The Allerton Hotel Chicago, Magnificent Mile

...stay somewhere else. How this hotel retains a four-star rating is mind-boggling. The rooms were super-small (and I didn't even have the smallest according to the concierge); that might have been okay if the rooms didn't have zero in-room amenities (no honor bar, no dvd, no mini-fridge, etc.). My room didn't even have safe. Trust me, the images available online are shot to make the rooms appear bigger than they are. Also, I stayed in early April (which in Chicago means it is still COLD), and the hotel had the nerve to turn off the boiler--the only source of heat. I had to complain two nights in a row to have heat in my room. So, here I am, with my two-year-old son, in a cramped, frigid room. I was told that if I wanted a fridge in the room it would cost me $25 and that a DVD player was unavailable. OH! I almost forgot, NO FREE WIFI. They charge guests ten bucks a day to use the internet. Unbelievable! Every hotel I have stayed in in the last two years has offered free internet access to guests. Room service, while prompt and offering decent food, left my breakfast dishes outside my door for almost two days straight. Absolutely no follow-up whatsoever. And the maid service--again staffed by some nice ladies I met--was subpar. They made the bed and left fresh towels, but I could tell they did the barest minimum in wiping things down, dusting, etc. They never replaced my toiletries (shampoo, soap, etc.), and the towels honestly had a kind of mildewy scent. I would NOT stay at this hotel again, no matter the price. I was thoroughly UNDERWHELMED. The only good thing about this hotel is the location--which can't be beat. Otherwise, it is a bust. So shell out a few extra bucks a night and stay somewhere else. There are TONS of other hotels to choose from either on Michigan Ave. or nearby.

Only thing I like about this hotel is location. Everything else I wish I had stayed in 2 star hotel. Bad impression as soon as we got inside - very small elevators - I would have one big elevator rather than multiple small elevators - very uncomfortable just for 4 people and imagine with luggage:(. Size of the room was not that small like other reviewer said. However, smell was terrible - thank god we had body spray with us. don't forget to take travel size room spray with you. there was a big machine green box right outside of the window - may be it was heat/air system. Constant sound like boom box was coming from that - very noisy room. We were on forth floor; may be floors above 5th floor are nice; If this hotel advertise itself as 4 star, they should shut down all rooms up to 4th floor. otherwise it is one star. I am just writing this review based on my room. I think the room bathroom also designed for handicap - water was all over the bathroom floor after shower - very bad design - if you don't take extra care, you would slip on the floor. We literally had to put towel on the floor to block water coming from the shower to floor. Now very disappointing part comes is front desk mistake charging us for the room reservation although we had already paid to orb itz. What is the purpose of going through orb itz? I never had problem like this before. I had made so many reservations from orb itz. And this is the first time I experienced worst and writing review as well :). Now post vacation headache comes - I got to call them and their phone system is worst - line was transferred to accounting and front desk back and forth for so many times; after 30 minutes someone from accounting answered the phone - phew. They called me back after 30 minutes saying they would credit the money. I will probably find out after couple of days. Don't forget to check your credit card account after vacation :)

wel i think my first time was also my last time.i checked in at 2pm .i was told to come back at 3pm.got back at 3.15pm room was still not ready ,was left sitting in the lobby till 5;45pm.no refreshments offered for ant inconviences,guest who performed because of the wait got better more efficint service then those that made no fuss. no apolgies offered for the inconvience of lack of service.

I would not stay at the Allerton again. The rooms were cramped, there was no shelf space to store toiletries and medications, etc in B.R., the T.V. was placed on the wall so that you had to sit on the side of your bed to watch it. The telephone did not work, and a female staff at the Front Desk lied to us when we checked in (there were 3 couples traveling together), and told us they didn't have adjoining rooms in the hotel. They did! The location was fantastic, however, and the renovations were very well done.

Location was great! Rooms are clean and the linens are great. No real amenities for the guest. Just the basics at his hotel. The toiletries were not of good quality. The room didn't even have a closet or a place to hang a hanger (if there had been one). There was no place to put your suitcase, not even a fold out rack. I should have known on arrival that it was going to be sketchy....They were not honoring my reservation for a room with 2 double beds, and tried to switch us to a one bed room. (Not an option for my sister and I.) We were delayed a number of hours before they were able to give us what we had reserved. The elevator system was grossly inadequate for the hotel. One guest was heard to say that he had spent "one days worth of time waiting for the elevator, during his week there." The room offered nothing other than 2 comfortable beds with good bedding. The only mirror was over the small sink in the bathroom, which, by the way, was strangely configured with the utility style toilet facing the glass shower enclosure. This is as plesant as I can be about this hotel. We will never spend "Magnificent Mile" money at this hotel again. There was nothing magnificent there.

Hotel room is very small and the bathroom is very small. This is the first hotel I have stayed at that doesnt have a microwave in the room.

If you get a good deal on a room here, the front desk seems to know this and asigns a terrible room. If it was not because of a screaming guest in an adjoining room at 3 am, whereby the hotel needed to do something nice, and eventually moved me to a better room, I would have never known a better room even existed. However, the first room was unacceptable at any price.

The bell staff was excellent. I was told by Orbitz/Hotel Union Station was 5 blocks away which was untrue. The room was small but very nice.

The hotel was very centrally located. The rooms and elevators are quite small, not a good place if small spaces bother you. The bathroom had peeling wallpaper, moldy grout and a tub that drained very poorly (I was mid-calf in water by the end of a short shower). The bed was very large and comfortable with crisp white sheets and large pillows.

A little confusion on where to park the car. But once it was parked we were good to go.