We recently stayed at the Hotel Baker for a friend's wedding. The wedding was in the rainbow room and was just gorgeous. I would totally recommend this as a site for a wedding. The food was also great - the filet was just as good as a steak at a restaraunt. The room was small, but nice. The sheets were great and the bathrobes were awesome. The bathroom was small but very nice, as it was re-done in marble with a big gold frame mirror.

My only issue was the price. The regular price for this hotel is around $175 and I would not recommend staying here for that price. It's nice but not that nice. They have a great military discount that brings the price down to $80 a night which is a fantastic deal. However, if you say you are there for a wedding, they will not allow you to get the military rate and will make you pay $120, which is ridiculous. Other than that, the hotel is great and a nice change to a standard hotel room. Also, the town around the hotel is adorable and worth a nice walk around. I also thought the river was nice and would recommend a riverfront room.

We stayed for two nights due to a convention at the Dupage county expo center. We sprung for the city view suite with whirlpool. The room and the hotel are rehabed art deco. Our room was quiet but did have some street noise but acceptable for a older downtown hotel. The whirlpool was a hot tub on a screened in pourch outside, accessable from french doors. The mix of cold air and hot water was very nice and refreshing as was the view.Dinner was outstanding,not wanting a big meal we went on the advise of our server MARK who was great.The only complaint we had was the parking .Being a city hotel and having a remote area vanity parking is the way to go but the attendent was totally lost ,misplaced the car keys. forgot what make of car after he walked two blocks.Other than that glitch it was a very enjoyable stay

We stayed at the Hotel Baker while attending a friend's wedding in nearby Wayne, Illinois. My guess is that the Hotel Baker was nice at some point in its history, but frankly, it is showing its age. Although our room was a decent size, the furnishings were shabby and the walls thin (we could hear the details of our neighbors' conversations). The front desk service was good, but the valet and restaurant service were both substandard. Also, don't spend the extra money for a "river view." All we saw was the Fox River bubbling over with pollutants. We've spent less money in downtown Chicago at beautiful hotels with great service. In other words, Hotel Baker was not worth the price.

My husband and I chose the Hotel Baker for our wedding reception last September after viewing, literally, EVERY wedding venue in the entire Chicagoland area. We were among the first to book the hotel after it reopened following renovations in early 2004, and it proved to be an excellent choice in every category, including price, value, service, location, and picture perfect setting.

Because our families are from two different sides of the country, we actually had two full weddings in the span of a month to accomodate everyone. This meant we had to be extremely careful of our budget. We also wanted a classic, romantic setting with good food and excellent service for our guests.

Hotel Baker worked with us to create a custom menu to meet our budget that was absolutely wonderful and impressive enough even for my notably picky tastes. And amazingly, unlike most wedding food that is boring, tasteless, or simply decorative without being filling, the dishes were both satisfying and delicious. I have never had better food at a catered event. Their packages also include a wedding cake from one of Chicago's best bakers--and it, too, was fantastic.

Before we fell in love with the food, though, we fell head over heels for the location itself. Overlooking the beautiful Fox River in an historic building beautiful in its own right, the Hotel Baker has the most amazing two-story oval ballroom. It's balcony and main floor provided ample seating for our very large guest list, and the setup of the room--an oval shape with a lighted dance floor (don't worry, not tacky--go see it before you judge) in the center--enticed even the shyest and high-strung guests (like my own father) to shake a leg. The room's layout made it easy for guests to see everyone else present, even in the crowd, and I must admit, even as a reluctant tomboy bride who wanted nothing more than to elope, walking into that room with two stories of guests standing and clapping made me feel more like a princess than I ever could have imagined. It was pure magic. As a note, we also reserved the Writing and Triple Crown Rooms for cocktails and hors d'oeurves prior to the reception--the atmosphere here was equally impressive and the food equally delightful.

Finally, the service at the Baker--both for our reception and the duration of our stay (we were originally to leave for our honeymoon the next morning but were delayed a few days due to hurricane Ivan)--was impeccable. From management on down, the staff was 5 star. And it was clear from the way our guests were treated that this was standard policy and not just a courtesy to the bride and groom.

We continue to get comments a year later from even our most discerning relatives that this was the most fun and elegant wedding they ever attended. We are headed back to the Baker later this week to celebrate our first anniversary, and we will likely make this an annual trip. I highly recommend this venue for both a first class stay and a wonderful reception location.