This hotel is completely over-rated. The staff was mediocre, the rooms had an odd odor. I've stayed at much nicer, actual 5 star hotels. This was not one of them. Maybe it works for Chicago, but I'd rather stay at the Four Seasons, Ritz, or the Park Hyatt. Really, don't believe the hype.

Amid comments of, why are you going to Chicago in March?, I planned a short trip and booked a room at the Peninsula. My wife and I were accompanied by our two children . Our son is aged 5 and and our daughter is aged 18 months. We had never been to the Peninsula before, but its reputation convinced me to stay there. I arranged through the hotel to have a car to meet us at the airport upon our arrival. Inside the terminal a man was waiting for us holding a Peninsula Hotel sign. He greeted us and led us outside to the waiting car. Our car was a black Lincoln stretch limousine. My son loved the car and the driver whisked us away from the airport for a relaxing ride to the hotel. We pulled up to the hotel which is guarded by two very large oriental lion statues. We were greeted by a very friendly doorman named Timothy. He took my name and said our bags would be delivered to our room shortly. We proceeded inside the hotel and took the elevator to the lobby to check in. We were greeted warmly as we completed our check in. The Lobby Restaurant room was near the elevators and it is just as stunning in person as in all pictures I had seen of it. The friendly woman who checked us in led us to the elevator and took us to our room on the twelfth floor. We had booked a junior suite #1217 because we needed the space. The room was done in shades of yellow and gold. The truly great hotels always do the little things that set them apart and the Peninsula accomplished this brilliantly. On the cocktail table in front of the sofa in the living room was a paper model of a 1956 light blue Ford Thunderbird convertible. Inside the seating compartment was a linen napkin wrapped around two chocolate chip cookies. Next to the car was a martini glass filled with gummy bears. Next to the martini glass was a small teacup and saucer and a small silver spoon. Inside the teacup was orange gelatin. There was also a beautiful purple box of Vosges Haut-Chocolat exotic truffles on the desk. The room looked out onto N. Michigan Avenue and the large window made the view exceptional. The room was spacious and inviting. The next wonderful detail that the hotel accomplished still puts a smile on my face. In the closet were robes for us to wear while we relaxed. There were two adult robes and two robes for the children. The robes for the children had hoods and were sized so as to fit them each perfectly. We got some great photographs of the kids in those robes. The room was equipped with consoles by the bed that controlled all the environmental adjustments for the room. The bathroom was gorgeous and well-equipped. There was a television that could be viewed while bathing in the bathtub. The kids loved watching TV while taking their evening baths. Turn down service was completed every evening much to our satisfaction. We had lunch at the french bistro connected to the hotel. The food and service were both excellent. After our visit to the observation deck of the Sears Tower, we returned to the hotel and had dinner at the Lobby Restaurant. This restaurant is a gorgeous palatial space. The food was wonderful as was our server Don. I enjoyed a Peninsula Martini and my wife enjoyed her Blood Orange Martini. After dinner we retired to our room and I slept deeply on the very comfortable bed. The next morning, I watched the kids while my wife indulged in a swedish massage at the Spa. She said Donald did a great job. After that we all had breakfast in the the french bistro and headed out to see some of the culture of the city. We took the kids to the Science and Industry Museum, Millenium Park and the Art Institute of Chicago. The weather was cooperative with the temperature in the mid to upper 40's and mostly sunny. The Cloud Gate was fun to see in person. Upon our return to the hotel, my son and I enjoyed the pool and the hot tub before we went to dinner. What a scenic setting to swim laps. I loved it. I wanted to try Chicago style pizza on our last night so I phoned the Concierge and she recommended either Gino's East or Giordano's. Since we had the kids, we chose Giordano's because it was right across the street on North Rush Street. We ordered the stuffed pizza and it was incredibly good. I was raised on the thin crust pizza of New Haven, Connecticut but I got to tell you, the stuffed pizza here, while different ,was every bit as enjoyable as any pizza I have ever had. After dinner we retired to our room, bathed the kids and fell asleep. The next morning we had an early breakfast in the Lobby Restaurant. Again, the food and service were excellent. We returned to our room and collected our luggage and proceeded to check out. I used the express checkout method and we took the elevator to the ground level. Timothy the doorman saw us off and our limousine returned us to O'Hare for our trip home. What a fabulous stay at the Chicago Peninsula.

I had purchased a ticket to the closing night performance of my favourite opera at the Chicago Lyric Opera. I chose the Peninsula as I only had a one night's stay and I wanted to assure I was well taken care of. I debated back and forth with myself between the Ritz Carlton and the Peninsula and finally decided to give the Peninsula a try. Previous stays at other Ritz locations have left me feeling dizzy with the over-the-top attempt at opulence. With the Peninsula, the mantra appeared to be "less is more" and I was not disappointed.
The hotel arranged a driver who met me at the airport with sincere smiles and an immaculate sedan featuring the Peninsula's signature magazine, bottles of signature mineral water and various snacks. Upon arrival in Chicago, I was treated regally from everyone from the driver to the concierge. I was shown to my room by the warm and gracious young lady who checked me in at reception.
Because I was only staying one night, I opted for a regular king room rather than a full suite. The room was well-appointed with the understated elegance for which I had hoped. Rather than showy opulance, everything about the room (and indeed, the entire hotel) boasted understated sumptuousness - everything whispered plush without screaming pretention by shoving wealth in one's face. My fifteenth-floor room had a beautiful view of the Magnificent Mile. In addition to the standard amenities, the room offered incredibly plush bathrobes to be enjoyed in the state-of-the-art bathroom. The ice bucket had been filled and two bottles of the hotel's signature mineral water were waiting for me upon arrival. Everything from the bedroom's plasma television to the bathroom's whirlpool tub with built-in entertainment center was of the highest quality.
Upon return from the opera, the hotel staff had performed a discreet turn-down service, in addition to cleaning the bathroom and refreshing the toiletries. Embroidered slippers and a clean bathrobe had been laid out for my ease. The ice bucket had again been filled and two more bottles of water were left.
I had chosen the full Chinese breakfast as room service and it was delivered on time and warm. The food was absolutely delicious - If you try nothing else during your stay, choose the Chinese breakfast - You will not be disappointed.
Due to weather conditions, my flight was delayed and I needed to stay an additional five hours until the car would deliver me back to the airport. The same young lady who checked me in greeted me warmly by name as I walked to the reception desk to discuss an extension for a late check-out. She re-arranged the driver and obtained a selection of spa services while I waited for my rescheduled flight.
Overall, I was extremely impressed with the warmth and classic luxury of the Peninsula. Everything and everyone was the epitome of what true class is. The Ritz has just lost a customer.

everything was great, food, room, service, concierge. i would definately recommend it.