Inter-Continental Hotels & Resorts

Chicagoland, The Windy City, home - whatever you want to call it. I love this city.

You would like a king bed, correct? The answer is always "yes" to that question. Paid for the room with credit card reward points, and I only had enough to be guaranteed a twin bed! But, who doesn't love a free upgrade!

- Most comfortable hotel bed I've ever slept in. I have a Sleep Number at home (45, the firmer the better), so I know my shiz when it comes to beds.

- Very helpful staff. If it weren't for the bellhop, I would have never been introduced to the world's greatest Chicago-style pizza at Bella Bacino's. Really, it was a life changing experience. Tomatoes never tasted so good.

- Convenient location. I walked everywhere. Everywhere! There's so much to do and experience.

A great location to stay at in the best city.

This review is for the event space/public areas only. Up until yesterday I had not ventured past the Eno Wine Bar on the first level. Much like an aging grand dame, this hotel is elegant and stately but also in need of a refresh, especially with the surge in more modern accommodations around the city. One thing that stuck with me as maybe not being the most convenient was that the doormen (at least the one I encountered) seemed to be swooping in right off the bat to open the cab door.This presented a logistical challenge, as I was trying to pay and exit gracefully, and at the same time weigh whether a not a tip was warranted to the door staff in this situation--I decided against, as I did not have any luggage, just my handbag, as I had come for an evening event/lecture. Whew! all of that and I had still not entered the rarefied precincts of this hotel...

With that being said, I will say that the 7th floor ballroom was an excellent backdrop, so much so that I had to tear my attention away from the crystal chandeliers at a few points to refocus my attention on the speaker's remarks on the global economy. The temperature control could have been moderated, as it was downright tropical at some  points and freezing at others. I did like the way the lobby was all decked out for the holidays. Definitely worth taking a look at the decos if you are in the area.

I think the part of the hotel where I stayed needs a bit of an upgrade.  Other than that it's a nice hotel.  The only really impressive thing is if you sign up for their club you can get a 2pm check out.  I appreciated that late check out.

It's located right in the heart of the Magnificent Mile which is great.  All the shopping is right outside your door.  The staff was courteous and friendly.