Very comfortable

I stayed at this Courtyard last September for three days. The staff was very friendly. My room was ready when I checked in at noon, which I really appreciated.

The room was not fancy, but very clean and comfortable. It was also very quiet, except for an occasional siren from the street below. As long as I can get a good rate, this is my first choice in Chicago.

The location is great. I love the Chinese restaurant next door (Szechwan) for takeout, and there is a convenience store and a Dunkin Donuts right across the street. Very handy.

Great value

We stayed here on leisure for 2/18-2/20 weekend. We didn't choose a specific hotel but shopped for the best value. At the time, this hotel offered the best promotional rate among other compatible properties on the Magnificent Mile. My advice: if you want the best rate, go direct to the hotel's own web site, not to Marriott's general reservation web site.

The check-in and check-out was prompt. THe room was cleverly organized, nice and clean. We didn't use their vallet parking, pool or in-room service. Actually we didn't spend much time in the hotel at all :) -- only returned there for the night's sleep.

One thing that was NOT good with that hotel -- central a/conditioning was rather noisy. We tried two rooms, both were the same. It is a kind of noise you experience in a quiet turbo jet. You can get used to its monotonousness... Unfortunately I could't; but maybe I was too sensitive. After a busy day I had no difficulties to fell asleep, but then I would wake up at night from the noise. At other hotels with local in-room a/c units, you can usually turn a/c (or heat) down for the night, and the room becomes absolutely quiet. Not the case with this hotel -- the central a/c system's noise is permanent and you have to live with it.

Otherwise, we absolutely enjoyed our weekend in Chicago.

Wonderul stay, great location!

My husband and I just got back from staying the weekend here and we were very pleased. I've stayed at many Courtyards before and the front desk staff here were the nicest I've found. Very helpful with directions, dining advice, ect. Mathew, in particular was wonderful. He recommended we eat at the new Drake Brothers Restaurant at the Drake Hotel. He made reservations for us (securing us a window seat with a great view of the city), called us a cab and gave us his card and told us who to ask for so that we'd get "special treatment". He was so frienldly and nice and really seemed to go out of his way to be helpful.

Yes, the parking is exorburent, but it's a big city so you have to expect that. Unlike a few other hotels in the area though, the parking garage is attached so you hardly have to walk outside (nice feature in the middle of winter!) My hubby liked this hotel very much because it's only two blocks from the new Apple Computer Store. I liked it because it was a short cab ride away from 900 North Michigan (Bloomingdale's) which would be a nice walk in better weather!

Our king bed room was very small in comparison to other Courtyards I've stayed in but, again, in the city you have smaller hotel rooms. What impressed me is that the room was so clean, we wondered if anyone had ever stayed there before us! We booked a discounted rate with our AAA Membership and they never asked to see the card and we still got the rate. Keep in mind, if you're a leisure traveler, the beauty of the Courtyard's is that they cater to the business traveler and, as such, their weekend rates are lower than their rates during the week. It was only $106 per night when we were there-not bad for being just minutes from everything on the Magnificient Mile! If you can stand the weather, Jan and Feb are great months to visit here because the rates are low.

We Love this Hotel

We have stayed here four times. We travel to Chicago frequently and this hotel has become our home away from home. The rooms are very comfortable and the staff is excellent. The location is outstanding - just a block from Michigan Avenue and some of the best shopping in the country. Many excellent restaurants are nearby. The rooms are reasonably priced; you don't need to spend $200 or more a night to stay in a great hotel in Chicago.

It'll do in a pinch

We stayed 1 night from 11/20 to 11/21 for the Electric Lights parade. Since I booked last minute this was one of the few hotels with an indoor pool (traveling with small kids) & a room available for that night.

I agree that the bed & pillows are not up to Marriott standards. Ours was rather hard & the pillows were flat. The room was rather small.

However, I have have to say that I did get excellent service at the front desk. I booked last minute through a discount broker & there were no additional fees, no lost reservation. Everyone was polite & helpful. It was an extremely busy night, due to the parade but full customer service.

We did not have to pay for parking, so I guess it depends on who you book through. We used hotels.com

The pool was avg hotel size, water was clean & not too cold.

It was nice to see the parade & only have to walk 1 short block in from Mich ave to our room.

Not a "Marriott"

Remember Courtyard is not going to have the same sheets and pillow of a Marriott. Even though the prices can be close to the same. It felt a bit buget here as far as the quality of the towels and sheets. I dealt with the valets, front desk and conceirge and was not too impressed with their service. A relatively new hotel shows a bit in the service. I was mostly upset by an incident where a bell man accepted a tip from me after I asked him if he had already received a tip from my partner - he said he did not. I later found out that he did - ending up with twenty dollars. I told the front desk and never heard anything. The free ethernet was a big plus though.

Great location

We have stayed at this Courtyard twice on our regular weekenders into Chicago.

This is a brand-new property gleaming with a hip Northside vibe. Deep house fills the air in the lobby, which is adorned with sleek, mod furniture. The staff echoes this vibe and is very knowledgable about the many attractions, restaurants, bars and nightclubs in the surrounding blocks.

The rooms are actually pretty large for a downtown property, and there's a great bar in the lobby that serves all types of mod martinis and cocktails.

Beware that overnight parking is $30 in a neighboring garage (my only complaint, however you know that the hotel cannot help this).

Seinfeld episode - reservaton

As a physician, I have travelled extensively for both business and leisure, and this was the absolute worst hotel experience imaginable.

My reservation was through the Marriott web site, not a discounter, and I arrived with both the print out of the reservation from the web site and the email confirmation sent by Marriott. Upon arrival, they informed me that my room was not available and there were no rooms available in all of downtown Chicago. The staff was extremely rude, and acted as if it were my fault for not getting there earlier. I was livid. They offered to give me a room 40 minutes away, or at an unsafe location far west of Michigan Avenue, in a 1 star property.

Consequently, I drove home and missed an important educational conference. I spoke with the manager who basically said there is nothing they can do-it happens! My advice to others planning to stay there is to call the hotel to confirm that they do indeed have a room to go along with the reservation!!

Great Hotel

We stayed at the Courtyard on a Friday evening. We got there at 10:00 a.m. because our train arrived at that time and they let us check in early. Our room was large, very clean and very nice looking. The staff, including the front desk, the waiters, and the bartenders all were so friendly and made us feel very welcome. That was one thing we all noticed, that everyone was so nice. The location is great, only one block from Michigan Avenue, very convenient for walking to all the shopping. The restaurant was a little high priced, but delicious, so it was well worth the price. We didn't see the pool, so can't comment on that. After we checked out, they kept our bags for us until we were done shopping. All in all, a great hotel...we would definitely stay there again.

Wonderful experience

Stayed here Oct l8, 2003. Everything was exceptional. The room was clean, attractive. The location couldn't be bettered. I had the breakfast buffet which was economical and top notch. I hope to stay here whenever I visit Chicago.