Renaissance Chicago Downtown Hotel

We stayed here because I used this hotel for any business travel to Chicago. It’s convenient, it’s a quality brand, the room comfort is reliable and some rooms in the front are slightly larger with great views. The only reason I didn’t give 5 stars is because of lobby renovation (not a huge fan) and it’s impact on anyone who wants to spend time there comfortable and get work done.

Check-in was very disappointing. We could not access our room at the time we were told it would be available. It took an hour for a room to be made ready for us. No compensation was offered to us for the lateness of the room, but when pushed, we were given free drink/appetizer vouchers. The registration counter people were not friendly nor helpful. The location was ideal and the view from our room (which we had to pay extra for) was amazing. The room was not super clean. The lotion left for us had already been used. The toilet didn't fully flush. There was only one chair, despite the room size. The beds were comfortable. The temperature was easy to control.

As a long time user of Hotels.com, there is one glaring issue that I feel needs to be addressed. Too many times I pay for an upgraded room (suite, better view, etc) just to have the hotel put me in a standard room with an obligatory “sorry your room type wasn’t available”. They hide behind the excuse that since I booked through a third party site, it’s out of their control. It has happened too often now to ignore. I pay the extra, don’t get it, and there is no recourse for me when it happens. Not a favorable situation as a loyal user. Thanks.

We were checked in and out by Levi. He was very friendly, fast and professional. He asked about why we were in town and set us up with free tickets to the One of a kind show. This is an annual trip for us and we will be returning to the Renaissance.