nba1017

I spent last night here and was very impressed. It's not a true "luxury" hotel in every sense of the word but it's a gem of a place and a relative value as well.

A full review to follow shortly.

m.photog

It appears to be a good location as well. We live near Chicago so we are always anxious to try something new. I look forward to your report.

nba1017

My apologies for the delay, my travels have been a bit more extensive than expected this week.

The Talbott is located on Delaware just off of Rush about one block West of the Four Seasons. The location is ideal for leisure and equally well-positioned for business travelers given the very short ride down to the Loop. I made a reservation early last Friday and arrived at approximately 4pm, booking via Amex's partnership with Small Luxury Hotels. Check-in was fine and I was given an 'upgraded room' on the top floor. While this was indeed an upgrade, it unfortunately faced a brick wall (A result of the adjacent Elysian's construction). I asked for something facing front and was given another room which was also just a relatively standard room which also had a very nice upgraded bathroom with separate shower and bath. At this point, I had a brief conversation with the very kind front desk manager who showed me a selection of suites, which she could offer to me at a courtesy upcharge of $30. As the hotel has two suites a floor, they only charge about a $100 premium for them generally. On this basis, there's no real reason not to book one as they are a good 850sf and really quite lovely.

All suites are on front-facing corners of the building. Mine--1601--was on the west corner. After entering, the bedroom was to the right while a long corridor led to the living space. The bathroom has entries on through both this corridor and the bedroom area. Closet space is ample. The bedroom had frette linens, two windows (limited city views), and a bureau. The living space has a sofa, two chairs, desk, and wetbar. Its designed for small entertaining or for business, and was very quiet and comfortable. The hotel has MacMinis in all rooms which are wired up to the TV. I didn't use this particular feature but it was certainly nice, if gimmicky. The upgraded bathroom was a real highlight, and on par with any of the five-star properties in the city (and better than many at the Ritz and Four Seasons). My suite had a jacuzzi tub, separate shower with excellent pressure, and Molton Brown amenities. Overall, one of the better suites in Chicago, particularly for the value, only offset by its relatively limited views and natural light.

Service at the Tablott is another strong suit. While the front desk staff were a bit spacy, the Concierge was extremely personable and helpful in recommending a wide range of dining possibilities. The door staff were also very experienced and gracious. I ate at the Tablott Grill, formerly Bice, for breakfast and was moderately impressed. While the restaurant its designed simply to be an interim space until a new lease is signed, the food was excellent and the service decent given the parameters at hand. My one gripe was that the space lacked any atmosphere whatsoever. I wouldn't eat here if I wasn't staying at the hotel and that sentiment showed.


Overall, the Talbott is a fantastic boutique alternative to the big six Chicago luxury hotels which has very reasonable rates, plush rooms, good service, and a comfortable feel. Definitely book or negotiate an upgrade to a suite (SLH comes in handy here) and keep in mind that weekday rates often dip into the $150 range while weekends are a bit higher (I paid $225 + $30 upgrade).

Hopefully my thoughts are useful; feel free to ask any questions you'd like and I'll see what else I can recall.

Kagehitokiri

thanks. ^

you have a non-US card, or they have finally started doing it in US as well?
http://www.slh.com/amexplatinum/reservations/ SLH has updated amex pages, still no US

nba1017

I've not had a problem making SLH bookings via my American card for a couple of years now. However, it is a cumbersome process as many agents are not familiar with the arrangement and need a little prodding and instruction to get the booking correct. Nonetheless, the benefits are worth the effort (breakfast, late checkout, upgrade). It's also worth noting that SLH has its own abridged loyalty program: 5 stays earns these perks plus "priority upgrades" and (if I recall) some free drinks and whatnot.

Kagehitokiri

good to know its possible. how do you do it? is there a code or something? i seem to recall spending a fair amount of time on this starting in 2006, but havent looked into it in years.

maybe ill try talking to SLH about it. i see they have a VIP dept like LHW.

this was before the new club, but during both of my stays under (original?) club the properties, including brandenburger hof, werent familiar with the club. but brandenburger hof WAS familiar with amex plat/cent arrangement, actually suggesting i book that way next time. maybe amex discounts cc processing further or something. although it could also have been because SLH handled my reservation so poorly.

mlb

Thanks for the review!

Have all the rooms at the Talbott been recently renovated or only the suites?

nba1017

Some (I'd venture 50%, based on floorplans) of the rooms have been renovated to include a very luxurious separate bath and shower. All of the suites have this configuration. My first room was one of the older ones, and while it was unrenovated, it was not particularly dowdy or unacceptable.

mlb

Great! Thanks again for the information.