Remember our trip to Chicago a while back? The one that began a bit adventurous? Luckily, once we finally made it there, there was nothing adventurous about our hotel, the Swissôtel. If you’ve never heard of the Swissôtel, that’s probably because there is only one in the U.S. & three in the Americas (the other two are in Quito & Lima). Located in the heart of the Loop, right along the river & only steps from the Navy Pier, this hotel is comfortable, modern, & even a bit luxurious.Lets start with the elevators. You don’t push the up button to go up to your room. You type in your floor on a key pad & an elevator comes just for you. I’ve stayed in European hotels with this feature, but this is my first time seeing this in an American hotel (& based on the number of confused American visitors, I’m guessing they hadn’t either). It makes the run-of-the-mill ride in the elevator a little bit more fun.
Our room on the 37th floor looked out on many of the new condo buildings popping up downtown. But of you focused between the buildings, there was a stunning view of Lake Michigan, the Field Museum & Soldier Field. The best view was found at the end of our hall: an unobstructed view of the Navy Pier, all lit up in it’s touristy glory.
As any traveler will tell you, a comfortable hotel bed is key to a good nights sleep in an unfamiliar place. I’m officially giving the Swissôtel the award for The World’s Most Comfortable Bed. The sheets were incredibly soft, the duvet puffy & luxurious, the pillows bountiful. Directly across from the World’s Most Comfortable Bed was a large work station (seriously, bigger than my desk at work) & entertainment center, including a giant 50″ flat screen TV. A highlight of the room was the large black & white photographs taken around Chicago – I really appreciate it when a hotel goes the extra step to use art from local artists. The closet was large enough for two suitcases & quite a few hanging garments. The luxurious feel continued in the bathroom, which felt very spa-like, with a giant corner glass walled shower & a soaking tub.
Along with the European luxury was the hotel’s many amenities. What will surprise many American visitors, though, is the charge for these. A $15 charge to use the hotel’s fitness center & pool (which did offer amazing views from the 42nd floor). Parking is very high, even for a downtown hotel, at $30 a night (however, the L is located just a few blocks away). The staff was very gracious & genuine, although we were surprised when the bellman didn’t know the location of the nearest brown line L stop (being regular users of public transportation at home, this seems like a pretty run of the mill question).
While definitely geared toward business clientele, the Swissôtel is also a comfortable stay for families, groups of girlfriends, & couples traveling to Chicago. We never would have chosen the Swissôtel if we hadn’t scored a discounted rate (make sure & poke around a bit before you book), but I’m glad we did. I won’t hesitate to chose this warm, comfortable hotel again.
Booked a stay with Swissotel Chicago for Lake Shake
2019….6/21/2019 – 6/23-2019. First issue was I was offered a
promotional special of free parking to stay there. In fact, this is why we
chose this motel. Upon arriving, I was quickly informed that promotion
was not available because they only had Valet parking. When I
complained at desk, we were told that they had no such promotion.
Upon producing written evidence of the offer they said it simply did not
apply to me because we booked through a “third party” Priceline. It
was confirmed by the bellhop that those who book through a third
party, especially Priceline, are treated badly and overcharged here.
Our second issue was the fact that we were charged over $700 in
additional fees for parking, amenities(of which we used none and they
did not even have a pool as promoted), and amenities(of which we
used none, not even Wifi. But the day manager at our
departure….Jaclyn said “too bad we signed the sheet”. We were
treated in a very rude and hostile manner and with total lack of
professionalism. This motel is in no way the 5 star it tries to portray
themselves to be. In fact, I’ve seldom been treated so rudely. In all
fairness, the deposit was returned today…Jaclyn said it would be in
one business week and this is why I waited until today to make this
complaint. However, this still left us being charged over $400 for
parking and “amenities” despite a total lack of any ammenities
whatsoever. Third issue was when the air conditioner blew out a white
plaster like material blew out of it. We took pictures and presented
them to Jaclyn who stated “oh well, we are not perfect. What do you
expect” Well Jaclyn for the money we paid I expected a lot more, a
clean room, an air conditioner devoid of debris, good customer service,
complimentary ammenities as opposed to having no ammenities but
being charged an arm and a leg for them anyway, and a whole lot
better attitude and customer service. Horrible GHETTO LIKE STAY
AWAY