Chicago, Illinois / MDW airport, Hotel Center Campus -- Hilton Garden Inn

Status perks

I received the usual two bottles of water at check-in. I had arrived a little early, and the agent said that a king bed room on the top floor was not ready yet. He said that I could have a room with two queen beds, or a room on a lower floor. I asked if he could store my luggage, and said that I would be happy to walk to one of the restaurants next door for lunch since I had not eaten. He then said that he could upgrade me to a king room on the top floor and he prepared a new key. He said the room would be pretty much the same as what I had reserved except I would have a flat screen TV and upgraded amenities. I thanked him, and went to my room to store my luggage before going to eat.

Room

The room was a basic HGI room--fridge, microwave, coffee set up, comfortable bed, desk with ergonomic chair, and soft chair in the corner. I wondered what my room would have looked like, if I had not received the upgrade! I looked at the room diagram on the door, and saw that my room was one of the smaller sized rooms. I'm sure the room I received was exactly what I had reserved and not an upgrade. If I received a lower quality room because of my early arrival, that is upsetting because I would have gladly returned after eating for a better room. The bedding, seating, and work area were all comfortable, so I don't have any complaints.

Food & Beverage

The hummus dip in the lounge that evening was better than expected. It was served with provolone cheese (not my favorite, but better than none) and pita bread. I thought the wine prices were kind of high. There were not any happy hour specials.

Fitness center

There were several cardio machines; however, only one working treadmill, which was occupied, so I opted for the stair stepper instead. The room also contained hand weights, a couple weight machines, and cold water.

Shuttle & misc.

I thought the shuttle service left something to be desired compared to what I was told and expected. When I called from the airport after arriving, I was told the shuttle picks up every 10 minutes, and I waited over 15 minutes. When I departed, I was told to be downstairs a few minutes early because the shuttle is very prompt (on the hour)! We left at almost 5:05 AM and then had to stop at two more hotels before arriving at the airport.