Eclectic Hotel in Great Location
Written: Jul 18 '05
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great Location, Cool design, discounted price.
Cons: Small room, very little amenities in room, expensive standard rates.
The Bottom Line: For the right price, it is in a great location. It is a fun place to stay, with funky design elements. The room was so small and lacks luxury amenities.
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| jeffkoontz's Full Review: House Of Blues Hotel |
The highlight of this hotel is it's fantastic location in the River North area, just across the river from downtown, and within a few blocks of many popular destinations. I was traveling with my wife for a weekend getaway and was able to book a room through an online discounter (express reservations?) for $129 a night, which was better than half the hotels online booking. The House of Blues hotel is run by Loews Hotel group and is going for an upscale trendy crowd.
Arriving in O'Hare early Friday morning, we opted to take the 'El, as rush hour traffic would have created a less than desirable cab ride. You can take the train from the CTA station at O'hare to Clark/Lake, about a 35-40 minute train ride, and the station is a couple of short blocks from the hotel - easy enough to roll a bag to the reception. The hotel was located on State and Dearborn, immediately across the river from downtown, so in 5 minutes or so, we were at the hotel, checking our bags with the bell stand until our room was ready later in the day (we arrived around 8:00 in the morning).
We decided to eat in the restaurant downstairs called Bin 36, a trendy wine/bar/restaurant that serves breakfast lunch and dinner. Bin 36 is also offered as room service in the hotel. The House of Blues also offers their restaurant in the club across the driveway from the hotel, as a dining recommendation, although to my knowledge they do not do room service. We both had the brioche french toast, which had a banana orange syrup topping - was a little strong on the orange zest, but ok otherwise - they offered good coffee, and mediocre service. For a quick cup of coffee you can get a cup from the coffee bar immediately as you enter the restaurant from the corridor leading from the hotel lobby.
After shopping at Marshall Fields all day - which is on State Street(as the hotel is) - it was a quick 2 block and one bridge walk back to the hotel and got checked into our room.
Note: For other shopping, The Magnificent Mile on Michigan Ave, was only a few blocks the other direction. The Merchandise Mart was 3-4 blocks west.. on the opposite corner of the same block as the hotel was Harry Carey's restaurant. Smith and Wolenski was nearby, along with all the restaurants on the Mag. Mile..
Now, I'm not sure whether the half price rate resulted in a half-size room, but it appeared as we walked around that many of the rooms we say were of similar dimension. As you opened the door, you were greeted by your sink and mirror, and the door to the toilet closet/shower. There is no bath tub, just a shower. The sink and counter area is spacially challenged as well, and my wife and I did not have much room to move about. There is no separate bathroom containing the sink - essentially it is in the foyer of your room. The room door opens into this area. The closet had a drape to close over it which was kind of funky, and the room had a very funky design to it. It was a dark blue, with a giant star shaped mirror in front of the bed - the carpet was of a abstract multi colored pattern. The counter by the sink was a composite surface with red blue and yellow glass chips mixed in. The TV in the room was big - I think a 27 inch TV, which actually dominated the room, since the room was rather small. There wasn't too much room to move around, the TV was on a table that ran next to the window - there was no room between the end of the bed and the wall with the mirror, to put any furniture. The air conditioning worked well, which was nice for this 90 degree weekend, and although there was some noticeable street noise from this 6th floor room, the actual hotel seemed pretty quiet, with the exception of the lobby, where there was an active hotel bar that seemed to draw good crowds.
The shower and bath products were not memorable, but were nice and of the unusual variety - I think the bath gel had some sort of herb infusion. The towels were ok, not the most plush. There were no bathrobes, slippers or anything of that nature. In fact the room was pretty sparse of any amenities. Another reviewer mentioned a mini-bar - I didn't see one in our room. The ice bucket was tucked away under one of the nightstands, and there was no coffee pot. (Bin 36 was only a short elevator ride away) The bedding wasn't bad but there were only two pillows and they weren't the most substantial I've seen.
Other things to note: There is a Crunch fitness center downstairs below the lobby. There is a martini bar/bowling alley next door - one place, trying to make bowling a trendsetting experience. We wanted to try it, but didn't have time. And of course the House of Blues for music concerts and a restaurant area with smaller acts.
I might be writing a somewhat negative review, but given the standard price range of this hotel, I would have expected much more. The visual stimulation of the room's decor is pretty strong, and while I liked it, I think in retrospect that it serves to draw attention away from the room's shortcomings. No way would I feel satisfied paying $300 a night at this property, but given the choices for $129 a night for the weekend we were there, we still would have chosen this property. It was kept clean, the people were friendly at the check-in and bell counter, and the location was fantastic.
All in all, a good stay in a very small room with a big TV and cool decor.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
jeffkoontz
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Reviews written: 16
Trusted by: 1 member
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