I stayed at the Sheraton for a conference. My room rates (conference rate) was $199/night.

This is a great conference hotel. The conference facilities are nice and convenient. The hotel has a few restaurant choices and the gift shop has many options for snacks. The burger place on the bottom level is great for lunch. The main dining room has a wonderful breakfast buffet. The lobby has the Java Bar for coffee, drinks, pastries and fruit. There is also Chi Bar and Shula's steakhouse.

The location is pretty good. It's just a short walk to Michigan Avenue and plenty of shops and restaurants. The views from the hotel are nice since you are right on the Chicago river. However, when I come for pleasure, I prefer to stay towards the northern end of Michigan Avenue because I like to have easy access to the lake.

The room was fine. It had a flat screen TV. The internet charge is $13/day. You can start the 24 hours whenever you want. It is not wireless in the room. I think it's a ripoff. They have a free wireless connection in the lobby. The room could have been cleaner. I noticed a spot on the wall in the shower that was there from the time I got there until I left. They also don't clean the sink thoroughly. The underside of the faucet was filthy.

One thing that bothered me was how loud the doors slammed and how loud it was in the hallway during the day. I went upstairs to rest in the middle of the day and could not because of the doors slamming and housekeeping staff talking very loudly in the hall.

The gym is nice, but again, another ripoff. They charge $12/day or $20/visit. I think the pool is free to use. The gym has nice equipment, and the TVs on the treadmills work well.

Desk staff and concierge were helpful. The concierge was always available when I needed her. There is nothing worse than a long line at the concierge desk. She recommended some great places to eat.

Two recommendations I can make: For lunch go across the street to the restaurant on the first floor of the NBC building. They have great tacos, sandwiches and salads. You can also pick up drinks, fruit, snacks, etc. It's quick, convenient and you get much more bang for your buck than at the hotel. However, I had an omelette for breakfast and didn't like it.

If you like Persian food, check out Reza's on Ontario. It's a very popular place, but large so you shouldn't have too much trouble getting a table. We also ate around the corner at Emilio's for tapas. It was delicious.

Overall, it's a pretty good hotel, but I think there are much better choices if you are staying for pleasure rather than business.

First, I have stayed in many hotels, and this is NOT what I would consider 4 stars, more like 2.5 stars. It is old, dark and outdated. We were first placed in a non-smoking room that smelled as if you were sitting next to 3 smokers. We were promptly moved to another room which had an odd musty smell, but at least was better than the smoky smell. I think if Sheraton wants to keep the 4 star rating, they need to re-model and upgrade. The kids stated the the pool temperature was on the cool side. The staff was friendly and attentive, even during the busiest times. With all of the other choices there are in Chicago, we will definitely stay somewhere else next time.

The Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers is in an ideal location to enjoy Chicago's Michigan Avenue, Miracle Mile, and Millennium Park sights and sounds.

That said, the 15th floor room where I stayed appeared to have been decorated by Elvis' Graceland interior designer. The leopard print wall paper in the bathroom and the mustard colored walls in the bedroom really do need updating. Unfortunately the hotel was not embracing a kitchy cool retro look; instead, the decor is just outdated and tacky.

I would recommend the Westin, the Intercontinental, or even the Hyatt for more 21st century surroundings.

We booked the hotel through Yahoo and received a good price at $130.00 a night. Since we drove we got hit for $27.00 a night for self parking and $39 a night for valet parking. Average for city parking but keep it in mind if you drive. Other hotels may offer a bigger break on parking.

The room we stayed in was room # 2007. Although comfortable and clean it was in need of a update. Old everything, wallpaper, furniture, TV...

The staff was helpful and nice. Location was very good, a short walk to the MILE and a five minute walk to the Navy Pier. $20 cab / $2 PP Bus ride to Museums.

The hotel, because of the price, was very crowded with business people rushing about. This is not necessarily a negative but be aware walking anyware is going to be a convoluted path. However the international mix of people was interesting.

Eating is expensive in the hotel as expected. Eat there for convenience only and expect to pay a high price for fair food. A better bet would be to paid a high price for excellent food at one of the many nearby restaurants. Bandaros and Shaws (Excuse the Spelling) were excellent for the same money as Shulas or the cafe in the hotel and the service at both was great.

There are several lower cost alternatives for eating at the pier.

So... over all an OK, safe, clean, place to stay for the price.. don't pay full book price... don't drive and park... Don't expect four star.

Feel free to email questions

Frank and Wendy