More about Hotel Blake
Hotel Blake: False advertising
by TripAdvisor Member RbrtJnc
The Hotel Blake in Chicago is truly AWFUL! Amenities advertised on their website but nonexistent were: no flat-screen TVs, no room service, no clock radios, no shower/tub combination (shower only with extremely slick ceramic tile floor-an accident waiting to happen) no electronic check-out, no in-room safe, no CD/DVD player, no complimentary newspaper, no guide to TV channels or list of hotel services, no in-room refreshment center, no desk with ergonomic chair. There was 1 restaurant next door but not affiliated with the hotel, serving artsy food with sky-high prices. Great I suppose if you simply must have "veal cheeks." TV didn’t work in the fitness center, water cooler was empty, exercise to the sound of jack-hammers! When we needed a cab, the front desk told us to go hail one ourselves. Before checking out, we called to have our car brought around, waited about 45 minutes, & were finally told that someone had called & cancelled our request! This place ought to be in a Chevy Chase movie. Especially the toilets that flush so loud you'll run screaming from the room! Fine if you want to buy breakfast at White Hen or eat lunch at Taco Bell or Subway (across the street). When I pointed out the disparity between what their website promised and grim reality, they blew me off, saying they’re still under construction & there's nothing they can do, i.e., tough luck. Of course, their website did NOT warn us about ongoing construction.
Going back to Hotel Blake
by TripAdvisor Member Luvly001
I also decided to stay here even after reading everything online. I was nervous because of the bad reviews, but kept my reservation after calling ahead to insure my reservation and to let my requests be known ahead of time.
I checked in on a Saturday evening and left late Sunday night. I had no check-in or check-out problems; there was no wait, the room that I had requested was available and the staff was very respectful.
My room was on the second floor. It was quite lovely to be honest. The only thing was that our window looked out onto a brick wall. My daughter and I laughed for 10 minutes and never thought twice about it.
We were traveling for pleasure and did not plan to do much in the room other that bathe and sleep. The beds were excellent, but the sound of the heating/cooling fan was unusually loud. The fitness center was great. It's located on the second floor and surrounded by windows with a view and no brick walls.
Hotel Blake? How about Hotel Half-Baked?
by A TripAdvisor Member
I am staying here now (April 1). The experience is nothing like advertised on their website - no TV in the bathroom, no minibar, no door on my closet, no fancy bath products, etc.
On my second night here, I had a knock on my door and it was "housekeeping" coming to install an alarm clock, which my room didn't have before. My remote control was broken, and it took 36 hours for an "engineer" to come "fix" it. My heater is louder than an airplane taking off.
There is construction happening on every floor, no spa, only one working elevator for almost ten floors . . . it is pretty much a nightmare.
Lucky for you, I'm in the city to tour its hotels. I think you'd be much happier at the Talbott or Whitehall. That is where I wish I had stayed.
Horrible!! Bait & Switch!!
by A TripAdvisor Member
Against my better judgement (based on the horrible reviews) I booked a room at Hotel Blake based on their description online as well as the fact that their renovation was supposedly complete. After arriving I discovered that EVERYTHING promoted in their website was a total fabrication! Instead of plasma TV's my room contained a broken TV, no radio, no honor bar, lights in the bathroom burnt out, etc... Upon contacting the front desk, I was informed that it was my fault for not contacting the hotel directly (which I had actually done) to confirm that the things being promoted on their website existed. When I informed them that they were misrepresenting their hotel and actually committing a "bait and switch" tactic (which is highly illegal) they said that they would refund my money and I could find a room elsewhere. Which I did, and they were not willing to help me with.
Do Not Stay Here And Reward Devious, Illegal, Business Tactics!!!
Good potential, terrible experience
by A TripAdvisor Member
I recently took a small group of students to Chicago for a competition. We had reservations for five at Hotel Blake. When we arrived at 8 pm, there was only one staffer working the front desk. Although she was very kind and polite, there was quite a long line of people with complaints and it took a very long time to be helped. We had reserved five rooms through Orbitz, but when we checked in, bearing confirmation codes, only three of us had rooms. The clerk tried to find rooms for my students and sent them to multiple rooms. One had no working locks, another had an unfinished bathroom (plumbing still being installed), another two more still had non-functional locks. Having been informed that there were no more rooms left, the female student slept in my room and the male student decided to sleep in an unlocked room. Of the rooms that were "acceptable," two were missing light bulbs (my room had none), none had trash cans (we never got any despite repeated requests), and one had a shower that wasn't working.
The following night we were able to obtain rooms for the two students without acceptable rooms. Even one one of those rooms had a non-functional sink in the bathroom, but at that point, it was the least of our concerns. The assistant manager, Natalie, was very nice, but she couldn't even tell us if we would get our money back and could not run the computer. In fact, there was no one with any authority to fix any problem on the property (the locks did eventually get fixed Saturday night). We were not the only ones having problems. All weekend, the front desk was pummelled with irate guests demanding towels, washcloths, trashcans, etc. We felt sorry for the front desk staff, most of whom were ever pleasant and professional.
The hotel, to the extent it was finished, was lovely and the rooms were very promising...though the armoires had no mini-bars yet. I highly recommend waiting to visit this hotel until they are done renovating it.
Very nice stay
by A TripAdvisor Member
I wasn't expecting much after reading previous reviews, but the renovations are largely complete, and it was one of the nicest hotel stays I've had. The room was luxurious, the staff was very helpful. There is food and drink within walking distance. It was also nice and quiet, except for street noise (I was facing the main street.) Not a place for children, but great for business.
Great Modern Motif!
by TripAdvisor Member GirlfromKtown
I was worried after reading some past reviews, but this was great. The rooms are beautifully decorated- very modern. The bathroom was huge and great walk in shower. The restaurant seemed to close pretty early though; we were never able to make it back early enough to try. TIP: It’s pretty close to Millennium Parking garage which is the cheapest rate in the city for 24/hour parking.
Be very careful
by TripAdvisor Member Western82
Be very careful if you decide to stay there. It was chaos - the folks did not have a handle on what was going on. Rooms were double-booked (people actually walking into rooms with other people in them), no one around to help, rooms were full of dust because of construction going on, lights didn't work.....you get the picture.
Check-in was a nightmare - they had NO clue. Hour wait.
The rooms were nicely done, but very small.
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