The Westin Chicago River North

The bar was a good spot for drinks and appetizers, and even with a wedding reception going on, there was room for both the party and hotel guests in the dining and bar area. We had a river-view room, with a nice bed and a warm shower, for New Year's Eve. The only little hiccup was that the woman checking me in didn't recognize my Marriott Gold status. No big deal, though, and we still got a late checkout. Everything else was great.

The room was a letdown, especially compared with the promise of the entrance. It had an interior chemical smell, there was no outlet on one side of the bed, and the bathtub and faucets looked old. At least the bed and sheets were clean. The outside smelled nice, but the room itself really needs an upgrade. The stay felt like what I'd expect from a three-star hotel, or maybe three and a half at most.

The property is beautiful, very clean, and in a great area. It's a little dated, but comfortable and well cared for. I've been a Marriott Rewards member for a long time, so I know the service standard I usually expect from the brand. The trouble came up when I was helping a family member who'd arrived at a different time. Staff told me the person who checked me in had missed some information and needed more from me. By then I'd already been on the property for over five hours and nobody had contacted me, so I wouldn't have known if I hadn't stepped in to help. The issue itself was minor, but the way it was handled wasn't good. No one took responsibility for the mistake or apologized. The hotel has a lot going for it, but this was below the service I've come to expect from Marriott.

We booked rooms for New Year's Eve at what felt like a very high price, hoping to watch the river fireworks from the patio, as we'd done for the past two years. Two days before arrival, the hotel emailed to say the patio wouldn't be available for the fireworks. That should have been made clear before we booked, so we could decide whether to stay or go elsewhere. Why pay that much for rooms if we couldn't use the patio as planned? We'd also reserved and requested certain amenities days ahead, but when we arrived, we were told they weren't available. The service was awful. This felt like a major rip-off. If you're willing to spend a lot for an overpriced room with no service, go ahead. Otherwise, avoid Westin River North.