I've stayed at many Embassy Suites and have generally had excellent experiences. Though this ES was tolerable, it was a bit of a letdown because it appeared to be a stripped-down version of the original concept. Good points: Excellent location for business; nicely finished rooms though a tad smaller than most I recall in this line. Staff are friendly and competent; cooked-to-order complimentary breakfast and Manager's Reception are, as always, strong pluses. The breakfast co-ordinator was really wonderful. An inexpensive pub-style restaurant at ground level was convenient for quick meals, and a grocery store across the street was also useful. Other points were not as strong. First, if they *must* charge for internet access (which costs them basically nothing), they shouldn't charge $15 per day *and* have only insecure wireless connections available. Upkeep was spotty; though clean, the rooms had one burned-out light bulb and the light at the computer station wasn't working either; in fact that light-and-plug combination had no power and there was nothing we could do about it because it was hard-wired. The interior courtyard, lush and gorgeous in most Embassy Suites, was open and sterile, dominated by a large vertical slate fountain that was damaged and was not in operation, nor had it been for a long time. A couple of rows of "bamboos" added a bit of green but the long-dead plants, to which plastic leaves were attached, had split open. Altogether rather depressing. But, if they fix some of these issues, and brought the hotel's atrium back up to ES standards, and held back on Internet fleecing, I'd recommend the place highly.

I stayed at the Embassy Suites last January for a few nights...first off, I lived in Chicago for two years so staying in hotels is always a bit strange when I return. Anyway, the hotel is decent for business, it's in the Loop, has good access to the El and is close to Union Station. However, it was lacking something. Usually I like staying at Embassy Suites but this hotel is very unremarkable. It was clean enough and the people were nice enough but it's doubtful I'll stay there again.

I'd rather stay at the Hilton downtown or even the Hilton Garden Inn on Ohio than the Embassy Suites. Plus, even as a Diamond Member, I had to pay $9.95 for internet per day. The nickle and diming really annoys me anyway, but when I stay at Hilton's 100 nights a year? Usually I get comped for stuff like this at the front desk but not this time. You've got a lot of choices downtown, and I'd look elsewhere. I will say the bar is nice in the lobby but the food for Happy Hour was pretty bland.

Stayed at this Embassy Suites for 2 nights while visiting Chicago. Arrived at the hotel at noon on a Saturday and was allowed to check-in early. Clerk who checked me in was nice, but seemed preoccupied. I took the Blue Line from O'hare to the Downtown Clark/Lake exit. The hotel is a good 10 block walk from this stop, so you may want to avoid it during inclement weather.

The room was clean, however seemed a little dark and older compared to other Embassy Suites I have visited. The bathroom was on the small side. The Internet was a little slower than desired (not free). The breakfast was average and was served by pleasant staff. The Manager's Reception was also average. The elevators were fast and there was never a long wait. There were many families staying at this hotel over the weekend. Noise easily carried into my room from the adjoining rooms.

Nearby the hotel is a Dominick's grocery store and a Walgreens. Attached to the hotel is a movie complex and bowling alley. The hotel is very near that Sheraton if you are trying to map it out. It is a little walk to some of the more famous restaurants in Chicago (and fast food if you are looking for a quick bite to eat). I did not use the pool but it seemed small. I noticed the hotel just refurnished its fitness center.

Overall, this is an ok hotel with an ok staff. I feel the rooms could use a bit of a makeover. I would stay here again if I received a good deal.

We stayed here for a family trip with our four kids. We chose this hotel based on price, locations, reviews and that they would allow all of us to stay in one room. (it's hard to find a hotel that doesn't make us get two room or pay a very expensive suite rate). I have read other reviews others who had a bad experience, but I will say that ours (and most others I read) was great! We checked in on a Friday afternoon. It was easy to find the valet parking and they were great. I hate to pay that much for parking, but you would find that at any hotel in Chicago. We took the elevator to the Sky Lobby to check in and waited maybe 5 minutes till it was our turn, no more that that. The staff was very nice and courteous. They had 2 people waiting to check everyone in, but as soon a line starting forming behind us, another person jumped right in to check in other guests. Our room was on the 16th floor. It is an open lobby area all the way to the ceiling so if you are a little scared of heights, you might want to get a room on the lower floors. The room was a suite with two double beds in the bedroom area with a tv and a sofabed in the living room. It had a small dining area in the living area with a flat screen tv, a larger bathroom than you see in most hotels, and a small kitchenette with a sink, a small refrigerator, and microwave. The bed linens and towels were nice and clean, with very comfortable beds. It also had a large armoire in the bedroom and a large entertainment center, and a good size closet so there was plenty of storage. The managers reception was a nice bonus as well as the breakfeast in the morning. At the managers reception you are offered all the free drinks you can drink (alcohol and non-alcoholic). I read one review that said they were disappointed that they had to wait in line for a drink, but HELLO , its free and how many people are staying there? - You have to expect to wait a little, but we never waited for long. The breakfeast in the morning was more than I expected, you had everything from pancakes and sausge to made to order omlets, cereals, fruits, yogarts, breads, juices, coffee, milk, potatoes. It is included with the price of your room, so it is free to everyone. I would recommend coming either earlier or later (we were there early) because around 8 am to 9 it is busy. The consierge was nice and very helpful. The only slightly negative thing I would say was the size of the pool. It is small (long, but not very wide), but there were never too many kids and ours had a great time. Plus, they had stacks of towels, so you didn't have to worry about bringing them from your room or running out by the pool. All in all for the price and locations in chicago (you are close to everything!) you can't beat this hotel. We will definitly stay here again.