The Good: this hotel seems to be used to dealing with large crowds, and check-in lines and cab lines moved smoothly; my favorite part was the in-room coffee maker that brewed Starbucks coffee in your very own travel cup. Brilliant. And, there was no charge for it. Also, I heard from my business colleagues that room service arrived on time and was edible.

The Bad: One would think, that for an average of $300/night, one could get nicer amenities or even just some cotton balls or q-tips. The electrical situation is poor: Charging my cell phone, using the iron, and charging my ipod involved a complex choreography of finding enough outlets to do two of those tasks (as long as you unplugged the hairdryer). Beds aren't the greatest. TV doesn't get CNN. And, as others have pointed out, they charge you for darn near everything.

The ugly: My room was so much better than the one I stayed in in 2003. But, I learned from some of my colleagues that those rooms still exists. It seems like the nicer rooms are the ones in the tower that also have two beds. King beds on lower floors spell trouble, according to my unscientific poll. These rooms are small and the bathrooms seem 20+ years old.

This property needs to decide what it is going to be. I don't see how it can compete with the more luxury brands in the area who are more hip, have the Heavenly beds, or have rooms set up for the business traveler, or the lower-level brands that tend to give free breakfast and Internet service. On the other hand, it may be perfect for weekend visitors and families who just want a standard room in a decent location. Those travelers, though, should be sure they aren't paying inflated convention rates.

Stayed for business with a friend, had a great room, very comfortable bed. It was very convenient to walk everywhere from there, including being less than a 10 min walk to Navy Pier and minutes from the Mag Mile. Love the Bliss products for the shower/bath, and the magazines/newspapers. Eat at the Chicago Burger Co, the best Turkey Burger, I ever had in my life and I have had it cities across the world and this is coming from a normal burger eater. (wanted to minimize red meat to save for the wonderful steak houses, chop houses in chicago).

This is a great hotel! The views are fabulous, the service it friendly and the location is superb. We booked a room on an upper floor and had access to the lounge where breakfast and snacks were available with picture perfect views of the Chicago River. The only negative is that the ceilings in the hall and room are low and can make you feel a little cramped. We booked our room for $89 a night for Memorial Day weekend. It was a steal! I highly recommend this hotel to anyone and will be returning!