We initially stayed at Sofitel Chicago last September and had a pleasant experience (although the rooms do veer toward the cozier side). Last weekend when we were in town for my husband's MBA graduation, we thought of Sofitel again. Unfortunately, our experience began its steady downhill descent when we settled into our room only to find that the AC was not working (normally in March this would not be a problem, but it just so happened that temps were pushing 80 that day). We would have to pack everything back up and move to another room. Even after politely asking the manager at the front desk whether they would offer us anything to compensate for the hassle, he insisted that they could do nothing more than the exact same room on another floor. Nothing. Tip to hotel management: if you don't maintain your temperature control units properly resulting in guests having to re-pack all of their belongings to move to another room, then you'd better be prepared to offer them something - an upgrade, and if not, at the very least breakfast on the house.
If this had been the only issue during our stay, then we might possilby consider returning. Maybe the front desk manager was just having a bad day. But during our stay there were a host of other issues including the wireless internet not working (and even worse, the hotel not being able to offer a solution other than waiting until the next day when the whole system apparently reboots), returning to the room in the early afternoon after being out several hours during the morning to find the room still not made up, the safe in our room malfunctioning. The plumbing also leaves something to be desired - the water pressure in the shower was weak, and it felt like they were rationing hot water.
There are some good things about this hotel. The location within Gold Coast is convenient. But fortunately, there are plenty of other hotel options in the neighborhood which we will certainly choose over Sofitel the next time we are in town.
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