Aug 14, 2018, 11:30 am
Last edit by: SkiAdcock
Hat tip to dcchi: "Whenever we do staycations in downtown Chicago, we use the ParkWhiz app to find parking. Normally pretty substantial savings off of hotel parking rates and even minor savings (and sometimes more) off of garage posted rates. If you're willing to walk one or a few blocks, this works well."
Marriott Bonvoy hotels in Chicago, IL
Nov 13, 2013, 11:52 am
#871
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Midwest USA
Programs: BA SIL, WN A, UA SIL, Marriott TIT (LT), Hilton DIA
Posts: 1,969
Nov 13, 2013, 3:09 pm
#872
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan USA
Programs: Marriott lifetime Titanium, Delta Platinum
Posts: 5,472
Nov 13, 2013, 3:24 pm
#873
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Programs: MR LT Titanium, IHG Plat.,UA Premier Silver, & PA/OH Turnpike Million Miler
Posts: 2,320
Most of the time I expect a FS Marriott (or any FS brand for that matter) to have a dependable, but boring restaurant on property that almost always has immediate seating available. I.e. the hotel restaurant is generally there for convenience and not fine dining.
That said for a large Metro area, it is always a good idea to check the hotel web site to see what restaurant(s) the property has onsite. Sometimes the restaurants are destinations in their own right, like this one. If the OP did that, it probably would have been an early warning to make reservations or alternate plans.
One other thought, was room service an option? Maybe even negotiate with the Front Desk to wave the normal room service surcharges...
My two cents...
--Jon
Nov 13, 2013, 5:41 pm
#874
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: YVR to SEA
Posts: 2,535
Do convention blocks typically sell out or do they possibly get released back into the market? I suppose it is too much to ask for an award night to open up smack in the middle of Neocon next June. There's a FFI downtown that's category 5, but no nights available for cash or awards.
Was originally booked into the Ren Suites ORD with a Megabonus cert but the boss insists on a downtown location if we're only there for a night. Instead I'm using points on the Marriott medical district (cat 6) and burning the cert on a category 4 in Asia. Neither the location or the extra 10k points being used is ideal, but that's literally the only location with any space left!
Was originally booked into the Ren Suites ORD with a Megabonus cert but the boss insists on a downtown location if we're only there for a night. Instead I'm using points on the Marriott medical district (cat 6) and burning the cert on a category 4 in Asia. Neither the location or the extra 10k points being used is ideal, but that's literally the only location with any space left!
Nov 13, 2013, 6:11 pm
#875
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: ORD
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Platinum, Avis President's Circle
Posts: 408
Were you in town for the Chicago Marathon? That might have impacted how busy the restaurant was that night. You're also making the assumption that those in front of you on the waitlist or already seated weren't also hotel guests. Sucks this time, but if you stay there for a race next year you'll know to make reservations. Hope your wife did well in the race!
Cheers.
Cheers.
There were a few race folks staying at the hotel, but it wasn't sold out by any means.
I live in the Chicago suburbs, so have a good idea of what's around. In this case, it was nearly 8PM at night, with two young kids. About the only thing in walking distance outside of the Hilton was Lou Malnati's and they had a 45 minute wait themselves.
Regardless, it ended up working out ok by walking over to the Hilton and eating there (which happened to be completely empty).
Ironically, the same Tapas restaurant provides room service. That was going to be my backup plan if we struck out at the Hilton...
Nov 13, 2013, 8:02 pm
#876
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan USA
Programs: Marriott lifetime Titanium, Delta Platinum
Posts: 5,472
But Malnati's does carryout. (I know because on a cold winter's night, when I found the Blackstone's restaurant too hip, too loud, and too social, and realized there was almost no decent closeby restaurant to walk to at night, and didn't fancy the nearby Jimmy John's or KFC, and found the Hilton restaurant's atmosphere to be as dead and depressing as the Blackstone's lively, I discovered that I could get a decent carryout Italian dinner from Malnati.) Nothing like Italian food and ESPN in the room while the snow flies outside the hotel. As to room service at the Blackstone, I remember weighing the inflated price of the room service hamburger versus a walk in the cold.
Last edited by ohmark; Nov 13, 2013 at 8:08 pm
Nov 14, 2013, 10:33 am
#877
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Chicago
Posts: 425
I have some....although it's not all good.
I'm a Marriott Gold who stayed there with the family two weeks ago on a Saturday night as my wife was running in a downtown race the next day.
We got there late (~7:30PM) with wife and 2 young kids. Check-In went fine, and they put us in an upgraded room (not suite, but large room with sitting area and pull-out couch).
Having not stayed there before, I did not realize the restaurant is only loosely affiliated with the hotel. It's tapas, so we were looking forward to it. Got there, and the place is packed...and very, very loud.
Hostess tells me it's a 2 hour wait. I ask if they have any priority seating for hotel guests, and she tells me no. I ask if there's anything they can do since we have hungry kids, etc...and she reduces the wait time from 2 hours to 75 minutes. At this point, I get fairly irritated at the mediocre treatment of hotel guests.
The restaurant manager comes over, and I ask again if they have any priority seating for hotel guests. He makes it very clear to me they don't, and I should have planned better by making a reservation. I counter with saying that's a bad business practice for a hotel-affiliated restaurant to dismiss guests like that. He then gets really arrogant on me...explaining how their chef was on Iron Chef, how they are booked 7 days a week, and it would be bad business practice to reserve tables just on the possibility they may get used by hotel guests.
At this point, wife and kids had already abandoned me to my battle and I realized I was going to get nowhere with this guy. So, I left to complain to night manager.
Night manager explains this is a recurring problem for their hotel and agreed to take it up with the hotel GM and restaurant GM. We ended up walking across street to the Chicago Hilton for dinner.
I'm a Marriott Gold who stayed there with the family two weeks ago on a Saturday night as my wife was running in a downtown race the next day.
We got there late (~7:30PM) with wife and 2 young kids. Check-In went fine, and they put us in an upgraded room (not suite, but large room with sitting area and pull-out couch).
Having not stayed there before, I did not realize the restaurant is only loosely affiliated with the hotel. It's tapas, so we were looking forward to it. Got there, and the place is packed...and very, very loud.
Hostess tells me it's a 2 hour wait. I ask if they have any priority seating for hotel guests, and she tells me no. I ask if there's anything they can do since we have hungry kids, etc...and she reduces the wait time from 2 hours to 75 minutes. At this point, I get fairly irritated at the mediocre treatment of hotel guests.
The restaurant manager comes over, and I ask again if they have any priority seating for hotel guests. He makes it very clear to me they don't, and I should have planned better by making a reservation. I counter with saying that's a bad business practice for a hotel-affiliated restaurant to dismiss guests like that. He then gets really arrogant on me...explaining how their chef was on Iron Chef, how they are booked 7 days a week, and it would be bad business practice to reserve tables just on the possibility they may get used by hotel guests.
At this point, wife and kids had already abandoned me to my battle and I realized I was going to get nowhere with this guy. So, I left to complain to night manager.
Night manager explains this is a recurring problem for their hotel and agreed to take it up with the hotel GM and restaurant GM. We ended up walking across street to the Chicago Hilton for dinner.
Not sure why you'd walk across the street to the Hilton. You could have easily Yelped a place that would have suited your needs. A few other things - the restaurant in question isn't really suited for kids and second, I am not sure why you'd think the restaurant would at all care about your situation. This is a city with millions of people. They aren't going to miss an out of town guest who dines there once or twice a year. Perhaps next time you're in town, you'll secure a reservation at a restaurant that willingly will seat a family with young kids. Someplace like Rainforest Cafe may be more your speed.
Nov 14, 2013, 10:42 am
#878
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2002
Programs: UALifetimePremierGold, Marriott LifetimeTitanium
Posts: 71,114
Wow - a bit harsh.
If someone hadn't stayed at the property before, they would have no idea that a hotel restaurant was a wildly popular restaurant w/ the locals.@:-) And it's not like it's the norm (more the exception) for hotel restaurants to be booked weeks in advance.
I agree that the restaurant shouldn't bump others from the list in front of rflor, but don't think he was wrong in thinking that the hotel restaurant wouldn't necessarily be that busy especially on a Sat night. I've stayed at plenty of hotels in large cities on a Sat where the restaurant isn't busy.
Cheers.
If someone hadn't stayed at the property before, they would have no idea that a hotel restaurant was a wildly popular restaurant w/ the locals.@:-) And it's not like it's the norm (more the exception) for hotel restaurants to be booked weeks in advance.
I agree that the restaurant shouldn't bump others from the list in front of rflor, but don't think he was wrong in thinking that the hotel restaurant wouldn't necessarily be that busy especially on a Sat night. I've stayed at plenty of hotels in large cities on a Sat where the restaurant isn't busy.
Cheers.
Nov 14, 2013, 12:00 pm
#879
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: ORD
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Platinum, Avis President's Circle
Posts: 408
Not sure why you'd walk across the street to the Hilton. You could have easily Yelped a place that would have suited your needs. A few other things - the restaurant in question isn't really suited for kids and second, I am not sure why you'd think the restaurant would at all care about your situation. This is a city with millions of people. They aren't going to miss an out of town guest who dines there once or twice a year. Perhaps next time you're in town, you'll secure a reservation at a restaurant that willingly will seat a family with young kids. Someplace like Rainforest Cafe may be more your speed.
My point is...this is a restaurant that has chosen to partner with a hotel. They are co-dependent on each other. Like I mentioned earlier, I had the mistaken impression that a restaurant in this scenario would, via good business practices, consider the importance of that relationship and present options around prioritizing hotel guests without requiring that guest to plan a reservation weeks in advance. I now know better when it comes to the Blackstone.
Last edited by rflor; Nov 14, 2013 at 12:11 pm Reason: Edited for clarification
Nov 14, 2013, 3:48 pm
#880
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Chicago
Posts: 425
As Sharon noted...a bit harsh. I live in the Chicago suburbs. I am very well aware of the dining landscape in the city. I won't bother to cite the myriad fine dining establishments I have eaten at in the city. The RFC comment is in bad taste, at best.
My point is...this is a restaurant that has chosen to partner with a hotel. They are co-dependent on each other. Like I mentioned earlier, I had the mistaken impression that a restaurant in this scenario would, via good business practices, consider the importance of that relationship and present options around prioritizing hotel guests without requiring that guest to plan a reservation weeks in advance. I now know better when it comes to the Blackstone.
My point is...this is a restaurant that has chosen to partner with a hotel. They are co-dependent on each other. Like I mentioned earlier, I had the mistaken impression that a restaurant in this scenario would, via good business practices, consider the importance of that relationship and present options around prioritizing hotel guests without requiring that guest to plan a reservation weeks in advance. I now know better when it comes to the Blackstone.
The hotel is not at all at fault for your poor planning. It just isn't.
Jan 30, 2014, 12:11 pm
#881
Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: NYC/LA
Programs: DL Plat, AA Plat Pro, Marriott Titanium, IHG Diamond Amb
Posts: 7,489
New Property: Hotel Chicago Downtown (Autograph Collection)
Saw this pop up on the website; opening February 2014:
https://www.marriott.com/hotels/trav...ph-collection/
This property has changed flags quite a bit and is currently the Hotel Sax; it was previously independent, then part of Thompson; then a transition to Kimpton two years ago fell through so I believe it's been independent again for awhile.
I'm not sure why the property owners wouldn't keep the name, however, especially since it would retain some character under the Autograph Collection branding. "Hotel Chicago Downtown" is way too generic, IMHO, and sounds like a temporary name a property would adopt either after being kicked out of a chain's portfolio or after it no longer met brand standards. (I.E. Starwood's former "Sheraton Manhattan" is still a Starwood property but is now just called "The Manhattan at Times Square".)
https://www.marriott.com/hotels/trav...ph-collection/
This property has changed flags quite a bit and is currently the Hotel Sax; it was previously independent, then part of Thompson; then a transition to Kimpton two years ago fell through so I believe it's been independent again for awhile.
I'm not sure why the property owners wouldn't keep the name, however, especially since it would retain some character under the Autograph Collection branding. "Hotel Chicago Downtown" is way too generic, IMHO, and sounds like a temporary name a property would adopt either after being kicked out of a chain's portfolio or after it no longer met brand standards. (I.E. Starwood's former "Sheraton Manhattan" is still a Starwood property but is now just called "The Manhattan at Times Square".)
Jan 30, 2014, 4:08 pm
#883
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Rockin' the Bakken
Programs: Several
Posts: 978
Just to update everyone as well, I received an e-mail from the Fairfield Inn Downtown that stated they will be switching to a CAT 6 on March 15th. I recently stayed there using my Megabonus certs.
Once this property switches categories, there will be no CAT 5 properties left in downtown Chicago.
The e-mail was rather funny as well. It stated "Save 5000 points"; but only because they are upping their category soon. So, "save 5000 points by booking now before we go up!"
Once this property switches categories, there will be no CAT 5 properties left in downtown Chicago.
The e-mail was rather funny as well. It stated "Save 5000 points"; but only because they are upping their category soon. So, "save 5000 points by booking now before we go up!"
Last edited by UVU Wolverine; Jan 30, 2014 at 4:40 pm
Jan 30, 2014, 10:52 pm
#885
Join Date: May 2002
Programs: AAdvantage Platinum, United Silver, Marriott Titanium Elite
Posts: 2,276
The Four Points by Sheraton Chicago Downtown/Magnificent Mile hotel will be re-flagged as an AC Hotels by Marriott property. The owner (Marcus Hotels) will remain the same, and it won't happen until spring 2015.
Here's the full press release: http://www.cnbc.com/id/101374696
One thing that's great about the location is that there's a Trader Joe's Market on the ground floor. The address of the hotel is 630 N. Rush Street in Chicago; the address of the Trader Joe's is 44 E. Ontario Street in Chicago; but it's the same building.
Another thing about the location is that there are many restaurants within a few blocks.
Here's the full press release: http://www.cnbc.com/id/101374696
One thing that's great about the location is that there's a Trader Joe's Market on the ground floor. The address of the hotel is 630 N. Rush Street in Chicago; the address of the Trader Joe's is 44 E. Ontario Street in Chicago; but it's the same building.
Another thing about the location is that there are many restaurants within a few blocks.