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Reviewed December 5, 2019

We were excited for our Chicago holiday getaway. Hilton Downtown Chicago is in an ideal location: an easy walk through Grant Park to the museum district, a brisk jaunt up Michigan Ave to Millennium Park, the Art Institute, and the Golden Mile. Everything is in easy reach. Heck, even the Thanksgiving Parade was just a block away. Anything further is an easy Uber from this location.

Given our travel schedule, we had to make a last minute change and extend our visit by one more day on the front end of our trip. A glance at the Hilton app suggested that we couldn’t add another nite to the room we had booked, so I gave the hotel reservations number a call. Sometimes it helps to speak with a real person, and working in tech, I know that for all the convenience in apps…sometimes they don’t always reflect all the options available.

The guy who answered the reservation desk was absolutely awesome. He sounded like it was his life’s mission to make sure we had a great stay. He trawled through his system and said it looked like the sticking point was the double queen beds we needed. He had options for us if we could switch to a room with two double-beds….

I checked in with the decision maker, and alas, the wife was adament: we were traveling with a kid and two Queen beds were necessary.

The reservations guy heard my wife’s concern through the phone and asked me to hold on again while he checked for other options.

Wouldn’t you know it, he found something!

He thought it would be a truly special room for us…had the two Queen beds, was on a high floor with a great view of the lake, and even had two bathrooms! He checked with his leadership and was able to offer the room to us. Of course we were excited, and we told him that he could go ahead and confirm. We thanked him, wished him a Happy Thanksgiving, and hung up.

My wife was incredibly excited. We were all feeling great. It was our first vacation as a family in quite some time, and it felt like we were being catered to by Hilton.

Well, when we drove in to Chicago and checked in at the hotel, our room wasn’t ready (it was past check in time by a few minutes). The front desk clerk asked if we could wait in the lobby until the room was cleaned. “No problem,” I thought. “They are giving us something quite special, I don’t mind being flexible at all!” I told her we’d be glad to wait, and she checked us in, gave us key cards, and said she’d text us the room number when it was ready.

So we waited. And had a fine time. If you’ve never been, the Hilton Downtown Chicago is a grand hotel, and the first floor is massive. There are plenty of cozy nooks to sit and talk, fireplaces to sit beside, restaurants, food options, beverage options. Waiting for our room felt like a vacation in and of itself.

Except an hour later, we still hadn’t gotten a text and our five year old was getting antsy.

I wondered if they sent our room number to the wrong phone, and went to the desk to check.

The desk clerk checked for us…eyebrow raised, and said, “Uh no. That room is not yet ready…I’m going to put you in another room. “ 

“We don’t mind waiting!” I began… “We were told it was quite a special room. We’d be glad to hang out a little longer…”

But she was already pecking away at her computer. She said something polite, but made it clear that we wouldn’t be getting the room we thought we were.

“Oh well,” I thought to myself. “We’re still going to have a great time…” I took my newly minted room keys, and my family followed the instructions to find our new abode.

It was a large room. Had great views. One bathroom. …and two Double beds. At least I thought they were doubles.

“Don’t these look small?” my wife asked?

“Uhhhh…yeah, there’s no way these are Queens,” I said, laying down on one and comparing lack of space to the relative abundance of our Queen bed at home.

At that point I got a text from Hilton asking how we liked our room and enquiring if everything was ok. “Welcome to Hilton Chicago, Mr. XXXX. Thank you for being a valued Hilton Honors Member. How is everything with your room?”

“Thanks XXX. It’s a lovely room, but we asked for two Queen beds and had a room with that reserved that we were waiting for. It got switched on check-in apparently.”

There was a brief delay. I imagined staff pecking away at computers, trying to figure out what went wrong. Then my phone buzzed again. A new text.

“It looks like you are in a room with two queen beds now.”

I looked from my phone to the lack of familiar empty space to my side. “Hmmm…. It’s been a long day so I could be wrong, but these seem like doubles in 2129.” I paused my typing. I didn’t want to be THAT guy…. You know the one who is hung up on nothing, or makes a mountain out of a mole hill. So I continued with my text, “Now my wife and I are both second guessing ourselves. Apologies if I got it wrong.”

I wanted to make sure there was room for mistake on our end as well as theirs. “Maybe,” I thought, “there’s something called a ‘microqueen’ that we didn’t (or don’t) know about.

I checked the mattress labels…. They didn’t mention the size. Wife and daughter laid down on the other bed. “Nope. There’s no way…” wife said. Our daughter even said it was smaller than her double. But she’s five. Sometimes she just says things because.

We moved on. I expected a followup text from Hilton as we continued unpacking and freshening up.

But it never came. They didn’t respond to the thread.

In the end, we still had a great room, with a great view, on an executive floor no less. I felt a slight twinge wondering what room we might have had, and when I asked my wife if we could make the beds work, she took it all in and said we could.

And We did. We had a pretty terrific vacation. Kiddo loved the pool, the daily expeditions in the great big city, and how the staff made us all feel special. The decorated tree and the gingerbread cityscape were amazing, especially when viewed through the eyes of a five year old.

So where am I going with all this?

Well, I suppose I’d like to share that Hilton Downtown Chicago is a special place. The staff seem pretty terrific all in all. We got a great room, but had a little hiccup on the beds (I still can’t believe those are Queens. I want to measure them. :P. ).

One thing stands out that’s worth considering:

It seems like a (very small) misstep for anyone in the hospitality industry to leave a conversation like the one we started over SMS unresolved. I’m not sure what exactly I was expecting.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry…. All we had open were doubles, but I made sure to put you in the best room we had” would have been fine. Even, “You know what? I’m 99% sure you have queen beds in that room, but I’m going to have housecleaning confirm tomorrow and get back to you” would have been fine. What seemed a little off brand was the lack of a response.

Is it a huge deal? No. We’ll still return to Hilton. We’ll still recommend others do too. If anything, I’d just recommend that Hilton keep investing in training and consider how to handle questions and concerns over SMS. Hilton, you’ve built a great brand. Part of what we love is that you always make us feel special. In this context only do the small inconsistencies stand out.

Date of stay: November 2019
    • Sleep Quality
    • Rooms
    • Service
Thank michaeloS8678ZA
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BrianMarchi, Manager at Hilton Chicago, responded to this reviewResponded December 5, 2019

Dear Valued Guest,

Thank you for taking a moment to share your experience in such details. We certainly appreciate the time you took to let us know of your experience. It is always a pleasure to receive your positive rating in our overall service and accommodations.

I genuinely apologize for the service discrepancies you experienced as highlighted in your comments. You have provided valuable feedback that is very much appreciated which we will use as a tool for training and improvement. I will certainly follow up with my team in the appropriate departments for corrective action and additional training as you have also recommended.

Your positive attitude is truly an inspiration and I am happy to read that you did not let your experience stop you from having a wonderful time during your stay. It is nice to know that you have not given up on us and plan to return.

We look forward to the opportunity of welcoming you back, so we can improve your impression of the Hilton Chicago!

Sincerely,
Brian Marchi
Hotel Manager

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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Reviewed December 5, 2019 via mobile

Nice hotel for business trip. If you are on a couples trip I’d stay at LondonHouse which is another Hilton brand hotel that has more of a modern look and a nice cozy lobby with jazz performances and a cute bar.

Lobby and common areas at Hilton Chicago are beautiful, has this old Chicago feel to it, I liked that. The rooms are basic - the one I stayed in had a mini fridge and a small coffee machine. Showers are nice.
Check-in process is smooth and staff is very friendly and professional (the girls name who helped me out was Carsarra and she was very pleasant and helpful, so thank you for great service).

PS This hotel is within walking distance from Orange line (goes to Midway airport) and Blue line (goes to O’Hare) so if you want to avoid car rental or don’t want to take Uber it’s convenient, especially if you need to make your flight during the rush hour.

Date of stay: December 2019
Trip type: Traveled on business
Thank 576kseniac
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BrianMarchi, Manager at Hilton Chicago, responded to this reviewResponded December 5, 2019

Dear Valued Guest,

Thank you for the detailed review of your past stay with us. It was a pleasure to receive your positive rating in our overall service and accommodations. It is always great to know that we are meeting our guest's expectations.

I am happy to read that you appreciated the beauty of our historic hotel and the wonderful experience you had with our staff. I am especially delighted to hear that our Guest Service Agent Carsarra made such a good impression on you and that her quality of service was greatly appreciated. Please be certain that she will be recognized for her efforts.

We will continue to strive for excellence in service as we are always looking for ways to improve our customer experience. Your satisfaction is very important to us and we try hard to make sure all of our guests have a great stay.

We hope to have another opportunity to serve you the next time you visit Chicago!

Sincerely,
Brian Marchi
Hotel Manager

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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Reviewed December 4, 2019

I had a beautiful view of Lake Michigan from the 19th floor, very nice room, well appointed. But they need more staff at the front desk. Both times I had to visit the front desk I was first in line, but waited an extraordinarily long time for someone to free up.

Date of stay: November 2019
  • Trip type: Traveled solo
    • Value
    • Location
    • Sleep Quality
    • Rooms
    • Cleanliness
    • Service
Review collected in partnership with Hilton Hotels & Resorts
Thank TipToeTippy
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BrianMarchi, Manager at Hilton Chicago, responded to this reviewResponded December 4, 2019

Dear Valued Guest,

Thank you for your review of your past stay with us. It was a pleasure to receive your positive rating. I am glad to read that you enjoyed the view of the lake and liked your room.

I do apologize for the long wait at the Front Desk. I have taken your comment to our team to ensure that in the future this is not a recurring issue. Your satisfaction is very important to us and we try hard to make sure all of our guests have a great stay.

We look forward to serving you for many more years in the true spirit of hospitality for which Hilton hotels are known.

Sincerely,
Brian Marchi
Hotel Manager

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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Reviewed December 3, 2019

Had a wonderful stay with family at the Hilton Chicago! The location is ideal-- right between the museum campus and the Magnificent Mile. Friendly staff, spacious rooms (LOVED the rooms with two bathrooms!), and full of charm-- especially for the holidays! Don't miss the historical tour of the hotel-- Jessica gave our tour and it was one of the highlights of our visit to Chicago.

Date of stay: November 2019
Thank annepchs
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BrianMarchi, Manager at Hilton Chicago, responded to this reviewResponded December 4, 2019

Dear Valued Guest,

Thank you for the review of your past stay with us. It was a pleasure to receive your 5 star rating of your experience at the Hilton Chicago! We are pleased to know that you had a wonderful stay and appreciated our friendly staff, spacious rooms and ideal location.

I am especially delighted to hear that Jessica made such a good impression on you and that her tour was one of the highlights of your visit. Please be certain that she will be recognized for her efforts.

We look forward to welcoming you back so we can serve you in the true spirit of hospitality for which Hilton hotels are known.

Sincerely,
Brian Marchi
Hotel Manager

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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Reviewed December 2, 2019

Just a great experience. Amazing location and service. Robert from the Bell Staff was top notch. They really make you feel at home. The rooms are clean and maintained very well. The internet is 5 times faster than what I am used to when traveling. Very nice!

Date of stay: December 2019
  • Trip type: Traveled with family
    • Value
    • Location
    • Sleep Quality
    • Rooms
    • Cleanliness
    • Service
Review collected in partnership with Hilton Hotels & Resorts
Thank PhoenixHills
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BrianMarchi, Manager at Hilton Chicago, responded to this reviewResponded December 2, 2019

Dear Valued Guest,

Thank you for the detailed review and 5 star rating of your stay at the Hilton Chicago! I am happy to read that you appreciated our well maintained clean rooms, fast internet, convenient location of our hotel. It is great to know that you consider our hotel as your home away from home.

I am especially delighted to hear that Robert made such a good impression on you and that his quality of service was greatly appreciated. Please be certain that he will be recognized for his efforts.

We look forward to welcoming you back so we can give you the 5 star service again.

Sincerely,
Brian Marchi
Hotel Manager

Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
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