Hotel 71

, Chicago, United States
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Hotel 71

, Chicago
4 star

Rooms: 421

71 East Wacker Drive - Chicago - Illinois - 60601 - United States Hotel Website | | 312 346 7100
461 Traveller

Reviews - Hotel 71

7/10
Nice but boring rooms
Submitted by: Andreas Barattiero in 11/05/05
  • Age Group: 31 - 40
  • From: Switzerland
  • Traveller type: Young & Single
I've stayed there for a weekend in Dec 2004. The hotel is located in the centre of Chicago within walking distance to most attractions, shopping and theatres.
The check-in was efficient and the staff was very friendly. The room I've got was quite spacious and clean but - for a design hotel - very boring. Nothing special. High speed internet did work and was extremely fast.
Unfortunately, the restaurant was closed due to strange reasons and no reopening date was stated.
I do recommend the hotel for someone looking for a hotel just for a night or two.
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Historical Traveller Reviews of Hotel 71

Disappointed with Hotel71

from jaydrummond
Only one elevator operated to service the upper floors. The service elevator was offered as an alternative, but often the wait time was ten minutes or even longer. The housekeeping staff was inconsistent on leaving sufficent towels, etc. I will not stay here again.

would stay again

from travel2little_8
labor day weekend, great weekend
I really liked this place, there were a few minor amenities that I am used to. The hotel is still going through renovations but were halted at the time I was there. The elevator was only a small problem, you're on vacation why rush. I liked my room would even stay in the same room but.... the 2 wastebaskets were too small, over filled everyday, tub too small, luckily there were no large people in my room. Ice on only 2 floors 1 had ice, 1 had no buckets. No yellow pages/hotel directory and some staff were not familiar with the area however pleasant. No refrigerator as indicated on website never did find the free shuttle across the street.

Good Location, thats it!

from Cami1914
We booked this through Priceline so we weren't expecting a true 4 Star Hotel. Upon check-in, we were told the only room available was a big suite. Of course we were thrilled. the room took up an entire side of the hotel. It had a huge 12 seat conference table (there were only 2 of us!). The fllor was unlevel, the room smelled like mold, the sheets had cigarette burns and the room was just weird. You seriously could have fit three average size rooms in that one huge room. The WORST part about this place was the elevator system. We complained about it and were told to use the service lift which was always crowded. Only one of the three other elevators was working. The best part was the location and the view. We were within walking distance to anything downtown and in the theatre district. The hotel did have a modest little work-out room but it was creepy and dark. No Pool. The staff was courteous but they could only do so much given the lack of serious renovation needed at this hotel. overall, we got what we paid for (Priceline).

Very good experience

from AussieGoGirl
I have to say, having read some of the reviews about Hotel 71 I was more than a little apprehensive about staying here - I am happy to say I was pleasantly surprised.

We booked it through expedia and got a great price for a river view room.

Check in was quick and courteous, and the service was attentive and friendly throughout the entire stay. The location is spectacular, right on the river on Whacker Drive, a short walk to the centre of the loop, and the lake. Our very large room on the 31st floor had views from huge windows all the way up the Chicago river.

We never had to wait very long for an elevator as some other reviews have mentioned - perhaps I was lucky, but it seemed to me that the hotel has overcome lift congestion by clustering guests on the same floors.

The hotel does not have a restaurant, but it's in close proximity to many restaurants and eateries, and for late night dining they have menus at reception for restaurants who will deliver 24hrs. We chose not to have breakfast in the room, but the cafe downstairs next door served and excellent breakfast.

Over all it was an enjoyable experience at a very reasonable price. I would definitely stay here again.

Great Location

from fun14summerandsun
Great location and nice room! The elevators were very sketchy though. And the hotel fire alarm went off during my stay (not a pleasant feeling knowing how narrow the stairwells were. Several times I had to take the elevator to floor below me and walk up one floor each time so as not to stand in line waiting for the rickedy old elevators)!

Loved the River View

from Tvl_Junky
We have only praise for Hotel 71. Our room (1015) was huge and beautifully decorated with an amazing view of the Chicago River. The restaurant is not open yet, but there are hundreds of great restaurants within a short walk. (We picked up a few things at the corner store for breakfasts in our room -- has coffee maker, frig, microwave). The staff was friendly and helpful. We had read the mixed reviews, but our travel agent got us an unbelievable rate so we went for it. We loved the hotel and would definitely stay here again.

Good location, room fine, everything else poor

from verity1
As the other reviews state, the location is excellent and if you can get a good price then the inconveniences may not matter. However, DO NOT use the phone on any account or you will lose all the savings you have just made. Also, don't expect to sleep in, as housekeeping knock on all the doors between 8 and 8.30 - there is no Do not Disturb sign.

The elevators break down frequently and are often too full to get in. You can hear them speeding past your floor without stopping, even though you have called them.

Internet access in the business centre is intermittent. Computers did not have adequate virus protection so every time somebody downloaded something they froze up.

There is no breakfast room and nowhere like a lounge to sit at all (except a sofa in the lobby). In summer it is not a problem to go to the cafe along the street, but in winter it might be different. Yes, decor is rather sombre, bathtubs strangely flimsy and hot water temperamental.

We did not discover there was room service till the last day, as there was nothing to indicate it in the room - no menu or leaflet - In fact, there was not even the usual booklet of hotel services you generally get in hotel rooms.

A friend who called us was told the hotel had no record of us - we had prepaid for a week!

One day we had clean towels in the morning and they mysteriously disappeared during the day.

Phone charges are truly outrageous. The desk clerk told us it cost $27 to pick up the phone for an international call, without actually using any time, and $10 likewise to New York. You could spend hundreds of dollars before finding this out. There is no information about it in the room.

We had an excellent trip and would have considered the hotel on balance a fair buy if we had not been royally ripped off on the phone charges at the last minute.

Loved the River View

from wreckcat
I just got back from Chicago. I went with 4 other ladies and we booked our trip as a package, airfare and Hotel 71. I did not book the room and read the reviews a few weeks before we left on the trip. I must say I was really concerned about it because the hotel had so many pros and cons, and I really was expecting the worst""" and was pleasantly surprised. True the elevators are a little slow and the restaurant is closed but these are minor things. The river view is fabulous and the hotel is right in the heart of things. There is a neat little restaurant located right next door where we had breakfast and dinner once, and it was really good. There is also a Corner Bakery where you can pick up coffee and breakfast rolls and sit inside or out to enjoy the view. The beds were really comfortable and the rooms were huge.
Staff was really nice, and the bellmen are extremely helpful.
Sure the bath towels are a little thin but who cares?? The price is good and like I said we enjoyed the stay. Chicago is Fabulous, we had a wonderful time and definitely want to return sometime in the future. I would say that for the money this place is definitely above average.

No Regrets

from Jaknefesh
Loved the hotel. Great room and impressive bathroom. No problems with elevators, maybe it was the midweek stay. They do have blackout drapes, you just have to look closely.
The staff was very friendly and helpful. My friend's sandal ripped in the elevator and was reimbursed for a new pair. Only comment -it would have been nice if they served a little breakfast. However, the Corner Bakery is 2 doors down and a great find.

Fabulous location facing the river and I would stay here again.

Terrible

from gulfh2o
The room's air conditioning unit was not working properly and it sounded like a 737 on take-off. The room was abnormaly warm. The water in the tub did not drain well. We lifted out the drain and found a huge wad of hair the size of a baseball which was very gross. The towels were very thin and not absorbant. The beds were extremely hard and not much different than a hard floor plus the pillows were flat and almost nonexistent. A couple of the elevators were not working properly during our stay. I would not recommend this hotel or stay here again. The only saving grace was the view of the Chicago River.

Top Local Tips for Chicago

Grant Park Millenium Park Soldier Field. Field Museum Come out of the hotel and south on Michigan to Randolp. You will see the opening on the right and side. you can't miss it. Continue south in th e park and soon you will see Soldier Field, shedd Aquarium, pPanitarium and Soldier Field. The stroll along the late is nice. +++Watch for bikers+++ Some are rude and don't like to slow down!

Architectural Tour This tour was highly rated and did not meet my expectations. This tour could have been better if the majority of the buidlings the guide pointed out were not all built after 1970. The art-deco buildings are much more interesting. You can see a plain box type building in every city in the US. A little more history would have been appriciated.

Do not bring a car It's very expensive to park a car anywhere in the city take a taxi

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Other names for Hotel 71

  • hotel 71 chicago
  • hotel 71
  • 71 hotel chicago
  • Address: 71 East Wacker Drive - Chicago - Illinois - 60601 - United States
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"Nice but boring rooms" - Andreas Barattiero

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