rjburns

if you want elite benefits, I suggest Hyatt. Marriott will disappoint you EVERY TIME

goodeats21

Which "Hotel Chicago" are you meaning? The "Hotel Chicago Downtown, Autograph Collection" or the "AC Hotel Chicago Downtown"?

The Autograph Collection (on North Dearborn, next to the House of Blues) has always treated me very well, with a nice Lounge, etc.

I don't have any experience with the "AC Hotel Chicago", so maybe you are talking about that one?

Never understood why they have 2 hotels with such similar names. Confusing.

CorSter

All else being equal, any experience on whether it's better to book under the Springhill Suites or Residence Inn banner at the shared River North property?

goodeats21

If it is a paid stay, be aware that Residence Inn only gives half the points that Springhill Suites does.
Residence Inn only gives 5 points per dollar spent instead of the 10 points at SHS.

Rooms designs are also a bit different, which you can see online.

MDtR-Chicago

I haven't been there in years but in the past, they kept the breakfast buffets separate between the two sides, so another factor is which breakfast selection you prefer. (Not that they are very different, I suppose...)

CorSter

I'll probably just stick with the Springhill as it comes out a few bucks cheaper.

goodeats21

Yes, that is my recollection as well. Front Desks and Breakfast Buffets are separate from each other. Other facilities, such as fitness, pool and laundry are shared.

margarita girl

Would like a recommendation for a hotel with a lounge and good (tourist) location. Reading the last few pages, it seems Hotel Chicago Autograph Collection is a good choice. Any others? Will be there on weekday, so no need to worry about weekend lounge closure. TIA

ElevatorEnthusiast

I would highly recommend the Westin River North across the street. I had a fantastic stay there (even not considering the suite upgrade I received) - great bed. I enjoyed the lounge and found the attendants to be super nice. It's a fantastic location along the Riverwalk and next to one of my favorite Chicago restaurants, Pizzeria Portofino.

Review and Photos:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/34502958-post235.html

andrewstahl

If you are willing to forgo the lounge, I suggest the Gwen. Otherwise, I like the Westin River North or Westin Michigan Avenue.

CorSter

Just to follow up on this after my stay for future reference re RI/SHS River North:
-Front Desk is combined for both properties
-Breakfast rooms were separate but guests were allowed to use the one belonging to the other hotel if they preferred. Offerings were identical in both, still has the old powdered eggs and meat offering for now (no sandwiches).

CPS89

Stayed in at the Le Meridien Essex for one night this week on a quick business trip.

Good:
-Shockingly quiet for how busy the street was during the day. I was on the 4th floor and heard almost nothing all night.
-In-house restaurant was above average.

Bad:
-Still not sure how non-resorts get away with charging resort fees. Was $15/night, but was given a $15 voucher as an elite for restaurant.
-Room was small if you care about space to move around

Smiley90

Is the Autograph Collection lounge still that stuffy windowless room on the bottom floor? Because good god I'm not going back there while it's there. That was such a letdown.

pseudoswede

Recently completed a 2-night award stay at the Residence Inn with my family (two adults and two teens). We arrived in downtown probably 30 minutes after the river was dyed green. Our poor Uber driver couldn't get anywhere near the hotel, so we had him drop us off about a block from the river, and we walked the rest of the way to the hotel. As a Gold, I requested and received a complimentary upgrade to a high-floor one-bedroom. My request for a 2pm late checkout was also granted. Our room wasn't ready, so they took my number and said they would call me when it was ready. We left our bags at the valet in the downstairs entrance and did some sightseeing. I never received a phone call, but we didn't return to the hotel until about 6:30pm.

The room was compact but sufficient. The kids didn't complain about the sofa bed. Our room was on the 22nd floor facing west, overlooking an apartment building's dog park, which provided much entertainment. We didn't hear much outdoor noises except for the occasional siren. We used the kitchen to make tea and hot chocolate (the weather was cold and miserable all weekend), heat leftovers, and eat breakfast on Monday morning since the breakfast room closed at 9am (and teens can't be bothered to wake up that early while on vacation ). We all took showers that evening, so we requested a towel refresh the next morning during breakfast. I told the front desk that we left all used towels in the shower. Upon returning in the late afternoon, four sets of towels were simply left on the kitchen counter, and the old towels remained in the shower.

As noted, the lobby is shared by both the Residence Inn and Springhill Suites. It's airy and modern. The staff was very friendly. Breakfast was very meh at best. I just used it as a way to put in some calories before starting a day of sightseeing (around 20k steps each day). The bar served very good drinks, especially if you got them at happy hour prices. I ordered a meatball sandwich one evening, and it was fine; Mrs. Swede ordered the hummus, and it didn't have much flavor. They also have a self-serve popcorn machine which is a nice touch.

The location is fantastic: about 7 minutes' walk to the south end of Magnificent Mile, about 15 minutes to the north end of Millennium Park, and 8 minutes to the Clark/Lake Blue Line train for those going to/from O'Hare.

On Monday, our flight wasn't until 8:30pm, so we checked-out around 10am, left our luggage with the valet, and did some more sightseeing. We returned to the hotel around 4pm, relaxed in the lobby for 45 minutes, then retrieved our bags and walked to the Blue Line station.

tl;dr - if traveling with a family, I would recommend the Residence Inn. If traveling solo or with just one other person, then the Springhill Suites should be sufficient (unless you need a full kitchen).

goodeats21

Nice review and matches my experiences.

Not specific to this property / Chicago, but does ANYONE receive a phone call when their room is ready? Often promised, ever delivered?