Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile

Service was outstanding and made the stay even nicer. The room was smaller than at other Marriott properties I’ve used, but it was clean and felt cozy, with a nice city view. It was easy to reach and in a great location, a good place to stay in Chicago.

There’s a lot just steps from the hotel, and I loved the room view and the gorgeous lobby. The $30 daily destination fee is annoying. I understand they want guests to use the hotel amenities, but I’d rather get vouchers for things I actually want than pay whether I use them or not. My bathroom was also pretty small. It seemed odd that the bath products were full size while the lotion came in a tiny tube instead of a pump bottle. Other hotels I’ve stayed at had full-size products that housekeeping refilled.

The city views are beautiful, especially from the upper floors, and honestly that’s the main thing you’re paying for. They’re impressive, but pricey, and you don’t get much else unless you pay more. There’s no microwave, free breakfast, or pool, and the food and drinks are overpriced and microwaved. I didn’t like having the bar and restaurant right in front of the door, either. Watch out for the extra fees. The front desk told me I could have a complimentary late checkout hour as a silver member, with no charge, but charged me anyway. For two days I was also charged another $250 for parking and destination fees, separately. The issue isn’t really the money, it’s how little transparency they have.

The billing problems took weeks of calls and follow-ups to sort out, and even then I only got part of the reimbursement. My university card covered the conference booking and my personal card covered extra expenses, but the booking and finance teams had overlapping reservations and double charged me. They were slower and less helpful than I expected from a hotel like this. That was the one major frustration in an otherwise very comfortable stay. My room was quiet, well kept, and high above the 30th floor, with big windows and lovely city views by day and night. The hotel is clean, modern, and spacious, and housekeeping were consistently warm, attentive, and professional. The elevators worked efficiently, and the lively bar and restaurant were convenient for a casual meeting or a relaxed evening. The Magnificent Mile location made conferences, restaurants, shopping, and downtown attractions easy to reach. I’d still recommend the hotel for a conference or city stay, but I’d keep a close eye on the charges. With smoother payment coordination, this would have been an easy five-star stay.