The Talbott, Autograph Collection

The Talbott made our Christmas stay thoroughly charming and pleasant. Its location is ideal for staying near Michigan Avenue, and the hotel has excellent amenities, distinctive spaces, and thoughtful design touches. What really makes this gem shine, though, is the staff and their service. If you want to feel truly cared for, like a treasured neighbor and a personal guest of the hotelier, treat yourself to a stay here.

We had a lovely Thanksgiving weekend overall, but I’m starting with something that matters a lot to me: security. I’d like to see stronger measures in the lobby. Other than the front desk attendant and a few restaurant staff, I didn’t notice anyone monitoring the area. Since this is an older hotel, the elevators are close to the entrance and don’t need a room key, so someone from the street can get in. One incident left me shaken. While my husband parked, I was in the lobby alone with my five-year-old. I’d noticed a woman outside carrying a plastic garbage bag, in a black jacket with the hood up. After we looked at the Christmas tree, my son and I headed to the elevators. Inside, I saw the same woman and a man with her, also carrying bags, trying to get into our elevator. I had a bad feeling they weren’t guests. I quickly told my son we should go back to the tree. As soon as we stepped out, both people left the elevator and the hotel. I don’t want to assume anything, but it felt like they might have been trying to follow us or reach the guest floors. I told our waiter, who said he’d inform the manager, but nobody from the hotel followed up. I carried on with the trip, though I stayed extra alert. I believe they should improve lobby security and require room keys for guest floor access. The rest of the stay was mostly wonderful. The Talbot has a charming antique look, and its Gold Coast location felt especially magical with the Christmas lights. High-end shops, good restaurants, and Lululemon, Aritzia, and Vuori were all a short walk away. The rooms aren’t modern, but they’re cozy and exceptionally clean, which I appreciated as a self-described clean freak. The restaurant staff were outstanding. I had an excellent cocktail, and the bartender made my son a hot chocolate exactly as requested, not too sweet. He asked about allergies and surprised my son with a special dessert that absolutely made his day. Despite my security concerns, the staff and location made our stay memorable.

I’ve stayed at the Talbott quite a bit because the location is perfect for me. But this is the second time I noticed an excessive charge after leaving and checking my bill. Both times, I called and they acknowledged the mistake and corrected it. I don’t always check receipts, but you really need to here. I like the hotel and its location, though billing needs improvement. Update: I’ve left around six messages and still haven’t received a call back about the credit. After my last review, they were responsive and said they’d fix it. Now I’ve spoken with several people, but the person looking into it hasn’t called me back. I’ll dispute the charge. This has definitely left a bad taste in my mouth.

I really enjoyed my stay while visiting Chicago’s Gold Coast. The place was friendly and clean, and my room was huge. There wasn’t a desk, but the bed was comfortable and the shower was very nice. The Laurel restaurant is right inside the hotel, which was convenient. Looking forward to coming back.