When looking for our hotel in Chicago, there were two good areas to stay in, River North and the Loop. We chose River North and one of the hotels with the best ratings at a reasonable price was the Hyatt Place River North. We paid about $215 CAD a night after taxes, which was an excellent rate for a hotel that included free breakfast and was located in a prime area in Chicago.
The location of the Hyatt Place was excellent; it was right in River North and close to transportation, pubs and restaurants. There was Lou Malnati’s and Portillos, which are both iconic restaurants within minutes’ walk from the hotel. It was also only a few minutes from the River Walk and was a bit of a walk, but still close enough to the Navy Pier. The Hyatt Place really was located in the premier location of River North and Chicago. Parking was close, although it was expensive. When pulling up to the hotel and frantically searching for parking, I decided to let the valet park our car. It was $69 USD a night which was a hefty price to pay. The staff told us we could self-park in a covered off-site lot for $58. They were the first to admit that it was the same lot as the valet and that I could get the valet to bring me my car then I could drive back there and park it myself and save $11 a night. The second day I did that. Still, it was a hefty price, but parking downtown in a major city will be and at least it was close and in a covered parkade.
The staff were honest about the parking and were very helpful in general. The front desk staff were friendly and provided recommendations on restaurants, activities and directions. Not only were the front desk staff friendly, but so were the staff in the restaurant and bar.
There was a nice bar that had a good ambience with a perfect balance of music. The bar was in the restaurant and although I didn’t eat anything other than breakfast, the restaurant seemed popular and was always full of people. The breakfast was good but it got really busy. It was a buffet with lots of options but had a really long line. Not only were the staff nice, but the atmosphere and ambiance of the hotel was great. Everyone including the other guests were friendly, maybe the music in the lobby added to it, or it was something in the water, but throughout our stay we conversed with a number of other guests who all seemed to be in a good mood.
Finally, the rooms were spacious and clean with decent amenities. The beds were comfortable and the washrooms were nice. There was a big window with a view of the city. The staff cleaned the room everyday and did a good job. A crib was provided for our baby, and we could rent a microwave for our entire stay for $20 or use the one in the lobby. We elected to save the $20 and sterilize the baby bottles in the lobby.
Overall, it was a great time in Chicago and our stay at the Hyatt Place River North added to the vacation. I would stay there again and recommend it to anyone going to Chicago.
This is how I’d break down my ratings of the hotel:
Location – excellent
Staff – excellent
Food – good
Rooms – excellent
Parking – okay
Amenities – good
Price - good
Atmosphere - excellent
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