We checked in around 11:30 pm. Bathroom toiletries were not replenished, and there was no bath mat.
When we went to sleep, we took the pillows out of the closet, the cases had been used.
They ran out of magnetic passes. We finally got one the morning we were to leave. This created a constant hassle because the hotel is incased in a security zone.
Parking is expensive. The garage is run separately .The people at the hotel could not tell us the cost. I can tell you now, it is $32/24 hours and there are in and out fees, so if you take your car out, you will be charged more. Both times I left the garage, there was a problem. Once the card could not be read and the other, no receipt from the machine. Both times they had to hand write a receipt for me as I was on business. I'm still not sure I will get reimbursed as the receipts were written on scratch paper.
Beware of the hot buffet breakfast. The complimentary pass only covers one person from the double room.
And I did find all the switching of elevators inconvenient.

My husband and I really enjoyed our stay at the Buckingham Athletic Club 6/23-6/27/08. The El is directly outside (LaSalle Station on blue line or Van Buren Station on the orange/purple line), the beds comfortable, the rooms spacious and nice, the athletic club was fabulous (great hot tub, lap pool, and service), and the view is spectacular.

We could see the Sears Tower and city looking left and the lake on the right from our room. We kept the curtains opened the entire time.

I absolutely adored the bathtub and utilized it every evening. The tub is incredibly long, which was fantastic for a tall girl like me, and I was able to get the temperature very hot.

The hotel is also within walking distance of a lot of attractions and restaurants. If you like odd little eateries, try Wow Bao for a little local flavor. Quite good, affordable, and right near hotel.

We had a wonderful stay at the Buckingham. Room was very spacious and clean, we loved the use of the Athletic Club and did not find the transfer of elevators to be a problem. Everyone at the Athletic Club was very friendly and willing to make us feel comfortable. The free continental breakfast at the hotel was just enough for us to get started in the morning before we took off for the day. The hotel is close to a train station so we were able to hop on and get just about anywhere within minutes. We would definitely stay there again.

This really was a cracking find.

I travelled to Chicago on business from London and for a single girl in her twenties this place couldn't have been better. It's bang in the middle of Chicago's financial district. Don't expect the area to be rocking at the weekend ('though it will be during the week) - it's akin to The City - but the view from the rooms is utterly spectacular. I had a city lake in one direction, and a lake view in the other.

It's on the 40th floor, so you feel totally safe. You're also given full access to the Athletic Club downstairs, where the service and facilities couldn't be better. The pool/spa are lovely and there's a full towel/everything service down there. They also had a Wii in the foyer while I was there, but I'm not sure that's a regular fixture!

A continental breakfast is served in the lounge every morning. You can take it back to your room if you want to - I took it back to the sofa in my room where I could eat and admire the view! I had a bar area and tea/coffee facilities in my room, as well as a TV and wireless internet and a big work desk (important!). The bathroom was very big, and the loo separate... basically I had everything I needed, and if I needed anything else, the staff were very helpful.

I should point out that it's not brand spanking new, but if cool, boutique hotels are more your style than generic chains, this place may well be for you. Ring them directly for the best value deal. Considering all the available facilities, it really is great value.

The location is in the financial district. The blue line train is a 30 second walk from the hotel and that goes straight to O'Hare airport (40 mins and costs $2). It took 25 mins and cost $50 in a taxi. Also, I walked to Millenium Park and the Art Institute (12 mins) and up to the Magnificent Mile (30 mins) - it's a very nice city to walk around (if a little cold at times!).

I agree with all the previous positive reviews on this site - though not sure about the one that moaned about the access to the health club being awkward. You access the hotel and the Athletic Club from the ground floor. One lift goes to the hotel (40th floor) and a different one to the health club on the 5th floor - It's really not difficult or awkward and I think having a full 25m pool on the 40th floor of a building might be a little implausible!!