When we arrived at the hotel we were properly greeted and taken up to our rooms. When we got into our room the furniture inside was stained and really beat up. The worst part of the room was the bathroom door. The bathroom was fitted with a sliding door that did not go into the wall but alongside it. The door had no lock and left about a 2-3 inch gap where if you walked by it you could see someone on the toilet. The concierge was not helpful on suggestions of restraunts or nightlife. The concierge told us that we were better off staying in our rooms since there was "nothing to do in chicago after 10 pm". Our last night we ordered a movie and the quality of the movie was horrid (movie was pixelating and blurry) so we called down and I had to argue with the person at the front desk to have them credit us the money back for the movie after we had stopped it less than 5 minutes in. This is not a full service hotel we had to pay about 10 bucks for anything and everything. We had to pay about 12 dollars to have them bring us up extra glasses since the old ones were dirty and the maid did not switch them out. The only redeeming thing about my trip was the fun I had with my friends not the hotel.

I have stayed at this hotel twice in the past two months. It is south of the mile across from the park which makes it a much quieter place. It is only a few minute cab ride or walk up to the action on the mile or over on State. The staff is very friendly and helpful and the rooms are nice. One of the nice things is that it is a smaller hotel (compared to the Hilton next door and the other convention size places) and that makes for a really nice stay without the convention crowds in the lobby.

I stayed at the Blackstone A Renaissance Hotel for two nights for a short getaway. The plan was to do a little sightseeing, shop, and visit Harpo Studios as an audience member =). The hotel is lovely. The building is just breathtaking (though the interior is a bit too modern and does clash). The rooms were a very nice size with a huge marbled bathroom. The bed was comfortable, there is a large flat panel TV, wireless (which is not free and just overpriced), and a Starbucks located right in the hotel (though that staff just did not know what they’re doing so it really was not that much of a bonus) .

It really is just a beautiful hotel. Service…well, to be very honest the check in staff was a bit uppity. I found the female employees to be rather rude upon check in, so I really didn’t feel like asking them anything. The doormen were incredibly, wonderfully helpful and kind as was the cleaning staff. I’m sure service is fine at the Blackstone, but we were really put off by the tone when we arrived. However, this does not make or break a person’s stay. I think I can put up w/ just about anything as long as I’m in a clean room w/ a good location. And location is something you need to seriously consider before booking your stay at the Blackstone.

I think to get to Harpo Studios the location is fine. It’s a $12 (tip included) cab ride to the show. If you’re visiting the Chicago Art Museum or Millennium or Grant Park it’s a ten minute walk. To Chicago O’Hare airport it’s a good 30 minutes by taxi at $40 (tip included), or 1 hour 20 minutes by metro (only recommend using during the day, have to change lines after first stop) for $2.00. However, if you want to be in the middle of things (and I think we all do!) you should not stay at this hotel. I think that if travelers should stay at the hotels located on the Magnificent Mile, where all the restaurants and shops are. Hotels over there are also a ten minute walk from the parks and museums. The Blackstone, while lovely and comfortable, is just not as conveniently located as other hotels with the same rate or lower. At night, being two women alone in the city, we felt a little more weary in this location. Also, normally on my trips I prefer taking a city’s metro/subway – it’s just a great way to save money! On this trip we didn’t do that despite the close location of the metro (5 minute walk). Even walking from the metro to our hotel in the day we felt a little unsafe, so we sure weren’t going to take it at night! But, to reiterate, this is a lovely hotel just wasn’t a convenient enough location and not enough shops or restaurants around.

I was blown away by this hotel. It was absolutely gorgeous! My taxi driver commented (and I'm not sure if this is true or not) that the hotel was completely remodeled a few years ago, which initially made me feel a bit skeptical. But once I walked into the lobby, I knew I liked the place.

I really liked the style of the rooms (very modern with a fun color scheme). The beds were comfortable and had quality linens. The bathroom had cool lighting and a great shower. If I were back in Chicago, I would definitely stay here again.