What can I say? I am a Francophile. I have never stayed in a Sofitel before and did not know what to expect. I have stayed in many Chicago hotels and each one seems to have a different ambience. Ici, The lobby is small but decorated in a classic nouveau French feeling with lighted tiles on the floor and a beautiful palatte enhanced by bouquets of flowers leaning out of vases. This weekend there were some holiday decorations making it plus festive and plus chic. Checking in was one of the best hotel experiences I have ever had. The young lady from Marseille not only responded to my query of" did we get our upgrade?" but offered a suite on a lower floor which was fine with me. I was traveling with my husband and "what can I say" but the extra room, tv, desk and added space were much appreciated! The hallway to the room was lovely with striped carpets, newspapers and light wood. Modern, chic and understated. The room was also light wood with modern furniture. Though both rooms were on the smaller side , together the open doors to the living room and surrounding windows with a city view gave the feel of a small beautiful apartment.The bathroom of light beige marble was similiar to ours at home so we were delighted. There was a small shower, a bath, a toilet and a sink in a large bathroom. There was a hand shower over the tub. All of this is very French and well organized. Even the amenities were well thought out- nailfiles, qtips, cleansing pads and a shower cap as well as a real hair dryer. I mention the above because it was such a relief not to search for a shower cap or have to call for one when I needed it. Bravo. Also all the toiletries were Hermes, another nice touch. I really did appreciate the "Frenchness" of it all: the small reading lights above the bed as well as lights on the side tables, mini bar and safe out of sight, desk facing the back of the couch to allow for a side chair to complete the room and white bed linen to finish" The look". My best advice would be to order pillows on arrival. I like down pillows. When you arrive there will be two different types of pillows on the bed, don't wait till nighttime to figure it out. The bed is not quite a king and a little soft but comfortable. The air is adjustable to your liking in each room. When we arrived it was too hot but we just changed the temperature and voila- comfort! We ordered room service. It came within 30 minutes. Entrees were along the lines of nouveau French cuisine, not your usual Chicago hearty fare but well presented and good quality. We tried the assorted appetizers and while interesting and pretty, they really were mini or in this case tres petite!!!! Oh, the other nice touch was a tray of macaroons and water upon arrival .Also the most French thing on the menu is the entree for the dog and the entree for the cat. C'est si bon! J'adore mon chien et je souhaite qu'il reste avec moi tous le temps. Oh, sorry a few days here and your high school French comes back. So the good news was the room at the end of the hall, the prompt service and the relaxed, easy atmosphere. Also the location is excellent for walking around downtown, shopping and seeing the sites. I would stay here again which for me is really what I look for in a hotel. The minus points: the closets are very small if you have two people and hanging clothes but they are lit and well outfitted, the elevators are small and if you are in a hurry to check out it may be frustrating and somehow room service left a tray in the hallway overnight even though we called. We left on Sunday morning and the lobby was full but interesting: wedding people, a young man playing a guitar and my extremely interesting and understated but tres chic group!!! I am always shocked by taxes in Chicago so be prepared for about 13% added on to the rate. The other thing that was an interesting business decision is that some services are outside the hotel. I never made it to the gym but "Princess" Nails next door was quick, easy and well priced as well as aptly named for moi. They must have known I was coming by!!! My friend sent a limo to take us to her house in style, so thoughtful- really- and there we were taking our bags to the car across the street because we had not called for a bellman. A little too understated for me but perhaps we forgot to ask for help.Overall we relaxed and felt that we had truly gone away. I attribute this to the fact that I go to Paris often and expect certain things in a French hotel of a certain ranking. I don't mind a more boutique atmosphere and I enjoy the formal,polite respect of the staff. Tres Bien, Merci. Bonsoir.