Hilton Chicago -- Above Our Expectations
Written: Dec 16 '02 (Updated Feb 21 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Beautiful decorations, nice restaurants, friendly staff
Cons: Expensive parking
The Bottom Line: We are very fortunate to have stayed here. I highly recommend it for your next visit to Chicago.
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| mrbluesky's Full Review: Hilton Chicago |
Hilton Chicago and Tower
Visited December 2002
My wife and I spent a short weekend at the Hilton Chicago on South Michigan this past weekend. We are both thoroughly happy with our stay, and definitely would stay there again.
We arrived on a Saturday about 1 PM. The Hilton is very easy to find. Going south on Michigan past Congress, the hotel is on the right. There’s a large sign within a block that tells you where to drive your car to park. When we drove into the entrance, we saw a sign “Self Park is Full. Use Valet Parking”. We used the valet parking, albeit at $32 per day with in and out privileges. Where you park depends on how you intend to get around. You can park nearby for less, but you may not have in and out privileges if you’re going to be driving a lot. We had decided to cab our way around, and leave the car parked. That may not be everyone’s choice, but I felt a little better that way.
We made our way to the front desk. There are two lines that form there. One is for Hilton HHonors members, and the other is for those who do not have a Hilton number. The Hilton HHonors line was much shorter, so we stood in it for about 10 minutes (we have Hilton HHonors). It occurred to me that the other line was moving more quickly, so I switched lines and were helped within about 5 minutes. The check in went smoothly. I mentioned that it was our anniversary, and we were given a corner room overlooking Lake Michigan. We were there earlier than the 4 PM check in, but the room was ready.
Our first impression of the main reception area was very positive. The marble floors were very clean and shiny. The carpets throughout the areas were spotless and free of debris. The main area there was very busy. There were lots of people going about their business, and it felt a little rushed at that time. There are a few things located right at the reception area that seemed to cause a lot of traffic.
We made our way to the elevator, and up to the 11th floor to our room. Our room was a little on the small side. It was basic, with not many frills. The king size bed was comfortable, and the bedspread looked new. The drapery was very nice. It looks like when they renovated the place in the 1980s, that they didn’t skimp on the rooms. The bathroom had the basic inclusions that you would expect. I thought the brass hardware in the bathroom was a nice touch. We were very pleased with our view. Our the window, we had a gorgeous view of Lake Michigan. Then viewing left to right, we could see Navy Pier, Grant Park with the fountain, then the museum complex including the Field Museum, Planetarium, and Shedd Aquarium, and also the renovation of Soldier Field. The room was a little warm when we first arrived, but we were able to control the temperature quite well. We were more than pleased with the room, even if it were a little small.
After settling into our room, we spent about an hour just walking around the place, and enjoying the decorations. We looked at the Grand Ballroom, which was a magnificent sight to behold. In the Michigan Street lobby, Christmas Carolers, dressed in turn-of-the-century attire, entertained passersby with traditional holiday songs. The entire place seemed to be happy. I don’t know how else to describe the atmosphere. The workers seemed to enjoy what they were doing, and always treated the guests with respect.
In the main lobby, a concierge was there eager to help. I noticed that foreign currency exchange rates were clearly posted for foreign travelers staying there. The concierge was more than gracious, and helpful more than what could be expected. He would not only have recommendations of where to eat, but would volunteer to call ahead and make reservations for you. We just had a couple easy questions for him, and we found him not only to be very informative, but very personable also.
There are three restaurants in the Hilton Chicago. Kitty O’Sheas is a traditional Irish pub, serving meals at lunch and dinner. The Pavilion is a casual bistro that serves traditional American meals, and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Buckingham’s is an upscale steak and seafood restaurant, open for dinner and also for Sunday brunch. Because of our short stay, we only ate at Buckingham’s. We had called in advance and were seated immediately. The service, however, was dreadfully slow. The place was packed with customers, and the staff hustled a lot, and didn’t seem to waste any time. Prices on the menu are fairly expensive, with entrees ranging from spaghetti at about $12, to the 12 ounce Filet Mignon at $25. My wife ordered the 10 ounce filet, and I had the 12 ounce. We then waited and waited, for about one hour till our food was finally brought. The waiter was very apologetic, and said they had a party just ahead of us. They offered us free drinks, and free dessert due to the time we had to wait. While the wait did seem a bit long, I didn’t mind it that much because we were absorbed in the beautiful décor, as well as people watching. When the meal finally came, we were more than pleased. We both enjoy our steaks well done. They were perfectly done, and tender enough to cut with a fork. Béarnaise sauce was on the side, held by a fish-shaped bread (nice touch of whimsy in my opinion!) and was delicious with our filet. The dessert tray held a wide variety. I want to stress variety. Many places have mostly chocolate, or cakes, or a majority of one thing or another. I noticed the variety included chocolate, fruit, cakes, pies, and other items, each different both in taste and in category. Each dessert was prepared individually – when I say “pie”, I mean a small individual pie, not a slice of a larger pie. To me, that showed a little more individual touch. I know I’ve carried on quite a bit about this dinner. It was truly that good. The Sunday brunch the following day was nearly as good, without any disappointments. When we’re in Chicago again, even if we stay elsewhere, we’ll be sure to come and have a meal here again.
Check out was at 11 AM. If you want a late check out, you should expect to pay a fee for it. We checked out via the television link, and avoided the line downstairs. Since we wanted to see more of Chicago that day after check out, we paid the $1 per bag and had them store it till we were ready to leave Chicago. The hotel is a mile and a half south of the Magnificent Mile shopping area, but the hotel runs a free shuttle to and from that area daily. There are also other attractions nearby. We visited the Field Museum, a gigantic historical museum that took us all day to complete. It was a $4 cab ride one way to get there. We walked to the famous Art Institute which is only 5 blocks north. And of course, Grant Park is right across the street.
We were very fortunate to have stayed here. We placed a bid on Priceline and were more than pleased that this is the hotel we got, and for an unbelievably low price. If you’re going to be staying in Chicago even for a day or two, go by the Hilton Chicago if only to walk through and see how magnificent this place really is. I highly recommend it and would by happy to stay there again.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
mrbluesky
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Location: Milwaukee, WI USA
Reviews written: 37
Trusted by: 3 members
About Me:
I like working in the garden, and watching sports on television.
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