At the end of November I spent two nights at the Park Hyatt Chicago, while visiting Hyatt to learn about World of Hyatt program changes for 2024. For me it was also a great opportunity to catch up with great people not just with the program, but who write about the program, some of whom I see at other events and some I hadn’t seen in as much as four years.

This hotel had been ‘off my list’ for awhile. They finished renovations a little over a year ago, and they did a fantastic job of it. My priors had been stuck in 2012, when my wife stayed at the Park Hyatt Chicago and reported a dirty, dusty in-room phone with missing and stuck buttons.

That’s no longer the case. The hotel is much brighter than it used to be – no longer the same dark tones – and the service and attention to detail here were fantastic. I absolutely enjoyed my stay.

Park Hyatt Chicago Entrance And Lobby

I checked into the hotel shortly after 4 p.m. I was greeted at the door and offered assistance with bags, though of course I only had my small rollaboard and was fine. I walked into the small lobby. There’s a sitting room immediately to the left. Just past it was the front desk. And directly ahead was a seating area with a holiday display.

I was welcomed to the hotel. There were no suite upgrades available, but was promised that the view from my top floor room was excellent. I was fine with that and headed to the elevators.

Room

My room was 1806, and it wasn’t large but made good use of space. The bed was super comfortable. There was no desk, but there was a lage table that could be used for work or dining. The real gem was the nook in the window. It was comfortable for working while looking out, and there were power outlets right there so it was easy to do. Speaking of outlets, there were plenty in the room period, which is appreciated.

I found both waters by the bedside and bottled water with the coffee setup as well. It was no problem getting more waters. There was a closet in the hallway, beside the bathroom on the way into the room as well.

The bedside had a tablet with hotel information, including a room service menu, and you could order through it. But since it didn’t have the option to customize orders, I placed my breakfast over the phone.

The hotel does offer a nice view of the city and out towards the water, albeit somewhat obstructed from my room.

Bathroom

The bathroom was large, and felt doubly so not just with two sinks but also because it was open between the bathroom and bedroom and looking out over the city. Unlike some hotels, though, this one wasn’t awkward – blinds shut electronically between the bathroom and bedroom, so this one was fine for two people sharing a room (no need to watch them on the toilet, or for those platonically sharing, coming out of the shower).

There were full sized Le Labo Bergamote 22 bath products in the shower, and they weren’t bolted down. These are larger than you’d comfortably take of course! So they’re shared bath amenities, but still at least not treating guests as thieves. Some rooms, like corner rooms, have larger showers. This one was fine but that luxury is something my room didn’t offer.

The only complaint I had is that the bath towels were scratchy – probably the least comfortable of any hotel I’ve been to in years. And it wasn’t just an outlier towel, all of them in my room and the ones brought the second day as well were too.

Welcome And Evening Snacks

There were treats in the room along with a handwritten welcome not when I arrived. That’s always a nice touch. However what’s even better is when the treats are refreshed. I returned to the room to find a dessert of chocolate and dried fruit, accompanied by a glass of dessert wine.

Such a great win is to surprise and delight guests with the metaphorical chocolate on their pillow at turndown (at hotels which still offer turndown!). Far fewer properties do this than a decade ago. It’s something small to look forward to. Back when small chocolates were common, if I was in the room and housekeeping came by for turndown service I’d decline the offer usually but accept bottles of water and even hope there might be treats?

But taking this to the next level is offering a different dessert each night. A hotel might even accompany it with a note, explaining what it is and why, how it celebrates… something special about the hotel, its staff, or the local area – using it as a branding opportunity paired with an emotional connection.

Room Service Breakfast

One story that’s stayed top of mind for years comes from a W Hotel. They promote themselves as offering luxury and service, branding their ‘Whatever, Whenever’ line as akin to calling for service, suggesting they can and will get you whatever you might need at any time.

I called this ‘Whatever/Whenever’ line once at 5 a.m. on the West Coast looking for something simple: morning coffee. A luxury hotel would offer 24 hour room service, at least off of a limited menu. A hotel promoting anything, any time would have no problem fulfilling this simple request. And early coffee on the West Coast, at a hotel for travelers many of whom come from the East Coast (where 5 a.m. is 8 a.m.) shouldn’t catch them flat footed. However I was told they did not have the ability to provide coffee until 6 a.m.

While I was staying at the Park Hyatt Chicago I was getting up before 4 a.m. I was a bit jet lagged, having just come back from Europe and the Mideast. So each morning I called for coffee. It was delivered and there was nothing to sign.

Globalist breakfast at the Park Hyatt Chicago is offered either in the restaurant or via room service. If ordering room service they do bill the delivery charge, but waive the rest. The first morning I ordered up room service, and the second morning I ate in the restaurant. Again, there was no bill for me to sign.

I ordered smoked salmon on a plain bagel (not the bagel advertised) and asked for sliced tomatoes as well. This was no problem. And not bringing a bill, not having paperwork to fill out, is an extra special touch.

Restaurant Breakfast

The morning after my second night at the hotel I once again had room service coffee delivered shortly after getting up. There’s a coffee setup in the room, but I prefer a fresh pot and I especially prefer fresh cream. My coffee ritual is three drops of half and half to cut bitterness of a strong coffee, though if the coffee is good enough I’ll happily dispense with that. (In-room coffee is… not good enough.)

I considered just ordering up room service again but wanted to try the restaurant for breakfast. I was shown to a table in the window and offered a menu.

The views are fantastic, and overall ambiance of the space just lovely. Here I had a double espresso to begin.

I ordered their benedict, which came with a side of potatoes, and ordered a side of fruit as well.

Hotel Bar

The hotel bar is lovely, though priced accordingly. Arriving without reservations on my first night, meeting Ed from the Miles To Go podcast, the only option was to sit at the bar but there were a couple of seats available there without difficulty. I ordered an old fashioned. They offered mixed nuts. And the bar was nicely decorated. The drink itself isn’t worth over $20 (!) but you’re paying for the space and they do make it a comfortable environs.

Would Gladly Return To The Park Hyatt Chicago

I stayed away from this hotel for years, having internalized that it simply was no longer up to par. That’s been completely changed with the renovation – and they did a fantastic job. The property has gone from being off of my list to being back towards the top, if I can swing the opportunity.

At the same time, pre-renovation it was a place where Hyatt Globalists would almost always see a suite upgrade. In contrast, there were several Globalists in-house visiting with Hyatt and as far as I’m aware not one of us received a suite upgrade. The room was still very nice! But demand has risen as the quality of the hotel has risen, so assume higher rates and don’t bank on a complimentary suite.

Disclosure: I made this trip to meet with Hyatt in advance of changes to the World of Hyatt program. While this was offered as a comp trip to all participants, I paid costs where possible and made a donation to charity to offset the value of anything received.