Hotel 71

5 mins walk to the South end of Michigan Ave. (The Magnificent Ave.)

The hotel is horribly OLD!! The room layout is strange, with a truck of area not able to put any thing. Elevator is quite noisy. Wardrobe is in bathroom, and bath tube is broken!

Besides, my room was smelling, I hope that was the only occasion, but the hotel is definitely not worth the money.

The hotel claims to be the finest luxury hotel in town but I'd opt for any 5-star international brands, e.g., Westin, Marriots, Renaissance, Hilton, etc. if possible.

Unique Quality: From the room on the south side, you can get good view of the river and the south end of the magnificent ave.

Although there were a few bad reviews here, i gave Hotel 71 a try. I stayed in the average room with a king bed. My stay went very well. The staff was extremely helpful and nice to talk to. I will stay here again.
The bathroom was large and very clean.
There is a wireless network but it did not work well. I was forced to use the $11 broadband connection.
There is a breakfast shop right around the corner.

Hotel parking was $39 a day!!! OUTRAGEOUS!

Chicago was by far one of the cleanest cities we have ever been too. No litter anywhere! Even in the early morning hours on my jogs…no litter! The weather was phenomenal! The people were friendly. We were very lucky indeed calling this one of our best getaways ever!

Unique Quality: HOTEL 71:

Pros: Location Location Location; Trendy and Updated. Wonderful Staff...April was wonderful. Spacious Rooms and Baths.

Con: Do not take a room by the elevator.

NEARBY DINING:

Catch 35 - Terrific Seafood spot, wait for a booth if you are a couple.

Heaven on Seven - THE BEST cajun spot ever. Breakfast and Lunch only. Funky and local.

Smith and Wollenskys for lunch-On the terrace, yes a but pricey but the terrace on a sunny afternoon lends to lingering. Great service too.

Topolobampo-Rick Bayless's spot. FABULOUS "mexican" fare on the upscale side. Great decor and food, service cool at first but improved as our check grew.

Waited 15 minutes to check in; the front desk was a one-man show. Our corner room on the 34th floor was clean and comfortable (though a bit scary: see below) with a stunning view of the Chicago River. Of course, you had to lean a bit to see it, but it didn't cost extra and the basic price was very good. The people are polite and helpful. There's an Italian restaurant and pizza place next door and a bakery/coffee/sandwich shop next to that. Best of all, there's a White Hen convenience store (everything from Tropicana to Absolut) just across Wacker Drive. Indeed, convenience is the draw here, and all-in-all it's a good deal I recommend to anyone who's willing to put up with, let's call them oddities.

Unique Quality: Visually, the place is an overdesigned nightmare. We're talking both leopard and tiger prints on hallway carpets that also mix suggestions of paisley and Mies van de Rohe. There was a leopard print chez lounge in our room, and the curtains... well, lets not go there.
If you press the phone button that says Wake-Up Call, no one answers. If you complain, you'll be told -- pleasantly, I'll admit -- that you're supposed to press Operator. You can only get ice on the 7th floor, but they might be out of ice buckets. You don't get one in your room. But be careful finding that 7th floor. The elevator lighting is so dim, you don't know what button you're pusing.

Directions: On East Wacker, across from the Chicago River one block from the famous Michigan Ave bridge. It doesn't get more "Chicago" than this.

The management here is hoping for a young and trendy clientele, and they certainly have succeeded in revitalizing the old "Executive Inn" which formerly occupied this space. From the sleek design of the (small) lobby to the designer vodkas on offer in the bar to the techno music in the elevators, Hotel 71 seeks to define itself as a haven for the leopardskin and Prada set.

One possible drawback is the location - it's a few blocks off desirable Michigan Ave. Another shortcoming is the lack of elevators - there are only four public elevators for hundreds of rooms. But as long you don't expect this to be the Four Seasons, chances are you'll be satisfied here - espcially if you get a good rate from one of the hotel discounting websites!

Be sure to ask for a room with a river-view.

Booked this on the Internet, and wasn't disappointed at all. First room we got was very near the lift, and noisy, but a great room. We moved the following day to a slightly smaller corner room with a fantastic view of the river. Concierge staff very helpful, also doorman. Never saw the housekeeping , but room was immaculate. Furnishings were top class, and location brilliant. I would stay here again if ever I'm lucky enough to get back there.

Unique Quality: Views and location were superb.

Directions: Right on river front.