07/13/08

Charming hotel in the middle of everything!

by biddiroo

My family just returned from Chicago and I was perfectly pleased with this hotel. I can only think the bad reviews are, by now, outdated or that the writers missed the charm of this historic and quite enchanting place. The staff could not have been warmer or friendlier beginning with the doorman/valet. Yes, there is still a picket line, but we chatted with a few of those people as well. The desk clerk and bellmen were extremely helpful. We were even treated to a mini "ghost-tour" by the security people. The Gold Room is absolutely fabulous! Ask them to take you there! We then walked the haunted (?!?!) 12th floor and it is very CREEPY!

Everyone we spoke to was so proud of the rich heritage and offered wonderful stories about movies filmed there and the famous guests.

The rate was only $115/night for a large room with two king beds and a view of Lake Michigan to die for, overlooking the Buckingham fountain and Grant park! What a treat each morning!

We did have problems getting hot water and had to run the shower for about ten minutes to get it comfortable enough. The bathroom was rather small, but the room size made up for it. (Ask for rooms ending in "74"---those are the biggest. That was a hint from the staff.)

Conveniently located minutes away from all lakefront activities and walking distance to the trolleys, "L's" and the Sears Tower. Right in the middle of it all! Let the valet park your car and enjoy the city!

• Pros: Historic charm, Close to Family Activities
• Cons: Small bathroom, Slow hot water

01/14/08

Cheap and interesting.

by fellgirl12

I read the reviews on this page before booking the hotel, and most people who have complained about this particular hotel have no grounds from my personal experience. I loved this hotel! It's very old, has an amazing past, and has so many treasures to uncover. The Gold Ballroom is absolutely exquisite. The antique elevators are beautiful. My room was enormous, spotless, and had a killer view of the Sears Tower. The lobby is spectacular. I would only suggest it to people who have an appreciation for history. I found the staff there very pleasant and helpful - the Indian bellhop is a charming man and one of the doormen is very sweet. I did a little exploring in the building and found certain areas of it very creepy - almost as if I expected The Shining twins to appear at the end of the hall. Some hallways are pitch black because no one is booked there. In fact, during my week stay in Chicago, the only time I felt uneasy was in one particular hallway. The location of the hotel is right in the middle of everywhere. Two blocks from the Art Institute, three from Millennium Park, a brisk 20 minute jaunt to the Magnificent Mile and Chicago River. It's a very photogenic building, and I fell in love with its old lady charm. I'm returning to Chicago in June, and will definitely stay there again.

• Pros: large, comfortable, quiet, great location, antique beauty
• Cons: smells kind of weird, a little creepy in some areas.

10/29/07

Terrible, Terrible.... DO NOT STAY HERE!!!!!

by chrisf05

DO NOT STAY HERE!!!!! After we checked in.. They gave us the wrong directions to our room & we got lost finding what we thought was our room, we finely found what we thought was our room only to find out both keys didn't work to the door.. Well unknown to us they have 2 of the same room no#'s. ARGH Then we wait 30 minutes in the hall for them to send up someone with new keys & no one shows up, we get agravated & went back down to the lobby (that's when we found out they have 2 of the same rooms with the same room no#).. On top of this they didn't have the room I reserved/requested & on top of all this the whole place was terrible, it was old, every thing smelled like curry, it was in terrible shape (the halls, doors, every thing).. Not worth the money & we didn't even get to see the room which we figured was just as bad as every thing else. We just told them to give us our money back & we left. If your looking for a romantic getaway go to the Essence Suites in Orland Park or the Sybaris.. We ended up at the Essence & it was well worth the agravation... Oh & the hotel was on Strike. They had strikers out front. ARGH Terrible Terrible Hotel.. Will not even try to stay here again....

08/06/07

YUCK!!! YUCK!!! YUCK!!!!

by mgirkout

If you're looking for a dump at which to stay in Chicago... may I recommend the Congress Plaza. This hotel will certainly grant your every wish... providing you wish for a smelly room with cigarette burns on the carpet and bedspread, an icy cold shower with the same water pressure as a cheap plastic squirt gun, an air conditioner that dates back to the Truman administration only capable of slightly warming the already hot and humid stale air, a television made before the invention of the remote control, and insects....yes, insects(bathtub insects, closet and dresser insects, and everyones favorite... bed insects). That's right gentle readers... Chicagos worst hotel welcomes you (or at least the former employees who are picketing out front for almost 5 YEARS will!).

I wish I had something positive to say about this flea-bag/crack-house of a hotel... but I don't. When in Chicago, STAY ANYWHERE BUT HERE!!! (you'll thank me later!)

• Pros: I finally finished my work and was able to GET OUT of this dump!
• Cons: there isn't enough space for me to list them all - such a disappointment - stay away!

12/07/06

Not worth the money I supposedly "saved" on this "bargain"

by fierylass7

I travel a lot for business and don't consider myself a complainer by any means. I chose the Congress Plaza because I needed a location convenient to downtown that I could afford for the weekend when my employer was no longer footing the bill. However, my stay here was so disappointing, I hardly know where to begin. I arrived on a Wednesday evening to a bustling front entrance with no doorman in sight. When I did finally get some help, I found the staff consistently dismissive. When I got up to the 10th floor, I was almost knocked over by the obnoxiously soapy smell. My room was no better - it was a non-smoking room yet reeked of cigarette smoke. The room was in poor repair as well - the cord for the curtains was broken and the room darkening fabric appeared to be crumbling at the bottom. The temperature control was rusted to the point of being unreadable. All electrical outlets run to the single wall switch, so I accidentally turned off the tv and all the lights when I flipped it. The window leading out to the fire escape was broken. I discovered this when I attempted to open a window because I couldn't turn down the heat. Bedding looked moth-eaten.

I was overcharged for parking even after contacting the front desk, waiting for 15 minutes for a manager to come on the line, and explaining to her that the vehicle had only been there for one night. "The garage doesn't tell us when you pick up your vehicle." Perhaps they need to establish a better relationship with the parking establishment before having their doormen send customers' vehicles there? The valet service provided by the hotel was shoddy - they brought me the wrong vehicle.

I've stayed in old hotels before was expecting a certain amount of disrepair in the room I managed to get at such an affordable price. This goes WAY beyond simple disrepair. Clearly, this hotel is not interested in providing a comfortable experience to its customers. DON'T STAY HERE!!!

10/31/06

Few hotels in Chicago can boast the historical cachet of this one.

by Contributor

The Scene
Since its construction in 1893 to house visitors to the World's Columbian Exposition, the Congress has hosted everyone from presidents to gangsters. In fact, the hotel is said to house the spirits of some of its famous guests, including Franklin D. Roosevelt, Frank Lloyd Wright and Thomas Edison. The hotel's grandeur has been chipped away at over the years by ill-conceived renovations, but some striking original flourishes--like colorful lobby mosaics--remain.

The Details
With 840 rooms and more than 50,000 feet of meeting space, the Congress is a major player in the city's convention trade. Guest rooms have enormous closets--a throwback to days when travelers hauled steamer trunks rather than carry-ons. The Congress has some of the best rates in the downtown area, and rooms facing Michigan Avenue offer panoramic views of Grant Park and Lake Michigan.

08/16/06

Rooms smell bad, Not good customer service, dirty hotel, very old and run down

by hrm365

Well.... This was a horrible hotel! Upon check-in I could already tell it was going to be bad. We requested a Lakeview Suite, which had a beautiful view, but was not worth $190.00 a night. Our bill ended up being around $500 for the weekendit also included taxes and parking. The worst part of the view was looking out at night and seeing all of the homeless people sleeping on benches across the street. After seeing that I decided that I was lucky enough to have a bed to sleep in at night. The 10th floor had a horrible smell and so did the room. It was so bad that I was getting ready to say move to a hotel down the street, but they were sold out already. When I went to into the bathroom there was hair on the toilet seat and also on our towels. The bathroom door would not close! Friends of ours were also staying at the hotel and had a room with two double beds and they said we had the nicer roomugh!!! The mini-bar was empty and also had mildew all through it as well. Dont waste your money at this horrible hotel.I cannot believe that they can actually keep there doors open. It was close the Field Museum, but that was about all. They also had people on strike outside the whole timethe staff said it had been going on for three years. Overall it was a bad experience and I would never recommend this hotel to anybody!

• Pros: Close to the Field Museum and has a nice view of Lake Michigan
• Cons: Smells, very old, dirty

12/11/05

The worst hotel!

by egranozio

Anyone who says this hotel is good, must be an employee. I am not looking for a 5 star hotel. My first room had a broken TV, was very old/run down, and the water took 30 minutes to heat and you could not cool it down. I requested a room change. Although the TV worked in the new room, it was run down and the water took over 30 minutes to heat. The sink never had warm water. I spoke with two managers who told me, "This hotel is over 100 years old and there is nothing we can do about the water problem, every room has the same problems." In my eyes this is unacceptable. Oh and their exercise facilities was a room with a good deal of broken equipment. DO NOT STAY HERE! Spend the extra few bucks to stay some place that can provide some comfort!

• Cons: 30 min for hot water, uncomfortable, dirty

09/19/03

a dump!

by minnowisguappo

This place was a total DUMP! The rooms were old, worn out, and horrible, needing badly to be re-painted. There was chipped tile in the bathroom, and the bathroom tub didn't drain. The room was dark, without enough lights. This was supposed to be a premium hotel, but it was very very poor quality.

09/18/03

The Congree Plaza

by razingrl

I visted Chicago this past August and was pleased with this hotel. It offers a great view of Grant Park and, if facing Michigan Ave., a view of the spectacular Navy Pier fireworks. This hotel is OLD--it reminded me of the hotel in The Shining. The hallways could be straight out of the film. In terms of the hotel being haunted, we did not see anything too creepy. Just a child's shoe hanging from the sprinkler and the television turing itself off twice. All in all, this hotel has much to offer for a relatively cheap price. I would stay here again.

• Pros: Good Location, Great Views
• Cons: Old, No pool