Up For a Cubs weekend --we usually stay wherever Priceline can put us for $75 or so. That usually means the Hyatt, Drake, Wyndham Chicago, Burnham, Palmer House or Hilton Chicago. Since it was our anniversary and I was able to get a deluxe-view king for about $50 more under Fairmont's Friends and Family promotion (you need an employee id code to get rate--widely available on web)and since Fairmont is generally considered to be a Premium brand a cut above those listed above, we went for it.

Pros = Beautiful facility. Our room's view was a knockout, Milennium Park. a slice of the lake, Field Museum and Soldier Field! Bathroom was cool--separate marble shower with huge "rain" showerhead and one of those big round backlit magnifying mirrors that lets you see zits and blackheads at about 10x. Room was also very clean and quiet.

Cons = Poor A/C --it was a hot humid weekend. Though the a/c was set on high cool and 64* -- the room never got below 73* I know that is a fine temperature for most--but I cannot sleep unless temp is below 70. I've come to believe that a lot of hotels have some sort of non publicized low end governor and they decide how cool your room will be allowed to get. I want it my way and at a Premium hotel--should be able to get it. I reported it the first morning after the first night and they promised to send an engineer up.--We were out all day so I've no idea if anyone looked at it as they weren't considerate enough to leave me a message. At any rate the second night was the same as the first---hot and humid! First night we went to see "Jersey Boys" (great, highlight of the trip!) and returned to our room at about 10:30 and decided to order up a snack (hotel directory advises 24hr in room dining) after studying extensive menu and making our selections we called to place our order only to be informed "in room dining has closed for the night" !! Here we are in Chicago at a supposed world class upscale hotel and we couldn't get any room service at 10:45 PM !!! I guarantee you I could have scared up a cheeseburger or club sandwich or something at the Holiday Inn in the little Indiana city I live in. Geeez. Location --most reviews call the location good. It is unquestionably in a good, but business oriented neighborhood--other than the CVS across the street, it is about 3 city blocks to any shopping/dining/entertainment venues- (dining choices are severely limited at the Fairmont) so for my purposes, the location is average to poor. Concierge service: I sought the advice of the concierge on two separate minor matters---but each time the concierge desk was overwhelmed and people were waiting 3-4 deep, not how I wanted to spend my time--so I did without their counsel.

Was the extra $50 or so per night worth it for the view and the bathroom? IMHO hela no! Won't be back.

We stayed Thurs-Sat June 11-13 for Cubs game and sightseeing-we got a great rate since we booked early before the hotel was filled $167/night for a "suite" that had a bedroom with 2 double beds, a separate living room with dinette table, there also was a small vanity area and huge bathroom with separate tub/shower area. Valet parking at the hotel isn't cheap at $49 a night plus tip-so we self parked in the underground garage of the Aon building next door which meant a little walk but saved us $30 for the 2 nights and you can always drop off the family and suitcases at the front of the hotel then go park-(we do public transportation and didn't need in & out privileges) the Aon building connects to the Fairmont so you don't even have to walk outside and has a Starbucks, Au Bon Pain and sandwich shop (the building is closed on weekends though but parking is still available-pay in the lobby)-ask workers where to go and they'll point you in the right direction. We loved the Fairmont-rooms were clean, attentive staff, swanky lobby-the doorman took our picture for us, hailed cabs easily and concierge made dinner reservations for us. There was a free coffeemaker in our room ($10 if you used the bottled Evian) but it was one of those fancy pod makers I couldn't figure out so I bought Starbucks one day. There is a CVS right across the street for anything you might need. It's not too far of a walk to Milennium Park, Macy's, the El station. Overall a wonderful experience-my favorite and we've stayed at a few downtown Chicago hotels with our kids, this was my favorite because of price, location and accomodations. (Did I mention the ceramic tiled shower with rainfall water head?). Very nice for families-(although we did NOT eat there, ordered in Lou Malnati's pizza and ate out.

I got an incredibly good rate which made this reservation a no-brainer. One of my main requirements was a downtown Chicago hotel that had a spa in the hotel. The spa was clean and new with a good size workout facility, nice bathroom, steam room and relaxation lounge area for post workout or before getting a massage. The massage was very nice, good masseuse and new massage rooms. It is not the largest overall spa, but if going with a friend or two its a nice, modern facility and free to guests of the hotel.

The rooms were big, with comfortable beds and a new, large LCD TV but an odd lack dresser space, we had zero space to unpack our clothes. Good shower and a new bathroom round out a solid room and a comfortable stay. We were upgraded to a "lake view" room, which provided a decent view, but it was not really a full-on lake view, instead there is a large building across the way. This might bother some, not a big deal to us though.

I did not deal with the front desk much, but the concierge and people at the Spa were very friendly and helpful.

Finally, the location is great, 10 minute walk to Grant Park and the attractions around there and a 10 minute walk in the other direction to get to Michigan avenue.

There are MANY options in Chicago and certainly some luxury options that might be nicer, but especially if you can get a good rate, the Fairmont is a very fine option, providing modern, large rooms, helpful service, good location and a spa in the hotel.

Well first I must say that talking to someone online about the trip started some amazing follow ups from the hotel. We paid for a regular room, but I had made plans for champaign upon arrival since my husband and I were going downtown Chicago for my 40th birthday celebration. Well upon checkin we found they automatically upgraded me to the suite on the top floor. The room had 3 views of the city from the North, East and west. The room was huge,. Then after we had a late lunch, come back to the room to find a birthday surprise. Timothy Samples made all these plans for me, and he really made my stay a memory of a lifetime.

We went to Soldier field for a huge concert, the only drawback was having to walk almost half the way back before we were able to hail a cab - quite frustrating, but the bed upon getting back to the room made it all worthwhile. One of the most comfortable beds I have ever slept in. The room service for breakfast in the morning allowed us to enjoy the room a little, and checking out and getting our vehicle from the valet - was perfect timing, no delays and they all from the valet, to the room service, to the concierge - they were all amazing,. I would go back there for any visit ever.......