Discovered the James via Priceline. This blind date has turned into a longstanding affair. Staff are fantastic. One can judge a hotel by its front of house: here the doormen, valets and bellmen are friendly, incredibly informed and they remembered us each day! While the concierges are officially the connoiseurs, pulleeeze bring the attitude down a notch.
Rooms were cleverly & modernly designed with enough space. Only stay here if you want to experience Chicago by day or by night; if you want to shop; if you want to dine; or if you want to see beautiful people. Love this place.

I surprised my boyfriend with a trip to Chicago to shop the Magnificent Mile and visit the German Christmasmarkt (highly recommend!). We had found a deal on Jetsetter for the James, and I figured the deal was too good to pass up. I agree with other posters that it was a little noisy at night, but it is a city, so I'm not sure why I would expect peace and quiet. The location was pretty much perfect - two blocks from Michigan Ave and walking distance to everything (even though it was very cold!). The room was spectacular. The bathroom was not anything special, but it was clean and nice. The bed was amazing, the room was spacious, and it had multiple pieces of furniture. There is a trader joe's across the street so you can pick up wine and snacks. The only complaint I had was the service in the hotel bar. The male bartender was busy, but he was kind of a jerk. The other hotel staff were fine - not friendly, but not rude. They just did their jobs and let the hotel speak for itself, which was fine with us! I would highly recommend the hotel for your couple getaway or for your next business trip. Also, I really appreciated the water bottle they provided - no other American hotel I've stayed at recently has had this. And, side note - I know they are supporting a green initiative, but a little part of me missed the tiny hotel-sized shampoos and conditioners. I can give those up in the name of sustainability, but I missed them a little bit!

Nice, stylish hotel, close to all the amenities of downtown Chicago. Very comfortable beds, excellent, though slightly pricey food in the restaurant / room service. A little noisy at night - why do the emergency services put their sirens on at 3am? Can't believe there's much traffic at that time!!
Good conference rooms and support.
No pool which is a pity - though there is a spa available.

Stayed three nights in September '12. We wanted a smaller, "boutique" hotel close to shopping and the major attractions. We paid extra for a "loft" room/suite which ended up being located on a lower floor and overlooked a dark and gloomy atrium/air shaft. Asked to switch rooms, but nothing else was available and were told all loft rooms overlook the "atrium". The layout of the room itself was strange, the bed area up a step and squeezed into a corner. The brown shag carpet looked like it had seen better days (wear the provided slippers!). The sofa in the living room was really uncomfortable, so there was nowhere to sit and relax but on the bed. However, the staff were very attentive and friendly. The front desk kindly sent chocolate covered strawberries, champagne & a nice card for my birthday. The concierge was great, recommending & booking reservations for dinner.