Great place to stay
Written: Nov 25 '02 (Updated Nov 26 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Elegant yet affordable
Perfect location
Cons: Congested area
Lack of accessible parking
The Bottom Line: Wyndham surpassed my expectations and made the conference and my stay in Chicago a memorable one. When I return I will include the Wyndham as a hotels to check.
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| gsxrpilot's Full Review: Wyndham Downtown |
I was recently (Sept. ?) in Chicago for the first time attending a conference, and stayed at the Wyndham Downtown Chicago. http://www.wyndham.com/hotels/ORDDT/main.wnt. The hotel is tucked into the downtown area just off the incredible Michigan Avenue. The hotel is within walking distance of the Navy Pier and other attractions such as The House of Blues. The Art Institute of Chicago, the Sears Tower and Buckingham Fountain are only a $15 cab fare away. This gives you all the access without the traffic, although the congestion around the hotel was relatively steady. Transportation from Chicago Midway airport was around $50 round trip.
Since this was my first time to Chicago I was a little cautious and somewhat reserved. Having traveled via subway in other major cities I was apprehensive about using the "El" during weekday rush hour. Choosing to walk or cab was a nice alternative since the weather was an amazing 75 degrees in mid-September!
The Navy Pier reminded me of an indoor version of Baltimore's Inner Harbor with shops and restaurants offering anything you can imagine. A mini amusement park (Coney Isl. style) is located at the far end of the pier. The House of Blues should not be missed. I was there for their Sunday Gospel Brunch and it was unlike anything I have ever seen. Truly wonderful and expect a lot of audience participation. The Sears Tower ($6.75-$9.50) is well worth the cost of admission. The view from the top cannot be explained. Three states are visible on a clear day! There are coin-operated binoculars and the observation deck has a great history of Chicago kiosk.
The hotel is attractive and comfortable. The Calittera Restaurant lounge is spacious and the food and beverages, well done. Prices are what you should expect for a downtown hotel in a major city. My group had orders of bruchetta and I had a decent Merlot. The staff there is first-rate. Between the conference meals and the plethora of food available at places around the city, I did not have any meals at the restaurant. If the food served at the conference were any indicator, I would say the meals were delicious. The only thing I wasn’t fond of was a warm soup (squash?, pumpkin?, we couldn’t figure out what it was). I must recommend the Billy Goat Tavern. http://www.tribads.com/billygoats/. If you grew up with Saturday Night Live like I did you will appreciate the authenticity of this place. The Billy Goat Tavern was the inspiration for the cheeseburger, cheeseburger skit. I tell ya, it is a surreal experience. You better order a cheeseburger!
The Wyndham rooms are large (I stayed with my wife in a deluxe, non-smoking room on the 16th floor with 2 comfortable, double beds) and the bathrooms spotless. The view was nice but focused west with no view of the water or the Sears Tower. My room included a desk with an ultra-comfortable, Herman Miller ergonomic chair, mini-bar, armoire with large color television and plenty of drawer space throughout. Although I didn't use them, the room comes with 3 multi-line phones, high-speed Internet access and voicemail. The large closet has an ironing board and iron and there is a telephone next to the "throne" for that calls-that-just-can't-wait. There are several elevators so getting to and from the room was never a problem. The room listed at $225 but was covered under a special rate for the conference. As of 11/26/02 the room had a special rate of $129, not including downtown Chicago room tax (14.9%)
The hotel staff is very diligent and accommodating. The "Do Not Disturb" signs were respected and the room was always clean when we returned. The concierge was especially helpful when arranging dinner reservations, making them upon request and arranging transportation with immediate seating upon arrival.
Other amenities include a small but equipped gym with several joggers and steppers in front of televisions and a pool large enough to soak in but not outfitted for swimming.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
gsxrpilot
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Reviews written: 19
Trusted by: 2 members
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