This was our return trip to downtown Chicago, so we were quite familiar with the surroundings. We were here for 3 nights in late October. We booked using Hotwire and got a rate of $148/night.
This is a very modern hotel located about 20 minutes from O’Hare. A great location that is close to shopping, restaurants, and various attractions. We had a room on the 21st floor, outside of the ice machine and the housekeeping room. The latter made it a little noisy in the mornings. Being in downtown Chicago, city view and a slight lake view was available. The room had two double beds, which were saggy and too soft for us, and two sets of down pillows for each bed. The room is very spacious and had modern décor. Great comforter and perfect for the chilly Chicago temperature. The water pressure is a little low, but we’ve had worse on a recent trip to Costa Rica.
Parking is available and is connected to the hotel. Daily parking cost for guest is $45. We had no real issues while staying here. The only thing was on our departure day. When we called down to the front desk to request a late check-out, Emira (I think that’s how her name is spelled), stated that the latest time was 1 pm. However, when we were downstairs to extend our key cards, we stated that we were Hilton Honors members and asked if we could get a later check-out time. She then gave us 2 pm. We also inquired about exiting the garage. How would leave? Is there a ticket? How much time do we have, etc. She stated that we could use the parking card (same as the room card). It would be available (at no additional cost) up to 2 pm. Anytime beyond that would be a fee (1-2 hours is $23; 2-9 hours is $29). However, she didn’t provide any further instructions. A few hours later, as we prepared to head out for the day, we wondered how we would pay upon exit as there is no attendant. Also, there’s a machine outside of the garage elevator (in lobby) where you can pay for the parking. Since all we had was our room card, we weren’t sure how to pay for the additional time nor did we have a parking ticket. Fortunately, Terry, at the front desk was very helpful. He just put additional time on the room/parking card. This allowed us to exit without hassle. Why couldn’t Emira be clearer with these instructions?
Positives:
• Of course, the cookies!
• Location. It’s so close to everything. Two great breakfast places nearby: Yolk and West Egg Café.
• Market House – great restaurant with cozy seating by the bar. I enjoyed their homemade pickles, which is complimentary. And the bread pudding is amazing! It’s served a la mode with pecan praline ice cream.
• Friendly staff.
Negatives:
• There’s a cost for the internet access in the room. However, it’s free in the lobby, which is very inconvenient.
• The lobby bar closes at 8 pm. There’s one in the Market House restaurant that is open until 1 am. Not a major negative.
• Mattress was too soft and saggy.
• Lack of an in-room safe. I was surprised with the rooms didn’t have these installed since so many hotels are making this a standard feature in their rooms. The hotel does offer a safety deposit box, but who wants to drop off their items to the front desk (daily)?
Overall, the Doubletree is a nice property. The location is perfect. It is so central to all the shops and restaurants. Then there’s the staff. Everyone from the bellman (Vladimir) to the housekeeping is friendly. The location made up for some of the inconveniences.
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