After I’ve traveled to Chicago prior to now, whether or not or not it’s for a household trip or to go to faculty buddies, I’ve crashed on a sofa, cut up the prices on an Airbnb or signed up for a resort block with a bigger group.
For my first grownup solo journey to Chicago, I wished to up my recreation. I’ve elite standing with IHG One Rewards, so to maximise my rewards I targeted on midrange IHG properties.
I really like having IHG Diamond Elite standing, primarily for the free resort breakfast and room upgrades, when out there. Plus, my favourite resort chain, Kimpton Resorts, is below the IHG One Rewards umbrella.
Kimpton is without doubt one of the largest boutique manufacturers within the U.S., with properties in 52 cities internationally and round 20 new properties slated to debut over the approaching years. In my thoughts, it is top-of-the-line hospitality manufacturers on the market, with reasonably priced charges and distinctive life-style properties that exude an artsy vibe.
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Primarily based on my price range and model affinity, I narrowed it right down to the 2 Kimpton properties in Chicago (the Kimpton Grey and the Kimpton Resort Monaco). Attributable to facilities, design and central location, the winner was the Kimpton Grey.
Fast take
Positioned within the ornate, Nineteenth-century New York Life Insurance coverage constructing within the coronary heart of the colourful Chicago Loop (the central enterprise district), what distinguishes the Kimpton Grey is its historic design married with modern aptitude.
The foyer is lavishly appointed with the resort’s namesake Georgian grey marble, and all through the general public areas, gilded lighting fixtures, native artworks, blue velvet curtains and leather-based furnishings create a luxurious, decadent atmosphere that is nice for both lounging or working.
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I personally cherished working from the softly illuminated communal oak desk in a single space of the foyer. Reality be instructed, I used to be extra snug working there than in my room. There was all the time an upbeat temper, with teams of vacationers assembly to plan their days and associates finalizing shows earlier than assembly purchasers.
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Getting there
One factor I really like about Chicago is the metro and iconic L transit system. Coming from New York Metropolis, it is a large plus to have the ability to take public transit all through the town (and even the suburbs, if you happen to select) and navigate it simply. You can too take the L to get to each O’Hare Worldwide Airport (ORD) and Halfway Worldwide Airport (MDW).
A cab or ride-hailing service would have taken about the identical period of time, however prices between $40 and $50, relying on the time of day.
Reserving
I deliberate my keep throughout Kimpton’s annual spring flash sale in late March. Room reductions ranged from 10% to twenty% when reserving immediately with IHG, relying on the property.
After making use of the 25% low cost, my two-night keep in an Important Room with one queen mattress value simply $628.71. Charges have been comparable for each a Thursday- and Friday-night keep. Should you select to redeem IHG factors, customary rewards begin at 26,000 factors per evening. Not surprisingly, charges in Chicago are typically greater through the balmy summer time.
The vibe
The Kimpton Grey is the sort of property that is in style for weekend weddings and huge group occasions, particularly throughout spring and summer time.
Whereas the property’s historic structure is actually compelling, it lacked the aura of timeless luxurious that I hoped for, and there are many indicators that the resort has been on the block for some time.
The resort’s location on the coronary heart of the enterprise district makes it in style with enterprise vacationers. With a communal vibe within the foyer and considerate facilities, it is a fantastic place to work, mingle and plan a day of sightseeing.
I used to be getting a bit of stir-crazy in my room someday so I made a decision to relocate to the foyer and work there. With a fantastic Wi-Fi connection and a drinks cart (complimentary espresso and citrus water), it was rather more pleasurable to arrange my laptop computer on the lengthy picket desk and really feel extra in tune with the town’s power.
At 5 p.m., the foyer took on a full of life, convivial temper for Kimpton’s signature joyful hour, with teams of buddies and enterprise associates gathering to kick-start a night in town.
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Issues I cherished
- The day by day joyful hour within the foyer was a good way to begin the night.
- Central downtown location; it is easy to entry the airport and world-class vacationer sights like The Artwork Institute of Chicago.
- First rate pricing for a weekend keep in Chicago; lower than a mean of $300 per evening.
- Vol. 39 cocktail bar for artistic gin cocktails in a library-themed bar.
Caveats
- I used to be in a position to make use of the web app check-in to safe my improve as a Diamond standing member.
- Fitness center tools was exhibiting its age, making it an uninspiring place to work out.
- Poor service within the Fillmore restaurant, the place meals was simply common and the breakfast menu restricted.
- Sure blocks of the Loop can grow to be quiet at evening, which isn’t ultimate for evening owls who prefer to bar hop.
The room
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I’ve stayed in my justifiable share of Kimpton resorts and it is by far my favourite boutique resort chain.
Due to my IHG One Rewards Diamond Elite standing, I used to be upgraded to a one-bedroom king suite, which at over 500 sq. ft was actually greater than my studio condominium again in New York Metropolis.
General, the room didn’t circulation properly, largely because of the unusual furnishings placement, which left some areas feeling naked and empty. I did respect the plentiful pure mild, although, which flowed via a number of home windows.
A number of design parts fostered a bit of extra consolation and character — the sliding barn doorways, deep soaking tub and modern rest room fixtures have now all been entered into my Zillow home-search filters. I additionally actually appreciated the purposeful armoire, which had an eclectic flower motif, the place I saved my baggage.
An extended desk arrange towards a wall supplied a workspace of kinds and I used to be capable of arrange my laptop computer proper subsequent to the in-room Nespresso machine and feed my caffeine wants all day lengthy.
However, far and away the spotlight was the toilet with a walk-in bathe, plenty of black granite and huge mirrors above twin vanities. I’m a sucker for resort bathtubs and I could not resist spending one night in my deep soaking tub, luxuriating with a bottle of wine and a shower bomb.
Food and drinks
There are just a few on-site choices the place you’ll be able to have a cocktail or seize a fast chunk. All venues are open to the general public and there was positively an area vibe.
First up, the Fillmore. That is an Asian fusion restaurant the place company may also seize breakfast within the morning. I ate at this restaurant day by day throughout my keep. I ordered a special dish every morning, starting from eggs Benedict to apple French toast. General, the meals was satisfying however slightly predictable.
There was a small snafu. The restaurant did cost me for breakfast, even after I had introduced my free resort breakfast voucher, however the entrance desk took care of that upon checkout.
The service, although, was lower than the usual of earlier Kimpton properties the place I’ve stayed. It was clear it was very understaffed, with only one server working 10-plus tables. It took some time for my meals to seem after ordering, and making an attempt to get a refill on espresso, or another beverage, was troublesome.
Subsequent up, Boleo. This huge rooftop restaurant and lounge is positioned on the fifteenth flooring. There was an infectious occasion vibe for positive, and it is nice for catching a summer time breeze, however do not count on grand metropolis views.
The artistic menu attracts inspiration from Peruvian and Argentine avenue meals. A buddy joined me for dinner and we ordered pan con chicharron sliders (mini pork stomach burgers, $14), anticuchos de hongos (a mushroom dish, $12), yuca fries ($12) and arroz zambito (a rice pudding dessert, $9). The flavors have been genuine and the service (in contrast to at Fillmore) was on level.
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Saving the very best for final, Vol. 39 is a classy cocktail bar. Appointed with plush leather-based chairs and couches surrounded by bookshelves lined with literary classics, the atmosphere lends itself to each solo and enterprise vacationers stopping by to unwind with a fast drink in addition to {couples} having fun with a date evening.
As a substitute of selecting from the cocktail menu, which options basic and Chicago-inspired libations, I requested the bartender to whip up a cocktail based mostly on my favourite liquor and elements. I wasn’t upset.
Facilities and repair
The check-in employees was extremely heat and welcoming, reaching out each day to see if I had all the pieces I wanted and all the time readily available to level me in the suitable course.
I had excessive expectations for the on-site spa. Being a solo journey and all, I had determined it was a superb time to deal with myself and indulge. However the “spa” wasn’t fairly the luxe sanctuary I might hoped for. It felt like an afterthought, a multipurpose room that the property had determined to remodel right into a spa. I nonetheless obtained a therapeutic massage — a fantastic therapeutic massage, the truth is — however in what felt like a provide closet in its former life. If you would like a real spa expertise, there are undoubtedly higher choices outdoors the resort.
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The health club is just a few steps from the spa and has a big number of tools, starting from free weights to elliptical machines and yoga mats. Every little thing was stored in good situation, however it did really feel prefer it was time that the health club was upgraded. The home windows additionally appeared proper out into an alleyway. After I was on the treadmill, my view was of supply vans and noisy rubbish vehicles.
Out and about
This was my first time again in Chicago because the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and truthfully, I used to be a bit shocked. With many Chicagoans working remotely, the downtown space does really feel sleepy after 6 p.m., with little foot visitors. However a lot of Chicago’s iconic sights (and the town’s gorgeous lakefront) are positioned lower than a 15-minute stroll away. It is also simple to entry the stylish eating places of River North, Fulton Market and the West Loop, all only a quick cab journey away (or 20-to-40-minute stroll).
In case you are an structure aficionado, the Kimpton is surrounded by a lot of Chicago’s iconic skyscrapers, just like the Willis Tower (about an eight-minute stroll from the resort) and the Rookery. Different vacationer sights resembling Millennium Park, Chicago’s famend Artwork Institute and the Riverwalk are all lower than a 20-minute stroll away.
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Accessibility
The resort’s fundamental entrance and foyer have been accessible and wheelchair-friendly. The resort has two entrances and they’re each on the bottom flooring and join on to a corridor of elevators that may take you to the foyer or your resort room.
Vacationers can guide any of the 5 accessible room varieties, starting from Important Rooms to one-bedroom suites. All of the rooms, besides the queen mattress Important Rooms, have bogs retrofitted with roll-in showers. Rooms with queen-size beds have bogs that include shower-tub mixtures with seize bars.
All visitor rooms have accessible communication options resembling:
- Phone ring signaler
- Visible alarm clock
- Mattress shaker
- Phone in-line amplifier
- Door knock alert
Diamond Elite standing
My keep on the Kimpton Grey was my third expertise with my newly acquired Diamond Elite standing. As a beginner, I checked in through the use of the app, anticipating that I might go on to my room upon arrival, however as a substitute, I discovered that I had not been given my complimentary room improve — a perk of elite standing. Fortunately, the entrance desk group was capable of honor my improve from an Important Room to a one-bedroom suite.
One other perk of my standing is free day by day breakfast, some of the coveted facilities of high-level loyalty standing. Whereas it is nice that I used to be in a position to save cash on this solo journey, the Fillmore restaurant (which isn’t owned and operated by the property) was subpar at greatest.
My late-checkout perk additionally alleviated a variety of stress on my closing day. With a late flight out of Chicago and needing to atone for some work, it was extraordinarily handy to have the ability to keep in my room until 2 p.m.
Trying out
I had secured a round-trip flight to Chicago utilizing the final of my stash of 11,000 Southwest factors throughout one of many airline’s seasonal spring gross sales. Mixed with reserving my room throughout Kimpton’s “Starting of Summer time” sale, I spent a grand whole of round $651 for all resort and transportation bills.
By benefiting from my Diamond standing perks, and redeeming Southwest factors, the whole worth was one thing I might swallow for a solo journey. With out my perks, factors or making the most of seasonal gross sales, I’d have paid greater than $900 for my resort and transportation.
However would I verify again in to the Kimpton Grey? I’d say, most likely not. Whereas it was a handy, central, full of life and purposeful place to spend a weekend, there was nothing particular or memorable concerning the property that might make me need to return. Lengthy story quick: Due to being just a bit bit factors and miles savvy, I obtained my cash’s price.
