Hotel- Kimpton Gray Hotel (Chicago, IL) Date- 8dec2022 – 11dec2022 (3 days) Title- Another excellent Kimpton boutique hotel experience! We look forward to our next stay! Overall: 5/5. Excellent. This was our second visit to this property, and it was a good choice for us. We had a clean, spacious, & pet friendly room; we were cared for by an attentive & courteous staff. There were readily available food and beverage options for most meals. Loyalty felt valued, and we left the hotel already considering when to plan our next visit. Staff: 5/5. Excellent. We were checked into the property by Mamadou, who was polite and thorough. Even dealing with a distracted guest (me), he effectively described the property offerings and amenities and ensured I had everything I needed to get myself and my family members up to our room. We also interacted with Shea, who was conversational and courteous, as he answered questions we had about the property and later helped us by extending our check out by an hour. We also took notice of Adam, the bellman, who always seemed to be engaging with and helping guests, while keeping an eye on both the reception area on floor two and the entrances on floor one. Alexandra, the Front Office Manager, was welcoming & a wealth of information about the property. So interested were we that we chose to extend our stay so that we could try the upstairs bar before leaving; we had to see more of the property! Overall, the staff experience was memorable and will bring us back. Accommodations- 5/5. Excellent. We were assigned a “1 Bedroom Suite Living Area” room type, and we were very happy. The room was spacious, well appointed, and came as advertised. A door separates the bedroom from the living room area, which had a sofa bed. The bathroom included a tub, and we had plenty of counter space for our personal items. The carpets were clean and nearly spot free. The mattress and pillows were supportive. The temperature was reliable in the room and the thermostat was responsive to changes. A minifridge was present and functional; the usual minibar items had been removed but were available at the front desk for purchase. Overall, we were very happy with this room type. Housekeeping- 5/5. Excellent. Our room was clean. The bedding & towels were clean, fresh, and fluffy. All toiletry items, such as shampoo, conditioner, body wash, soap, toilet paper, facial tissues, etc., were provided in a supply adequate for the length of our stay. The floors were vacuumed, and even our inspector cat could find nothing under or around the furnishings! Great job! (Other: Sanitizing stations were present & functional throughout the hotel). Once the Do Not Disturb was placed on the door, the housekeeping staff respected the sign. Pool/Gym: 4/5. Very good. While there is no pool at this property, the fitness center is large, and all of the equipment is operational. In addition, there is a spa on the second floor. (The spa is third party and cannot be billed to a hotel folio, i.e. must be paid at time of service directly to the spa.) Food & Beverage Options-.4/5. Very good. In addition to the Kimpton signature offerings, (the “kickstart” coffee and evening social hour), the bodega/minibar items are available, and there are the following venues: 1. Boleo, the hotel’s rooftop tapas bar that is open during the evenings and routinely closed for private events, (check the website for upcoming dates of closure) 2. Vol. 39, the hotel’s second-floor bar that currently does not serve any food (We were advised it will be bringing small appetizers or bites to its menu), 3. The Fillmore, a new full-service restaurant on the first floor of the hotel. This restaurant is only month’s old and still operating with limited hours due to staffing limitations. Breakfast food is very good here, but unfortunately demand far outpaces the existing staff’s ability to keep up. There is a lot of promise here, and this venue will greatly enhance the hotel’s F&B offerings, as they exist currently. Lunch and dinner service is expected; at the time of our visit, there was dinner until 6pm only. 4. Other non-affiliated options in the building: Starbucks & Protein Bar and Kitchen Laundry- not evaluated. Computer/Printer/WiFi- 5/5. WiFi signal was strong throughout the hotel, and streaming was smooth and uninterrupted. Property Appearance- 4/5. Very good, overall. No major outstanding maintenance items were evident. Exterior- The building looks like an office building, and it is hard to imagine the hotel inside. The ‘art studio’ hotel room they have set up in the space on the street level is a smart way to bring the hotel down to the street level. Landscaping is minimal but appropriate. The valet area is clean and debris free, but the staff at the door is routinely inattentive or even indifferent to guests. Interior- There are lots of elevators; there was never a wait. The corridor flooring was clean and relatively spot free; scuffs and scrapes are present but minimal. Although we did have difficulty getting the shower to the right temperature initially, we could identify no plumbing or HVAC problems. Scuffs and scrapes along the walls and baseboards are minimal for a building of this size and age. Chain Loyalty, Brand Programs, & Brand Loyalty Programs-5/5. Excellent, overall. 1. IHG One Rewards Program: 5/5. Loyalty to the IHG group felt valued at this property. a. Diamond Welcome Amenity: 5/5. We were offered either Welcome amenity points, a $20 Raid-the-Bar credit for use at the ‘bodega’ set up at the front desk, or a Complementary Breakfast for Two option, which was explained (Vouchers for the third-party restaurant on the first floor, The Fillmore). We chose the daily breakfast option. b. Preferences: (non-guaranteed) High Floor? 9th floor. Away from Elevator? To the right, you couldn’t go far, but it was about as far as you could go that direction away from the elevators. c. Reason for visit acknowledged. Yes, the birthday we were celebrating did not go unnoticed. d. The coffee maker we requested was present in the room when we arrived. 2. Kimpton Brand Programs:5/5. We would choose this brand again, based on this experience. a. Raid-the-Bar: $20 was offered as a Diamond Elite welcome amenity option at this property. b. Morning kickstart Coffee- yep. Coffee, tea, & hot chocolate were available to the right of the front desk, as you would enter the living room, until just after 10am on weekdays, 11am on the weekends. c. Evening social hour- yep. A cabernet sauvignon, a sauvignon blanc, and a spiked cider were available for adult guests from 5pm until 6pm. Games and non-alcoholic beverages were also available for the children during this time. d. Spa Credit- no. The hotel has a spa but does not participate in the spa credit program. e. Social Password- The social password was recognized and small bags containing either socks or gloves, a hand warmer, and a holiday tree ornament were given out. 3. Kimpton Inner Circle (brand loyalty program): 4/5 Very good. Loyalty to this particular brand felt valued. a. Key card/recognition- We were verbally thanked for our loyalty to Kimpton specifically, and Inner Circle was mentioned by name. The identifying Inner Circle key card was not used. b. Guaranteed one category upgrade- yes. We were upgraded at least one category. c. Welcome Amenity- Yes. A very nice amenity was provided. It was personalized & customized to the preferences in our profile. d. Guaranteed 10a early check-in/4pm late checkout? Yes. While we did not request the early check in, we did request a 3pm checkout, and it was accommodated happily. e. Chefs Taste Benefit? No. The rooftop restaurant Boleo did not participate in this benefit. (The status was noted in the reservation made through RESY.) -------- …
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.