We were making our first trip to Chicago and found a special rate on the Internet for $129 a night. A big more than we would ordinarily pay, but we were only going to be there over the weekend, and here was a chance to see how the other half lives.

The rich ARE different.

Our room was gorgeous. Huge, beautifully decorated, and with a large picture window that overlooked the Navy Pier and the lake beyond.

The bed was a king size and one of the most comfortable hotel beds I've slept in. The bathroom was roomy and came with its own telephone jack (in case you want to talk on the phone while sitting on the toilet!)

However, I was disappointed with the hotel overall. I am accustomed to having free local calling, but it was going to cost me 20 cents A MINUTE to call locally, which eliminated my ability to use my laptop computer.

There was no continental breakfast, and so we had to pay for breakfast at a nearby cafe.

And worst of all, when we visited the exercise room on the top of the hotel, they wanted to charge us $10 to enter.

I have stayed a budget hotels where the rooms were not quite so fancy, but they came with breakfast, free local calls and unlimited use of the pool and exercise facilities.

The Swissotel Chicago is a beautiful building, conveniently located near Chicago's Miracle Mile, but I will never return. And I will probably never try taking a "deal" on some otherwise expensive hotel again. I can't afford it.

Recommended: No