By far, this was one of the nicest hotels I have ever stayed in - and it made celebrating an anniversary with my boyfriend such a memorable experience!
For starters, we called ahead to get suggestions for restaurants and bars in the area. The concierge couldn't have been more helpful and nice - and she obviously took note that it was our anniversary and informed guest services because when we arrived they said "happy anniversary!" and gave us a complimentary room upgrade.
The hotel is impressive - the lobby and bar are gorgeous and the studio room we stayed in was very trendy and well-kept. The maids did a great job of cleaning up the room and even at night when they came to turn down the sheets, they cleaned things up a bit again and replaced towels.
The location of the hotel is perfect! We parked our car and never once took it out of the lot or had to take a cab. You are literally on Rush Street and only a block away from Michigan Avenue. We walked to the Navy Pier, the John Hancock Tower and to various shops and restaurants with no problems at all.
Above and beyond everything, the customer service is great. Being a younger couple, my boyfriend and I have had experiences where we aren't always taken seriously as hotel guests. At The James, every employee made us feel extremely welcome and bent over backwards to make sure that we were having a good time. The concierge arranged all of our dinner reservations, and for one dinner, even arranged to have a car from the restaurant pick us up. Even though we were in town for only 2 nights, we genuinely felt like the hotel employees knew and recognized us after only a few conversations.
I would really look forward to going back to this hotel and would recommend it to anyone!!