No horror stories here. Although "official" check-in is 4 PM, they had my room ready at 11 AM on a busy Friday. The single-king room was small but not claustrophobic and certainly comfortable. There's an exercise room (open 24/7) and a small pool on the 10th floor. There's also a small Kinko's/FedEx on the 2nd, but they charge $.50/min. to use their computers.

The North Michigan Ave. location, of course, is hard to beat. (Note: the actual main entrance is on the other side, on Rush St. The Michigan Ave. entrance can actually be hard to find!)

Two glitches: my room (No. 1031) was next to the air unit for the hallway, which could be heard in the room. And the ice machine on my floor didn't work and hadn't been fixed when I left two days later, so ice had to be obtained from the bar in the lobby.

I should mention that I got a really big discount for this stay. I can recommend this hotel if you can manage a similar discount.

This is a conference hotel - plain and simple.

As a Silver status Marriott traveler, I was unimpressed with the room that was given to me. I'm not sure it could have been any smaller. When I asked if there was a larger room, I was told that "they're all the same." I don't buy that answer.

The bathroom was so small that the curved shower curtain rod actually made the tub smaller as it had to be positioned in a way that the door could open.

The fitness center had plenty of machines and weights (separate rooms separated by the pool - and while they were in good shape, it's apparent that they've been purchased at different times.

Overall, this is a cookie-cutter hotel (with a good lobby bar) that I would never consider outside of having a conference there.

I recently stayed for 2 nights with my mother and my 2 children. We were on the 37th floor and could see Lake Michigan and had a view of Michigan Avenue. The kids loved it! We had absolutely zero problems with service from check in to check out. My only complaint is the price of parking which is not unique to the Marriott it is all over Chicago at $49.00/day it was almost as much as the room given I got a super rate of $87.00/night thru the Marriott site.
It has a great location very close to everything that we were interested in doing for this trip. I would definitely stay again ~ if I could get such a great rate.

I stayed at this hotel notwithstanding the reviews about service because I got a good rate for a conference. That would be the only reason I would recommend anyone to stay there.

The best thing about the place is the location. It's in downturn Chicago and if you are high enough you get to see Lake Michigan. Yet walk out from the hotel and you are near shops and restaurants.

(Having said that, my friends told me that they were awakened by the sirens that seem to go off with greater regularity in the wee hours of the morning. I had a quieter facing and slept like a log.)

The hotel service is wanting at most levels. Check-in was fine. Breakfast was at the lounge which must rank as one of my poorest breakfast in a 5-star hotel. Hot food was oatmeal or scrambled eggs. There is no microwave to warm up the muffin. I had to tell them that the coffee was out.

One of the most irritating annoyances was the elevator. Everyone complained. Although there are supposedly 6 going to the rooms, I never saw more than 3 at one time--that is, if the elevator is crowded, wait and you will always see one of the 3 coming and going. The most extreme case I heard was a friend of mine who took 10 mins to get from his room to the lobby.

My negative experience with service was when my laundry arrived as I was waiting for the elevator. One of the guests waiting with me said--he's knocking at your door. I did not want to acknowledge that because I did not want to miss the elevator. That man refused to budge and shook his head to ask me to open the door for him. He was obviously expecting a tip. The elevator arrived, I left. That evening, there was no turning down of my bed.

The fact that the complaints remained the same suggests that management is not taking the service issue seriously enough. And the reason that management does not take the service issue seriously is that the hotel is aiming for the convention crowd. So there is no need to pander; that crowd will merely follow what their leader designates as the convention hotel.

So unless you have to be at this hotel, there are others nearby.