Rooms are clean and staff was friendly. Bed was very comfortable. Also though and I'm not sure but I stayed in room 207 after a night of hitting the bars I finally made it to bed, though throughout the night I kept getting a heavenly sent of Roses it was great but the next day I woke up and couldn't figure it out. Hopefully someone here can explain I've tried to look it up but no luck.... read more

I stay at the Hotel Baker a few times a year on business. I love its character, history, and charm. The first time I stepped inside I felt comfortable and at home. This place is such an improvement over the generic chain hotels I used to frequent. The bartender Joe, is warm, friendly, and equipped with an array of jokes to keep his guests laughing. I do wish the restaurant served later into the evening, though there are several other options in walking distance. It is directly on the Fox river, and while it doesn't have a swimming pool and the fitness center leaves something to be desired, the beauty and charm of this hotel more than makes up for that. I look forward to my stays here and hope they keep a light on for me for years to come. read more

This place has military rates which were pretty good but I was told they would not honor the military rate even with a valid ID. I won't be staying here if that's how they decide to treat people. read more

On the Fox River and I would only imagine how beautiful this place is in the summer. The rainbow room is simply beautiful...want my daughters to have their receptions here. Oh, and the Fifth floor is supposedly haunted...Love it! read more

Charming old building houses a small-town hotel that could be great. Could be - but probably won't be any time soon. Judging from previous reviews, the problems stretch back for years. Management for whatever reason has declined to address them. But they haven't had a problem keeping prices updated (our small suite was $267/nt for New Year's week). One problem that needs urgent attention is the housekeeping policy. Currently, if the staff sees a "do not disturb" sign on your door after mid-morning, they elect not to clean the room at all. Wish someone had told me that at check-in. The staff seemed confused when I asked about it. In fact, they seemed confused about most questions. Such as, who is the GM? (That one drew a blink and a "What?") And did they ask me how my stay was at check-out? They did not. At the Hotel Baker, guess one thing the staff does know is NOT to ask questions that have unpleasant answers. read more

Loved it here. The lobby is lovely and sets the stage for the yesteryear elegance. Even before my arrival, I found the staff to be welcoming and warm. In the space of one day I had to change my reservation twice. The person who did so never showed the slightest bit of attitude and was gracious. The room was great. Large, some antiques, a great bed with upscale bedding. Nice bathroom with deep tub. I always travel with a white noise machine and when I arrived I realized I had forgotten batteries. I called the desk and they sent 4 batteries with a guy who refused a tip with, "It's my pleasure to serve you." I could lie in my comfy bed and look out at the Fox River. The only negative I have is that the space between the original windows (Did I mention the hotel is a beautiful old building?) and the newer inner windows is just yucky. Bugs and dirt, etc. Great location as well. St Charles is a lovely river town with quaint shops and restaurants. Geneva, the next town over, is a mecca of boutiques and restaurants. I definitely would return. read more

Very reasonably priced for a nice classic hotel! Beds and pillows are amazingly comfortable and the staff was very friendly.

My husband and I were married at The Historic Hotel Baker in August of 2008. The service was wonderful, the atmosphere is gorgeous. The food was so good, everyone cleaned their plate. People are still talking about our wedding! We absolutely loved the penthouse, where we stayed on our wedding night. I love the place but wouldn't recommend it for selfish reasons. My wedding should be better than anyone else's. Just Kidding! I would recommend this place to everyone whether its for a wedding or just a quick get away. read more

We hosted our son's rehearsal dinner at the Hotel Baker this past weekend. It was fabulous. Really... it could not have been nicer. We booked the Waterfront Room for 90 guests at a seated dinner. Cocktails were served on the terrace overlooking the Fox River. Our out-of-town guests couldn't believe how picturesque and sophisticated this venue was. The view was spectacular and very secluded. As we moved into the Waterfront Room to be seated for dinner the architectural embellishments of the room became noticed and appreciated. The multiple French doors allowed for uninterrupted views of the river. The Italianate painted ceiling was highlighted by shimmering candle light. The chef created a special meal for our guests. He paired a petite filet with a swordfish streak topped with crabmeat. Everything was delicious. The mashed potatoes and fresh asparagus were also top notch. We used the Waterfront Room again on Sunday as the setting for a goodbye brunch for all the out-of-town wedding guests. The food was equally good. And the setting was equally pleasing for a daytime event. The emails continue to pour in raving about these events. The Hotel Baker is a first class venue to host a private party. read more

Did not stay here. I walked in and asked if I could take a look at some of the unoccupied rooms. To my surprise, they agreed without question, and one of the employees immediately came to my escort. I was shown a room costing $205-$225 (for one night), then another costing $445 (The Baker Suite). Both rooms were spacious and felt home-y. Kitchen area, TV, living area, bedroom area, bathroom with shower, and a great view! Of course, The Baker Suite was a little more extravagant. It was all the more spacious, had a larger kitchen area, a patio, with an outdoor jacuzzi, and an outstanding view overlooking the river and city. Oh yeah, and there's paintings in the hotel rooms (and hallway). I'm sure they have those in some other hotels too, but overall, the atmosphere of the hotel is what makes it stand out. There's just something different about this place that makes it feel more 'exalted.' Not necessarily 'fancy,' just really different. A good kind of different. read more

Hotel Baker - View from The Baker Suite. - Hotels Near Me - Saint Charles, Illinois

We had a wonderful stay at Hotel Baker. It's two blocks from the Arcada if you're seeing a show. There are numerous bars and dining options in the surrounding blocks. If you pay a few extra bucks, you can get a suite overlooking the river and downtown. There's a friendly and welcoming lounge off the lobby. We would definitely return. read more

A magic old hotel. The staff was friendly and the rooms - modernized with an eye to the hotel's history - are large and clean with beautiful views of the river and downtown St. Charles. We knew the parking situation in advance - the city garage (park on 4 or 5 for elevator access) was no problem to use. With a free morning buffet in the Rox Grill and a ton of dining choices in downtown St. Charles this will be my go- to hotel when I am back in town. read more

Hotel Baker - Hotels Near Me - Saint Charles, Illinois

Nice dining, in a great bar atmosphere.. Piano entertainment on Fri- Sat. Superb drinks made by an extremely likeable bartender, JOE. Try it you'll go back. If you have a cocktail to many spend the night in a historic hotel right on the Fox river. Hey, Jenny McCarthy had her wedding here and stops in occasionally. read more

This hotel was great. They had a very nice staff and the room was eloquent. We had a great view of the river. The price for a weekday was a little high but was worth it. It was a very nice experience. read more

If you are looking for an absolutely stunning and unique location for your wedding or special event, with loads of character and top tier food and service, there is nowhere better than Hotel Baker and the Rainbow Room. Our wedding planning was flawless, and the day of our event, when it poured rain and last minute changes had to be made to our ceremony, it was handled with grace and professionalism and was stress-free (and it was beautiful!). The food is NOT your typical 'wedding food' but rather high-end restaurant quality and taste. We had many guests tell us they had never had better food at any wedding they'd ever attended. The Rainbow Room is gorgeous and unique, and what's better than a dance floor that lights up?! The staff treats everyone as VIPs, our guests were 100% happy with their rooms and experience as well. Thanks to everyone at Hotel Baker for a perfect wedding weekend!! read more

Hotel Baker - The Waterfront Room at Hotel Baker was gorgeous and perfect for our ceremony! - Hotels Near Me - Saint Charles, Illinois

I cannot say enough wonderful things about Hotel Baker. A classic and classy boutique hotel with amazing food. Beautiful rose garden and scenic view of the Fox River. The best bartender you will ever come across, makes the best martini's- Lemon Drop is a favorite of mine, as well as the Banana Foster martini. Owners are very hands on, daily. Rooms are chic with amazing decorating style! Highly recommend read more

I was a bridesmaid in a wedding here about a month ago. The location is beautiful, but the wedding staff not so much. In helping my friend (the bride) plan the wedding, it was a disaster from the get go. They were assigned a wedding coordinator who gave them inaccurate information about pricing (it ended up costing the couple an additional $3000 more than originally agreed upon), and were reassigned a new coordinator who was impossible to reach. After the ceremony, while the bridal party was having pictures taken, and the guests were having cocktail hour, the coordinator cut the bar off and hustled everyone inside where there was no bar or food set out because she read the time wrong on her watch and thought cocktail hour was supposed to be over (guests sat drink and food free inside while an open bar and h'or deurves sat untouched outside). If you are thinking about getting married here think carefully. The location and hotel itself is beautiful, but the staff errors and customer service are not worth it. The wedding coordinator is named Erin. Request anyone but her if you want your calls returned, wedding to go as planned, and to get your moneys worth (or at least what your contract says). read more

the service is INCREDIBLY slow, especially considering how overpriced this place is. the food was terrible and the hotel in general was unkept. would not recommend to anyone. read more

Very disappointing experience. I took my lady there for our anniversary and was given the wrong room. After calling guest services to inform them. They then said they knew and they were sorry and changed us up to a better suite. But once in the baker room, that was supposedly one of the best rooms in the hotel we were trying to enjoy our time in the hot tub as it then malfunctioning on us. So after all was said and done we were finally moved to the penthouse that became a bigger problem as we had to climb a acessive amount of stairs to access any of the aminities. Finally after several hours at 10pm we decided just to leave because of the poor and inconvenient services. In the process they gave us a $150 dollar bill for our dinner and wanted to charge us for a room that we reserved and never received. But then after disputeing with them they finally said they would not charge us. So what was supposed to be a good time for my significant other and I ended up making our anniversary more of a disaster because of this place. So my recommendation in our experience is if you are trying to enjoy your self in St Charles this would not be the place for you. read more

Absolutely the worst customer service I've ever experienced. Front desk was awful. Front desk managers even worse! This was the most unprofessional and horrible group of customer service employees ever dealt with. Have stayed in many hotels and totally disappointed at lack of professionalism from this hotel. Will never stay here again. Rooms were smelly, people were rude, terrible experience. Never will recommend this place or stay again. Do not stay here!!! Not with money or inconvenience!!! Awful!!!! read more

This was the last stay of our road trip before heading home and we chose this particular town and hotel for the historic charm. Sadly, sheeting rain delayed us and we got in later than expected, but still ready to make the most of it. This hotel is charming. If you like modern hotels, this isn't for you, but if you like a little haunted history, then you may enjoy this hotel. What isn't charming is the arrival process. There is no easy way to pull up to the hotel door and no awing over the pull up area - about 1/4 of a block down. It wouldn't be that bad but it was pouring rain. I ran in to figure out who could help us (we needed a cart) and yeah, there was no one. We pulled the cart down the block, in the rain, ourselves and loaded up. Buy the time we got back to the lobby, there was a young 'lobby boy' working who barely said hello and didn't offer to help us! There are also no large umbrellas to use. I asked about parking and as others have noted it's 2 blocks away and when you exit the ramp to walk back, add on another 1/2 block. (oh, but it's FREE - whoopee) We really don't mind walking but seriously, we would have gladly paid $20 or more to have someone valet our car after driving all day. The check out process was pretty much the same. The desk clerk was lovely but working alone, no 'lobby boy' this time, and when I asked about a cart I was informed the one (yes, one) cart they had 'was in use' and they would call when it was available. Seriously. We took two trips to carry all of luggage down because after waiting, still no cart! Now, most of this wouldn't have mattered much but this is not a budget hotel. With tax each of our rooms were well over $200 a night. The hotel is quirky and charming. The rooms are a little worn but still good. The hotel restaurant was excellent and a fun bonus was the live entertainment - just cheesy enough to be fun. Our waiter went out of his way to light up the Rainbow Room for us so we could see it at night which was super. I might stay here again IF I could get a better rate but now I know what to expect. A solid 2.5 stars with the extra 1/2 star for charm and good restaurant and some of the staff service. read more

The hotel is unique and stylish. There isn't any parking but there is a public parking lot close by. The biggest downfall of this hotel is sleeping in it, especially when a wedding is going on, which is apparently frequently. I understand this is how the hotel makes there money but the noise from the party travels through all five floors, even passed 11 pm (it still hasn't ended). I went downstairs to see if they had any remedies, maybe ear plugs. This isn't the hotels first go around so I figured they would have some sort of accommodation for the noise. I was quickly told by the young man at the front desk I could go to a gas station because they do not provide anything. One star because you can't sleep in the hotel. read more

They didn't ask me how my stay was when I checked out, so I'll write it here. Overall, Hotel Baker is a really beautiful boutique hotel in a great location in the middle of downtown St Charles. They helped me in a pinch when my reservation was messed up at a different hotel across town. The building is obviously dated but they've taken good care of it and the rooms are comfortable. I wish there were more outlets (specifically closer to the bed for phone charging - there are only inaccessible ones behind the bed frame) but it was fine for two nights. The problem with the dated building is lack of soundproofing. I often heard noises from the hallway but worst of all I dealt with a very loud band playing until midnight on a Thursday. I hate to be THAT person to complain, but I had an early morning the next day so I called the front desk. They promised to ask the band to quiet down, but I noticed no difference for the rest of the night. That might be appropriate for a Friday or Saturday night but I think they should keep business travelers in mind especially when sound travels throughout the building. They do not have a parking lot, but there is a lot of free street parking on the bridge and there's a free garage across the street and around the corner (not ideal if there's weather, but I dealt). I know they have weddings and events there too which I would imagine would be absolutely beautiful. Overall a nice hotel, with a few drawbacks that aren't dealbreakers. read more

While the words are fresh in my head from the experience, I figured I would write a bit about my experience with the Hotel Baker as the bride. About 2 years ago after being freshly engaged to my now husband, I decided to go check out the hotel with my now mother-in-law and grandmother from the advice of my Godmother Karie. From the start, I had been a bit skeptical, my mother-in-law was in love the moment she stepped into the place, my grandmother the same but also understandably skeptical until we saw the details of the wedding package. I had initially told the catering manager, Casey, that I was not entirely sure how we would be able to afford such a place, but if I could somehow pull it off I would do my best. At first glance, the hotel is old. It has an "old" feel to it. So, if you don't like the feeling of its older, historical-like charm, then this is not the place for you. Everything about the place, including the service, reminded me of the movies where the servers and hotel staff knew you on a first name basis, so that was special to me as a bride putting forth a lot of time, effort and money. I felt like staff even overheard some criticism from my mother, myself and people they recognized to be of importance and they made all of the necessary changes the day of my wedding without needing us to approach them with the issues. Either they overheard everything, or they are just mind-readers (not really sure, at times it was really TOO good, like creepy good service and attention to detail). Another reason I had been skeptical, but also very hopeful, was the fact that since we were sinking most of our budget into the hotel, that our other vendors were very inexperienced or newer to weddings (our TOTAL wedding budget-dress, transportation, rings included-was $30,000 for reference). We were not sure how everything would mesh together on the actual day. I had hired a dueling piano company to do my ceremony, cocktail hour and reception. The hotel was absolutely the best at accommodating him and his partner and filling him in a bit on the timeline of the day. My photographer was my godmother and had a woman from another professional photography company there with her to help. They were also not sure of the timeline, but the hotel staff had been understanding of our "first look" in the garden area and halted their set-up for the sake of our photos. The food was absolutely fantastic. I had so many people come up to me regarding the quality of the food, so we were very happy with that. For the initial room and ceremony set-up we did all of the flowers and decor ourselves. I specifically remember my catering manager, Casey, come up to me in the garden area before the start of the wedding to make sure we didn't need any help with anything specific. The hotel basically gave me and my family the run of the place to get everything set up the way we had envisioned on that day. I had initially been a bit afraid of this part since I know most places are used to working with day-of professional planners or florists. We were able to do it all ourselves without any grievances or hoops to jump through. I was very impressed with the "state of calm" and how the day turned out. It was a lot of fun, we were blessed with beautiful weather, and the hotel bewitched me forever. Me and my husband will certainly be back to celebrate our anniversaries. Thank you again to the hotel staff! Bravo! read more

The hotel may be REAL nice in the lobby interior & much of the staff was rather cordial. But the room only had one bed, And the makeshift bed, cot was terribly mediocre. PLUS, The parking is REAL inconvient, About a block or two north??????????. Geez, Which stooge set THAT up?????????. read more

The Hotel Baker is a lovely hotel in a beautiful part of the western suburbs. I only wish that the service was as nice. My husband and I stayed there the very night after our wedding as a little "mini" honeymoon, since our real honeymoon was put off for several months. It seemed slow on that November Sunday when we checked in, and the staff seemed sparse as well. When we mentioned that we had been married the day before, the staff barely nodded their heads. It's not that we expected the red carpet to be rolled out or anything, but we were excited and a simple "oh, yeah? Congratulations!" would have meant a lot. We hopped into the very empty bar for a pre-dinner drink where we found the one staff member who provided excellent customer service. He was congratulatory, talked with us about dinner suggestions, and he even called the restaurant to make dinner reservations! The room was clean, but it was a little drab. I understand that the hotel is old, but a fresh coat of paint goes a long way. All in all, I wish that the service was better and that there was a touch of updating. read more

We attended a wedding recently and were amazed that there was no valet parking or doorman present. Had to park a block away in a crowded public parking garage and bring our luggage in ourselves. The food was OK in the Rainbow room and we were enjoying our evening until the manager told us that we would have to leave our table so that they could set up a bar. We hadn't even finished our desserts and were rudely displaced along with the four other guests at our table. I have been to scores of weddings and have never been treated so poorly by staff. The rooms are nice, but paper thin walls make for noisy rooms. Choose another venue where customer service is a priority!!! read more

Loved it! It's a beautiful place and the service was great...the staff was very helpful and friendly! I'll be back!

A novelty stay for the weekend but not as nice as we'd expected. To start, the front desk couldn't find our reservation. Thankfully we had booked though my company's travel agent and they were able to sort it out. The walls are paper thin, on both Friday and Saturday nights we heard every conversation of the drunk wedding guests getting of the elevator all hours of the night. Our room was right next to the elevator. On Sunday evening a note was left saying we could have free room service for breakfast but it never stated that breakfast wasn't available downstairs that day. I needed to get drive through breakfast because I didn't have time to wait. Wednesday morning breakfast was put out a half an hour late causing me to be late to work. There are also multiple toilets in the men's room outside the lobby that leak as they are flushed. The meeting rooms and reception venues look amazing but the hotel itself is poorly managed. I do not recommend staying here outside of a wedding party or event. read more

This hotel is overrated. The history behind it and antiqueness of the bldg are fun, but the rooms and service are horrendous. Rooms are super plain & the bathroom is too small to even fit 2 people inside of it. There is no refrigerator for leftovers if you go out for dinner in downtown St. Charles, there is no lock-safe for your valuable belongings, and for how much they charge per night... they don't even offer a free shuttle to drop you off at restaurants (especially during winter would've been helpful) . On top of it, their complimentary breakfast ends abnormally early & they make it appear as if it's available until noon. Glad we checked it out once, but definitely not returning here. Happy New Year all! read more

Today, we woke up, and we are married now! Last night my WIFE and I had a BEAUTIFUL ceremony and reception at Hotel Baker. Such a wonderful venue, great staff that exceeded our expectations in service. It also wouldn't have been the same without our DJ (Al from Ameritune DJ's out of Elgin). But let's get back to the Baker... The staff, the service, the atmosphere, the food, the cocktails, even the coffee, all so wonderful. The place is great, and it is almost perfect. The only thing that distracted the evening from being 100% perfect for us, temperature control and room quality was poor mostly. The staff did the very best they could do and it's not their fault. The fact is, it is a very old hotel and in my opinion, there is so much to do to update this hotel into 2016. Overall the entire venue was too hot.. But controlling the temperature in the suite we had, was terribly impossible. The windows are old and the weather stripping I don't think is very good. So it gets very cold, but then turn the heat on and even if you set it to 64 it still boils the room. It gets so hot that you must get up and shut it off.. And then gets cold again.... We had tons of our family staying at the hotel nearly booked the whole place, and they all complained of the same experience with the temperature control. The bathroom has like 3 of what looks like exhaust fans, I was only able to find a dial switch for one of them which is not an exhaust fan I don't think, it felt more like a heater.. And man was it hot.. Just doesn't make sense to me.. The soap they provide is just ok, nothing special from what I expected from a classy place like this.. And the top comforter they provide is wayyyyy to heavy, and then the blanket and sheets under aren't thick enough to replace the heavy top comforter. Also they put early morning loud people in the room next to us. I mean, come on, my father in law spent like $45K for this... We didn't get to sleep until 4:30 AM after the wedding, and then these people are talking loudly next door on a Sunday morning at 7:00AM and going in and out of their room slamming the door... Paper thin walls also btw. So not a good sleep because of all these factors and 4 stars it is. Too bad too because the bed was great.. We would have no reason to stay here again though unless it was for someone else's wedding.. We didn't get to use the jacuzzi in the screened in balcony, just didn't make it so can't review that.. Overall, our wedding, was an absolute hit!! What a blast! And we would do it again at Hotel Baker every week if we could!!! Even tho it was sooo hot! They were accommodating and did things they didn't have to, like changing the cocktail hour room to a bigger room and nicely giving us the rainbow room for our brunch as well, when it was set for the waterfront room. They brought sweets from our sweet table up to our room and milk! That was nice of them! Mike the manager made sure we had everything covered! Casey our planner/helper did a great job and had everything covered. Good times!!!!!!! I would do it again if I could!! read more

We spend New Years Eve with their package. The hotel is very similar to a European hotel, the woodwork and interior is in its original condition and it is beautiful. One has to admire the craftsmanship to detail. The room was very nice, new carpet and lovely European bath. Bed very comfortable. We had the dinner and dancing package and all was quite nice. Very attentive staff, even as we were leaving they offered a short tour about the history of the hotel.. many celebtrities stayed there... Very quaint, be sure to stay... Parking is only a block away in a covered garage so no fretting about that and free. Great town to spend more time in to explore. read more

My husband and I have been staying at the Hotel Baker now for about 12 years every year for our anniversary and have been a little disappointed with the noise volume with the wedding parties that are staying there. The room service could use a little more memory and speed, and the placement of guests when a wedding is going on could be a little more accommodating. Every year when we stay there, there is a wedding or actually two this year and the wedding parties do not think about the other guests when they are in the hallways before and after their wedding. I feel the hotel could tell them when they check in to keep their voices down during certain hours of the morning and night in regards to respecting their other guests. I think they need to give fines to them also if they get complaints because it is really hard to sleep when the room or suite next to you parties late and you are trying to sleep! Other than that we have been very happy with the rooms we have been given, and the beds are extremely comfortable there. We love the charm and views that this hotel from 1928 has and will probably be going here for a long time to come! read more

We hosted our daughter's wedding on August 2nd, 2013 and we cannot say enough good things about the entire experience. We met with Cai back in February and were very impressed with everything about the hotel and the banquet facilities. We were looking for a venue for a small wedding that would still give the full special wedding experience. The kids sampled the food in the Rox City Grill and loved it, so we were set and booked the Waterfront Room for a Friday night. The planning process with Cai was very simple and she was totally accomodating. We were fortunate there was not another event planned so we were able to use the Boat House and Rose Garden for the ceremony. The reception in the Waterfront Room was beautiful and the food was incredible. The filet's were cooked to perfection (medium rare). Everyone said it was the best food ever at a wedding. The service was perfect, everyone was served quickly and promptly. My recommendation to anyone planning a wedding to definitely give Hotel Baker a look. read more

We just held our daughter's wedding reception at Hotel Baker recently. We had 150+ guests in the Rainbow Room, with cocktail hour in the Rose Garden prior. Everything was wonderful. Casey Pifke, the banquet manager, was extremely detail oriented and competent and always responsive whenever we had a question. I felt we were in very capable hands throughout the year-long planning process. The food was top-notch, the service was excellent, and the ambiance of the venue is unsurpassed. I would highly recommend this classic, vintage hotel for weddings of 160 or less.....they say it will accommodate 200, but I do think that would be very crowded. read more

We stayed at hotel Baker after seeing a concert at the arcadia theatre . This place is wonderful , the staff is great . Downtown St Charles has many bars and restaurant's . Plenty of free parking . read more

I was a guest and bridesmaid at a wedding held here. The hotel is beautiful, nothing wrong with the venue. The wedding "planner" was the problem, she didn't return the bride's e-mails (I was a witness to that), phone calls or concerns. The day of the wedding was another disaster. Dinner was 2 hours late for the guests. (I heard from another bride that it happened on their day also.) Everything was running late. The wedding "planner" didn't know what was going on, since she didn't show up to the reharsal. Valet, which was paid for, showed up around dinner time, when it was no longer needed. After the wedding, the family is still trying to sort things out with the hotel, since they are not doing anything to pay for their mistakes! I would NOT recommend this place if you want a wedding to remember. read more

We had our wedding ceremony and reception in the rainbow room with cocktail hour outside in the rose garden. Hotel Baker offered the perfected setting and atmosphere for our wedding. We felt elegant and classy from start to finish. The food was outstanding and the service was wonderful. Our guests enjoyed themselves and are still talking about "The best wedding they have ever been to". Hotel Baker is highly recommended. read more

My wife and I stayed here for our first wedding anniversary and it was AWESOME!! We stayed in one of the hot tub suites and it was perfect. It had a hot tub on a balcony that overlooks the fox river, BEAUTIFUL. The balcony is covered and screened in which is nice since it was raining when we stayed here. We were still able to sit out in the tub and enjoy the view even during the rain. The staff was awesome and couldn't be more helpful. We got the breakfast in bed package which I highly recommend because the food was great and there was lots of it. If you're looking for a quick getaway at a nice place STAY HERE!! read more

I recently had my wedding at Hotel Baker. The hotel is beautiful with vintage charm and a great location on the Fox river, but the experience of planning and having a wedding there was very unpleasant. It was a destination wedding since my husband and I live in Phoenix but I grew up in the Chicago area and wanted my wedding there. Planning from a distance will have inherent problems, but I thought because Hotel Baker offered a comprehensive package at a reasonable (for a wedding) price that the process would be relatively painless. Unfortunately, we did not feel like our event coordinator, Lena Vocalino, made us a priority. She seemed disorganized and over-worked (she spoke about another coordinator leaving and she took over the events) which led to many miscommunications and misunderstandings. Perhaps we were not her priority because we were a smaller wedding (55 people) but we still spent many thousands of dollars at Hotel Baker and would have liked greater attention to detail. We had many issues along the way, big and small. It began when Lena told us about a booking incentive of getting 40% off of the cost of the Waterfront room if we booked our wedding within the month of our first consultation. We booked within that time and we got one incentive written into the contract of extra appetizers at no additional cost, but the money off of the price for the Waterfront room was not in the contract. We signed the contract without noticing the discount was not included. A while later we realized our mistake and asked that Lena change the contract to include the discount. At first, she said this was not possible. We realize that we signed the contract without the discount and Hotel Baker was not obligated to change this for us, but we had the paper work from our consultation explaining the incentive and booking confirmation paperwork with a date that proved we had booked in the time allotted. We felt that a respectable company would honor what they had offered us. It was a difficult situation where we asked to speak to the "higher ups" to get results and in the end Hotel Baker begrudgingly honored the discount. As time went on little details would slip through the cracks. Nothing major, but still a bit frustrating. Lena often forgot we were from out of town and tried to set an in person appointments. We explained that wouldn't be possible and said it had to be a conference calls or emails. When we flew into town for the menu tasting we saw Lena in person and she seemed to have confused us with another couple. She again forgot we were from out of town and spoke of an appointment we had planned for the next week. I had no recollection of this but I thought perhaps I had missed an email from her. When I checked my emails with Lena the last one was her asking to set a date to discuss wedding décor but no date had been set. The biggest problems occurred just weeks before the wedding. My mom had made the final payment but there was some issue about Lena not applying the payment. It was extremely stressful when I had to play phone tag with Lena saying we had not made our final payment and then calling my mom who said she had made the payment. She had a confirmation number and a credit card statement to prove it. Then back to Lena who said it just had not been applied yet because it was a credit card and it needed to be a cashier's check. Again, we were planning a destination wedding and my mother did not live in the state so how should we get her a cashier's check? My mom had to drive from Michigan to deal with the money issue in person. All the while I was wondering if we were going to lose the venue and end up having to get married in the park! On the big day, there were minor details that were wrong (my husband's last name was misspelled on the sign for the wedding in the lobby and name cards were not where we had discussed) but at that point I hardly cared. It just seemed par for the course. What was really funny is that Lena almost ruined a surprise from my maid of honor. The MOH had put together a little movie for us and needed a projector. Lena asked my husband at the reception where he wanted the projector (even though my mother and MOH had discussed with Lena it was meant to be a surprise). Lena realized her mistake and said never mind. Luckily, because Lena had confused so many details previously, my husband assumed she had confused our wedding for another and thought nothing of the comment. In the end, the wedding was very beautiful, the food was decent and the wait staff was very kind. I had no issues with anyone but Lena. Maybe it would have been easier planning if I lived in town but my experience was extremely stressful and I don't feel I received the service equal to what we paid to Hotel Baker. read more