Great feel and vibe. Even better location right across the River. Loved the 3rd floor rooftop bar. Staff very friendly. But like other Marriotts I have stayed in lately I could not get my room cool. I think the in room thermostats are for looks only. But that’s the only complaint so overall 4.5!
Although the location is excellent and the bar good for socializing the rooms are in serious need of renovation. In addition since central AC was not turned on as of yet there was no way to cool off an uncomfortably warm room except to open the window and put up with the noise.
Great view of the river. We had a corner river suite and king river view room on 19th floor. Room service from a la cart menu was very quick. Rooftop bar and lobby bar had excellent cocktails. Rooftop bar can get very busy with a waitlist to get in. Wonderful staff everywhere.
I have been staying at this hotel off and on for about six weeks, along with the Westin on the north side of the river. Both are good hotels with nice rooms and good customer service, but the Renaissance wins out. 1. Customer service is excellent. During five or six stays, everyone who works at the hotel tries hard to help you. I’ve never had a long wait for anything. If you want your room cleaned, it happens. If you want something fixed, it happens. 2. Even the smaller rooms are spacious, and the junior suites are enormous. The beds are comfortable. The rooms are well-appointed and up to date. The views from rooms facing the river are amazing, but you can’t really go wrong with any of the views. Rooms facing State Street have a nice view of the Chicago theater, while rooms facing south have an unblocked cityscape view. (But yes you can hear the L trains on Lake Street.) The Westin rooms are comfortable but not as large. 3. The food is great. The Renaissance has a stripped-down in-room meal service called “a la carte” that is delivered in cardboard boxes with plastic cutlery. That was a little of a disappointment, but the food itself is amazing, high-quality, and reasonably priced relative to most in-room dining. And it’s quick. The breakfast lounge for Marriott platinum members is the best in the city. The Westin has no room service, and its lounge isn’t as large. 4. There’s a very nice indoor pool and gym. All in all, a great hotel.…
I wanted to take a moment to comment on the outstanding experiences my wife and I have had over the years while staying at the Chicago Renaissance Downtown. I would estimate we have been staying at the hotel for the last 15 years. In staying at the hotel we are welcomed back by name & made to feel special with every stay. I would estimate we have seen at least 3 remodels over the years & simply love the hotel. No matter what our evening agenda in Chicago might consist of, we always begin and end our evening with a drink in the lobby. I’ve had countless occasions where the hotel has gone above and beyond to make our stay special like almost always being upgraded in our room, sending up drinks to our room, or a breakfast in the restaurant. One member of the staff in particular that has stood out is John Alcott. We always look forward to seeing John during our visits. John always gives us a run-down of what is going on in the city, tells us new places to go eat, helps us with anything we need, & goes out of his way to make us feel welcomed. My wife and I will not stay at any other hotel in Chicago because of John and others who are members of the hotel staff. We refer to the hotel as our “Chicago Condo”. I can’t begin to imagine how many times we have stayed at the hotel. I would have to say it’s in the 40 to 50 range. The level of service & hospitality that we always receive at the Hotel I feel is worth noting…
We had the pleasure of staying here for a great Chicago week end and the Shamrock Shuffle. Conveniently located and beautifully decorated, we loved our three nights here. Kudos to Jonathan at the Front Desk for finding early morning transportation to Midway!! We appreciate his help!
Couldn’t be more satisfied with experience at Renaissance Hotel. A+ on customer service. Jesus at the front desk was so kind, friendly, helpful, and went out of his way to help us out with answering questions, getting us a room with an amazing river view, and telling us about local spots to visit during our trip. Anytime we requested something from housekeeping, they delivered the items very promptly. Room was clean. Windows are not soundproof though, could hear police cars outside. But other than that, great hotel room with a prime location and right across the street from the State/Lake train station.
From being able to check in 8hrs early due to travel issues to allowing an extra 4 hours extended checkout, the hotel staff was exceptional. The use of the wrist bands in alll areas of the hotel was genius and made for easy identification and customer service. The Staytion Market and Bar is a nice midday stop for a cocktail and Donna is a great bartender/servier, making an excellent margarita mad old fashion.
Had a great stay here. Room was clean and comfortable. Staff was friendly and helpful. Pool was a nice size for the kids to swim in which is big for us. Plenty of room to toss a ball around in. Overall a nice stay, we’d stay again! Had a drink at the bar, Raised, and it was nice. Great location to the trains, downtown, restaurants and the museums.
I love staying in the theater district when going downtown. I’m not sure why we hadn’t stayed at the Renaissance yet. But I’m sure glad we did. Great location, chic lobby, friendly staff, modern room and the best hotel bed I’ve ever slept in! I like a firm bed and most hotel beds are too soft. This one was perfect. They have Netflix and YouTube on the TV and that was a bonus since we watch both. In-room coffee was good. Not the normal cruddy stuff you’re used to. Toiletries are pretty small. Not enough for more than two showers. But they smelled good. The only major gripe I have (which takes nothing away from my 5-star review) is that the room was pretty cold when we arrived. Thermostat read 67 degrees. That doesn’t seem cold but we couldn’t walk into the bathroom barefoot. It took awhile to warm up. Bathroom floor never did. Weird. Front desk staff did a good job checking vaccination cards. They didn’t just glance and approve. I appreciated that. We will certainly stay here again. I can get a bit picky since Chicago has a lot to offer hotel wise, but this one delivered. Thanks for the nice stay.…
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim Your Listing