W Chicago Lakeshore

100   Recommended
July 16, 2003 by

 Map | 1 Review | 100% Recommended
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W Chicago Lakeshore
 Map | 1 Review | 100% Recommended

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Liked:
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Amenities
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Back to the top with another review. I know there are several threads on this property, but here's another one for anyone planning an upcoming stay:

I stayed one night July 4 weekend to go to a Cubs-Cardinals game and enjoy a night in the city. The W was pretty busy, especially in the lobby, but our floor was relatively quiet and our rooms were great. (I had two rooms -- my wife and I were in town with her sister and brother-in-law.)

Check In

Check-in and all front desk interaction was great. Staffers seem cordial and professional but relaxed enough to chat about the weekend's events and suggestions for things to do in the neighborhood. We received one of our rooms even though we checked in early (11 a.m.) with the second room available later at around 4 p.m. The second room turned out to be our plat upgrade, which was an "urban" suite. It's a great room, as nice of a suite as I've seen in Westins and other Ws, and we gave it to my in-laws. Both were lake-view rooms, which we requested.

Other observations on the property:
* Great overall recognition of platinum benefits/ammenities. The check-in agent actually apologized to me that he couldn't give me TWO suites.

Dining

* The lobby bar is good for a drink or appetizer. You can order small plates here from the W's restaurant, Wave. Prices are pretty high, but not out of line with downtown Chicago restaurants and other hotel bars. I didn't visit the Whiskey.

Room

* Our room had some housekeeping problems, so I sent a message to SPG customer care. (Unlike 3 or 4 comments I have sent to SPG previously, I haven't received a confirmation or thanks for my feedback.) I didn't have any major problems, just a mess that housekeeping missed (some food left by the previous guest plus a few other small complaints) but these issues were overshadowed by the good experience elsewhere. (The problems just stuck out for a property that runs around $199 per night, give or take $20 depending on the week.)
* The W bed was superb. A small toy bear with a note was on our bed. What's that all about?
* A W store is just off the lobby; it stocks various W products plus the basic items you might find in a lobby shop such as toiletries, bottled water and the like.
* The only additional negative in our room was an old Soviet-era heating/cooling unit that looked like proof of the hotel's previous life as a Days Inn and Holiday Inn (pre-2001, I believe). It did the job to keep the room cool, but it was LOUD.

Overall

* Parking is a bit of a hassle when the lobby is busy. It can turn into a mess of staff members running around frantically with keys and parking stubs.
*The elevators can take about 5 minutes to arrive in the lobby. I would guess having 4 small elevators to transport dozens of people at a time can cause this.
* The W's gym and pool look nice, although I didn't have time to use them.
* The general W "vibe" (is that an applicable term?) was somewhat annoying but subdued enough here during our stay. There are some curious-looking people who were working here or staying during our visit, and I can only assume that some of them are aspiring models or actors hanging out in the lobby or lobby bar so they can see and be seen. It makes for some funny people-watching, though.

This was a good experience for the most part, and I might stay here again as an alternative to my usual stays at the Westin River North.

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