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.
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About
4.5
#16 of 211 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.
Located on a river in Chicago's The Loop neighborhood, an area with good shopping.The area's natural beauty can be seen at Grant Park and Chicago Riverwalk, while Navy Pier and Skydeck Ledge are popular area attractions. John G. Shedd Aquarium and Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum are not to be missed. Our guests appreciate the hotel's central location for the nightlife and sightseeing. It's convenient to public transportation: State Station is 4 minutes by foot and Randolph-Wabash Station is 4 minutes.
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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The Royal Sonesta Chicago Downtown garners positive feedback for providing good value, characterized by reasonable room rates and commendable food quality. Guests consistently laud the attentive and professional service, with staff members receiving accolades for their friendliness and willingness to go the extra mile. The hotel's atmosphere is deemed welcoming, thanks to its clean, spacious, and well-appointed rooms.
While the amenities are generally celebrated, especially the modern touches and impressive views, some guests noted the absence of daily room service. Despite occasional booking and amenities issues, the rooms are highly regarded for their cleanliness and space. The hotel's location is also a highlight, with its proximity to downtown attractions and convenient transportation links frequently mentioned by travelers.
Location
Central
Atmosphere
Inviting
Rooms
Spacious
Value
Reasonable
Cleanliness
Spotless
Service
Attentive
Amenities
Well-appointed
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Excellent stay at the Royal Sonesta Downtown. Everything was fantastic from the cleanliness of the room, to the comfort of the beds and awesome view from the 25th floor. The bathroom was modern and the shower was hot and had great water pressure. The toiletries were nice as well. It was nice to have the extra space with a sofa for enjoying my morning coffee while my family remained in bed. All of the staff we interacted with were very friendly and professional. My husband and I enjoyed the breakfast at the hotel’s restaurant Hoyt’s, our last morning. The hotel is a block from Michigan Ave (the magnificent mile) and also walking distance to 360 Chicago, Millennium Park and a variety of restaurants. I would definitely stay at this hotel again and recommend to anyone visiting Chicago.
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Date of stay: January 2024Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Recommend the river view rooms
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 Morgan Campbell, Guest Services / Front Office at The Royal Sonesta Chicago Downtown
Responded 11 Jan 2024
Dear Jackie, Thank you for taking the time to review our hotel. Our goal is to exceed your expectations with quality hospitality, and we are pleased to see our team took such great care of you. We greatly appreciate the detailed feedback and look forward to sharing this with our team We hope to host you for many more trips to Chicago!
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The instant I approached the front desk, I was cheerfully greeted by Kevin B with a smile and professionalism. He placed me in a well furnished room with astonishing views of the river just as I requested on my reservation. All of the front desk attendants, particularly Mark W., that assisted me on my business trip were extremely polite and helpful with dining suggestions and restocking coffee in my room. When I checked out of the Royal Sonesta Chicago Downtown, Brittany K. assisted me with billing questions and provided one of the best experiences I have had checking out of a hotel. Thank you Kevin, Mark, and Brittany for welcoming this Houston, Texas guest just like I was visiting good friends out of state. Kudos to all of you. I am confident that the Sonesta International Hotel Corporation is proud to have employees such as all three of you that are so dedicated, friendly, and professional to represent their brand. I will return to Chicago soon and I will choose the Royal Sonesta Chicago Downtown for my lodging! again.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: May 2022Trip 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 Nathan Bookhout, Guest Services / Front Office at The Royal Sonesta Chicago Downtown
Responded 28 May 2022
Thank you for recognizing our team! We are so happy to hear you felt like you were welcomed by friends and like friends we look forward to seeing you again soon.
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We stayed at the Royal Sonesta for 3 nights in early September, then returned in late September for 2 night. The location is perfect for those who want to be downtown next to the river. The rooms were large and clean, and the staff was friendly and helpful. The only drawback was that no breakfast was offered with the room. When we returned for 2 nights in late September it appeared the previous guests had messed with the toilet mechanisms and unscrewed (damaged) the shower nozzle. We had hauled all our things into the room and didn't want to move to another. Even though it was already past 6PM, the front desk sent a very efficient maintenance man who replaced the broken parts in the shower and toilet and got everything working very quickly. We were pleased we didn't have to move and don't blame the hotel one bit since they can't be held responsible for any unknown damage previous guests do.
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Date of stay: September 2021
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
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 Nathan Bookhout, Guest Services / Front Office at The Royal Sonesta Chicago Downtown
Responded 15 Oct 2021
Thank you for writing a review for your stay! I will let the engineering team know that their hard work and dedication shows.
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During my stay, there was an incident where I was being video recorded by a guest while I was having a calm conversation with the manager about miscommunication between myself and staff. I was asked by a member of the security, Kadijah, if the person recording me was my husband. I had let her know my husband was in our room sleeping. I look to see who the person was, and although recording someone isn’t illegal, it was a violation of my privacy given the fact I was providing my personal details such as room number and name. The person claimed to have removed the video, and the staff made sure to do their part to make me feel comfortable, and most importantly, safe.
I would like to thank the hotels manager Onye, who made it his goal to make sure I continued my stay with the hotel and that I was comfortable, including upgrading my room to a spectacular view. Security made it their priority to walk me to and from my room while I felt extremely anxious in a moment of chaos, and your front desk, Dominique and Josh also did their part in assisting with any and all needs from beginning to end.
Although hotels staff did an amazing job, being that I myself come from customer service, I would like to share some tips for some of the staff who made me feel uncomfortable. Onye walked me and my husband to the hotels restaurant and told the waitress to take care of us with drinks (no food). I ordered 3 drinks, my husband 1, and when it came to closing the tab, the restaurant manager made sure to make me feel very uncomfortable with her attitude and let me know that I was wrong and I misunderstood and they’d only cover 1 round. That was not at all said. Paying the bill was not at all a problem for my husband and I, given the fact we started and continued with paying at the restaurant. What was disappointing was her lack of care and sympathy in the middle of a situation that had me extremely anxious. She was cold, and as a manager, I would have expected better, as that is WHY she is manager. Maybe we should send to training?
As far as front desk, I would also like to address very similar coldness with one member of the staff, Angie. From the moment I arrived, she was cold, serious, and honestly, came across like she did not want to be there. Many times I tried speaking with her asking for tips and help, and she was serious. I had also asked for towels and blankets be sent to my room, and she made it clear that was not possible while I was not in my room because of hotel policy. But to my surprise, there were towels inside my room upon my return. Hotels policy of 24hr cleaning service was not stated at check in, and to not be told of a policy that was later broken is extremely unacceptable. Being that her job is in hospitality, it was unfortunate that she lacks the motivation to be in the field. The front desk is always the first impression, and she did not make you feel welcomed, nor should she be in the field of hospitality.
With all being said, I’ve shared my experience with so many from family to work, and all are shocked at how such a great looking hotel at an expensive cost can have such low security.Ir makes one reconsider their stay. I’m grateful to the team that did make my stay safe and I hope this hotel grows i safety and hospitality
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Date of stay: September 2022Trip 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.
Response from Kelsey Knight, Guest Services / Front Office at The Royal Sonesta Chicago Downtown
Responded 17 Sept 2022
Thank you for sharing your feedback with us. We appreciate you bringing all these items to our attention so we can better utilize as training opportunities to better enhance our guest experience. We certainly apologize for any miscommunications that occurred during your stay and appreciate the positive comments about Onye.
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There are lots of friendly staff members at this very nice downtown Chicago hotel. But I have to take a moment to acknowledge a front desk clerk named Angie in particular. We booked a Royal King room with a river view and when we initially checked in, realizing that we would be seeing a large TRUMP sign across the street from our window, we asked to change rooms to the other side of the hotel. The next morning, my wife reminded me that we had paid a premium for the river view, so we went to down to the lobby where we met Angie and asked her if she could help with a compromise: a room on the corner of the hotel so we could have mostly a river view and draw a curtain to hide the TRUMP sign. At that time, she only had a room on the 16th floor directly across from the sign. But she told us to check our bags with the bellman while we were out for the day and she would try to find something better later on. When we returned, a new clerk was on duty and she smiled when she pulled up our new room assignment. “Angie certainly hooked you guys up with a great room,” she exclaimed. “You're going to really like it, I promise.” Well, we didn't just like it, we LOVED it. The room had large windows on both sides of the hotel and the views were stunning, both during the day and at night! We are so grateful that Angie understood our predicament and went above and beyond to make us happy! Thank you again!!
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Date of stay: May 2022
Value
Rooms
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 Nathan Bookhout, Guest Services / Front Office at The Royal Sonesta Chicago Downtown
Responded 28 May 2022
Thank you for taking time to recognize Angie and all her hard work taking amazing care of our guests. I am happy to hear we could accommodate your needs and do hope you visit again soon.
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Had a great experience with accommodations and staff. Junito did an amazing job getting our room ready and went above and beyond by recommending some nightlife activities for us he even made some calls to let them know we were coming. Paris, the 3rd shift front desk worker was amazing as well. As traveling musicians, we are always looking for great places to return to when we visit cities. We have already booked our next stay for our shows coming up. Can't wait to be back!
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Date of stay: May 2022
Value
Rooms
Service
Trip 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 Nathan Bookhout, Guest Services / Front Office at The Royal Sonesta Chicago Downtown
Responded 5 Jun 2022
Thank you for taking time to recognize Junito and Paris. They work very hard to provide amazing guest experiences. We enjoyed having your group with us and will happily host you next time you make it to Chicago.
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Stayed for 4 days. Hotel really neglects their customers. When in my room I called and asked for a spoon and fork (eating utensils) to eat my dinner. Waited an hour called again. Waited another 30 mins and some guy brought me towels instead. Second day, I asked for a place to use a microwave, front desk told me that it would cost $25 for me to rent a microwave to heat up my food! Room was not cleaned or maintained the whole stay. I had to go downstairs so many times to get anything I needed. Oh yeah…also forgot to mention that the room was HOT!
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Date of stay: July 2022Trip type: Travelled with friends
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 Kelsey Knight, Guest Services / Front Office at The Royal Sonesta Chicago Downtown
Responded 6 Jul 2022
Thank you for taking the time to write a review of our hotel. While we strive to exceed guest expectations, it looks like we dropped the ball on a few items here. We greatly appreciate the candid feedback so we can look to improve some of our processes and procedures. Please reach out to me directly at kknight@sonesta.com if I can be of further assistance. We would love to invite you back in the future to turn your experience with us around.
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Great location, comfy bed but service was lacking. They ask how often you need your room cleaned so we said every other day, mistake. That means you beg for coffee, cups, sugar , room water for coffee pot…. We asked twice for a chair to go with the table but never got one. You pay a “resort fee of $20/night on top of your room fee, this supposedly covers the “fitness room and water” but only if you beg.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: May 2022Trip 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.
Response from Nathan Bookhout, Guest Services / Front Office at The Royal Sonesta Chicago Downtown
Responded 5 Jun 2022
Thank you for writing about your stay. We apologize for the lack of room service during your stay and are working with our team to fix this issue quickly.
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My wife and I stayed at the Royal Sonesta during early July of 2022 for our first time visit to Chicago and it will definitely not be our last. Chicago is a beautiful city and exceeded our expectations. The Royal Sonesta is in an excellent location with easy access to parks, restaurants, retail stores, and other attractions. We were able walk to many of our destinations and utilized Uber/public transit for a few of other expeditions that were farther away. The hotel is well maintained and the staff is helpful.
But my wife and I both agree that one person alone made our stay that much more memorable. Michael works at the bar at the Royal Sonesta. From the very first time we met him upon our arrival, he was so warm, welcoming, polite, professional, knowledgeable... just everything you want from your hotel bar attendant buddy. His energy, from the day we met him up until the day we bid farewell, was always on high and super positive. Michael was a pleasure to converse with daily as we looked forward to seeing him every time we made it downstairs to the hotel bar. He provided solid advice on local places to visit AND the best way to go about getting there. From alternate park entrances to last-ditch effort bars to go to after mid-night, Michael was clutch. He was like our fairy godfather who ensured we were always enjoying ourselves. The one morning my wife and I actually made it to the bar for breakfast and I was feeling a bit "sick", Michael took care of us with plenty of suggestions for coffee, water, juice, and breakfast plates.
Chicago was amazing, the Royal Sonesta Chicago Downtown was excellent, and Michal J. F. holds a special place with us for really showing his personality which made our trip extraordinary. Please give him our THANKS once again!
-Ray and Jasmine
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Date of stay: July 2022
Rooms
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 Kelsey Knight, Guest Services / Front Office at The Royal Sonesta Chicago Downtown
Responded 7 Aug 2022
Thank you for the great review of our hotel. We are glad you had such a great time and that Michael took such great care of you. We look forward to welcoming you back when you return to Chicago!
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I paid premium prices for my stay and ended up on the 10th floor out of the 34 floors available, with a view of a buildings cement roof. I asked the manager to move me to a room with a better view and was told they had inventory but wanted to charge me extra, even though they have rooms still available online advertised for much less. Next time I'll pick another hotel that doesn't try to nickel and dime you when you're all ready paying top dollar and they admit they have extra rooms.
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Date of stay: June 2022Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip:Valet parking is $75/ night, self park at 60 East lake garage instead
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 Kelsey Knight, Guest Services / Front Office at The Royal Sonesta Chicago Downtown
Responded 5 Jul 2022
Thank you for taking the time to write a review of our hotel. While we strive to exceed guest expectations, it looks like we dropped the ball on a few items here. We greatly appreciate the candid feedback so we can look to improve some of our processes and procedures. We would love to invite you back in the future to turn your experience with us around.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
There are more places to choose from in the Chicago area.
PRICE RANGE
₹21,411 - ₹34,425 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
71 hotel chicago, hotel 71 chicago
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
Royal Sonesta Chicago Riverfront
LOCATION
United StatesIllinoisChicagoCentral / Downtown / The Loop / Theater District
NUMBER OF ROOMS
381
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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