When some friends and I planned a trip to Chicago in January 2003, we wanted to stay close to the “Magnificent Mile” area in the heart of the city. One of my friends had to visit the Spanish Consulate, which just happens to be in the area too!

Since there were six of us splitting the room costs, we decided to opt for one of the nicer hotels that we usually just dream about. After some comparison-shopping, we chose the Radisson Hotel & Suites which is just a ˝ block from world-famous Michigan Avenue. It turned out to be a great choice.

Reservations
A friend of mine reserved the rooms directly through Radisson Hotels about two weeks ahead of time. We had two “Deluxe Guestrooms” which easily accommodated three people in each room. With a discount coupon she had through her work, the rooms were $125/night + tax. We also wanted a cot for each room, which was an additional $10/night per room. She used her credit card to reserve both rooms.

Getting There
I flew into Midway Airport (MDW) from Minneapolis with one of my friends. We took an Express Shuttle to the property, which cost about $15. The hotel is 13 miles from Midway Airport and took about 30 minutes on the shuttle, which stopped at one other hotel on the way.

We could have taken the train directly from the airport but declined since we didn’t know if it stopped close to the hotel property. When we departed we did use a combination of buses and the train, which was less than $5!

Check In
We arrived late afternoon just after the 3 PM check-in time. The check-in desk was off to the left side of a well-appointed but small lobby. They had the reservation for two non-smoking rooms for three nights at the confirmed price. The cots were to be sent up later in the day. We each got an electronic card key from the professional acting but standoffish desk clerk and mentioned that the other four guests would arrive “late”. We had to provide the names of all the other people in our group.

Overall, check-in was over in 10 minutes for us. The other four people in our party were driving down from Minneapolis and arrived at 3 AM the next day. They were asked a lot of questions and given cold stares at the front desk before being given the room keys. I don’t think the staff liked having guests check in this late…but that’s too bad.

The Property
Overview
The 40-story hotel is located in an affluent “high class” area just east of Michigan Avenue in Chicago. The lakefront is about four blocks further east of here. Other skyscrapers and a variety of commercial properties surround the building. The streets and sidewalks in this area were clean, well lit, and well maintained. Oprah Winfrey supposedly lives just a few blocks from here. Maybe we should have dropped in for a free book or car?

The exterior of the hotel is a formal dark brown color and faces south. Altogether there were 350 rooms, which included Deluxe Guestrooms, Working Guestrooms, and Suites that had an attached living room with a sofa bed. A pool and fitness room occupies the top floor.

Lobby
The lobby was handsome and formal with brown leather chairs, a light colored marble floor, and mirrors hanging on the walls. But it was chilly in both temperature and comfort. A couple times we hung-out in the area waiting for everyone in our group to show up and I just did not like the atmosphere – I felt like we were on display as people entered and exited the nearby front doors.

The Room
The “Guestroom” had two double beds, a desk, two sets of drawers, two large and comfortable chairs and even a lounge chair. There was also a large ottoman, which was comfortable enough to sit on for a short time. All the furniture was of good quality – no veneer counter tops or vinyl couches. The TV was about a 27” screen and had a large number of channel offerings. We didn’t watch it too much but it operated as expected.

The décor was somewhat of a mission style with reddish-brown colors throughout. Several large pictures and mirrors with gold frames were on each wall – everything matched (which I usually don’t notice). The windows covered most of the south facing room and overlooked Huron Street and gave a great view of the city – especially at night.

The room was on about the 24th Floor while the women in our group were two or three floors lower. Just for “fun” we walked down the stairs to the lobby one morning and the stairwells were fine.

When I later set-up the cot for the third person in the room there was still a fair amount of floor space left. I don’t know the room’s dimensions but 14’ X 20’ is probably close. Everything was clean and comfortable. The beds, sheets, blanket, and towels were all of decent quality and everyone slept well – even on the cot. When I travel I usually cram in so many activities that it is not hard to fall to sleep though – I am usually exhausted.

The heater/vent operated fine. Even though it was winter it was not too cold out (in the 30s) so we occasionally tuned on the vent to let-in some fresh air. At night the curtains kept it reasonably dark.

Room service came and went when we were out and about. Everything was made-up fine each day. I left a small tip each day but they did not take it until I attached it to a card asking if we needed anything special.

Bathroom
There was a full bathtub/shower and toilet with tiled floor. The sink and dressing area was outside of the shower area and had a large mirror and there was a hairdryer and some basic toiletries offered here. This was great with three of us in the room. It was clean throughout but I don’t remember much else about the bathroom except that it was close to the entranceway.

Other features
There was a small refrigerator in the room where we put beverages and fruit but not much else. An internet connection was available but we no one in our group used it. Currently, the Radisson website lists the cost as $12.95/day! A free Chicago Tribune newspaper was available at the front desk but you had to ask for it.

I used the fitness room once and it was great – on the 40th floor and one side is all windows looking out across the city. There were about twelve pieces of equipment and a few exercise bikes/treadmills and a TV mounted on the wall. Only one other person was there at the time. There is an outdoor pool nearby on the roof, which was closed for the season.

Restaurant
The Becca d’Orro Authentic Italian Restaurant is just off of the lobby. The décor was dark wood molding against white walls and wooden floors. A bar ran the length of one end and was about half filled while we were there. The chairs, tables, and wall décor were all formal.

We ate here once and it was good but expensive. We felt out of place dressed in jeans and T-shirts, and the waiter acted a bit too high- brow for me. I can’t remember the meal but I dropped about $20 for a glass of red wine and a small pasta dish. But it was a nice experience and I would recommend eating there.

Other Amenities
Valet parking is available on-site and the people in our group that drove left the car here the whole time. It ended up costing them about $30/day to park. Room service and turndown service was available but we did not use them during our stay.

There are several meeting and reception rooms in the hotel on the first and second floors. However, I did not visit any of them.

Pets under 25 lbs are allowed with a $75 refundable deposit. You have to mention the pet while reserving and a portable kennel is required.

Check Out
We basically just turned in the electronic room keys. The friend that had charged everything to here credit card handled the bill and said everything was “OK” as long as we reimbursed her!

There were no extraneous charges or surprise fees. She had picked a great place to stay and we all enjoyed our visit. However, at times we felt out of place since most of the other guests were well-dressed business people. The few times we asked for information from the front desk we were treated courteously, but no one was overly friendly.

Nearby Attractions
Where do I start? Michigan Avenue has hundreds of stores and restaurants all within easy walking distance of this hotel. We went to Nike Town, Crate & Barrel, and Garret Popcorn Shop to name a few.

A complete listing can be found here:
http://www.themagnificentmile.com/

The John Hancock Building is at 875 N. Michigan Avenue and has a 94th Floor Observatory. About 6 blocks north of the hotel.
http://www.hancock-observatory.com/

Bus service is the best way to move around in this area and we used them extensively. The elevated train line was about 5 blocks to the west. Information on train service can be found here:
http://www.transitchicago.com/maps/systemmaps.html

Wrigley Filed is about 4 miles northwest of the hotel and Soldier Field is about 1-˝ miles south. We rode past Wrigley but it was all closed up – it was January.

Additional Information
Radisson Hotel & Suites Downtown Chicago
160 E Huron St
Chicago, IL 60611

Main Phone: 312-787-2900
Reservations: 800-333-3333

http://www.radisson.com/chicagoil

Other Hotel Reviews
Quality Inn & Suites-Columbus
http://www.epinions.com/content_152280403588

Red Roof Inn – Indianapolis
http://www.epinions.com/content_155214909060

Best Western - Milwaukee
http://www.epinions.com/content_150811479684

Red Roof - Cincinnati
http://www.epinions.com/content_155457064580

Recommended: Yes