I was excited to be staying at the W Chicago City Center, especially after being upgraded to a suite, due to Starwood Platinum status. However, within a few short hours, I was ready to leave. Within 4 hours of checking in, after coming back from lunch and visiting the Art Institute, my partner and I walked in to our 12th Floor suite, only to discover that both of our computer bags and laptop and contents in each were gone. One bag was a Tumi computer briefcase, which had been a Christmas gift and this was the first time it was being used. There was no signs of forced entry, so obviously it was an inside job. I have stayed at lots of upper-tier hotels but never have I had a theft from my locked hotel room. Many times I have gone out and left my laptop opened up on the desk and housekeepers have cleaned around it. I was completely shocked, as you would not expect this from a $200 +/night hotel. This theft of two laptops and computer bags and other miscellaneous content topped $5,000.
The first Security representative from the hotel that took our report was courteous, apologetic, and helpful. However, the Director of Security for the hotel didn't improve our perceptions of the hotel, as he explained in great detail that he was new to this hotel and he was having issues with his ID accessing the room key audit. He would then have to wait another day till management could get his ID reset, etc, etc. We certainly didn't feel safe and secure in a hotel where its Director of Security was having issues with his own ID. Salawi, the Night Mgr, was very accomodating, even lending us a laptop to use during our stay. Mr. Caramucci, the Operations Manager, did file a claim with their insurance and later we did get partial compensation for our loss. To begin with, even the representative for their insurance was very cold and unapologetic, after taking 3 days for her to call me back. She even tried to infer that it was our fault, since we had not locked our laptops in the hotel's safe. In this hotel, our laptops would not fit into the safe, much less an entire computer bag. When you are staying in a hotel especially one of this stature, you should have enough trust in their security, that you can leave a bag, while you are out of the room. Needless to say, I did not feel that my Starwood Platinum status was redeeming itself now.
My comments about the hotel are rather consistent with the other reviews here. It is a nice lobby in terms of decor, but that is about it! You walk in and instantly you feel like you're in a nightclub(even at 8 AM) with techno music playing at all hours, a strobe light projecting images along the walls. To me, it is not a soothing and comfortable environment. Give me the Ritz Carlton anyday!! At nights, the lounge crowd consumes the entire lobby and you feel like you are in a reunion of drunk sorority sisters, all trying to out-talk and out-dress the other, making it impossible to carry on a conversation without having to scream at one another. The hallways are very dark and almost impossible to see in front of you. Even the rooms are dimly lit as well. One of my bathrooms was so dark, it was even frustrating to take a shower. Please heed my warnings, do not stay here!! I certainly will never go back to this hotel.
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