This hotel will rob you and make you look like a thief. Deeply demoralizing experience. Do not UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES go to this hotel.
I get it, like many choosing to stay here, I was taken away by the allure of the view (which is quite nice from any room) and the decent price. Proximity to transit is great. HOWEVER, PLEASE FULLY READ AND THINK TWICE BEFORE BOOKING HERE! PLEASE! I JUST LOST MONEY.
Firstly: This hotel is hypersurveiled to hell. Which for many suburbanites and naive travelers, this might sound like a good thing. However, I mean these cameras are everywhere. Even someone down the hall said "you know there's a camera in the fire alarm in each room". Didn't think anything of it, but as I looked at the two different fire alarms in my room, stomach was deeply unsettled?
There are cameras are everywhere, Hidden ones in rooms, every hallway, every floor, everywhere around the premises. Which is annoying but not awful. I came off of a long flight and passed a dispensary on the way to the hotel. I threw out my back some months ago and the THC does help for the pain. (when in rome, ya know? It is quite legal in Chicago)
First day there I smoked quickly outside in the back alley as to not disturb people and settle my back spasm-ing back. I went back to the hotel and took a shower. From then on the whole staff treated me like a criminal. I get it, I'm sure most may read this and think "stupid stoner, what sympathy do you deserve?" and I get it. Stoners are an annoying lot. But an hour later management came banging on my door accusing me of smoking in the room (I would genuinely never do this. I use THC solely as medicine and always respect space.) As in, the management came in, demanded he come and smell the room, I opened my drawers and when he asked and said "did you smoke in your room" I said "No, I smoked outside" and he said "I know, we watched you on the camera the whole time and so did my manager." I felt weird. Do I get it? Yes, but the thought of being some kind of spectacle for the management that is already rude made me uncomfortable the whole time. He then said, "The lower floor says they smell it and it's so strong". I genuinely would NEVER smoke in my room and did not, the manager even apologized for bothering me.
This was the second time management came to my door, as the first time he said "you dropped your card and we found it". That is a VERY important detail of the story, initially thought nothing of it and was grateful. Later that evening I got two letters under my door, one saying I smoked too close to the building (Within 10 feet) and was at risk of violating their policy. NOW MIND YOU, that was not mentioned in the "policy" read to us. But I just made sure to not smoke anywhere near the hotel and was just waiting for the days to end until my trip was over. I then got another letter because I did not close the outside door properly. After the manager and I had a conversation, like two men, he said nothing about these instances but made sure I got citations. Thanks warden.
Believe me, if I knew that door to the alley was open I would not have went through the lobby where the manager, again, made me a spectacle. They wanted to find a reason to kick me out, they couldn't, so they stole my card information. They are vindictive here.
Later than night, the night manager says, "hey, did you get your card back?". Mind you, I never once talked to him prior. This was a completely different manager. But somehow knew my face. That made me feel very uncomfortable because I never not once talked to this particular manager before-- he specifically runs the overnight shift. The real reason I implore folks not to go (in addition to the hypersurveilance) is that management stole my card number and tried to buy a LOT of starbucks. I hate starbucks, they union bust (I am a proud union man) and support genocide. Once the fraud line got to me they told me all of these were an online order to the starbucks in Chicago right by the hotel (conveniently two days after I checked out). I am FURIOUS and am out of a debit card, and of course, they're not answering their landline. They will try to steal your information at this hotel. If you book with a card, delete it immediately. The managers will sell you out and make sure you lose all your money. All I did was smoke outside. read more