Rated 3.0 out of 5.0 by Foxy40 Dec 2012
Hotel being renovated 2 floors a year. Our room was on 23rd floor, so it was the first floor remodeled.
Cell phone service in the room and restaurant was terrible. Missed calls etc.
Room furniture was worn. Wallpaper peeling off. No refrigerator or microwave.
Restaurant was too expensive, such as $15.00 for an omelet.
Location is good, but next time we'll stay somewhere else.
January 2, 2013
Rated 4.0 out of 5.0 by BobC350 Nice Property and great views
Food was good and reasonable but the drinks were pretty high.
My room was great with city and water views out both South and West windows.
My only real complaint was the parking and access to the room. Parking is at the river level with no valet or elevator. This means you have to drag your luggage up a tall outside staircase then through the lower lobby to ride an elevator to the hotel lobby. Then on the other side of that lobby is the elevator to the rooms.
December 19, 2012
Rated 3.0 out of 5.0 by Omaha34 Regional Director Claims
We use Corporate Lodging cards to check in and pay for our rooms. Everytime I come there I am forced to wait 3x longer than the average customer because the staff hasn''t been trained on how to use a CLC card. This visit I was finally asked (after waiting for 15 minutes) to leave a photo copy of my card and they'd reconcile it over night. Also, they never welcome me as a priority club guest.
December 17, 2012
Rated 4.0 out of 5.0 by Betty28 We hope to come back
When we had a problem with the room, it was handled immediately Pay the extra for a Riverview room. It is fascinating to watch the combination of water & rail traffic going by. With lobby on 15th floor, all the rooms have a great view. Even in the winter in Chicago you are in an enclosed environment to walk thru to the Merchandise Mart Mall and Food Court.
December 16, 2012
Rated 2.0 out of 5.0 by dessi Construction and noise
We reserved a room in this hotel about three months in advance at a special rate. We requested a quiet room. About a month before we arrived we added one more day to the reservation. The hotel raised our rate for each day, so we ended up paying much more than expected. There is currently a construction going on on the 20th floor which starts at 7am each morning (except weekend). We were put in a room close to the construction area. The next day we requested to be moved and we were but the new room was also noisy from what sounded like a construction and the hotel had no explanation for this.
December 15, 2012
Rated 4.0 out of 5.0 by prochoice82 Beautiful View & Comfy Bed
If you are looking for a nice place to stay for business or play in downtown Chicago, you found the right hotel! My husband and I were very pleased with the comfort of the bed, the ability to relax without hearing other guests and the cleanliness of the bathroom. An issue with housekeeping was found in the room, which was handled right away when I brought this to the front desk's attention. Although we did not dine during our stay, the food looked delicious and onlookers could enjoy the calming water wall in the lobby.
December 14, 2012
Rated 3.0 out of 5.0 by dee65355 Best thing is the walkway to Merchandise Mart
The rooms here need updating. The tub had pieces of the finish missing, the tv should be mounted between both beds instead of directly in front of one. The included breakfast is a sham. Your choice for breakfast (this was for two people) is either the breakfast buffet or a $20 credit. Two eggs and a side costs just under $15 so we opted for the buffet, yuck! The scrambled eggs had no flavor, the bagels were stale, the melon was not ripe, the pineapple had the core in it. When we got the bill, the buffet is $22 for one person so in a sense we got a $44 dollar credit.... my question is why were we only offered a $20 credit? I would rather have had a nice continental breakfast than that buffet.
December 14, 2012
Rated 5.0 out of 5.0 by MicksofWindLake Always a good stay..
Every time we stay at the Mart Plaza the stay is excellent. We enjoy the morning swim to get the day started and the evening meal at the bar on the 15th floor is always good along with the view of the city.
December 10, 2012
Rated 4.0 out of 5.0 by DakotaDan Nice Hotel
Nice hotel. Nicely location within Chicago - lots of great places nearby.
December 8, 2012
Rated 4.0 out of 5.0 by KenB Excellent stay
This was among the better Holiday Inn properties that I've stayed in, with both a good location at a good price and pleasant staff. I would not only recommend it but am encouraged to stay here again. The one negative is that the business center was unable to print my boarding pass on either computer; however I expect that this temporary problem has already been fixed.
December 7, 2012
Rated 1.0 out of 5.0 by Bob5620 Bad Experience
Rooms are very dated but the view/location is excellent. Was on 17th floor and we were kept awake by a wedding party conducted on 15th floor.
Hotel property/staff double charged my wife for parking ($40, twice) and despite my complaints have still not contacted me or reimbursed the funds. Very bad experience and will not return.
December 7, 2012
Rated 5.0 out of 5.0 by DA60 Favorite Hotel
I travel to Chicago monthly for work, the HI - Mart is my hotel of choice. Always good service, room is ready when I arrive (early), clean and relaxing environment. Also, I drive a full size van, self parking is a breeze in an open aire area!
December 5, 2012
Rated 3.0 out of 5.0 by irish1234 windy city
Beds were one of the worst for comfort ,as a smoker the trip up and down 2 elevators was way to much,for the price not worth it.
December 5, 2012
Rated 5.0 out of 5.0 by Terry1515 A Great Place in Chicago
I stayed in this hotel when I attended a convention last winter. The location is convenient in downtown Chicago. The hotel room is clean as advertized. And I got a room with great view, especially in the evenings/nights.
I attended the same annual convention this year, and stayed in this same hotel again. Highly recommended.
December 4, 2012
Rated 4.0 out of 5.0 by Angie63 Fine for the weekend
Stayed for a weekend getaway. The hotel has an interesting 2 part entrance but beyond that was as expected. No complaints and nothing really stuck out as over the top special.
December 1, 2012
Rated 4.0 out of 5.0 by IFixComputers Not that picky but the wife is
Probably the nicest Holiday Inn lobby I've ever seen. The restaurant and bar is very convenient and tasty. The rooms were average but better than other Holiday Inn's I've stayed in. Wife complained about the bathroom not being clean enough. I'm a guy... no biggy for me. Definitely a 3 star hotel with a 5 star lobby.
November 29, 2012
Rated 5.0 out of 5.0 by Suse Enjoyable stay.
On-line advance booking easy, welcomewas pleasant and proximity to family worked well.
November 29, 2012
Rated 2.0 out of 5.0 by chicagotraveler Just "OK"...
The biggest concern we had when staying at this property was the parking issue and the location of the actual front desk. There was no parking in the main area so we had to park a level down. You enter the door...go down a long hall, around the corner, down another hall to the elevator. You take that elevator to the next level. Once you get off the elevator, you go around the corner to another elevator. Take that to the 15th floor to check in. Then up to our floor down the hall and around the corner. We had forgotten something in the car and it took a good 15 minutes to get it and get back to the room. The front desk staff was just "ok." I had tickets attached to my room confirmation and accidentally handed them over to the clerk. When i called down to make sure they were still attached the staff member told me that i probably have them and he didn't see them. I called again, got put on hold, and had to physically go down to the front desk and point out that the tickets were right in front of the woman that checked us in. She gave a minimal apology. Bed was comfortable and the accommodations were clean. Great view but the location is a bit of a walk from everything. The fact that parking was $39/night, i think we could have parked in a garage across the street and had less of a walk to our room.
November 23, 2012
Rated 4.0 out of 5.0 by bg42 Nice place, very poor wifi connection
Except for the WIFI internet, everything else (location, room, staff, room service) was just right. The internet connection was useless for getting any work done. Access was very sporadic making it useless for anything but email.
November 23, 2012
Rated 5.0 out of 5.0 by pawwap Location is wonderful, off Michigan but close to everything.
We had a corner room with view in two directions, and it was great to look out at Chicago day and night. The hotel really suits our needs as far as location being only 2 blocks from where family lives. I was concerned about drop-off of luggage and registration, but that was made easy and the doorman/porter was very helpful. We used the lounge on a limited basis and found it fine. The only downside is that in our room, some of the wooden furniture was a bit old and scuffed looking and could use an update.
For being in the Wacker Drive to Michigan Ave. area, this hotel was a great location. We will return next time we visit Chicago (if we can ge in- We have tried before and this was the first time we found availability.)
November 23, 2012
Rated 5.0 out of 5.0 by Sam58 Excellent
Perfect location, walking distance from downtown and attractions. Friendly staff, spacious room and quiet. We would certainly come back here.
November 23, 2012
Rated 3.0 out of 5.0 by NonnieM Great price & location - desk staff interactions need work
Great price and convenient location.
Catering, AV, and event planning staff were all wonderful.
Unfortunately, staff at front desk were patronizing and uncaring. I was even told, "It's no problem, but I'm just saying..." to imply that I was wrong about a reservation that had been made (when I later showed my confirmation, all I got was a terse "Oh, I'm sorry"). I spoke with several members of the front desk staff and none treated me warmly (nor did they appear to treat others in line around me any better).
The hotel continues to have problems with temperature control in the rooms and my room smelled like someone had left Chinese food out for several days.
In the past, I have been recognized for being a priority club member, but the only acknowledgement I received on this trip was, "We already have your number" when I presented my card.
November 21, 2012
Rated 4.0 out of 5.0 by Art999 Physical environment great - connectivity? Not so much....
I've stayed here for two years running for a fall conference. The staff is always excellent and extremely courteous. Breakfast is good and quick. The room is always comfortable, clean and quiet.
Downsides? Internet connectivity has been atrocious both years, coming to a near full stop from 7-9 am and 5-7 pm, and never managing to fully sync email. It's a bit better in meeting rooms, but not a lot. The front desk seemed to know there is a problem, but wasn't interested in addressing it ("I'll mention it to my supervisor, but it was probably your laptop." -- I have NO problems with my laptop OR my ipad at any other hotels OR offices OR at home...)
The "Welcome gift" for "club members" has been reduced to a single, tiny bag of chips.... kind of a joke when you are paying full rate.
Other conference attendees were getting equal and better rooms for (much) less money -- within walking distance. Next year I'll shop better.
November 19, 2012
Rated 4.0 out of 5.0 by Anonymousbrazil Nice Room
Would stay again. Nice room.
Bathroom is old and not clean.
November 15, 2012
Rated 5.0 out of 5.0 by philipenium Great Help Desk, Room, View
This hotel is is perched above a few things like businesses, an art school, and the brown line. It's inside the loop, so everything we wanted to do (restaurants, bars, clubs, sightseeing) was within walking distance. The customer service was very kind in providing a Priority Club member such a spacious suite with a beautiful skyline view of the city (Willis Tower-facing). I would definitely stay here again.
November 10, 2012
Rated 5.0 out of 5.0 Amazing
We spent 4 days at the Hotel with Riverview which was amazing expecially at the sunrising. We missed nothing at the breakfast buffet and the personal was very friendly. Quick check-in and check-out for members was working fine. The hotel and the room were very clean and the bathroom was bigger than expected.
We are sure to come back once again!
November 9, 2012
Rated 4.0 out of 5.0 by AtlantaMatthew No Valet Parking. Nice Location with Great Views. Great food.
My negative is that the hotel has dropped the valet parking. That is a problem if you are using a car and not using a taxi. It means a three flight stair case outside in the weather to get to your car anytime you go out and then after parking your car on your return a three flight climb up the stairs. There is a inconveniently located Handicapped elevator and parking area that is remote, dirty and a bit desolate.
The hotel restaurant food is very good, the service is a little slow. Try the Cesare Salad+++ with Shrimp even better!!!
November 8, 2012
Rated 4.0 out of 5.0 by paulie Fantastic Concierge....
Recently stayed for 3 nights, bit of a mess up at the start with 4 rooms booked for two nights instead of 2 rooms for 4 nights, but once that was sorted out, not bad at all. Thought breakfast was a bit expensive ($20 buffet) for the normal fare that you can get elsewhere for less although the lunchtime sandwiches at the italasia were very good.. Rooms were very good once I got the riverview that was originally requested and reasonably quick internet.
Very handy for downtown. Best part was the fanatastic concierge who was superb at sorting out trips/ execursions and dinner arrangements. Thanks Todd - you were great.
November 6, 2012
Rated 4.0 out of 5.0 by Steve54 Comfortable and very good staff
Accomodations and stafff were all very good to excellent. My only complaint with this hotel is the lack of exterior signage on the buildings or streets.
I drove to this hotel from the airport at night and circled around the block several times before I was able to find the location due to lack of signage. Even the street level lobby ( which is not the hotel lobby) has no sign that is visible from a car parked in front. What makes it even more difficult is that the hotel is not on a street at all but rather an alley.
Some street signs would be very helpful.
Thank You.
November 5, 2012
Rated 4.0 out of 5.0 by BonedocNati quality of food
I attended a banquet dinner for Alpha Phi Alpha. The food at the banquet was less than adequate. The chicken was dry and tough. There was only water and coffee available to drink. Maybe this part of the problem was with the menu that was chosen, but I would think that a minimal offering would be water and iced tea.
We also had the buffet on Sunday morning. The sausage was REALLY bad.
Loved the location and the bell staff was excellent.
November 3, 2012