Best Western Grant Park Hotel - Chicago, Illinois

A F.

Updated review (posted Feb 28): I spoke to the general manager on Feb 24th about compensation for the issue and missing items. He promised we’d get valet parking refunded and the hotel stay refunded. So far, as of Feb 28th, we’ve only gotten valet refunded.

Original review (posted Feb 23):
They (without permission) changed our reservation, took our belongings, and threw out other items we had, costing us probably $200+.

We booked a 2 night stay for MagicCon. We stayed the first night and woke up around 8am on day 2. We went to MagicCon and came back to what we thought would be our room around 8pm. We heard people laughing inside and our room key no longer worked. When I went downstairs, we were informed we were supposed to check out at noon. I said, no, I booked a two night stay. The guy at the counter didn’t believe me until I showed him my confirmation email. Then, he checked the system, which said our reservation was changed to have us checking out after one night. This change was made at around 7am, before we woke up, and had no notes regarding why the change was made. I never received a call, email, or confirmation about this change, and they did not contact me to let me know we were supposed to check out or get our belongings. They did give us a different room.

It took them about an hour to find our belongings, but we are missing all of the Premium items we got for attending MagicCon, which was approximately $200+ in value. They also threw away our tooth brushes and food, so we lost about $50 in left overs and had to spend another $50 or so for new food and tooth brushes/tooth paste. In total, this mistake cost us $300+.

I was told by the supervisor that I would be contacted this morning (Feb 23) about the resolution for compensation. I was not contacted and went to talk to the woman at the desk, who told me the earliest I would be contacted is Monday or Tuesday. I had little faith we will be compensated for the missing items.

Regarding the rooms and service, both rooms had issues. One room had a broken drain and the second room I had to manually flush the toilet using the drain inside. The valet was awful, and we were told it would take no more than 10 minutes to get our car. It took over 30. The valet didn’t want to give us our keys, either, because they had thrown out the valet slip we got. The front desk lady rudely said “they lost it” as if it was our fault that they threw out our belongings.

Location was the only plus for our purposes.

Will update my review once they contact me to discuss the compensation for the stress, missed plans, and the missing items. I have little faith they will offer us even near the amount they threw out.

Jessica

I really appreciated the opportunity to be able to stay in close proximity a popular landmarks in Chicago especially the Michigan lake.

However, the downfall of this trip was the cleanliness of the room.

Upon entering our room my son discovered an adult intimacy toy, which he initially mistook for a ball. Upon realizing its true nature, I promptly disposed of it, leading to a discussion with my son about the item, its unsanitary nature, and the potential risk of exposure to infectious diseases. Given the circumstances, I requested new bedding, as I was appalled and uncertain about the thoroughness of the cleaning, considering that such a device had been overlooked. I replaced our bedding and sanitized our room using the cleaning products I had available.

Ezgi O.

I know it might be cheaper than other hotels, but I strongly recommend not staying there. The rooms are very uncomfortable and clearly in need of major renovations. The beds are old, not supportive, and the bedding is of poor quality.

The heating and A/C system is extremely outdated and so loud that it makes it hard to sleep. But if you turn it off, the room becomes freezing—especially with the cold weather in Chicago.

The bathroom lighting and mirror are terrible—you can’t even see your face properly to do your makeup or fix your eyebrows.

The lobby is supposed to have coffee available, but they often run out.

Overall, the rooms are so old that no matter how much they clean, they still feel dirty. I was even uncomfortable sitting on the desk chair because it looked worn out and dirty.

This place really needs a full renovation. I wouldn’t recommend it at all.

Ben S.

Not young adult friendly!!!

I recently stayed at this hotel with a group of friends as a trip with my college run club. We came to Chicago to run in the Shamrock Shuffle. The location was great because it was right next to the race and was surrounded by things to do. However, the rooms had significant fire hazards. To enter one of our rooms you either had to squeeze between the bed and the wall or climb over the bed. The walls were also incredibly thin and you heard everything going on in the other rooms. However, the biggest issue with this hotel and the reason I will never stay at this hotel or any other Best Western again was due to the threat we received from the staff upon our arrival at the hotel.

When we first arrived, the staff threatened us that if any one of us lost our room key and needed a new one, they would not provide us one. Instead, they would evict our entire group from the hotel, which is not stated in the reservation policies. In addition, when we entered the hotel we were met with glares from the hotel staff even though we did not enter loudly or disrupt anyone in the lobby. When we asked politely to store our bags, we were glared at by the staff and told we needed to wait for the manager to come back. We asked how long that would be and were told 5 minutes. It actually took 45 minutes. Also, when we arrived at the check in time, they did not have the rooms ready. Overall, the worst customer service I have ever received when traveling as a group of college students.

Angela L.

Pillows are a JOKE! Small and square and flat as a pancake. Both the beds in our room visibly sagged in the middle. Very few staff at front desk. Elevator was loud and rocky. 3 towels for 3 people. No safe for our things. Also had a room that could join next door and it was so loud- you can hear everything from next door. Good things- Shower was good, cleaning lady was friendly, and location is good, but will never stay there again! Go anywhere else!

Kaid C.

Booking my trip with Sammie at Best Western was an absolute pleasure! She was incredibly helpful, attentive, and made the entire process effortless. Her friendly demeanor and knowledge ensured that every detail was taken care of smoothly. Sammie truly went above and beyond — I couldn’t have asked for better service. Thank you for making my experience so enjoyable!

Kass P.

Dear corporate Best Western, why have you left your employees with an outdated building that is poorly functioning? The people at this location are clearly trying with the little resources upper management has left them with. I have NEVER seen a vacuum preform so poorly as the ones you are making your housekeeping struggle with. My room on arrival had a smoke detector beeping(which maintenance quickly handled) and mystery goo embedded in our carpet(which housekeeping took care of with the very poor supplies they have been given to clean this hotel). Housekeeping was so amazing and did everything they could. The 9th floor elevator shocks you everytime(REALLY BAD) and the doors are crooked and shake horribly. The elevators need DESPERATE updating along with many core features of the building. Our room also shocked us many many times as well. When I brought my concerns about our carpet to the man in a suit and slicked back hair(manager looking, was there the whole time of our stay) he basically replied with "so what do you want me to do about it". I'd imagine he's the reason this location is suffering as the rest of the staff were very kind. I wish I got his name but he massively sucked. This is the most poorly ran best western I have ever been too. The lobby looks nice and that's where it ends. At least the bathroom was updated and clean. The windows in the lake view room 901 are loud and drafty. Paper thin walls so we heard a baby crying on our romantic weekend. There is one water fountain in the fitness room to fill a bottle. No room service, no extras, they couldn't even get plastic silverware. Felt like an expensive motel, this is a "there is no where else to stay and it's cheap" kind of place. Not good for vacation or relaxing. Absolutely take your money to the Hilton if you can!
I have a video of the elevators LOUDLY shocking my partner and you can see it as well. For $340 for 2 nights I should at least remain unharmed by the building.

Eric

I stayed at the Best Western and was disappointed with the overall experience. The biggest issue was the noise level, making it difficult to get a good night’s sleep. The air conditioning unit was too loud, averaging around 60 dB, which is far from ideal for restful sleep. The room insulation was poor, and street noise easily penetrated the room.

Beyond the noise problems, the room itself was poorly maintained: the coffee maker was leaking, and the curtain rails were broken, preventing proper closure. I reported this issue with a maintenance request on the day of arrival, but no one came to fix them even after 2 days. I expected better maintenance and comfort. Unfortunately, this stay did not meet expectations, and I wouldn’t recommend it for those looking for a quiet and well-maintained hotel.