Congress Plaza Hotel Chicago

This hotel is what it is, and thats a place with great location and an older decor. Two friends and myself were here for Lollapalooza and it was a fantastic time.The front desk was great help, they got us checked in as soon as possible, we had arrived by bus at 6;30am and were checked in by 10;30am so that is really accomodating when the posted check in was 3pm. The rooms had high ceilings and a nice tv so it had that in its favor. The elevator system could be overwhelmed easily so keep that in mind if your on a higher floor, we had to walk up ten flights after a loong day of rockin. Overall I would say this is your place if you just need a jump off spot and dont need the frills of a better hotel. This will get the job done.

You get what you pay for, unless you work for an airline or the hospitality industry.

For $118 per night (hotels.com) in downtown Chicago on Grant Park, there was no pretension.  The hotel was listed as a two star, and it barely made the grade.

 

To me, when traveling to a big city, location is the key to ease of exploration.  Congress Plaza does have the perfect location, within walking distance of all major attractions, including the Field Museum, Aquarium, Millenium Park, and the Art Institute.

 

Built in the late 19th century for the columbian world exibition, the lobby and meeting rooms are gorgeous, a mixture of 1920s elegance, the European baroque, and Byzantine mosaic.  You get impressed by the marble and chandeliers that greet you when you walk inside, but don’t let that be your basis of comparison for the rest.

 

Two elevators were available for taking guests up to the north tower, neither of them worked.  I hoofed it to the 3rd floor, where the staircase strangely did not continue on.  A friendly maintenance worker escorted me, along with other guests, to the freight elevator.  Wow! Looks really different in that part of the hotel, makes you wish you had never stepped inside.

 

The standard rooms are nothing to write about.  High ceilings, plain and peeling  wall paper, and cheap blankets.  When I entered it felt 60 degrees.  Checked the thermostat, and there was no cool or warm temperature indicator.  There was a high and low fan setting, which delivered either an icy blast of cool, or a milder fan of cold.  A call to the main desk , and within minutes the maintenance man was here.  His tidings were that the entire hotel is set to summer, until winter hits.  This meant that I wouldn’t be able to warm up the room unless he could get one of the other guys to deliver a space heater.

 

The hotel is old, plumbing and pipes likely just as ancient.  The morning’s shower had water rising above my ankles, and no water pressure.  However, an engineer was up to the room within minutes to fix it and plunge it.

 

On the third day the on-demand movies listed on the menu were not the ones playing, and I of course ordered the wrong movie.  Though I was credited for the mistake, it took an hour and a half and two phone calls for someone to come and take a look.  The problem was not fixed, but we had some movie channels nonetheless.

 

In short, this is not a destination for those seeking spa, heated indoor pool, or luxury accommodations.  In fact, though I don’t need to spend a lot of money on accommodations when traveling, I will definitely decide against returning here. 

 

If traveling to Chicago in the future, I think I will opt for a hotel with down comforters and pillows, climate control, good plumbing, and friendly desk managers and associates. 

 

Though the hotel was visually stunning upon entering, I had a major issue with not being looked in the eye or acknowledged when I arrived at the front desk.  Two associates and a manager were trying to figure out why my check-in was coming up the day after, and then that I was a no-show.  When I asked what was going on, I was ignored.  An obnoxious hello and waving of the hand from me alerted them that I was still there.  Then they mentioned the other person on the registration had checked in, they handed me the room key, and that was it.  It really really bothers me when people that work in the customer service industry can’t manage a smile, make eye contact, or verify that my needs are being met.  Yikes.

 

Once again, you get what you pay for, and I would rather pay more in the future.