a wonderful hotel in a great location, our room was upgraded to a suite at no charge. The staff was very courteous and helpful, evening wine reception very nice. Neighborhood construction can make access difficult. We would definately stay here again

I was looking for a hotel for my business trip that was walking distance to the work site. I tried to contact the usual big name hotels but they were all booked. I think there were several big events going on that week. After all, it is Chicago!
I came across the Burnham during my Google search of hotels.
I can't say I was impressed by what I saw online but I thought I would give it a shot since my options were minimal. I'm glad I did.
Now the Hotel Burnham prides itself on being old school. In other words, it doesn't try to blow you away with a fancy, decked-out lobby. They stick to long time standards that still work today. Like great guest service and hospitality. They've conserved the building that has been around for many, many years but it's so cozy. The restaurant in the lobby was real good. Parking is sky high so don't try driving in. Besides, you really don't need a car if you're staying in and around Chicago. Especially downtown. My room was small but again, that's to be expected in an older building. I still felt comfortable and the area was nice and clean. During my stay (April 2008), renovations were going on downstairs so I advise you to request a room as high as you can get. My 10th floor location was good enough. The location is hard to beat. Right next door there is a Walgreens and if you bank at Bank of America, they are only 2 doors down. Not bad!
Millenium Park is across the street and you can pretty much walk to most of downtown. So it's safe to say that I would recommend the Hotel Burnham. Probably not for a large family because of the small size but for everyone else, they should be welcomed.

A good hotel in a great location. Unique property, architecturally - not much of a lobby - the restaurant/bar takes up most of the lobby space. We had dinner at the restaurant one night and the food was very good while the service was so-so. Our standard guestroom was very comfortable and clean. Bathroom was a good size. I rated this hotel 'above average' but really only the unique architcture of the building makes it above average. Best part of our stay was the beautiful exterior of the building and the great location. We were able to walk and take public transportation almost everywhere.

My wife and I booked the Burnham through Hotwire for $134 and stayed two nights this May. We considered it a great value for such a charming and well located hotel in Chicago.

The Burnham is relatively small, but the hotel is very pretty and has a classic look. The lobby is quite small but cozy, and there is a complimentary wine reception there from 5-6 pm everyday. Most of the lobby area is taken up by the Atwood Cafe, which is a very popular (and expensive) place to eat.

The hotel maintains many of the original touches from when it was built in 1895, like marble stairs, doorknobs, and iron work. Kimpton Hotels made it into the Burnham in 1999. The decor is modern feeling but not overwhelming; just cozy and inviting.

Our room was a standard queen on the 10th floor. The bed was nice and the view was impressive: our huge windows overlooked the corner of State and Washington, including Marshall Fields and the Chicago Theater. The bathroom was tiny and the tv and radio were a little dated, but these were not negatives for us. Everything was very clean, and the bath amenities were L'Occitane.

People have complained about construction noise from the huge project going on across the street. We stayed directly overlooking the construction and didn't hear a thing. Not only that, but Looptopia was going on below us late at night and we were not disturbed at all. I was worried about this a little, but no issues to report.

The location is excellent for shopping, bus and train access, and walking to and from Millennium Park/Michigan Ave. The only complaints we had are: one of the elevators broke down the Saturday we were there, which made it impossible to get down from the 10th floor. We had to walk down the stairs all day. Also, the business center is way overpriced (although wired internet is free in your room). Ultimately, these things kept us from giving the Burnham 5 stars, but this a strong 4-star hotel in our mind. It is a very charming and welcoming boutique hotel in the heart of the Loop, and you really feel like you are staying in one of the great historical buildings from an earlier era (I believe this was only the second "skyscraper" ever built in Chicago). We would gladly stay here again for these reasons.