Chicago, Illinois: transportation, attractions, dining, Happy Hours

December 2019, Weekdays-weekend between Christmas and New Years

We spent three days around Chicago during our two-night stay. Following is information about some of the transportation we used and places we visited.

Sun rising in St. Joe; taken from Pere Marquette Amtrak ride en route from GRR.

Transportation

We took the Amtrak Pere Marquette route roundtrip from GRR. If you make a reservation in advance, the adult Smart Fare cost is usually $28 one-way, or 1,208 points. We were able to redeem points for part of the trip. The Christmas light decorations along the way were beautiful on the return trip. Both trips were uneventful, and we arrived on time. The train was 100% full on the way to Chicago, and it was not very full on the way back to Grand Rapids. This is the perfect situation for this trip. Grand Rapids in the first place to board the train when departing, so it was not a problem finding seats together. There are always many trains leaving Chicago, and it is nice when this route is not full, because Union Station is chaotic when it is. Click on the Amtrak label at the end of this post, if you are interested in more information from previous trips.

In Chicago, we took Uber from Sheraton Grand Chicago to Garfield Park Conservatory. There was a sign for Uber pickup in front of the hotel and Shula's Steakhouse (which is in the hotel). After I scheduled the ride, I sent a text stating our exact location in front of Shula's, because there are different street levels in Chicago, and GPS does not recognize that. The hotel concierge had mentioned rides and the different street levels during one of our conversations, and then I realized that was why my map app had been confused during some of our walks! 😁 We did not wait long, and the ride took less than 20 minutes. The cost was $12.71 pre-tip. We rode the Green Line train back to Chicago, which took about the same amount of time. You can purchase tickets from a machine at the station. The cost was $3 each for a single ticket (the website says $2.50; not sure why the price difference). The security person working in the station told us the ticket could be reused for the next two hours. There is a shelter and heating lamps in the platform waiting area. Trains run about every 10 minutes on weekdays.

My favorite room at Garfield Park Conservatory!

Garfield Park Conservatory, parks, attractions

Garfield Park Conservatory opens at 9AM, and we arrived about seven minutes early. Fortunately, the weather was nice, because there was not a covered waiting area. Others were waiting before we arrived, and they opened the doors a couple of minutes early.

Chicago, Illinois: Sheraton Grand Chicago

December 2019, Weekdays (holiday week), 2-nights, King club lounge guestroom 3433

Arrival, check-in, platinum perks

A guestroom was ready when we arrived late morning, although I had not received a text notification via the app. When we stayed at the Westin down the road last year, I had received a notification at 7:30 AM! We received an upgrade to a top floor guestroom with club access, and late checkout.

View from guestroom 3433 by desk area.
View to the left was a rooftop and taller building (not visible in this photo).

Guestroom 3433

This guestroom is at the end of the hall on the SE corner, with a partial view of the river and lake. The view was partially obstructed because many buildings around the hotel are taller than this building. There is a hallway door outside this guestroom that can also be closed to reduce hallway noise. We appreciated this, because the hotel was very full during our stay.

Guestroom 3433 from bathroom entrance.
Desk area and mini-bar (not visible) located to the right.

Bolingbrook, Illinois: Residence Inn by Marriott Chicago Bolingbrook

June 2019, Weeknight (Wednesday), 1-night, King studio #414

Platinum perks and check-in

I arrived before check-in time (around 2PM), and then waited in the lobby for about an hour for my room. This was not a problem, since I was able to work on my laptop, although it was surprising. Usually, after I have checked in on the Marriott app, I get a text early in the morning telling me my room is ready way before check-in time. Other than the standard Platinum bonus points, I did not receive any extra perks for my status. I received two candy bars, after I spun the wheel behind the check-in counter, and that is the space it landed on. All guests get to spin the wheel when checking in.

King suite 414 at Residence Inn Bolingbrook Chicago

Guestroom 414

I loved this guestroom. It was clean, comfortable, and spacious. The photos on the hotel website are a good representation of the actual guestroom.

King suite 414 at Residence Inn Bolingbrook Chicago

The desk area was large, and the view out the window faced northwest. The kitchen contained everything needed.

Chicago, Illinois: Attractions, Dining, Happy Hours...

December 2018, Weekday-weekend, 2-days

Chicago, Illinois 

We spent two days walking around Chicago during our one-night stay just before Christmas. Many people think Chicago is an expensive place to visit; however, we found many low or no-cost things to do! Be sure and click the labels at the bottom of this post to find even more information from previous posts.

Transportation

We took the Pere Marquette Amtrak roundtrip to/from Chicago Union Station and Grand Rapids, Michigan. The scheduled time for this trip changed a few years ago, which gives more time in Chicago. We actually prefer the previous times, although the new times work, too. It is a 4-hour train ride: 6AM - 9:08 AM from GRR to CHI, and 6:30PM - 11:34 PM from CHI to GRR. Chicago is in the central time zone, and Michigan is in the eastern time zone. We have used public transportation during previous visits to Chicago; this time, we only walked after arriving.

Pere Marquette Amtrak train

To redeem points for this Amtrak route, the cost is 1,208 points for a one-way ticket. The fare from GRR is usually usually more than the fare from CHI, so I always use points for that leg of the trip (we usually visit before we have enough points for 2 roundtrip tickets). The one-way cost from Chicago to Grand Rapids was $28 per person. Unfortunately, the AAA discount I used to get is not currently active with Amtrak. Our trip was uneventful both ways. 

Screenshot of pedway map downloaded from Internet

Free Chicago walking tours ~ underground pedway winter tour

I learned about the underground pedway system while researching activities for this trip.  I was surprised I had not heard of this before. I recognized the pedway system symbols from previous trips to Chicago, and I did not know what they meant before this trip. The tour guides are volunteers, and the tours are free (other than tips). There are more tours available in addition to the winter tour that we chose. Just do an Internet search for "free Chicago walking tours" to find them. 

Pedway sign and symbol underground

Chicago, Illinois / Westin River North

December 2018, weekend, 1-night, king executive suite #2015

River view from living room window in Westin suite #2015

Gold perks and check-in

We took the Amtrak to Union Station in Chicago from Grand Rapids, Michigan early in the morning. I was amazed when I received a notification en route telling me our room was ready at 7:30 AM! Our scheduled arrival time was 9:08 AM, and we had a tour booked for 11AM. We had anticipated having to leave our luggage with a bellman, if we could not access the guestroom before the tour.

We walked directly to the hotel after we arrived, which is about a 20-minute walk (just over a mile). The agent recognized my status and thanked me for being a loyal member. He provided club lounge hours, and he said we had been approved for 4PM late checkout.

Living room in suite 2015

King executive suite #2015

This guestroom is located on the top floor just down the hall from the executive club lounge. Looking at the guestroom diagram, 2023 looks like the only suite with a better view on this floor. Suite 2020 looks like a larger room across the hall with a similar view.

Westin River North suite 2015

This suite is spacious and comfortable. I could not find specific photos for this suite on the hotel website. When I made the reservation, the room description said: Deluxe King Suite. Details listed the room as 900 sq. ft. with club lounge access. 

Entrance foyer with closet and wet bar

Chicago, Illinois / Shedd Aquarium, Transportation, Shopping, Navy Pier, Restaurants and Bars

December 2015 - January 2016

Following is information about our experiences at some of the places we visited while in Chicago. Please let me know if you have questions or want further information.

taken at Shedd Aquarium 12/31/2015

Shedd Aquarium

This was our first visit to Shedd Aquarium, and I wanted to find out the hours and pricing beforehand. It was almost impossible to find the cost of a basic ticket. Any search I did for Shedd Aquarium ticket information relentlessly promoted City Pass, Membership, and other experience/combination passes. I finally found what I was looking for: general admission tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for children. General admission includes Caribbean Reef, Waters of the World, and Amazon Rising. The information on the website talks about skipping the lines by purchasing advance tickets, and general admission tickets were not available for advance purchase. Another way to try and promote purchasing a package!

We visited with general admission tickets, so all of the photos I am sharing are from the three main exhibits. More photos from these exhibits can be seen in the Shedd Aquarium Facebook album. Not having an advance ticket, did not necessitate us having to wait in any lines. Read on for details.

Chicago, Illinois / Homewood Suites by Hilton Chicago-Downtown

December 2015 - January 2016, Weekday-weekend, 3-nights, King 1-bedroom #1207

view from suite 1207

The Homewood Suites by Hilton Chicago-Downtown was undergoing renovations at the time of our stay. Our stay was satisfactory because we had been able to book a reasonable rate. If we had paid a high price for our room, we would have been disappointed. This building was in need of an update, and I am sure it will be fabulous when the renovations are complete.

Reservation, arrival experience, Gold status perks

I had a couple of questions, so I called to speak with someone a few days before our stay. My call was transferred to an offsite service. The person I spoke with sounded willing to assist me; however, I did not feel confident that our needs would be met after the call. The day before our arrival, I browsed the online check-in process. The highest floor guestroom available for online check-in was on floor 8, and this hotel has 19 floors. I also saw that a king bedroom was now the same price as the king studio we had booked, so I decided to call the hotel again. This time, I spoke with someone directly in the hotel, and she changed our guestroom to a 1-bedroom suite.

On the day of our arrival, we had taken the Amtrak to Chicago in the morning. We arrived at the hotel around 10:30 a.m. We went to the 6th floor where reception is located, and spoke with the front desk agent to let her know we were in town. She said check-in is at 4:00 p.m., and she took my cell phone number to call us, if our room became available before then. We checked our bags with the bellman on the ground floor, and our guestroom was ready shortly after 2:30 p.m.

Pere Marquette Amtrak / Grand Rapids to Chicago Union Station with Business Class Return

December 2015 - January 2016

business class seating - details under Chicago to GRR heading

Weekday a.m. departure from Vern J. Ehlers station in Grand Rapids, Michigan (GRR) - December 2015

This was our second time departing from the new Grand Rapids train station on Century Ave. Our first experience was a year earlier, December 2014, after the new train station had just opened. This time, we were familiar with the location, and the fact that it is not easy to get to the station from Wealthy St. or US-131, despite the fact that it is located right next to both roads. Century Ave. goes underneath Wealthy St., and you cannot access Century Ave. directly from Wealthy St. We were arriving on US-131 from the north, and decided to take the first exit after Wealthy St., Franklin St., and then drive the ½ mile back to the train station. If you are arriving from the south, you would also take the Franklin St. exit, and then turn onto Sheridan Ave. to access Century Ave., as Franklin St. passes over Century Ave. with no direct access, just like Wealthy St.

We arrived at the station just before 5:30 a.m. for our 6:00 a.m. departure. The station was not crowded when we arrived, although it was a few minutes later. The boarding process started at 5:45 a.m., and we departed at exactly 6:00 a.m. even though many passengers were still standing and stowing luggage. You do not need to be seated before the Amtrak departs, like on an airplane. Boarding order was called as follows: business class, lower level and/or assistance needed (designated on boarding pass), and then groups with two or more (when we boarded). I assume solo travelers were called after this.

Shoreline Photos

click on this photo of the Aruba shoreline to enlarge it

When I created the sunset photo album on Facebook, I had a request to share shoreline photos, as not everyone has had the opportunity to view our beautiful planet from that vantage point. 

The photo at the top of this post is the Aruba shoreline, and you can find more shoreline photos on our Facebook page. I have started two shoreline albums: Shoreline views from Lake Michigan & within the state of Michigan, and Shorelines-Landscape views from the water. The second album contains photos of Alaska, inland US lakes, and the Caribbean.

Since I live in Michigan, I tend to have more shoreline photos from our lakes than other areas, so I made a separate album for those. I may break the second photo album into segments, also, if it gets too large as I add more photos. For now, I have the two albums ~ Enjoy, and please continue to share your requests!

Amtrak Roundtrip from Grand Rapids (GRR), Michigan to Chicago (CHI)

December 2014, Friday - Saturday

We have ridden the Amtrak along this route several times. Two previous reviews can be found at the following links: January 2014 and January 2012.

Friday morning departure from Grand Rapids, Michigan on Pere Marquette #371

Our departure from Grand Rapids was uneventful other than the trouble we had getting to the train station. Fortunately, we had left for the train station early. I did not research the GRR train station before our trip since we have been to it several times. The station address was not printed on our boarding passes, and there was no information on the website during the reservation process that said that the train station had moved to 440 Century Avenue SW. 

Chicago, Illinois / Palmer House a Hilton Hotel

December 2014, Weekend, 1-night, King suite 13-250

foyer

We have stayed at the Palmer House several times, and this has been our favorite Chicago hotel. The building is beautiful, and I always felt like a valued Hilton Honors member in the past. Here are links to two of my previous stay reviews from January 2014 and January 2013. We stayed at McCormick Place in January 2012, and I neglected to write reviews for our other Palmer House stays. All our experiences before this stay have always been similar.  

Status perks and check-in

This is the first time I have stayed in this hotel with points instead of paying for a room, and it is the first time I did not receive an upgrade to the executive floor, other than when it was being remodeled January 2014.

Amtrak -- Roundtrip from GRR to CHI -- 4 1/2 late return

January 2014, Friday - Saturday

We have taken the Amtrak from Grand Rapids to Chicago and back several times, and I provided a review of one of our prior experiences here: January 2012. 

Friday morning departure from Grand Rapids, Michigan

There were only a few minor departure differences since I wrote my last review. We did not need to wait until we got to the station to print our boarding passes at the kiosk. We made the reservation online, and then I received an email with a PDF of our boarding passes that we printed. We also got our boarding passes this way in 2013; however, I did not write an Amtrak review in 2013. I have the Amtrak app, which I used to check the schedule, and I think that if I had also entered my account information on the app, we would have been able to use that as our boarding pass.

An Amtrak employee was inside the station when I entered to use the restroom before we departed, and I do not recall ever seeing an employee inside the station in Grand Rapids before.

We rode in upper level seats, and the ride was comfortable. The onboard ticket collector was friendly. Employees provided clear and accurate updates en route. Our arrival time was scheduled for 10:38 a.m, and we arrived at 10:48 a.m.

Saturday evening departure from Union Station, Chicago

Our return trip was horrendous. This was one of the most unpleasant travel days I have experienced, and I travel a lot! Our scheduled departure time was 4:55 p.m.

It was not until after we arrived at the station and people had started to line up to board that we were informed that the train was going to be delayed 30 minutes. Our departure time ended up being 2 hours and 23 minutes late, and we were not given much information while we waited. There was an announcement two or three times that merely said to stay in the area. Many passengers remained standing in line or they sat on the floor because there were not enough seats in the area. The trash cans around us were overflowing, and it was difficult to move around because there were so many people waiting. The train schedule board was never updated with a new expected departure time, and we did not learn the cause of the delay until we were getting ready to board.

When our train was finally on its way to the station from the yard, we were told that the cafe car had not been working and that they had to swap cars. It was not clear whether they meant that the car itself was not working or whether is was the cafe equipment, although it sounded like it was the cafe equipment. Many of the passengers waiting could have already been to their destination by this time. And, our train had been sitting in the yard since it had arrived from Grand Rapids that morning around 11 a.m. I do not understand why the train was not thoroughly checked sooner, so that any mechanical problems could have been taken care of before our scheduled departure.

We rode in a car similar to the one we had ridden in from Grand Rapids; however, this time it was very uncomfortable. This was probably because our 4-hour ride ended up being just over 6 hours, and the seat I was in needed to be replaced. My seat cushion kept sliding out, my fold down tray was dirty, and there was food debris on the floor in front of our seats. The open seats across the aisle did not seem much better when I went over and briefly sat in one, so we did not move.

All of the passengers traveling to stops before Grand Rapids ended up arriving about 2 1/2 hours late, and we ended up with another delay of just over 2 hours after we left Holland. When we got to Hudsonville, the train stopped, and we sat on the tracks for an hour. The information we were provided over the next two hours was unclear. The employee mumbled, and he did not clearly explain the reason for the delay. We were told something about a train car, a fire, and the Wyoming yard. 

After an hour or so on the tracks in Hudsonville, we started to move. The conductor then told us that we were going to proceed to the yard and deal with the situation when we got there. We again came to a stop a few miles from the train station. We remained in this location for another hour while we waited for a train beside us to be moved.

From the information I found online (car train fire in SW Grand Rapids), and what we observed, it appeared that a freight train had been moved because of a fire 4 hours earlier, and we had been sitting on the tracks waiting, because the freight train was in our way, and we had to wait for someone to come and move it.

Our scheduled arrival time into Grand Rapids was 9:55 p.m., and we arrived at 2:26 a.m. The Amtrak app said 2:22, which was not correct. It was only a few minutes later, so they must not have updated our arrival time when we were just short of arriving at 2:22.

Promotions and discounts

I "like" RailServe on Facebook because the Amtrak site says to do this in order to be informed about promotions and discounts. This is partially untrue. They do post the discounts eventually; however, do not rely on them to keep you informed. You are better off to do your own research, if you are interested in booking an Amtrak ticket.

When we were planning our trip, I searched online for discounts every few days, and I wished I had done this more frequently. I found the 20% Winter Sale discount over 24 hours before it was posted on Facebook. I was able to purchase our return tickets from Chicago with the discount when I found it; however, the promotional tickets for our outbound trip from Grand Rapids were already sold out by the time I found the discount. It was apparently available at least a few days before I found it, and before it was posted on Facebook. I missed out on the discount for our entire trip, because I had been counting on RailServe to let me know about upcoming promotions. Because I was following them on Facebook, I did not search for discounts as diligently as I had done for prior trips.

Overall

I felt betrayed by Amtrak and RailServe since I missed a discount by following their instructions. Their website encourages followers on Facebook several different times: 

• There is no advance notice of these sales, so be sure to "like" our Facebook Page for updates. 
• Subscribe to our Facebook Page for early notice of new Amtrak discounts. 
• UPDATES: Subscribe to our Facebook Page for the latest Amtrak promotion code discounts plus occasional 3-day fare sales not available on our website. 

  

During our trip, we thought the Amtrak delays were handled inefficiently, and I have contacted Amtrak about our experience. I "like" the Amtrak page on Facebook, so I contacted them via message the evening of our delay. After we arrived home, I submitted a customer contact form via their website. It has been 4 days since I first contacted Amtrak about our experience, and I have not heard from them.

I always enjoyed riding the Amtrak before this experience. The way that Amtrak treated its passengers when our delay was initially caused by mechanical reasons, is the same poor treatment we received from the Lake Express when our trip with them was canceled due to mechanical reasons July 2013.  

I travel by air frequently, and I am sometimes frustrated with the delays I encounter. After our experience with the Lake Express and Amtrak, however, I am certain that air travel is far more reliable and friendly. I will provide an update if I hear anything from Amtrak.

**Update
I had expressed our dissatisfaction by submitting an online form via the Amtrak web page. I used the "Employee Praise/Compliment" form, because there was not a form to register a complaint or problem! I received an automated reply eight days later, and I received a call from Amtrak five weeks later.

The Amtrak representative who called apologized for the situation, and he said that he was issuing us a future travel voucher, since the delay had been over four hours. He was professional, although he also implied that the delay was due to the fact that the train had arrived late from Grand Rapids that morning. The train had arrived slightly late--around 40 minutes, if I recall correctly; however, I do not understand why that would have made our departure almost 2½ hours late, since there had been almost six hours between the two trips. I did not think it was necessary to argue the point; I was glad to hear that Amtrak is aware of the problems along this route, and that they are looking into things. Now that we have this travel voucher, I am more apt to try the Amtrak again. The value is not high enough to cover a roundtrip, although it is better than nothing. It is good for one year, and if we travel with Amtrak again, I will share our experiences.

Chicago, Illinois / Palmer House Hilton

January 2014, Weekend, 1-night, King guestroom #8148 and Edison suite #8150

Status perks and check-in

I had made our reservation at the Palmer House Hilton quite a bit in advance of our stay. I found a fabulous rate for a Jr. Suite, so I booked that room type. Before our arrival, I noticed online that my room type had been changed to a king guestroom, and that there was an additional confirmation number listed with no information. When I called the hotel to ask about this, I was told that they did not have any Jr. Suites available, so my room had been changed to a king guestroom with a connecting door to a parlor room for the same price.

We arrived at the hotel before noon on the morning Amtrak from Grand Rapids. The front desk agent said that our guestroom was ready, and she allowed us to check-in early for no charge. The executive floor of the hotel was closed for remodeling, so she provided two coupons; one for breakfast and one for appetizers in the lounge. I also received two bottles of water, complimentary Internet access, and I was allowed to have late check at 1 p.m. the next day. I love having Gold status at Hilton!

arrival photo

Guestroom 8148

My previous stays at the Palmer House have always been on the executive floor, so I was initially disappointed when I entered the guestroom. This guestroom is quite a bit smaller than the guestrooms I had stayed in before, and the view looked out to a building wall and a fire escape type walkway.

photo taken the next day

The bedroom area contained a king size bed, desk and chair, night stands with clock, soft chair, and flatscreen TV on an armoire. Lamps were located on the nightstands, beside the soft chair, and on the desk. The bed, pillows, and bedding were all extremely comfortable. The sleep quality was excellent.

Glass glasses and an ice bucket were on the shelf area next to the TV. There was not a coffeemaker in the guestroom. A coffeemaker had been provided in the executive guestrooms I stayed in before, so I do not know if this was not provided because of the guestroom type, or if this had changed since our prior stay. A coffeemaker and supplies were available for no charge from room service. We called to request this, and it was immediately delivered.

A large closet next to the desk contained hangers, a folding luggage rack, extra bedding, an iron, ironing board, and a large safe. A full length mirror was mounted on the wall outside of the closet, and a second one was mounted on the bathroom door.

The bathroom was very small. There was not enough room to sit down on the toilet with the bathroom door open, and there was barely enough room to step into the bathroom and then close the door. The bathroom door needed to be closed to get into the tub/shower. 

photo taken the next day

The bathroom contained some amenities: soap, shampoo, conditioner, and lotion. A hairdryer was in a bag hanging on the back of the bathroom door. 

The wall mounted makeup mirror in the bathroom was loose, so it slid down slightly when I tried to move it. There were some minor plumbing issues with the toilet. Sometimes we had to hold the handle down or jiggle it in order for the toilet to flush.

The connecting door to Edison Suite was located between the desk and the armoire. As soon as I realized the size and comfort of Edison Suite, I was amazed with this upgrade from the Jr. Suite I had booked.

Edison Suite entrance

Edison Suite 8150

We had access to the Edison Suite from our guestroom and from the hallway. The front desk agent had coded both of our keys so that they would work on both doors. Both rooms are marked in the photo of the guestroom diagram. Clicking on the photo will enlarge it to see the detail of the room layouts.

A wet bar area was located just inside the connecting room door entrance. This area contained a small fridge, sink, glass glasses, and an ice bucket. I was surprised that wine glasses and a coffeemaker were not also provided.

The sitting area was extremely comfortable and spacious. All of the white leather chairs were superb, and the other furnishings were comfortable and beautiful as well. My husband and I were traveling with two other couples this trip, and there was plenty of space for the six of us to visit.

view from table in front of bar area

The suite furnishings included two tables with eight chairs, four additional chairs, two couches, coffee and end tables, lamps, two flatscreen TVs, and more. 

There were two large closets and a half bath in Edison Suite. There was another connecting room door at the end of the room by the living room area.

The bathroom was more spacious than the one in our guestroom. It did not have a shower. I was surprised to see a couple of extra bathroom amenities in this bathroom. In addition to the bar soap, this bathroom also had shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and mouthwash. I would have expected the body wash to be in the guestroom bathroom.

center table in front of hallway entrance

Edison Suite has three walls of windows: facing north, south, and west. The flag is the view facing north, from one of the windows by the table next to the bar area. This is where the second flatscreen TV is located, which is barely visible in the photos.

Food & Beverages

The breakfast coupon we received at check-in said it was good for the continental breakfast buffet. The service in the restaurant during breakfast was mediocre. As the host seated guests with coupons, she said that it is $6 to upgrade to the hot buffet. I asked our server if I could use the coupon for a frittata instead, and he said no. He said that he could order this for me via the hot breakfast buffet add-on, so I did that. I ordered a spinach, mushroom, and goat cheese frittata. I received a ham, mushroom, and goat cheese omelet. I also ordered a glass of milk that I never received. Cold cereal was available at the breakfast buffet; however, we did not see milk in the buffet area. Other items in the buffet were scrambled eggs, pancakes, waffles, potatoes, fruits, breads, bagels, muffins, and yogurt.

We never received a check after we finished dining. We had heard servers discussing that gratuity is covered with the coupon, and we had observed several guests leave without a check. Finally, we asked our server if we were all set, and he said yes. I was glad to hear that we did not owe anything, since my egg order had been incorrect, and I never received my milk.

The appetizer coupon we received was good at Potters from 4 to 7 p.m. Unfortunately, we were away from the hotel at that time, and were not able to use that coupon.

We had lunch in the lobby bar area the day we departed, and it was excellent. The service was good, and the food was delicious. We had the pork sliders, and a bowl of mushroom soup. The pork sliders order included three sliders even though only two are showing in this photo. Our friends had the burger and southwest chicken wrap, and they were impressed with both food items.

Pool and fitness center
The pool and fitness center are both accessible from floors 7 and 8. They are located between the two floors. The pool was actually visible from one of our friends' guestrooms; #8-109. Their windows had frosted panes; however, they partially opened, and then they looked down at the pool.

We did not use the pool or fitness center, although we did walk through the area. The onsite fitness center is massive with many exercise machines. I did not take a photo because there were several people using the equipment when we walked through.

steps to whirlpool

The pool and whirlpool tub were both a decent size, and there were cushioned seats in the area. The whirlpool is up a few steps from the pool area. We did not check the water temperature, although I would guess that the tub temperature was comfortable, since there were guests in the whirlpool frequently. 

Misc. and overall

There is a lot of beautiful artwork throughout this hotel. The building has been preserved well, and it is beautiful.


There is a small museum onsite, although it has never been open any of the times that we stayed at the hotel. After I inquired about this at the front desk, I was given the name of someone who would take an appointment for a narrated tour. I think the names I was given were "customer relations or Ben Price." I did not keep this information after we left, so  if you are interested in this, check with the front desk.

I called and left a voice message with customer relations while we were there; however, no one called me back. I received a call from the Hilton shortly after I had left the message; however, the call did not ring long enough for me to answer it, and the person calling did not leave a message. I think that the caller hung up before it went to voice mail, since my phone did not even ring; I just saw it light up and tried to answer it.

The Palmer House Hilton is less than 3/4 of a mile walk from Union Station, and it is even closer to the Van Buren Street Station. This was our third or fourth stay at this hotel, and we have enjoyed every stay.

Chicago - Tinley Park, Illinois / Holiday Inn Convention Center

February 2013, Weekday, King guestroom #534

Status perks and check-in

I arrived about 20 minutes before check-in time, and my room was not ready yet. I got a bottle of water from the gift shop, which the agent let me have for no charge. I then took a seat in the lobby to wait, as the agent had said he would let me know when my room was ready. About 15 minutes later, the front desk agent brought me my key packet, and said my room was ready. He did not acknowledge my status or any other perks, although I did find a card in my key packet that was good for 500 bonus points, a free beverage in the lounge or dining room, or milk and cookies from the gift shop.

Guestroom

Entering the guestroom was like deja vu for me. This guestroom is almost exactly the same as the rooms at the Holiday Inn at my home airport--Holiday Inn GRR airport. The hotel building was not set up the same, but the guestroom was.

A small coffee maker with supplies was on the counter by the entrance door, where a small fridge and microwave were also located.

The bathroom entrance was between the coffee area and the front closet. It contained a doorless walk-in shower, decent sized vanity, and the toilet area, which could be closed off. The bathroom entrance door swung to the left, so that it could be used to close the toilet area, or the entire bathroom. Standard Holiday Inn Bath & Body Works amenities were provided, and a low quality hairdryer was attached to the wall.

The closet contained a good sized safe, iron and board, hangers, and a folding luggage rack.

This spacious guestroom is located at the end of the hall with no guest traffic. I did not hear any noise from inside the hotel. I could hear the expressway traffic, which did not bother me, although I know that some guests are disturbed by this type of noise.

The room contained a suitcase bench, soft chair and stool, desk and chair, king size bed, night stands, good lighting, and flat screen TV on an armoire. 

I liked the guestroom comfort for working, although I thought the bed was quite hard. Everything was clean and well maintained.

Food & Beverage

I ordered a grilled shrimp cocktail and salad from the lounge to go. The service was excellent, and the food was very good, except that the shrimp was not grilled (although it was described as grilled on the menu). I received cold cocktail shrimp. I did not look at my order before I got back to the guestroom, and I like cocktail shrimp, so I enjoyed the shrimp that way. I was happy with the merlot house wine, which was Cupcake brand.

Fitness center

The fitness center contained a few cardio machines, and a working flatscreen TV. Even though it is located next to the pool, the temperature was comfortable. 

Chicago, Illinois/ Palmer House a Hilton Hotel

lobby ceiling

January 2013, Weekend, 1-night
Executive tower king guestroom #22267

Status perks
There is a specific check-in area at the front desk for elite guests, which is clearly marked. I had booked a basic room and received an upgrade to the executive floor. We arrived before 11:00 a.m. on the morning Amtrak, and were able to check-in right away. We also received late checkout, complimentary Internet access, and two bottles of water. 

Guestroom 22267

There are two elevators to the tower executive floors (floors 22 and 23), which are separate from the elevators to the other guestroom floors, and they require key access. Other than the executive floors, these elevators only stop on two other floors--the pool floor and the banquet room floor.

outside elevator floor 22

There was a unique sitting bench and mirrored walls inside of both elevators. The decor at the elevator entrance on our floor was beautiful, as were all areas of this historic hotel.

Guestroom 22267 is a corner room at the end of the hall, which exactly matches my profile preferences. This guestroom looked very similar to the first guestroom photo on the Hilton website with two windows.


The spacious room included the following furnishings: soft chair and footstool, end tables, desk and chair, flatscreen TV on a cabinet with drawers, king bed, night stands, and a large walk in closet with a large safe and a folding luggage rack. There was also a small table and mirror by the guestroom entrance door.

I called to request a robe, which was promptly delivered. The bathroom area and small vanity met our needs, although there was not a lot of room in the bathroom. The tile shower had a deluxe massaging shower head. A good quality hairdryer was provided with the Crabtree & Evelyn bathroom amenities.     

The bed was plush and comfortable. The outside noise we heard was minimal. We could occasionally hear the train that runs along Wabash Ave., and the guests in the room next door, although the noise was muffled.

The guestroom was comfortable, well-lit, and clean. I was surprised that turndown service was not automatically provided. I did not request  this; I assume it would have been provided, just like the robe, if we had asked. The wireless Internet speed was very slow in the guestroom, and in the concierge lounge. 

Concierge lounge
The concierge lounge is a spacious and comfortable room on floor 23. There is a concierge desk in the room, although there was not anyone working there during our stay. I read information that sounded like this desk is where elite/executive floor guests check-in and checkout when it is open. There were two computers and a printer in the room as well.

Coffee, tea, and cold beverages, like bottled water and soda, were available 24 hours. Bottled water was not stocked in the cooler; it was available upon request. Cookies and brownie type snacks were available in the afternoon, and in the evening after the evening social.

Cocktails were available for purchase during the evening social, although this is listed as complimentary on one of the Hilton reservation sites. I do not remember the specifics of what kind of hors d'oeuvres were served. I should have taken better notes! I do recall that there were two warmed items. I think one of the items was mini dough-type wraps with meat inside.

Food items at breakfast included: hard boiled eggs, oatmeal with many available toppings, granola, yogurt, many breads, muffins, and pastries, whole fresh fruits, juices and milk.

Food & Beverage
The only dining we experienced other then the concierge lounge was room service. We had the Ahi Tuna Burger, which was kind of expensive, but very good.

Misc.
This is a beautiful historic building, and I wish I had taken more photos of the inside and outside. The lobby is comfortable and well designed. The service we received was excellent, and the price was reasonable.

This hotel is currently my favorite downtown area Chicago hotel. Downtown hotels I stayed in prior to this stay were: The Wit, The W Chicago Lakeshore, Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, and Holiday Inn Express Magnificent Mile. I have stayed in a few other hotels as well; however, those stays were more than five years before this one, so I did not list them.

There is an entrance to the hotel from Monroe, State, and Wabash. The valet/main entrance is on Monroe Street. It is an easy walk from the Amtrak station, if you do not have a lot of luggage, and if the outside temperature is not too cold.

In addition to the lounge and dining options listed on the hotel website, there is a Starbucks on the bottom floor of the building.