Well. I had thought that the InterContinental was an upscale chain, having stayed at the one in Hong Kong (formerly the Regent). I was mistaken. I stayed at this one for 2 days while attending a meeting and was very disappointed.
The positives first: location, staff, lobby, food/drink. A Starbucks in the lobby. These were all fine if not better than fine. I suppose the $276/night was for these features.
And then the negatives....
The room was just deplorable. The Crowne Plaza in Minneapolis I stayed at last month was far better. I was in the "nonhistoric" side of the hotel--the room was tiny and in need of serious renovation. The bathroom was small, dingy, with peeling wallpaper, cheap or worn fixtures, scratchy towels, and sink faucets that went in the wrong direction. The bed was fine, however, comfortable with good linens.
The fee to use the hotel gym was another unpleasant little surprise. I don't even know where to begin with that one, as I have not encountered that problem before. At what is basically $300/night, it seems insulting to ask hotel guests to pay extra for that.
I guess I was shocked at the discrepancy between the attention to the nice lobby area, public spaces/services, customer service (excellent at the front desk and at the curb), and the very poor conditions of the room. I understand that this is a big city and that the hotel is in a great location, but I felt like I had been deceived.
There are plenty of hotels to choose from in Chicago. Next time, even if I have to spend a little more, I will go elsewhere.
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