Hotel Review: Staying at the Swissotel Chicago
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When my boyfriend and I decided we a quick winter weekend getaway, we decided that Chicago would be a perfect choice. I had never seen Chicago at Christmastime, and cities at Christmastime are my FAVORITE.
After picking our destination and choosing our dates, we decided to let a Hotwire Hot Rate Hotel Deal seal our fate in where we would be staying.
If you’re unfamiliar with this type of deal, a Hotwire Hot Rate hotel deal allows you to pick things like the neighborhood, star rating, and price of your hotel, but there’s a catch: you don’t actually know your exact hotel until you book. Luckily, I’ve found a trick that can help you find out the name of your mystery hotel – you can read more about that here.
I put in our dates on the Hotwire app and came across an amazing deal: $68 a night plus taxes and fees for a 4.5-star hotel near Millennium Park. We were happy with this rate and the options for our potential hotels, so we went for it. We were very pleased when we saw that we’d be staying at the Swissotel Chicago!
This same hotel was going for about $120 a night on the hotel’s website and other booking sites, so we were happy to get such a nice hotel for a steal. I’m all about traveling on a budget, and I always love being able to stay in nicer hotels at low prices! Splitting the cost with my boyfriend made the price even better.
Keep reading for a full review of my stay at the Swissotel Chicago!
Disclaimer: A World in Reach was not sponsored by Hotwire nor the Swissotel Chicago for this post. All hotel expenses were paid for out-of-pocket and all opinions are my own!
A World in Reach contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may receive a commission at no cost to you! Read my full disclosure here.
SWISSOTEL CHICAGO
Swissotel Hotels & Resorts are a group of luxury hotels that offer a unique experience of “Swiss Hospitality.” The Swissotel Chicago is the brand’s only location in North America.
Upon arrival at the hotel, my first impression was of the beautiful all-glass, triangular building. The lobby was beautifully decorated and inviting and the staff was extremely friendly upon check-in.
After checking in, we got on the elevator and went to our room on the 34th floor. This hotel actually has “smart elevators,” which was something I had never seen before. When you call the elevator, you are prompted to put in your desired floor number rather than just push an up or down arrow. The elevator then tells you which elevator car to get on and then shuttles you to your desired floor.
THE ROOM
My boyfriend and I were assigned a king room on the hotel’s 34th floor. The room was very comfortable with great views, a nice workspace, and a large bathroom with a separate shower and bath.
The highlight of the room was definitely the bed – it felt like I was sleeping on a cloud! The mattress was super comfortable, the duvet was fluffy, and the pillows were perfect. It was hard getting out of bed in the mornings!
Other than the bed, everything else in the room was what you’d expect in any nice hotel. There was a lounge chair, a desk area, a large TV, and a mini-fridge perfect for storing leftover deep dish pizza. Most importantly, the room was spotless. Cleanliness is one of the most important things to me when staying in a hotel, and the Swissotel Chicago met my standards!
THE LOCATION
As I mentioned before, the Swissotel Chicago is perfectly located at the corner Upper Wacker Drive and Columbus Drive. It’s an easy walk to the iconic Chicago attractions such as Millennium Park, Navy Pier, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Magnificent Mile.
I had visited Chicago several times in the past, but this was the first time I had actually stayed in the heart of downtown. Hotels in this neighborhood are typically very expensive, so this was a steal. It was so nice to be able to walk almost everywhere we wanted to go. For the few times we wanted to stray further afield, we just grabbed an Uber or a Lyft.
THE AMENITIES
Fitness Center & Spa
If you’re the type who has to get in a workout while on a trip, the Swissotel Chicago will be the perfect hotel for you. The hotel recently renovated its penthouse Fitness Center, which just reopened in November. All of the equipment is brand-new and you can enjoy panoramic views during your workout.
Prefer group classes? The Swissotel Chicago offers something really cool called Vitality Boot Camp. On Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, you can join a top Chicago trainer for a group workout. For an up-to-date schedule and pricing information, check out the Swissotel Chicago website.
The hotel doesn’t have an on-site spa, but they did recently begin offering in-room spa services. This was a bit out of my budget, but it definitely sounded appealing. Who wouldn’t want to enjoy a massage without having to leave the comfort of their room?
The Swissotel Chicago doesn’t have a pool, but Chicago has so many great things to keep you busy that you don’t need a pool! If you’re visiting in the summer, make sure to check out the beaches on Lake Michigan.
NOTE: Before the renovations to the fitness center, the Swissotel Chicago did have a pool. Some hotel booking sites still have photos of the old pool, but it’s no longer there!
WiFi
On the Swissotel Chicago website, it mentions that WiFi is available for a fee. However, we were actually given a card with free WiFi login information during check-in. The WiFi wasn’t the fastest, but it got the job done since our internet use during the trip mostly just consisted of browsing social media.
Since there is contradicting information from the hotel website and my experience with the WiFi at the Swissotel Chicago, I would recommend giving them a call ahead of time if free WiFi is something that is important to you.
FOOD & DRINK
The Swissotel Chicago has two on-site dining options: The Palm Restaurant and Amuse.
The Palm Restaurant was recently renovated and serves a variety of American offerings. The restaurant is pretty pricey, with dinner running around $30-$60 a person depending on if you choose a specialty entree or a steak. Lunch prices are a little less and the restaurant offers a three-course “Power Lunch” for $26. The Palm Restaurant also serves breakfast.
Amuse is the Swissotel Chicago’s lobby lounge that serves specialty cocktails and small bites. At the time of my visit, all of the specialty cocktails were $14 and most of the food ranged from $15-$20 per plate.
I didn’t visit either of the Swissotel Chicago’s dining options during my stay, so I can’t give an accurate review of either spot. However, Chicago has SO MANY amazing restaurants, so I’d recommend getting out and exploring the city’s food scene rather than going to an overpriced hotel restaurant!
Room Service
My boyfriend and I opted out of housekeeping services during our stay, which gave us $10 per night in hotel dining credit. We decided to put this to use on our last night in the city, so we ordered the chicken pot pie from the late-night room service menu. We weren’t terribly hungry, but we wanted to have something to snack on while we were packing and we wanted to make sure to use our dining credits.
I placed the order for room service at 11:00 PM and was told that it should arrive in about 30 minutes. At midnight, it still hadn’t arrived. I called the room service number again and told them I still hadn’t received my meal, and they promised that it would be right up and that it would be on the house.
I finally got my chicken pot pie at almost 1:00 AM. It was pretty good, but it wasn’t worth a two-hour wait nor the $30 it would have been if it hadn’t been comped! Overall, I’d recommend skipping out on the room service. I usually never order room service, and this experience reminded me why – it’s so expensive and rarely worth the convenience.
PARKING
Parking at the Swissotel Chicago’s garage is very expensive.
My boyfriend and I were driving into the city, and we didn’t want to pay a ton for parking. I had heard great things about SpotHero so we decided to check out the parking options there.
We ended up booking a spot in the 303 E. Wacker Garage and spent less for our entire weekend of parking than we would’ve spent on one night at the Swissotel garage! Best of all? This garage is attached to the hotel as well – you don’t even have to go outside!
Most of the parking options on SpotHero don’t have in and out privileges, but we didn’t find that to be necessary. If we needed to go somewhere that wasn’t walking distance, it was easy and cheap to either take public transportation or call an Uber/Lyft.
I highly recommend SpotHero if you’re looking for parking in an expensive city.
New to SpotHero? Click here to sign up and get $7 off your first reservation!
OVERALL
If you’re planning a trip to Chicago and want to stay in the heart of downtown, I highly recommend the Swissotel Chicago. The location is perfect for exploring the Windy City on foot or by public transportation. The rooms are very nice and the bed is one of the most comfortable I’ve experienced!
To find the best price, I recommend checking on Booking.com looking for a Hotwire Hot Rate Deal. Remember that with these deals you can’t choose your hotel, but Hotwire will give you a list of the options!
Swissotel Chicago Read Reviews on TripAdvisor | BOOK NOW: Booking.com
Have you been to Chicago? Where’s your favorite place to stay in the Windy City?
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