After staying at the Seneca Hotel I have determined that the seemingly inconsistent reviews on this site are accurate. It appears to me that the traveler's perception of this hotel entirely depends upon whether they receive a "recently renovated" room versus an "un-renovated" room.

Despite requesting a "renovated room" my wife and I as well as another couple stayed in a room that has been "renovated a couple of years ago" according the front desk. The room as it turned out must have been renovated a decade ago due to the fact that it had many flaws including: an ill-fitting front door (which like one of the pictures uploaded on this site had a gap at the top), plaster missing on the walls, a very musty smell, beds that must have been filled with cinder blocks, bed sheets that must have been filled with dust mites or some other infectious substance that made my wife's eye infected and a bathroom a bit larger than that found on an airliner.

On the positive side, the location of the hotel is outstanding, in that, it is in the shadow of the Hancock Building, across the street from Water Tower Place and a block away from the Museum of Contemporary Art. Also positive: the room was a suite with a full kitchen and dining area which was roomy for the four of us; the room had two walk-in closets which was more than enough space for four people's luggage; once I reminded housekeeping that we had four guests in our room they made sure that we had additional towels in our bathroom; the valet service (while very expensive at $48 per night) always had the vehicle sitting out front in a very timely manner; and the Wi-Fi was free and worked beautifully the entire time.

Some tips: make sure that you request (or insist on) a "recently renovated" room, check out the rooftop deck on the 18th floor and go to Ditka's restaurant which is two blocks west on Chestnut St.

Has a bit of character - not much, but some - but after my wife and I checked in, we went to our room, I lay down to catch a nap after a two and half hour flight, early morning, and there's NOISE. They're -renovating- above us. What? Is that normal?

I've never stayed at a hotel like this - I called the front desk. What they told me: "it'll be done at 4" - I don't recommend the Seneca. Bottom line, I was astonished when I set down to rest and there's a jackhammer upstairs...is this the NYC in the 90's?

Since I've never heard of this kind of thing - renovating while guests are staying and intruding on their paid-for right to reasonable peace and quiet (if that's debatable, I don't care to discuss it) I had to say "no" to the Seneca.

There's a first for everything. The service was fine, although one our faucets broke while we were there - they fixed it within minutes - and the maid service was unobtrusive, consistent, and timely.

But the renovation situation. It'll be done at 4.

I read reviews for the Seneca online and found the lowest rate on their website--$111/night for 3 nights (5/14-17). I was a little hesitant after reading some of the negative reviews but I figured for the price and given the great location, any hiccups would be worth it. We arrived right around 3 p.m. (checkin time) on Thursday and were greeted by very friendly/helpful front desk staff. When we got to our room we were blown away. It was basically a small one bedroom apartment. There was a living room with a small desk, sofa, coffee table, and chair. Then there was a seperate dining room with a dining table and 4 chairs. The most surprising part was the full sized kitchen with a fullsize refrigerator, sink, stove, microwave, and dishwasher. The only thing that was on the small side was the bathroom but it was no biggie because everything was new and really nice. The location is definitely the best part about the hotel and I would recommend this place to anyone!

Three of us stayed two nights in April. From the moment we checked in, we were treated respectfully and the staff had great attitudes. We paid $140 for our first night which was booked the day before, and our second night included the parking package so it was $191. The second night was booked several months before via TravelZoo. Our room was a suite with two queen beds. Although some of the furnishings were a little outdated, the suite was extremely comfortable and roomy. We had full kitchen facilities had we wished to cook any of our meals. We were able to entertain friends who met us in the city. The hotel is directly behind the John Hancock Building and is one block off The Magnificent Mile and centrally located to the museums and everything you could possibly wish to do.