The Drake Oak Brook, Autograph Collection

Most of my interactions with the staff were pleasant, and the next morning's valet service was great. Still, the incident the night before affected my stay so much that I left early, and it's put me off coming back. I was at the Drake Hotel in Oak Brook for a birthday staycation. After checking in and getting ready for dinner, I called the front desk to have my car brought around. About 15 minutes later, I came downstairs and an older valet attendant immediately yelled, “Where have you been?” He sent me to the original valet attendant, who also scolded me aggressively and said I should come down as soon as my car was called. Nobody had told me there was a required time limit, and my car wasn't blocking traffic. The hostility felt way out of proportion. As a woman being spoken to that aggressively by male staff, I was extremely uncomfortable. I've stayed in lots of hotels and have never been spoken to that way. I also saw guests of another race being treated noticeably more politely, while I was met with hostility. As an African American woman, I stayed calm and respectful, but the difference in treatment did not sit right with me.

We were expecting better for a special occasion. They quoted us a 30-minute wait for Valentine's Day dinner, but after that time was up there was still no table and nobody had updated us. The poor communication and time management made it worse, especially on a night when most people have reservations or expect an accurate wait time. No one followed up or even acknowledged the delay.

Working remotely was easy in my quiet room. There was plenty of space, good lighting, and a Keurig for my morning coffee. The fitness room was well maintained, and they handled my wake-up call without a hitch. At checkout, Ashley made everything smooth and friendly again. I travel a lot for work and have stayed at plenty of high-end, well-known hotels. The Drake in Oak Brook stood out. The doorman greeted me warmly, and Ashley at the front desk made check-in a breeze. My room was spotless, spacious, and nicely designed, with hardwood floors that felt both comfortable and elegant. There was a personal greeting on the TV, plus a text to check that everything was right. It was. I'd give the experience 200%. The Drake Oak Brook felt professional, clean, and genuinely welcoming. Highly recommend.

The property and room were nice, but service during our latest stay left a lot to be desired. Past visits were good. This time, the experience wasn't worth more than what you'd get at a Best Western. We booked the “Christmas room,” which the front desk said included free “milk & cookies” through room service. We ordered them and were charged. When we asked about it, staff said it was a mistake and the charge would be removed from our bill. On the second day, we brought dessert back from dinner and had no silverware. I called the front desk and was told they'd bring some up. After waiting more than 30 minutes, I went down myself and asked where I could get silverware. The staff found some right away. We also tried to check in an hour early on Sunday, before the 4 p.m. check-in time, and were told the room wouldn't be ready until 4. That was understandable, so we spent the hour walking around the property and resting in the main lounge. At 4, we returned to the desk and were told the room still wasn't ready and it would be about another 45 minutes, which was unacceptable. After we questioned and complained, the estimate changed to 10 minutes. Fifteen minutes later, we were finally allowed to check in.