Review of The James Hotel in Chicago

A few months ago I won a trip to Chicago. When they sent me the details of my prize package, I saw that we were staying in The James Hotel (located a block off of Michigan Ave at Ontario and Rush). The name sounded familiar. It was probably one of those hotels I saw using Orbitz or Expedia. You know the hotels that were way out of my price range as I fished for the best hotel with the best deal (being the little budget traveler I am). I looked the hotel up on Tripadvisor, and I found conflicting reviews. Some people loved it, other people we not as kind. Some reviews touted the places a hip and modern hotel. Others said it was trying to hard and over hyped. Admittedly, I was a bit worried. Still, I have learned in the past that the reviewers on Tripadvisor are not always the most objective people. I hoped that the negative reviews were overblown, and I look forward to our stay.

The James Hotel exceeded those expectations! As soon as we pulled up, a man came to help us with our bags. Even though check in is not until 2:00, they were able to get us into a room at 11:30. The front desk staff was very helpful. Everyone working in the lobby was personable and courteous. The lobby was very welcoming. It did have a very modern and hip feel. It wasn't the usual bland color palette and stuff lobby you would find in a hotel.

My sister and I made our way to our room, and we were a little disappointed that we only had one bed. I had thought I had requested a two bed room, but since it was free we decided not to complain too much. The reservations had been made for us via a promotion company, and who knows what the availability was. Other than the bed situation, the room was perfect. Size wise it was a fairly large room. We had a sitting area and a mini bar. There is a stereo system with mp3/ipod connectivity. Of course the highlight of the room was the 62 inch plasma screen TV.

The bathroom was more than the usual just plain functional. There was plenty of shelf space, and full tub and even an actual hair dryer (yes not just one of those attached to the wall types). The bathroom products were Kheils. According to other reviews I read this was a selling point. I love the shampoo, but the conditioner wasn't all that great and the body wash and lotion was hard on my (and my sisters) super sensitive skin. It may be high end and "natural," but it didn't go so well for us.

The James has two rounds of housekeeping service. The first round is early in the day for routine cleaning. The second is the turndown service at night. The staff comes through, turns down your bed, puts out your robe a slippers, and leaves a cookie on your pillow. This is also when they fill your ice bucket. Another treat with turndown service (for those of us with short attention spans and still have our child like wonder) is they put on the "stick person" channel. I'm not sure of the real name, but it is this in house channel that features stick people going through a 24 hour day in the busy city.

Another one of the perks was the complimentary business center. This is actually complimentary. You do not have to pay for internet access, or prove you are a business traveler or pay to print. Granted, it was not a sprawling computer lab. The couple of terminals in the far corner of the lobby worked quite well. My sister and I were able to (if only briefly) feed our Myspace and Facebook addictions, and print our boarding passes with ease.

The Primehouse Steakhouse in the hotel is amazing. Usually I skip out on eating red meat. This place made me rethink my stance. At a glance, the prices seem rather steep. Yes, they do run a little higher than say Applebee's, but the portion size and quality makes it worth it. Really the prices are not the bad for a high end steakhouse. My sister and I ordered drinks, two appetizers, two entrees and two sides (and then were stuffed beyond all reason) and it was only $140 before tip. The portion sizes are huge and the food is amazing. The staff is very attentive and great with suggestions. We actually had a gift card to pay for our meal. Even with tip we still had enough left to have brunch the next day and breakfast our last morning in town. I highly recommend their lobster bisque and Crab Zucchini Fritters.

Overall, our experience was excellent. I was impressed with the staff. Even if they passed you in the hallway or rode with you in the elevator, they made sure everthing was going well. The doormen were kind and helpful. It was the little things that really pushed this stay over the top. I would consider springing the extra cash to stay there again in the future.