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4.5
#13 of 212 hotels in Chicago
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
A sophisticated retreat awaits you at The Royal Sonesta Chicago River North. Moments away from Michigan Avenue, Navy Pier and Millennium Park, we invite you to elevate your downtown Chicago experience with captivating design, thoughtful amenities and beautiful natural light pouring in at every turn. Escape to our indoor urban oasis pool and outdoor sundeck. Experience the Peloton Bike in our state-of-the-art fitness center with a view. Fridges are available by request in all rooms and suites. Our Grand Ballroom features a private outdoor terrace and floor-to-ceiling windows with unrivaled downtown views. And we're situated right at the heart of River North, one of the city's hottest neighborhoods, and steps from cultural landmarks. We invite you to elevate your Chicago experience with us.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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Nestled in the heart of the city, The Royal Sonesta Chicago River North garners accolades for its spotless rooms and the warm, attentive service that makes patrons feel at home. While the hotel's ambiance exudes elegance and the rooms provide a comfortable retreat, some guests suggest that decor updates could enhance the experience.
The central location is a highlight, putting visitors steps away from top dining and shopping. However, attention is drawn to the additional fees that slightly mar the perception of value.
Location
Convenient
Atmosphere
Inviting
Rooms
Comfortable
Value
Reasonable
Cleanliness
Mixed
Service
Attentive
Amenities
Satisfactory
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From the minute we arrived, the hotel staff was very accommodating and friendly. They checked us in many hours early and upgraded our room to a suite for our family of four. The hotel is in a great location for walking to sites such as Millennium Park, Navy Pier, and Michigan Avenue. Not to mention the hotel’s very stylish, modern decor. Thank you Sonesta!
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Date of stay: January 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sophie Sawaska, Guest Services / Front Office at The Royal Sonesta Chicago River North
Responded 10 Jan 2023
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave review on your recent stay! We're so glad you enjoyed your stay with us and we'd love to see you again.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Will absolutely come back here! Our flight was cancelled & we decided to try to make the most of it. Called the hotel and talked to Alex at the front desk who was incredibly accommodating to our family of 5. When we showed up he had our room ready & packed a bag full of toiletries for all of us (we couldn’t access our baggage at airport) and another bag of games and small toys for the kids. We couldn’t have asked for better service or hospitality! Thank you Alex!! The room was lovely, 24 hour room service brought delicious cookies and milk to the kids & everyone slept beautifully & enjoyed the fantastic location when we woke up!
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Date of stay: December 2019Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from rebeccacW5441UK, Manager at The Royal Sonesta Chicago River North
Responded 14 Feb 2020
Jess L, Thank you for the 5 star review of your recent stay at the Palomar. We are so happy to hear that we were able to turn a not so great situation like a cancelled flight into an amazing experience. We hope that you will come back and stay with us again, this time on purpose! Best, Rebecca
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Hotel Palomar consistently delivers upscale luxury in the heart Of River North. I love coming here at least once a month if possible just to enjoy the jacuzzi tub offered in the king Premier spa rooms. The rooms here resemble a home environment rather than a generic hotel stay and if you choose to upgrade to a king Premier spa room you can enjoy a soothing bath that will definitely add to your experience.
The staff here has always been reliably friendly especially to their longterm guests and inner circle members who are part of the Loyalty program. Everyone here always remembers my name upon check in and there's even a wine hour between 5pm till 6pm in the beautiful living room where you can meet other guests and have drinks and snacks.
If you love good food Sable Kitchen is downstairs and if you just wish to relax in your room there are plenty of new movies still in the theater to order from your television set.
After my visit I felt deeply relaxed, well rested and nourished.
The location is perfect because the Palomar is in the middle of River North so you can literally walk to all the neighborhood wine bars, restaurants, shopping and movie theaters.
Visiting the Palomar is always a splurge and I always receive the five star treatment from the time I check in till check out the next day.
Another thing I enjoy and appreciate is the fact that the beds are always so comfortable and you truly feel like you are entering a sacred cocoon of cheerful vibes rather than a stale hotel space.
I thank the entire front desk staff and all the employees of Sable Kitchen and the hotel Palomar for always making my stays so special and soothing.
I always encourage my friends and all new tourists visiting Chicago to select the Hotel Palomar for its consistently excellent service and heart warming ambiance.
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Date of stay: April 2020Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I always have a memorable experience at this incredibly cozy and chic hotel. The staff here never forgets to remember your name upon check-in and they treat you with genuine warmth and enthusiasm. The Palomar has always been my first choice whenever I lived away from Chicago, Illinois because of the generously sized jacuzzi tubs and the fact that the staff here always did their very best to upgrade their most loyal customers. Whenever I have the opportunity I choose a King Premeir Spa room because of the beautiful and expansive layout of these rooms that make you feel like your walking into your own personal condo. Being a guest here is like walking into a spa with the positive zen vibes and the beautiful minimalistic decor. Everything the city has to offer is within walking distance and the neighborhood is one of the very best in the city because it's do peaceful and all the best restaurants are nearby. The hotel Palomar is pet friendly too and your pet will be welcomed here no matter what room type you choose. I was treated so wonderfully by Sara, Ben and Mark who made sure all my needs were met and Sara took great pains to upgrade my room on short notice. Everything here has been deep cleaned and thoroughly sanitized. In fact I was informed that upon your check out each room is taken off their inventory and deep cleaned for a full three days to meet their high standards. My bed was comfortable and it's always such a treat for me to pick out a good movie from their menu options because most of the movies were either nominated for the Oscar or are currently available in theaters. I'm a cinephile so I love to take a long bath then pick out a great movie to enjoy for myself right before drifting off to sleep. This hotel has the perfect blend of visually stunning decor, coziness and decadent luxury. I highly recommend the Palomar for anyone seeking a quiet escape within the city. I always bring my own personal touches like a light blanket, some silk scarves and my tibetan bowl 🥣 and I create my own little escape. This hotel is so unique and friendly yet very upscale; and your pets will love it here too!
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Date of stay: September 2020Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This place has a narrow entryway next to Hilton garden inn and offers a comfortable stay. The rooms are clean and modern. The showers have powerful showerheads and the toiletries are good quality with a variety of natural flavors infused. The gym is compact and clean withan adjoining pool that is indoor. The pool has a great view of the city. Service is good and they gave me a microwave too on request. They go out of the way to get you things you need if you forgot your lint remover or nail clippers etc.
Starbucks is a block away and there are bars like three dots and a dash or Laredo restaurant right across from this place.
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Travelled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from rebeccacW5441UK, Manager at The Royal Sonesta Chicago River North
Responded 14 Feb 2020
art-scuba- Thank you for the kind review of your recent stay at the Palomar. We are happy to hear that the location was perfect and convenience for all of your Chicago needs. We hope that you will come back and stay with us again soon. Best, Rebecca
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We stayed here for 3 nights on our first ever trip to Chicago. The hotel is nicely situated in the heart of the River North area, located near lots of restaurants, bars, shops, a 10min stroll to the river and around a 15min walk to the Lake and Beach area – so perfect location wise. The hotel lobby is luxurious, with complimentary water, tea, and coffee available. Check in was quick and we were directed to our room on the 15th floor where a bottle of wine and chocolates were waiting for us for being Expedia Gold members, what a nice touch, thank you!
The hotel has a gorgeous pool located on the top floor with an outdoor sundeck and viewing platform. The pool room was lovely and warm, with great views out over Chicago – the pool was sadly a little on the cool side and needed warming up a few degrees. This would also be the perfect place for a jacuzzi, but sadly there wasn’t one ;(
Our room was spacious, modern, and beautifully decorated with floor to ceiling windows and great views of Chicago down below. The bed was a huge king and very comfortable, with a large TV and desk area. There was a safe, but sadly no fridge/microwave but they do have ice machines on each floor. The bathroom was a good size, modern and very clean with a nice double shower – however this was probably the worst part of the room with peeling wallpaper which needed some renovation to bring it up to standard with the rest of the room.
The hotel was very quiet, and the rooms extremely well sound proofed from internal hotel noise. However, like most cities, Downtown Chicago is very loud, and the hotel is just down the road from a Fire station, so we needed to use our ear plugs to get a good night’s sleep.
During our stay, only one of the two elevators was working (for the entire 3-night stay!) – so there was often quite a long wait to get up to or down from your room which was a bit annoying. Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the hotel. Sadly, the hotel charged a resort fee, which is confusing why they felt the need to charge this when most other hotels in Chicago don’t. However, when we worked out the cost of the hotel with the resort fee, it was still comparable to others of the same standard in the city, but this could put some people off. We really enjoyed our stay, and we couldn’t have asked for it to be in any better of a location as we were walking everywhere, and it was perfect for us. Highly recommend and we would consider staying again the next time we are in Chicago.
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Date of stay: September 2023
Location
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sophie Sawaska, Guest Services / Front Office at The Royal Sonesta Chicago River North
Responded 25 Nov 2023
Thank you for your detailed review. We're delighted you enjoyed our location, amenities, and special touches for Expedia Gold members. We take your feedback on the pool temperature, lack of jacuzzi, bathroom wallpaper, and elevator availability seriously and will address these issues. We're sorry for any inconvenience caused by the resort fee and will evaluate this policy. Despite this, we're glad you found value in your stay and look forward to welcoming you back on your next trip to Chicago.
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Service was absolutely terrible. Hotel room was not cleaned well. Many services not available. Not ready to host wedding parties. We were the bride and groom and brought in 25+ hotel rooms. We did not feel special or even acknowledged. Our room was never even cleaned for our wedding night even though prior to staying they asked what time we would Like our room cleaned. Our phone never worked so we could never call for assistance to collect garage bags that sat outside our room for days or even bring more towels. We told them the phone was broken but nothing was ever done. We spent $600 + on items in our hotel welcome bags that were suppose to be delivered to our guest but never were. We brought it up to the hotel staff the first night guest didn’t receive their guest bags and still the next day when more guests arrived they did not receive their welcome bag. Our guest were suppose to check in at 3PM the day of the wedding(normal check in time no special treatment) but guest were waiting until 4:30-5 to get into their rooms. We will never ever stay at a Royal Sonesta again. We travel a lot for work and holiday and have received better service at a 2 star hotel. I urge you if you are thinking of having your wedding hotel room block here DONT! The hotel was the only problem we encountered our wedding weekend and our guest were very upset. I wish we would have had our block elsewhere.
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Date of stay: May 2022Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sophie Sawaska, Guest Services / Front Office at The Royal Sonesta Chicago River North
Responded 15 Jun 2022
Thank you for taking time to tell us about your experience at Royal Sonesta Chicago River North. I am sorry that your experience didn't meet your expectations; Please allow me to express my sincerest apologies. Please be assured that we are taking the appropriate measures to address the problem and prevent any future occurrences. Here at Royal Sonesta, we continuously strive to meet your needs and expectations. it is our hope that you will give us the opportunity to better serve you in the future. If there's anything we can do to make your stay more comfortable, please feel free to reach out to the hotel directly and ask to speak with the manager on duty.
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I'm writing this review as a loving thank you note to the wonderful staff at the Royal Sonesta Rivernorth because each person has made my stay welcoming and magical each time I return.
Mark gave me a beautiful jr. Suite facing the outside terrace and I loved soaking in the sunshine, taking long baths in the oversized jacuzzi tub and taking in the beauty of my room.
Every visit here has been worth every penny I spent and thanks to Sara, Jessica, Mark, Ben, Julien, and Michelle I always feel welcomed and important.
This particular hotel was formerly the Palomar Kimpton and I've visited this hotel many many times over the years and have a deep gratitude for everyone here who goes out of their way to make me feel so special!
The suites are incredibly large so I always book a suite so I can have a few long baths and imagine I'm on vacation especially because of covid this makes a perfect staycation destination if you're an Illinois resident.
Rooms are spacious and kept cleanly and there are many restaurants to choose from just within walking distance of this hotel.
A huge thank you to the staff and I will definitely return soon!
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Date of stay: April 2021Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Amazing location! This hotel is a 5ish minute walk to Giordano's pizza, Lou Malnati's Pizza, Portillo’s hot dogs, shoreline boat tours, and Michigan Ave. the hotel staff is extremely friendly and helpful. The parking structure is one block away and is $25 but no in and out.
The hotel is hard to find and there isn’t any signage so you have to just know that it is between Grand and Illinois on State street. There are glass double doors to the hotel with the name of the hotel. You can park in the front of the hotel while you check in and take your luggage up to your room.
The hotel room and bathroom are large. The shower has lots of water pressure which is nice. There is full size shampoo, conditioner, and body wash but only two full size bath towels. The bed is firm and the pillows are soft. The air conditioner worked very well and was relatively quiet for a hotel. There is a mini fridge but ours had left overs from the previous guests. Overall the room was very clean however the windows were dirty. The windows had fingers prints and grease marks which was to bad because the view of the city was amazing! I would have given this room a 5 star if the mini fridge was cleaned out prior to us and the inside of the windows were cleaned.
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Date of stay: June 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PROS: The best feature this hotel offers is their front desk staff. Sara greets guests with a smile and is very welcoming. She saw to it that problems were promptly resolved. She is outgoing and easy to talk with. As well, the other front desk staff we encountered were just as friendly and helpful. If not for these individuals, I would give this property a rating of 1. These frontline individuals are a wonderful asset to your business. Hotel location is convenient to a multitude of restaurants, shops, sightseeing activities, etc. Room was clean, bed comfortable. Cons: Hotel is old and needs some updating. Even from 16th floor, you can hear traffic noise, sirens, loud cars through all hours of the night. Hallways are dark and have an unpleasant odor, probably a solution used for cleaning? Rooms have dark wood and older carpeting. Corner chair was a beige velour that did not appear clean. Refrigerator didn't work, Wall hangings need updating. Lampshades askew. No washcloths provided (until front desk was notified). Sheer curtains in poor condition. Blackout curtains are a plus. Bathtub does not drain well; only 1 roll of toilet paper available (2 people, 4 nights). Restaurant and bar were not open (but many others in the area were serving customers). Pool was open but water appeared cloudy, probably due to the number of kids using it. Rooftop lounge offered comfortable cushioned seating but was occupied by what appeared to be a group of young adults drinking and just hanging out. Not inviting in the least. Lastly, I'm aware the hotel was turned over in late 2020 and perhaps the new owners are working on improvements. Many other hotel choices in the area that I would entertain before recommending this one.
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Date of stay: May 2021
Value
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There are more places to choose from in the Chicago area.
PRICE RANGE
₹16,148 - ₹30,866 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
Kimpton Hotel Palomar Chicago
LOCATION
United StatesIllinoisChicagoCentral / Near North Side
NUMBER OF ROOMS
261
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect average nightly room rates, including taxes and fees that are fixed, known to our partners, and due at time of booking. Please see our partners for more details.
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