The Westin Michigan Avenue Chicago

Four days, $3,000, and somehow the only thing we got for free was the noise.

1.0

The worst hotel experience we have ever had over our long history of booking hotels. There was an endless list of things that simply should never happen at a hotel of this level. First, we booked the hotel a year in advance (!) because we were visiting Chicago for the marathon. Even booking that early, we paid around $3,000 for a studio room. We deliberately booked a room with two double beds. When we checked in, however, the room had only one double bed. When we questioned why, the receptionist — a young man with a long name starting with “A” — spoke to us in an unnecessarily irritated and inappropriate manner, which was certainly not acceptable. He claimed that because we had booked through a third party, the room description (“Studio Suite”) had apparently been listed incorrectly, as if the option with two double beds simply did not exist. Of course, that was not true. Fortunately, his colleague, a lady who eventually came to the scene, handled the situation much more professionally and offered us an additional couch. Then came the next surprises. The shower gel was already empty when we arrived, and the room was not serviced even once during our four-day stay. One day, we finally spotted a member of the cleaning staff and managed to get the towels replaced and, eventually, some shower gel. Luxury hospitality at its finest. And, naturally, for around $3,000 for four nights, breakfast was not included. Wi-Fi was also an additional $20 per day. Apparently, after paying thousands of dollars for the room, access to the internet was considered a luxury extra. Quite an impressive approach to hospitality.

− But the absolute worst part was the noise. Every morning from around 5 a.m. until late evening, a large number of people on strike gathered by the hotel entrance, constantly shouting and using megaphones, bullhorns, air horns, drums, and apparently every other noise-making device they could find. The noise was so ridiculously loud that it was virtually unbearable to stay inside the hotel. We came to Chicago for a marathon, hoping to get some peace and quiet before the race. Instead, we got what felt like a 24/7 live protest concert directly outside the hotel. Needless to say, that completely ruined the experience. The hotel management clearly failed at one of its most basic responsibilities: managing the hotel and ensuring a reasonable environment for its guests. And finally, as if all of that wasn't enough, on the evening before the marathon, a couple with a small child was placed in the room next to ours. The child was screaming continuously. We contacted reception, and this time, around 7 p.m. on October 10, we were lucky enough to speak with a genuinely nice and helpful receptionist. He found us another room — slightly smaller, but away from all the noise and with a nice view. Finally, someone actually solved a problem. My initial score would have been -1 (minus one) for the overall experience. However, the staff member who eventually replaced our towels and shower gel and the receptionist who arranged the room change each earned one point. So, thanks to them, the final score became a truly well-deserved 1 (one). Would I recommend this hotel? Absolutely not. In fact, I would strongly advise anyone coming to Chicago — especially for an event like the marathon — to look elsewhere.

Perfect location

7.0

Location

− Not clean No amenities in bathroom Protest in front of the hotel

Disappointing

4.0

Good location

− A large number of the hotel staff were on strike and protesting loudly at the front door. Consequently breakfast was unavailable on one day we stayed, our room wasn’t cleaned and the communal areas, ie toilets etc weren’t cleaned either. Not what you expect at a $600-$700/night hotel.