I had booked this thinking it would be a great hotel and location. One of those was right - the location on Michigan Avenue was very convenient to everything I needed. However, from the moment I checked in, the experience was pretty much a disappointment. I am a member of their Ambassador program so I went to the special check in area for Ambassadors. The woman seated there seemed a bit distracted when I showed up so I just waited for her to look up and acknowledge me. She said she was checking me into the "historic tower" - when I hear that, I ask does that mean it is older rooms and not renovated (hey, I've been traveling long enough to know what these things mean...). She said the rooms were larger in the historic tower and that's where I would be upgrade as an Ambassador. I went to my room, keys in hand, and when i stepped off the elevator on my floor, I could tell I was not going to like the room. Older hallways, fixtures, dimness of lighting etc. It wasn't a good sign. I went to my room and noticed the do not disturb sign was on the door. I thought it was odd, but I used my key, opened the door, and... The room was still occupied by someone! Their luggage was there any everything! I couldn't believe it. Major security blunder. I went back downstairs, went to same check in and she acted all surprised but found me another room. Went to that room and it was definitely a smaller room than my first room. Too tired and hot to go back down again, I just took the room since it was only for the weekend. Immediately I noticed here were no drawers to out my clothes in. There was a small closet with louvered doors that didn't really close right. It did have a safe in the closet for my valuables. The room was dark even with the fluorescent lights on. I had to turn every light on in the room plus the closet light to feel like here was even any light on. The bathroom was kind of dirty - mildew on tiles, a rusty shower head, scratchy towels (one had brown stains on it as a "clean towel"). Toiletries were nice though.
On day of checkout, I was in the bathroom when all of a sudden, a hotel staff member entered my room and asked when i was checking out!!! I didn't hear his knock since I was in the bathroom. Mind you, I had the do not disturb sign (the electronic kind, not the hangtag on the door) ON. To me it was a last straw. I called downstairs and asked that the on duty manager call me. The only positive thing out of this hotel stay was that the manager did call back, I explained calmly to her what had happened with my first check in and now the maid coming into my do not disturb room. She apologized and promised she would both take care of these issues and give me some extra points. She did both. However, in some ways, the visit did a lot to diminish the InterContinental brand in my mind. I have stayed at nicer properties such as their new one on Howard in San Francisco and it was great, this "historic tower" at a grande dame of Michigan Avenue was bad... Just bad. I would not stay there again.
