My wife and I just returned from a great weekend in Chicago. The Burnham Hotel made our anniversary stay a most memorable one. From the upgraded suite, to the champagne prepared in our room for our arrival, everything was taken care perfectly. The hotel is conveniently located on the red line, and just a walk away from the blue line to O'Hare. If your planning on seeing a show in the theatre or shopping at Marshall Field's flagship store, its really the best location! The room is elegant and preserves its heritage while maintaining a modern touch.

My wife and I stayed here for the weekend celebrating and anniversary and absolutely loved it. The service was impeccable, particularly the concierges who found us outstanding dining. Complimentary shoeshines and robes, as well as the evening turn-down service were great touches.
The rooms were small, but the bathroom was plenty large. The decor was really cool...the Reliance Building used to be an office building and the doors on our floor looked like 1920s office doors - the wrought iron trim added to the look.

For the most part the front desk staff were kind, but didn't seem knowledgable about where to go if the concierge wasn't available. Also, there was no concierge on this particular Saturday night (oddly enough), so it's good to have some backup possibilities, or to ask as soon as you arrive.

This hotel has been ranked highly on this list, "most romantic hotels" list, etc. and deserves every bit of approbation it has received.

I stayed at the Hotel Burnham March 13, 2004 and had a wonderful experience. I signed up for the Kimpton Frequent Guest program before my trip and booked my room on the Burnham Hotel website using my membership number. To my surprise and delight I was given a top floor corner room upon check-in (The hotel has 15 floors). The room had a northern exposure and I could see up State Street to the Chicago River (a small glimpse of green). The lights from the Chicago Theater weren't working (it's under renovation) but I was provided with a great view of dazzling light displays from other nearby theaters. The room was on the small side, but it was clean and well appointed. The internet connection was blazing fast! We were welcomed to our room with a note from the concierge and chocolate chip cookies. The hotel's lobby and common areas are clean and beautifully restored...keeping with the building's original wrought iron stair railings, wood trim/wall paneling and tile floors. I was amused to get off the elevator to see a quaint common area set off by rooms with old fashioned "office style" windows in their hallway doors. Each room looked like you could walk into a private office set in the 1920s. Although I didn't dine at the hotel restaurant, there was generally a good dining crowd in the afternoon and evening. The "loop" location is excellent and right next door to Marshall Field's "grande dame" flagship store. I stayed at a large Michigan Avenue hotel later in the week, but wish I had made additional reservations at the Burnham Hotel. I would definitely stay at the Burnham again when I visit Chicago.

I have never been disappointed at a Kimpton hotel, and this one was no exception. (I don't work for them or own stock in them.) My partner and I spent a 4-day Valentine's weekend here and loved the VERY comfortable bed, soft linens, and little extras - turndown service included filling the ice bucket and turning on the sound system (radio/CD player) to a jazz station for our return to the room. The staff was always friendly and terrific, even asking at checkout whether we needed change for the subway out to the airport! We got a standard room, which tends to be a little small at Kimpton hotels, but we knew that going in - if you plan to spend lots of time in your room, splurge for the larger suites.
Hotel accepts pets - we had a terrier yapping away in the room next door, but it was quiet at night. We had breakfast and brunch at Atwood cafe - somewhat pricey, esp. if you're a light morning eater because the portions are enormous - but very tasty. Red line subway located steps from the door, other lines 2 blocks away. Tons of shopping within 2 block-radius, plus the theater district. Location couldn't be better.
We'll be back.