Check in was good - they even upgraded my room to a suite with 2 bathrooms. The room size was decent for downtown (but this may have just been because they upgraded my room). I booked this hotel based on some of the reviews mentioning that it had been newly renovated. I don't think they had gotten to my room yet...or it was just outdated already (by about 10 years). I'd give it a 4 out of 10 on the cleanliness scale. I noticed a large brown stain on the bedding the morning AFTER I had slept in the bed. Pretty gross. I did like the location, view, staff, and the fact that I could open the windows. This was particularly nice when the strong smell of smoke drifted into my room through the vents. Stay was okay, but not worth the cost. I will not stay here again.

I stayed here for 3 days over the period of 4/13 to 4/15 as part of a conference located within the hotel. First, the positives:

1) The hotel has a classic, elegant feel to it. The ballroom is beautiful, with exceptional artwok, high ceilings, and amazing chandelliers (I found out this is where they filmed the final scene in the Fugitive movie with Harrsion Ford).

2) Check in was fast and painless, with plenty of staff manning the front desk. The concierge was helpful, and provided us with a good map for exploring the city.

3) The taxi stand is quite good, and there are no problems getting a cab .

4) The location is nice. It is about a 7 block walk from the Jackson stop on the Blue Line, so one can get from the the airport to the hotel pretty easily, with just the $2 metro fare.


Now, the negatives-

1) I felt like the hotel nickled and dimed the customers for everything. Internet? $3.75/hour, and $12.00 per day. Want to use a treadmill in the gym? $15.00. Checking out, and want to leave your luggage at the desk? $2 per bag. Very annoying, given the rates of the hotel.

2) The hotel has a very antiquated AC/Heat system, and it was impossible to get the temperature adjusted in the room. First night, I froze, and the next night was too hot. Certainly in need of an upgrade.

3) The dining options were limited. There is an Irish Pub, Kitty O'Sheays, with mediocre food and an average atmosphere, adn another restaurant, that was more formal, but with an average menu.

4) There were many elevators, but several were not working, and we often had long waits to get to our rooms.

Overall, I don't think I would stay here again, unless I had another conference in the hotel. Given my expectations, I was somewhat disappointed, and would explore a different hotel next time.

It can be difficult to read my mom's opinions, because she is the nicest person in the world and she would never, ever want to hurt anyone's feelings. So when she said that she liked her room at the Hilton, it didn't mean much, other than she didn't hate it and wasn't miserable. But the next morning, when we were walking down Michigan for enormous breakfasts at the Artist Restaurant, and I was pointing out the Hyatt and other hotels I'd stayed in over almost three decades of visiting the Windy City, she casually referred to the Hilton as "our home in Chicago". The deal was done, the score settled: the Hilton Towers is her favorite Chicago hotel, and it is unlikely that we will ever stay anywhere else when we come here.

This is a lovely hotel, gigantic and fully earning its four stars in every respect. Everything there seems to be new, and in great condition, from the fancy coffee makers in the rooms to the carpet in the elevator lobbies. It all seemed new to me when I stayed there three years ago, and yet it looked new now. I get the impression that the place is in a state of perpetual, tasteful refurbishment. Not bad for a hotel that dates to 1927.

We had booked three rooms at a highly discounted rate: a single for my mom, a double for my sister and her son, and another double for my daughter and me. As we checked in, I mentioned to my mom that if it was available, I wanted to upgrade my room so that my teenage daughter could have her own bathroom. (Yes, we are spoiled, and so are our children. Mom is well aware of the fact that I and my three siblings grew up in a one-bathroom home that had a tub but not a shower, and that we all turned out just fine.) I don't know if the young woman who was checking us in had overheard me, or if we were just lucky, but all three rooms were upgraded at no additional charge to two-bathroom status. Mom was flustered but also kind of thrilled: extra bathrooms DO make us feel special.

All of our rooms were equipped with luxury bedding -- quality cotton, warm comforters, fine pillows. The beds were made well. This is important to me. I have stayed in hotels where the beds were sloppily made up, or where the sheets were thin and/or clearly made of cheap man-made fibers and/or not big enough for the bed.(Seriously, just ask me about the $950/night suite that overlooked Niagara Falls --- great view, ridiculous bedding. Don't get me started.) At the Hilton, the beds are made for luxiourious, fabulous sleeping. My daughter looked forward to and once again loved sleeping there, and yesterday, our first day home, she began lobbying me about getting sheets, comforters and pillows for her room to duplicate the Hilton experience here at home. (Fat chance.)

The weather was vile that night, and that's an understatement. The concierge suggested several places for dining with teenagers, but they were all at least six blocks away, and we would have been drenched just getting into a cab. We opted for staying in and ordering a pizza.

We passed a quiet night, given the wild fury of the winds just outside our windows. My sister and mom said they heard nothing at all during the night. I was in a different wing of the hotel, and I heard the wind, the el, and the sounds that a hotel makes that can be heard on the 18th floor. These were soothing sounds, and my daughter and I slept well.

We loved the HBO.

Didn't use it this time, but we liked the indoor pool on previous visits.

BYO H2O... the bottles supplied by the hotel are $7 each. Seriously.

Views vary. My mom's room had a view of the Shedd and the planetarium, if you stood in a particular spot near the window and craned your neck. My room looked out at windows identical to my own, as did my sisters. But we weren't there for the views.

Most importantly, we felt safe at the Hilton. Yes, we spent just a small amount of time there, just enough time to watch a movie (Ferris Bueller's Day Off) and sleep (very well, thank you). But if we hadn't felt safe we would have found another place to stay or would have just gone home to Grand Rapids, MI.

In the morning before we checked out we explored the hotel's ballrooms, reception areas and convention facilities. This is an historical property, and we enjoyed our wanderings very much. The grand ballroom is an architectural as well as an engineering marvel.

I recommend this hotel if you're traveling alone, with family or with multiple generations; if you're interested in Chicago history or architecture; if you need a place close to the museums; if you're looking for something romantic, or if you want someplace to stay with your kids.

For me, the Chicago Hilton is simply the best possible shelter in this wonderful city, a place that makes me and my children feel welcome, pampered, and that we deserve every good thing.

So my mom is right: The Chicago Hilton is, absolutely, our home in Chicago.

We stay at Hilton hotels often due to work travel, and are gold hhonors members. This trip was for pleasure and since it was off season I decided to try Priceline for the first time and was pleased to get Hilton Chicago. The check in was quick and the staff member was happy to give us a nice lake view room on the 15th floor despite getting the room on Priceline. Buckingham Fountain (as featured on Married With Children) was almost right across the street and would have been lovely had it been summer and running.

I thought the hotel was beautiful and well maintained. Our room was on the small side but had two windows which we could open about four inches. I couldn't hear the El, but there were enough sirens to make up for that. The bedding was wonderful, and the bathroom was very clean and well appointed. I think the hotel is situated perfectly for those most interested in museums, Millenium Park and walking along the lake. We like walking, so the location didnt bother us too much, but I would say it is as far south on Michigan as I would be willing to go. Its approximately one mile from the hotel to the start of the Mag Mile, a bit less to the theatre district. We saw Jersey Boys and absolutely loved it.

We thought the hotel nickel and dimed a bit....$6 for 15 minutes of internet in the business center, $15 to use the excercise room, $2 to store bags. The room service prices are quite high, so we didn't avail ourselves of that service.