I found my stay at the Buckingham Athletic Club to be very comfortable. The room was a very good size with a massive bed and a nice bathroom. Wireless internet was free of charge and a basic buffet-type breakfast was served in the lounge every morning. Of course the best bit was the view from the enormous picture windows. I stopped shutting the curtains at night as the view of the skyscrapers lit up at night was so lovely.

I was a bit concerned on arrival that being in the financial district would leave me a bit 'in the middle of nowhere', however found that it was not far to walk to find good restaurants nearby. Also, transfer to and from the airport was very easy as the hotel is situated right next door to the Blue Line on the CTA, which means you can get to and from the airport for less than $4 total, and without having to change trains.

I can't say that the issue of needing to take two elevators to get to the hotel rooms was really cause for complaint. In fact I felt a lot more secure in this hotel that in many others, especially as you need a security pass just to enter the building. I did have an issue with the lack of signposts as I found myself wandering into the exclusive 5 star restaurant with my suitcase as I couldn't find my room on arrival.

My only other gripe was that I could have sworn that I read somewhere that the hotel provided room service - this was in fact one of the reasons for booking a room there as I'm not that keen on eating out alone. It turned out that there is no actual room service but they will give you a list of take-out places that will deliver to the building.

During my stay I bumped into somebody who was attending the same congress as me in Chicago. He said to me "How did you find out about this hotel - I thought no-one knew about it except me! Promise you won't tell anyone else". It seems the Buckingham Athletic Club is a very well-kept secret and I would certainly stay here again on a future visit to the city.

This hotel is really set up for one person, staying in the financial district for work. There is only one room with 2 double beds and the rest are singles. There is no lobby area and the staff seems befuddled with hotel guests. The security guard downstairs almost prevents you from reaching your room. The room is very nice but basic. Also, the fitness center is 3 elevator rides away. I definitely would not recommend this for people traveling with families.

I wanted to title my review "Views, Snooze, and (something that rhymes and has to do with the fitness center)." This is one of the best kept secrets of Chicago. Very easy to get to from 290 freeway. Maze-like journey from car to hotel desk (three different elevators), but we didn't mind, it just made it feel more exclusive. Awesome view from our room, and I don't think you could get a bad view, since they're all on the 40th floor. Very nice room--classy, but not snooty. Fitness center is fabulous--a real fitness center, not a wanna-be like in most hotels. (I particularly liked the steam room.) You can actively exercise, or lazily luxuriate. Reasonable parking rates; we left our car and walked around in the loop. We will recommend it to friends, and we would like to come back.

I don't enjoy big chain hotels, so Buckingham was perfect for me. A discreet, boutique hotel that's close to one of my favorite parts of the city. Great security. Wonderful staff. Amazing views. Can't wait to get up there to see the fireworks on the lake this summer!