Park Hyatt Chicago REVIEW - MASTER THREAD
Mar 14, 2005, 6:48 pm
#16
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Hyderabad
Posts: 4,843
Park Hyatt Chicago report
Stayed there is part weekend (using FFNs) and have to say this is one of the nicest hotels in which I have stayed. Everything was perfect.
Used 1-800-Check-in and got room 1004, which had a pretty cool view at night because the window was almost at the top of the water tower. Upon arriving, the desk agent missed my diamond status and was going to walk me to the elevator so I asked about the diamond breakfast. She quickly went back to her computer and saw that I am in fact a diamond. Then she opened a drawer and found that there was already an envelope in there with my name on it. There were 2 breakfast vouchers, each good for 2 people at NoMI. There was also the diamond amenity card. I selected the champagne, which was a very nice bottle of Perrier-Jouet, and the cheese plate.
As others have noted, the bathrooms have, in addition to the regular door to enter, sliding doors above the tub that open into the room. Kind of cool, especially with the view of the water tower. There was a small TV in the bathroom and a huge speaker in the ceiling.
The room had a king bed and was a nice size (the bathroom was huge). There was a window seat, a lounge chair, and a desk with chair. Also, there were a few bottles of Smart water (bottled water that supposed to hydrate you quickly and make you smarter) around the room. The water did not have a price tag, so I drank them and they tasted like normal water. I'll probably be billed $7/bottle later this week.
Breakfast at NoMI was very good. The certs were good for 2 Park Breakfasts or could be used for $16/person ordering off the menu. If you ordered off the menu, you could supplement your breakfast with the Park Breakfast for $8 more. The Park Breakfast included juice and coffee, which would cost $9 ($5 + $4) if ordered separately, so there was no reason not the order off the menu and add the supplement (french toast was $9, plus the $8 for the supplement = $17 for the Park breakfast and french toast versus $16 just for the park breakfast). The first morning I had the eggs benedict (made with lobster) for $20 and of course added the supplement. The second morning I had the french toast. Service was quite good and the certs made breakfast a very good deal (as it was fairly expensive otherwise).
This hotel is also in a perfect location for tourists. Right on Michigan Ave at the Water Tower. Across the street is the Peninsula hotel, where we had the chocolate buffet on Saturday night. It's fairly expensive, but the quality is what you expect for any Peninsula hotel and it's a lot of fun to sit and listen to the jazz band play while eating chocolate for 1 1/2 hours.
In the lobby of the PH are two rooms, each with a computer and printer, that are available for free to guests. Very handy for printing out return flight boarding passes.
Took a look around the spa and health club. Everything was very nice. A 50 minute massage was $110 (a bargain compared to $134 in Kauai
). The pool was empty and also quite nice (although the view was not so great). Everyone who we ran into was very nice, offering us bottled water and towels.
The is the 4th PH I've stayed at (along with DC, Philly, and Madrid) and is, IMHO, the nicest of that group. Everything, the amenity, breakfast, the room, and the location was top notch.
Used 1-800-Check-in and got room 1004, which had a pretty cool view at night because the window was almost at the top of the water tower. Upon arriving, the desk agent missed my diamond status and was going to walk me to the elevator so I asked about the diamond breakfast. She quickly went back to her computer and saw that I am in fact a diamond. Then she opened a drawer and found that there was already an envelope in there with my name on it. There were 2 breakfast vouchers, each good for 2 people at NoMI. There was also the diamond amenity card. I selected the champagne, which was a very nice bottle of Perrier-Jouet, and the cheese plate.
As others have noted, the bathrooms have, in addition to the regular door to enter, sliding doors above the tub that open into the room. Kind of cool, especially with the view of the water tower. There was a small TV in the bathroom and a huge speaker in the ceiling.
The room had a king bed and was a nice size (the bathroom was huge). There was a window seat, a lounge chair, and a desk with chair. Also, there were a few bottles of Smart water (bottled water that supposed to hydrate you quickly and make you smarter) around the room. The water did not have a price tag, so I drank them and they tasted like normal water. I'll probably be billed $7/bottle later this week.
Breakfast at NoMI was very good. The certs were good for 2 Park Breakfasts or could be used for $16/person ordering off the menu. If you ordered off the menu, you could supplement your breakfast with the Park Breakfast for $8 more. The Park Breakfast included juice and coffee, which would cost $9 ($5 + $4) if ordered separately, so there was no reason not the order off the menu and add the supplement (french toast was $9, plus the $8 for the supplement = $17 for the Park breakfast and french toast versus $16 just for the park breakfast). The first morning I had the eggs benedict (made with lobster) for $20 and of course added the supplement. The second morning I had the french toast. Service was quite good and the certs made breakfast a very good deal (as it was fairly expensive otherwise).
This hotel is also in a perfect location for tourists. Right on Michigan Ave at the Water Tower. Across the street is the Peninsula hotel, where we had the chocolate buffet on Saturday night. It's fairly expensive, but the quality is what you expect for any Peninsula hotel and it's a lot of fun to sit and listen to the jazz band play while eating chocolate for 1 1/2 hours.
In the lobby of the PH are two rooms, each with a computer and printer, that are available for free to guests. Very handy for printing out return flight boarding passes.
Took a look around the spa and health club. Everything was very nice. A 50 minute massage was $110 (a bargain compared to $134 in Kauai
). The pool was empty and also quite nice (although the view was not so great). Everyone who we ran into was very nice, offering us bottled water and towels.The is the 4th PH I've stayed at (along with DC, Philly, and Madrid) and is, IMHO, the nicest of that group. Everything, the amenity, breakfast, the room, and the location was top notch.
Mar 16, 2005, 7:42 am
#17
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 6,359
Those Smart Waters are free, don't worry about getting billed for them. And I got $20 off for each Diamond Breakfast Cert, even though I thought I was onmly supposed to get $16 off for each cert. Anyways, PH Chic is a great hotel, I agree 100%!!!!
Mar 16, 2005, 8:00 am
#18
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Hyderabad
Posts: 4,843
Originally Posted by gregorygrady
Those Smart Waters are free, don't worry about getting billed for them. And I got $20 off for each Diamond Breakfast Cert, even though I thought I was onmly supposed to get $16 off for each cert. Anyways, PH Chic is a great hotel, I agree 100%!!!!
Mar 16, 2005, 3:00 pm
#19
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Ca, USA
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Gold, Hyatt Platinum, Avis Presidents Club
Posts: 57
"Those Smart Waters are free" - Hey I didn't know that!!! I always just looked at them, assuming that they would cost somthing outrageous, thanks for the tip!
Mar 16, 2005, 3:44 pm
#20
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 6,359
I got $20 off and also the tax taken off so it ended up being about $22 off per cert which worked out great since there were 6 of us there in 3 rooms and only two of the rooms got Diamond certs. So we got about $90 off our breakfast bill of $110, saving me some money! And I asked how much the Smart Waters were because there was no pricing anywhere for them. The maid checked and said they were free, even the flavored ones (of which there are 2-4 of). Don't worry, you're not missing much by not drinking them as the flavored ones don't taste too great, especially if you drink the whole bottle. I can take at most about 3 swigs of the flavored Smart Water before I want to puke............
Apr 28, 2005, 2:03 pm
#21
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Winston Salem, NC USA
Posts: 1,074
This hotel is my favorite Hyatt property. In general, the hotel is chic, attentive, and very glamourous. I loved sitting in the deep tub while watching the city lights twinkle. The cool, modern aestetic of the room is fantastic. And, of course, the location is in the heart of the Magnificent Mile.
Apr 28, 2005, 2:35 pm
#22
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: YYZ
Posts: 6,138
I'm also a big PH Chicago fan but got an interesting room last weekend that had a very odd layout and I would ask to be moved out of if I was put there again.
Room 608 is a long, narrow unit with a king bed and a small working area at the end of it where there is a small - nay, tiny - leaky window overlooking the Water Tower. My two favorite elements of PH Chicago rooms, the window seats and the tub with a view, are both absent here. Well, there is a small seat by one window, but it faces a brick wall. The bathroom is near the entrance to the room and is closed off from the rest of the unit. The lighting is dim and the ventilation non-existant.
There is an awkward void in the space between the bed and the work area that makes the room feel very empty and unfinished. If you like working out or doing yoga in your room, you may see this as a plus, but to me it was an ugly waste of space.
I understand this room is classified as a "Grand Deluxe" (perhaps due to the square footage, the two windows and the view) but in my book it is a real dog. I would rather have a smaller room on the east side of the building than this one.
As for the Diamond recognition at this hotel, I have *always* had to ask for the Diamond perks here, and last weekend was my sixth stay. Very odd. Having said that, when I do raise the issue, a pre-arranged envelope is quickly discovered and much apologizing is done. A table by the window at NoMI quickly assuages the damage to my ego .
Room 608 is a long, narrow unit with a king bed and a small working area at the end of it where there is a small - nay, tiny - leaky window overlooking the Water Tower. My two favorite elements of PH Chicago rooms, the window seats and the tub with a view, are both absent here. Well, there is a small seat by one window, but it faces a brick wall. The bathroom is near the entrance to the room and is closed off from the rest of the unit. The lighting is dim and the ventilation non-existant.
There is an awkward void in the space between the bed and the work area that makes the room feel very empty and unfinished. If you like working out or doing yoga in your room, you may see this as a plus, but to me it was an ugly waste of space.
I understand this room is classified as a "Grand Deluxe" (perhaps due to the square footage, the two windows and the view) but in my book it is a real dog. I would rather have a smaller room on the east side of the building than this one.
As for the Diamond recognition at this hotel, I have *always* had to ask for the Diamond perks here, and last weekend was my sixth stay. Very odd. Having said that, when I do raise the issue, a pre-arranged envelope is quickly discovered and much apologizing is done. A table by the window at NoMI quickly assuages the damage to my ego
.
Apr 28, 2005, 4:07 pm
#23
Moderator: GLBT Travelers & Hyatt Gold Passport
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: CVG
Posts: 15,300
Originally Posted by YYZC2
I'm also a big PH Chicago fan but got an interesting room last weekend that had a very odd layout and I would ask to be moved out of if I was put there again.
Room 608 is a long, narrow unit with a king bed and a small working area at the end of it where there is a small - nay, tiny - leaky window overlooking the Water Tower. My two favorite elements of PH Chicago rooms, the window seats and the tub with a view, are both absent here. Well, there is a small seat by one window, but it faces a brick wall. The bathroom is near the entrance to the room and is closed off from the rest of the unit. The lighting is dim and the ventilation non-existant.
There is an awkward void in the space between the bed and the work area that makes the room feel very empty and unfinished. If you like working out or doing yoga in your room, you may see this as a plus, but to me it was an ugly waste of space.
I understand this room is classified as a "Grand Deluxe" (perhaps due to the square footage, the two windows and the view) but in my book it is a real dog. I would rather have a smaller room on the east side of the building than this one.
As for the Diamond recognition at this hotel, I have *always* had to ask for the Diamond perks here, and last weekend was my sixth stay. Very odd. Having said that, when I do raise the issue, a pre-arranged envelope is quickly discovered and much apologizing is done. A table by the window at NoMI quickly assuages the damage to my ego .
Room 608 is a long, narrow unit with a king bed and a small working area at the end of it where there is a small - nay, tiny - leaky window overlooking the Water Tower. My two favorite elements of PH Chicago rooms, the window seats and the tub with a view, are both absent here. Well, there is a small seat by one window, but it faces a brick wall. The bathroom is near the entrance to the room and is closed off from the rest of the unit. The lighting is dim and the ventilation non-existant.
There is an awkward void in the space between the bed and the work area that makes the room feel very empty and unfinished. If you like working out or doing yoga in your room, you may see this as a plus, but to me it was an ugly waste of space.
I understand this room is classified as a "Grand Deluxe" (perhaps due to the square footage, the two windows and the view) but in my book it is a real dog. I would rather have a smaller room on the east side of the building than this one.
As for the Diamond recognition at this hotel, I have *always* had to ask for the Diamond perks here, and last weekend was my sixth stay. Very odd. Having said that, when I do raise the issue, a pre-arranged envelope is quickly discovered and much apologizing is done. A table by the window at NoMI quickly assuages the damage to my ego
.
Apr 28, 2005, 7:29 pm
#24
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: Alaska 100K - MM, defender of shoes on the carpeted bulkhead 4ever, AA LT PLT, Hyatt Glob, HH Dia
Posts: 7,447
I love this place. I tried to get it for a meeting on a gov't rate, but their gov't rate is almost twice of per diem. Oh well, maybe I can get it on a FFN before the meeting...
This is hands down the best PH in the US. I love Philly for its wonderful and quirky building, but this is something else.
Breakfast was great, but very crowded and I felt like we were sitting cheek by jowl, so next time I'll go earlier.
lala
This is hands down the best PH in the US. I love Philly for its wonderful and quirky building, but this is something else.
Breakfast was great, but very crowded and I felt like we were sitting cheek by jowl, so next time I'll go earlier.
lala
Apr 30, 2005, 5:30 am
#25
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Chicago
Programs: Hyatt Diamond, Hilton Gold, AA Gold, UAL Prem
Posts: 118
Park Hyatt Chicago
I stayed at this property recently and wasn't impressed. The rooms seemed ordinary for the price. I prefer the Chicaago Hyatt on Michigan Av. This property has some great room layouts. They have also added air cleaners, which really helps my sinus.
Perhaps I'm in love with the Park Hyatt in Paris.
Perhaps I'm in love with the Park Hyatt in Paris.
May 16, 2005, 2:56 pm
#26
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 20
Park Hyatt Review
I stayed at the Park Hyatt on May 3, 2005. It's a great hotel, even though only one elevator was working. However, I am slightly irrated that upon receiving my credit card statement, I noticed that I had been charged an extra $6.05. I called the hotel and was told that it was for the mini-bar which I didn't use--I just opened it to examine the contents. I'm so cheap and would never use the mini-bar. Thankfully, I was credited that charge!
May 21, 2005, 10:23 pm
#27
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Washington, D.C. Metro
Programs: AA EXP | UA Million Miler Gold (former decade-long 1K) | SPG Plat | Hyatt Plat | Avis Chairman
Posts: 822
Originally Posted by chloec
I stayed at the Park Hyatt on May 3, 2005. It's a great hotel, even though only one elevator was working. However, I am slightly irrated that upon receiving my credit card statement, I noticed that I had been charged an extra $6.05. I called the hotel and was told that it was for the mini-bar which I didn't use--I just opened it to examine the contents. I'm so cheap and would never use the mini-bar. Thankfully, I was credited that charge!
Sep 25, 2005, 12:37 am
#28
Community Director Emerita
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anywhere warm
Posts: 33,753
What are the best rooms to request?
I'm going to be using 1-800-CHECKIN for an upcoming stay. I see by the above posts that good rooms include 1004 and 1204. Bad rooms include 608 and 1208. I assume that rooms ending in 04 are good and rooms ending in 08 are bad. Are there any other rooms known to be good or bad?
I'm going to be staying at the hotel at the same time as one of the moderators of this forum. So just whisper your best tips in my ear.
I'm going to be staying at the hotel at the same time as one of the moderators of this forum. So just whisper your best tips in my ear.
Sep 25, 2005, 12:33 pm
#30
Moderator: GLBT Travelers & Hyatt Gold Passport
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: CVG
Posts: 15,300
Originally Posted by SanDiego1K
I'm going to be using 1-800-CHECKIN for an upcoming stay. I see by the above posts that good rooms include 1004 and 1204. Bad rooms include 608 and 1208. I assume that rooms ending in 04 are good and rooms ending in 08 are bad. Are there any other rooms known to be good or bad?
I'm going to be staying at the hotel at the same time as one of the moderators of this forum. So just whisper your best tips in my ear.
I'm going to be staying at the hotel at the same time as one of the moderators of this forum. So just whisper your best tips in my ear.
Anyways, I'm not absolutely positive but will try to give a "guide" of room numbers at the PH Chicago. xx01-xx08 rooms face the Water Tower & Lake.
xx01 is a street corner.
xx04 is basically in the middle of the building with all the standard amenities (separate shower / tub (can see through to Water Tower) and window seat).
xx08 is a very awkward cave-like room that does have quite a bit of square footage (no tub).
xx06 is a larger room but the tub doesn't have a view (I was in IIRC 306 once which was a room with two double beds and a huge balcony (1 of only 2 in the hotel I think).
For a standard Grand Deluxe room, i think xx02-xx05 are probably best.
xx09 (at least 1609) is a small king bed room (corner rooms are smaller in this property) - bathroom's tub doen'st have the "see through" feature and only one sink (no double vanity)
Now don't "steal" my room
Rooms with numbers higher than xx08 don't have Water Tower / lake views.
Last edited by peteropny; Feb 17, 2008 at 6:38 pm