read what I wrote above and I can definitely see it being a bit nitpicky, but I guess I just thought the whole 5 star hotel deal would be a bit better than this (i.e. better service recovery, experience). Though like I said above, my wife and I aren't that experienced in staying at nice places like this, so maybe our expectations are too high. The whole experience so far just feels underwhelming to us. Am I being too harsh?
I booked a deluxe king room and arranged ahead of time with the concierge to have some pre-arrival arrangements in the room. This included roses, a bottle of champagne, and a chocolates platter. When we arrived at the hotel, we were complementary upgraded to a Junior Suite, which was very nice of them. However, when we got to the room, only the flowers were there, no champagne or chocolates. Called down to the front desk, they apologized and about an hour later, the rest of the stuff showed up.
Third day, we keep hearing this beeping coming from the fridge area. They send maintenance up and the crew says the mini-bar / fridge was giving an error code and tripped a breaker. They reset the breaker and clear the code. 30 minutes later, mini-bar / fridge starts beeping again. Maintenance comes up again and says the unit is overheating for some reason and needs to be replaced. They say it would take 1.5 - 2 hours to remove and replace the unit. I tell them to turn it off (it's evening now) and they bring up a mini-fridge for us to put our stuff in. The mini-fridge they bring up looks like it fell off the back of a truck (it's comical) with scratches, dents, but it's functional so whatever. Maintenance tells us to let the front desk know when we head out in morning so they can come replace the unit when we're gone.
Next day, we leave the hotel around 9:30 AM and I let the front desk know we're headed out and would return in the afternoon. I tell them specifically that maintenance told us they wanted to replace the refrigeration unit in the room while we're gone. They tell us no problem. We get back to the hotel around 3:30 PM and nobody's been in to service the unit (still off). Call front desk and maintenance comes up and tells us they're short staffed (only 1 person working in the morning) and that it's fairly labor / time intensive to change the unit. I tell them we'll call when / if we leave the room for the evening.
I get that all hotels have issues and a broken fridge / mini-bar and some missed pre-arrival arrangements isn't a huge deal. What annoys me is that it seems like no one really cares. No apology that our fridge isn't fixed yet, no follow-up on whether they could provide anything (like cold beverages or water) since everything in the mini-bar is warm now. Yeah, I re-read what I wrote above and I can definitely see it being a bit nitpicky, but I guess I just thought the whole 5 star hotel deal would be a bit better than this (i.e. better service recovery, experience). Though like I said above, my wife and I aren't that experienced in staying at nice places like this, so maybe our expectations are too high. The whole experience so far just feels underwhelming to us. Am I being too harsh?
I would probably cut cut them some slack though on the fridge.
Sep 10, 2018, 11:54 pm
#307
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 58
Waldorf Astoria Chicago stay question
Sorry if this is in the wrong forum; I've never been to a WA before.
I got an email from a "personal concierge" about some personalizations that I can have in my itinerary.
There's a link in the email that asks me for my airport arrival information. The picture is of an old school Rolls Royce as the vehicle that would pick us up (I'm sure it's one of many vehicles avialable).
Is there a charge for pickup?
Unfortunately, my stay is from Friday-Sunday, and we have a 1 night stay in a different (lower end, non-Hilton) hotel on Thursday. So our itinerary would be from the airport to the best western.
I assume that means I could not get a pickup? Either from the airport to the competing hotel (lol, doubt it), or from competing hotel to WA.
Do they also drop you off at the airport? We check out on Monday morning, and will keep our bags at the hotel until our evening flight.
Another option is "spa and fitness." I am sure that there is a charge for spa services, but there is an option to "reserve" time, which I assume means to just reserve an appointment.
Under entertainment, there are "request time" options for Museum Access, Architecture River Cruises, and Horse & Carriage Rides. Again, only the "request time" option, with no mention of prices.
Where would I find out the prices and additional details about these things?
EDIT: https://imgur.com/a/q9Wpme7 (partial email I received)
I got an email from a "personal concierge" about some personalizations that I can have in my itinerary.
There's a link in the email that asks me for my airport arrival information. The picture is of an old school Rolls Royce as the vehicle that would pick us up (I'm sure it's one of many vehicles avialable).
Is there a charge for pickup?
Unfortunately, my stay is from Friday-Sunday, and we have a 1 night stay in a different (lower end, non-Hilton) hotel on Thursday. So our itinerary would be from the airport to the best western.
I assume that means I could not get a pickup? Either from the airport to the competing hotel (lol, doubt it), or from competing hotel to WA.
Do they also drop you off at the airport? We check out on Monday morning, and will keep our bags at the hotel until our evening flight.
Another option is "spa and fitness." I am sure that there is a charge for spa services, but there is an option to "reserve" time, which I assume means to just reserve an appointment.
Under entertainment, there are "request time" options for Museum Access, Architecture River Cruises, and Horse & Carriage Rides. Again, only the "request time" option, with no mention of prices.
Where would I find out the prices and additional details about these things?
EDIT: https://imgur.com/a/q9Wpme7 (partial email I received)
Last edited by rebelx; Sep 11, 2018 at 12:07 am
Sep 11, 2018, 9:25 am
#308
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: NW London and NW Sydney
Programs: BA Diamond, Hilton Bronze, A3 Diamond, IHG *G
Posts: 6,344
You would find out the prices and further details by replying to the concierge's email and asking....
They certainly won't drive you from the airport to another hotel on a day that you aren't staying with them, but I don't see why they wouldn't pick you up from the BW; apparently they have a limo that will drive you a short distance for free, but it's first come first served.
They certainly won't drive you from the airport to another hotel on a day that you aren't staying with them, but I don't see why they wouldn't pick you up from the BW; apparently they have a limo that will drive you a short distance for free, but it's first come first served.
Sep 11, 2018, 12:39 pm
#309
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 171
The house car will only do drop-offs for rides originating from the hotel itself within a 2 mile radius. In my experience they do not arrange pickups.
For the other services you mention (including the airport pickup) those would all be things they would contract out. So if you want a vintage Rolls to pick you up from the airport they will happily arrange that but be prepared for that to cost $$$$. For the individual experiences such as a river cruises and museums, I would start by doing simple google searches for the Field Museum (for example). That'll give you an idea prior to kicking up an e-mail thread with the concierge.
For the other services you mention (including the airport pickup) those would all be things they would contract out. So if you want a vintage Rolls to pick you up from the airport they will happily arrange that but be prepared for that to cost $$$$. For the individual experiences such as a river cruises and museums, I would start by doing simple google searches for the Field Museum (for example). That'll give you an idea prior to kicking up an e-mail thread with the concierge.
Nov 2, 2018, 7:12 am
#310
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 199
Hey all - I'll be staying at the WA in Chicago and will be my first ever "luxury" hotel experience. Rates around Christmas were just too cheap to pass on.
How does the hotel car work? I assume I need to arrange it beforehand. Plan is to have them take us to a restaurant nearby. Does this cost anything? I assume I will need to at least tip - what would the recommended tip amount be?
Thanks.
How does the hotel car work? I assume I need to arrange it beforehand. Plan is to have them take us to a restaurant nearby. Does this cost anything? I assume I will need to at least tip - what would the recommended tip amount be?
Thanks.
Nov 2, 2018, 7:28 am
#311
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: DCA
Posts: 7,769
Hotel car is first-come-first served, and thus not really able to be counted upon for something like a dinner reservation. It doesn't cost anything, should you actually get it.
I have had a few good stays at the WA but eventually soured on it. I always felt like they thought they were doing me a favor by letting me stay there, and I never received anything really resembling service. The physical property is of course very nice, but it too is starting to age. And the location isn't ideal.
Honestly I would point people these days towards the Conrad - a brand new, super-modern property with a fantastic location and excellent service.
Looking around Christmas - first off, wow, Chicago is stupid cheap across the board. On Dec. 23 the WA is $265 - but the Conrad is $132? Crazy. There's be no question where I'd stay.
I have had a few good stays at the WA but eventually soured on it. I always felt like they thought they were doing me a favor by letting me stay there, and I never received anything really resembling service. The physical property is of course very nice, but it too is starting to age. And the location isn't ideal.
Honestly I would point people these days towards the Conrad - a brand new, super-modern property with a fantastic location and excellent service.
Looking around Christmas - first off, wow, Chicago is stupid cheap across the board. On Dec. 23 the WA is $265 - but the Conrad is $132? Crazy. There's be no question where I'd stay.
Dec 28, 2018, 6:44 pm
#312
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: ORD (formerly SAN)
Programs: Hilton Diamond; IHG Platinum; Bonvoy Gold; AA Platinum Pro and United Premier Silver (DH = AA EXP)
Posts: 1,928
Dec 29, 2018, 1:38 pm
#313
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Fort Lauderdale
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy Life Time Titanium Elite/ Hilton Honors Diamond
Posts: 32
I stayed at this Waldorf with my family for Thanksgiving. We were there from November 17 to November 25th in 2 suites- A Goldcoast Corner Suite and an "adjoining" One bedroom suite (both inside one door and then each one with its own entry door. Although I am a Diamond member, and have been for several years, I have NEVER been able to get the benefits promised from any Hilton property, including the WA in Key West, FL, and never had good service......until my stay at this hotel. IT WAS HANDS DOWN THE BEST HOTEL EXPERIENCE I HAVE EVER HAD. The property, the staff and the service were outstanding. We had one little glitch with the online booking for the extra couple of days we added and they immediately addressed it and allowed us to stay in the same rooms. We did not have a reason to use the house car but did see others using it. I guess everyone has different experiences that will affect their view of a particular place.
Dec 31, 2018, 7:57 am
#314
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: DCA
Posts: 7,769
@AtomicLush I am sure you will have a fine stay. I have certainly never had a bad experience on the property, just nothing above/beyond (e.g. the level of service one would encounter at an Asian property). It always felt to me like they were just going through the motions and resting on their reputation and physical space. Plus the fact that they really do nothing for elites, and I can take the place or leave it. They always price themselves at such a premium above other properties that I've just never recently been compelled to give them my business.
Dec 31, 2018, 8:02 am
#315
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 199
Hotel forgot to credit me the $30 Gold/Diamond benefit for my wife and I so had to call the hotel afterwards. Person on the phone did credit the $30 but gave me really bad attitude. Yes I did have free breakfast selected as my benefit and both of us were registered guests.