I left my iPod and PDA out to charge and strangely enough, had only my iPod stolen. I'll assume the moron who took it couldn't make heads or tails of it, whereas the iPod is fairly easy to spot. Anyway; I was expecting to be reimbursed almost without question as the incident was reported immediately upon discovering that they had been stolen; quite the opposite occurred actually.

After an "investigation" to determine whether the locking mechanism had failed or not, they determined that they were not responsible. I was in shock initially. We're talking about a 3rd generation 20 gb iPod here. The insurance company's argument was simple; they were not responsible period. They said that as part of their investigation they had interrogated their staff and found them completely innocent of any wrongdoing. As if anyone would own up to that. What a wonderful world we'd live in indeed. I asked the agent to let ME interrogate them to which they responded with no. I made it clear to them that regardless of their policy they had essentially accused me of lying and fraud. Their agent did their best to deflect that statement but the definition was a black and white one.

Now, I do quite well in my profession and could purchase my own iPod. That's simply not the issue here. One assumes that there is some level of protection to one's personal belongings when staying at a hotel. Apparently, at the Hilton, there isn't. I'm insulted to say the least. Regardless, if you do decide to stay there please be aware that the staff are thieves and that the hotel will in fact support them while accusing you if the situation ever arises.

Stayed here for a conference and the hotel seems to be quite busy at all times. Has everything one would expect from such a hotel and the public places are excellent. Close to the Field Museum in one direction and the Art Institute in the other direction. Rooms may be fairly small, but are quite comfortable. Excellent fitness rooms, but in-room WiFi seemed pricey at $13 a day. Walking distance to the El and underground and a lot of nice places to eat nearby.

Stayed here for a conference and really enjoyed my room, it was clean and well laid out with a lot of character and it didnt seem like the generic and sterile hotel room. It was a little far from the Magnificant Mile but since it was the beginning of spring when I was there, it was a really nice 20-30 minute walk/stroll or quick cab ride. The service was great and thehotel a several restaurants to chose from. The hotel was close to the L train but could only hear it during the afternoons so it wasn't that distracting. Had a relaxing stay and would definitely go back again.

This is a massive hotel that appears to have many conventioneers, located just south of the Loop in Chicago. The location is not bad, however, it's a bit south for my liking to the Magnificent Mile, but is close to McCormack Place and thus the appeal to those at conventions. I wouldn't want to be any further south than this, as the neighbourhood starts to get a bit "iffy". The hotel is just huge inside, but check in was very smooth and incredibly pleasant. The hotel has a ton of elevator banks with comfortable sofas on each floor for you to sit in case there is a wait (but there never was). The size of the hotel is obvious when you have to map out your journey to your room. Many twists and turns await...........its a HUGE hotel. The room was quite nice. Large with TWO bathrooms (it was not a suite either), however, I believe we did get an upgrade. Hilton Honours members get a coupon for complimentary bottled water and receive a USA Today at their door the next morning. The beds were definitely on the small size.........had a room with two very small double beds. TV was large - only problem....you have to navigate through the usual solicitation to buy their movies before you get to normal TV. All the staff was very helpful and EXTREMELY pleasant. Despite its size, this is a well run hotel with very content employees which makes all the difference in the world. No wonder this hotel has been a Hilton landmark in Chicago since the late 1920s.