Hotel Saint Clair- Magnificent Mile

I booked a Superior King Suit for my fiance and me for his birthday trip, but we left and asked for a refund for the two nights and valet parking. The staff started the refund promptly and were nice about it, which is why I gave two stars. The front desk man said extra cleaning, which should’ve been done before we arrived, would cost more, and they could only offer us a two bed room. The room smelled strongly of cigarette smoke even though I’d booked a smoke-free one, and I’m allergic to cigarette smoke. It was much smaller than a studio apartment, with no room for two people in the bathroom. The shower head looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in a decade, the toilet hadn’t been flushed, the microwave smelled and looked unclean, and the fridge hadn’t been cleaned. The bed looked suspicious, too. The elevator was janky, barely opened, and was very small. The photos are outdated, and this wasn’t the nice place they made it look like. I don’t understand how they can charge over $100 a night for somewhere unfit to stay in. Travelers should be warned.

The staff were friendly, and the location was excellent, close to everything. I might come back for the right price, though I’ll probably look elsewhere. My stay was just okay, not great but not terrible. At check-in, they sent me to a seventh-floor room that was still dirty well after the 3pm check-in time. The bed wasn’t made and the trash was still there. They had another king room available, so I was upgraded to the 14th floor with a better view. That room was nicely furnished and a good size, despite what other reviews say. The bathroom, though, was tiny. My legs hit the wall and shower when I sat on the toilet, and the sink was so small and shallow it looked funny. The shower looked nice but had water pressure like a kinked garden hose. The walls are paper thin and the door doesn’t insulate well, so I heard everything outside: maintenance being very loud while replacing a light bulb, and a barking yap dog. I’d guess communication with housekeeping isn’t great.

Service was great, and that was probably the best thing about it. The room was the tiniest hotel room I’ve ever seen. Even with two beds, we could barely get past each other without bumping, and there was no privacy for the bathroom. We also paid more than we had the night before at the Hilton.

I wouldn’t recommend this hotel. I stayed three nights, with the first two booked under my name and the last added at the last minute under my partner’s name so we wouldn’t have to switch hotels or deal with our luggage and a gap in the stay. The front desk handled ID checks inconsistently. At my original check-in, no one asked for ID before handing me a key card. But the next morning, when I came down to check in for the added night with my partner’s ID, they refused unless my partner came down so they could “see his face.” I understand checking that the reservation holder is who they say they are, but why wasn’t I asked for ID when checking in under my own name? The different treatment left me feeling singled out and uncomfortable, especially as a person of color. Management should clarify the ID policy and apply it consistently to everyone.