I had a wonderful experience at the Talbott. I loved its smaller size and its excellent location. The rooms were very nice and the free wireless internet and internet TVs were a wonderful surprise! My food and service from room service were great as were my experiences checking in and with the luggage attendants. Really enjoyed the cozy lobby fireplaces after a cold day out in the city!

This past weekend, my daughter and I stayed 2 nights at the Talbott and found this place to be amazing. It is now my favorite place to stay in Chicago. The staff know how to treat their guests. Everyone is so helpful and friendly. The hotel is beautifully decorated for the holidays, the restaurant/bar is cozy, the continental breakfast is perfect, the breakfast servers are so friendly and efficient, and the hotel beds are so comfortable. The location is top notch for shopping and dining. So close to everything on Michigan Avenue and Rush Street. First trip to Chicago where we did not even need a taxi. We walked everywhere we went. One morning, I was pleasantly greeted by 5 different staff members before leaving the hotel property for a day of shopping. Book your room using the Priceless Chicago promotion with MasterCard and get a room upgrade. Plus by booking through the hotel website, we received money to spend for breakfast at the hotel. I give this hotel 5 stars!! Thanks for making my visit with my daughter one I will remember.

I can't recall another time I've had to deal with such rude front desk help. While pleasant initially, as soon as I demonstrated the slightest bit of frustration that I was still waiting to claim my luggage for check-in (I arrived prior to check-in time, so they were holding a few bags), the true quality of this establishment surfaced. Never mind that the luggage wasn't sent up to our room in the afternoon or that i waited in the lobby for 15 minutes at 7:30pm still looking for my luggage or at least a bellhop. While that was a bit annoying, the worst part was witnessing the poor attitude of Donna, the very attractive but aloof front desk employee. Her lack of initiative was only matched by her pettiness, as I noticed she refused to make eye contact with me for the remainder of my stay, including when my family came down to the lobby the following morning. I also booked a rate that included parking, which Donna acknowledged at check-in but at check out billed me separately; I assume after I got on her bad side. Even with my last polite good bye to the front desk, I felt a phony, uppity attitude from Donna, and I really can't convey the extent of how insulting it felt. I can honestly say it was the worst part of my first trip to Chicago.

The hotel is well appointed and the lobby was small but cozy. Great location as well. To be fair, most of the staff seemed very friendly, and I am not so obtuse as to not recognize my rating of this hotel is a statistical outlier. But I think most travelers, like me, would trade a few amenities for consistent and reliable service, so as to not have a "situation" that could single-handedly ruin a travel experience. Unfortunately, that was the case here.

I'm sitting in the hotel as I right this review and am not impressed with the room. The hotel is not modern in the least - it feels like you're staying in your grandmother's attic. Wallpaper is peeling off the wall, not well lit, very few outlets in the room -- especially convenient ones (none next to the bed or built into lamps), terrible views and loud construction noises woke me up at 7am. Even the location is off the beaten path - closest L stop is on the Red Line -- so not accessible via the loop stops on the blue line from the airport without transferring. Health club is not on site either. There are hundreds of other hotels I would stay in over this one.