The Michigan Ave Marriott is located at the south end of the Mag Mile at Ohio Street. A great location for exploring the city - convenient to bus and subway connections and of course - shopping. The entrance is on the Rush Street side (one block west of Michigan) and traffic is a challenge, especially on a Friday afternoon around 5:00 as we arrived. There was a conference (maybe two) taking place at the hotel and the lobby was jammed and chaotic. The bellman and front desk staff, although very busy, were prompt and pleasant and we were checked in and into our room within 10 minutes. Our room was a standard king on the 30th floor facing north. It was clean and comfortable, but the bathroom is quite small, although servicable. This reveals the hotel's age as probably built in the 70's. In recognition of the many nearby neighborhood dining options, the hotel has only a smallish restaurant (Harvest Room) on the open mezzanine level. The menu is a bit limited and pricey. As we began exploring, we noticed that the lobby was unbearably loud to the point that we just wanted to get away rather than try to dine and deal with the noise. As a member of Marriott's Elite level Reward program, I inquired about the Concierge Lounge hoping that it would provide a bit of quiet and solitude. I was shocked and disappointed to be told that it was closed on weekends - as if Elite members and business travelers don't stay in hotels on Friday - Sunday nights. This frankly was not Marriott's best moment and displays a mindless disregard for their core customer. Over the past 30 years, I had stayed at this property many times and always enjoyed the experience. Being able to utilize their Concierge Lounges is part of why I have remained loyal to Marriott for so many years. Needless to say, nice room and good service notwithstanding, I would avoid this hotel in the future especially on a weeekend. The following morning, rather than enjoying a free continental breakfast as part of the Elite experience, we paid $40+ for a $20 breakfast in the Harvest Inn. It was not a good ending to what we had hoped would be a pleasant Michigan Avenue stay.
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