The Allerton - History and A Nice Place to Relax
Written: May 12 '04 (Updated May 12 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Friendly staff. Historic feel. Great location near the Magnificent Mile. Wireless & Highspeed Internet
Cons: Narrow elevators that require "changeover" floor. Bell-staff could be better.
The Bottom Line: A great historic hotel in a "magnificent" location. Perfect for biz travel or those on the "important" business of shopping the Magnificent Mile.
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| wvoz1970's Full Review: The Allerton Hotel - Michigan Avenue |
I have travelled to Chicago twice in the last three months on business. The first trip, I stayed at the Holiday Inn - Navy Pier. When booking rooms for the second trip, I must have gotten into high season, because the HI-Navy Pier hotel rates had jumped by about $50 per night. I checked around and located the Allerton Crowne Plaza was just a few blocks away and had much more reasonable rates. Crowne Plaza is part of Six Continents (Holiday Inn) hotels, so I opted to stay here in order to keep my points. I should add here that on my previous trip, I had seen the Allerton from a few blocks away and I was a tad concerned that the hotel might be a bit run down.
ARRIVAL
Upon arrival, my concern quickly diminished. I'm somewhat of a history buff, so seeing the building up close and personal began to conjure up visions of the grandeur this location probably saw in days gone by. As the cab pulled up to the door, one thing that did surprise me was that no one was there to greet the cab. Whether the doorman / bell-staff were busy or what the case may have been, I don't know. I will say that out of five or six times I was dropped off at the entrance by my cab, only once was the doorman there to open the cab door and welcome me. OK, it may seem petty or even snobbish, but Crowne Plaza hotels are supposed to be a bit more elegant and I expect that kind of treatment at one. Particularly on the Mag Mile.
After paying the cabbie and grabbing my bags, I proceeded into the entry and being that it was 11:30 in the morning, was greeted by an onslaught of people checking out. I found my way to one of two elevators and boarded to be taken to the hotel's third floor lobby. The elevators are small, so be prepared... remember, this hotel was built in the 1920's. I reached the third floor and walked into a beautiful lobby, open and spacious with plenty of room to sit and relax. I waited in the line of those checking out and was finally greeted by desk staff who were very friendly and helpful. I went ahead and signed in, even though I knew I was early and my room wouldn't be ready for another hour. The desk staff told me if I'd like, my bags could be checked back downstairs at the bellhop desk or I could keep them with me. I opted to keep my bags and just go sit in the lobby to unwind for a few minutes. The desk staff pointed out where I could sit to have access to an electrical outlet for my laptop. He also pointed out the cards sitting on tables throughout the lobby explaining how to access their WiFi system. Let me just say that one of my big factors in choosing a hotel these days is high speed internet. And when WiFi is available, add one more plus sign. I did not see anything in the Allerton's info on WiFi, so it was a nice surprise. I spent the next half-hour catching up on e-mail and such. I then went down to their "Taps on Two" restaurant on the second floor for a bit of lunch.
LUNCH
The restaurant is very elegant in it's decor and the staff is very formal. I was promptly ushered to my seat and presented a menu while the wait staff placed silverware and china in front of me. Being a Sunday morning, I believe they had a brunch, but I opted for one of their "quick lunch" meals. I had a delicious panini and a diet coke for a very reasonable $7 or $8. Also, the WiFi access wasn't too bad down in the restaurant, so I could continue my online endeavours while eating lunch. Maybe it was because I was working on my computer, but I will say that the wait staff only stopped by my table once during the whole meal and I had to somewhat wave him down to get my check, but service was still very good. My meetings all included dinners at various Chicago locations so I didn't get to do any dinners at the hotel itself.
ON TO THE ROOM
I returned to the front desk and was able to get my key. I have platinum status with Priority Club, so my room was upgraded to a one bedroom suite. One note about this... if you have elite status with Priority Club, always ASK about upgrades. Some hotels, such as this Crowne, had already upgraded me. Some of them will not do it unless you ask. I then proceeded to the elevator and was whisked, literally, to my ninth floor room. As I mentioned before, the elevators are very narrow. They are also very fast, I seldom had to wait for more than 30 seconds after pushing the button to get an elevator. DISABILITY NOTE: They do have one elevator which is large enough to accommodate wheelchairs and they will encode your room keycard to use this elevator
My room was very nice. The hotel was constructed in the 1920s in a very metropolitan style. Loosely translated, small rooms. Most old hotels in NYC are the same way. I came into a small entry way and walked into the living room area. A small desk, couch, chair and TV/Entertainment center were here. Then, around the corner through a small hallway was the bedroom and bath. A small closet contained ample hangars and a standard, heavily bleached, stiff bathrobe. Across the way from the closet was an adequate bath, but small. A pedestal sink with a narrow ledge was above, holding all the standard bath amenities. Thankfully, I was travelling alone, as my wife usually carries a small store's worth of bathroom things on a trip. There was minimal space to hold even my basic razor, toothbrush, glasses and contact lens case. Worth noting is that I never had any water pressure problems. I was only on the ninth floor out of 22 with rooms, so I don't know what upper floors experience. According to the literature in the room, there are ample, well-located hot water tanks, so hot water may take a few minutes to reach your room, but you shouldn't get a cold shower.
The bedroom itself was fairly simple. A king size bed with two nightstands. Crowne Plaza has a deal with Sony now to where they have this "Dream Machine" CD/Clock/Radio in every room. They are also doing some kind of deal where they put special CDs in the room for relaxation. You can also borrow CDs from the front desk if you don't have your own. The bed was comfortable. Nothing spectacular. I did receive turn-down service the first evening, along with a welcome card and some chocolates. It is by request after that. Also, the bedroom did have a TV/Entertainment center.
EVERYTHING ELSE
Overall, the service was great and the room was very comfortable and quiet. This may be because I was in a corner room with no neighbors against the bedroom. The fitness room was very nice with a great view from the 24th floor. The concierge lounge on the 22nd floor is available to Priority Club members (it may be just elite, but I'm not sure). Make sure they encode your keycard for access, as I had to go back down to the lobby for that. They stock the lounge every afternoon with beverages (beer, wine, soda, water) so it's a nice place to unwind without the expensive drinks at the bar.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I really liked this hotel on the whole. It's old, so there's a bit of mystique when you walk in. There's also some downfalls to old... mainly in smaller amenities. If you go expecting it though, you won't be disappointed. If I could recommend improvements, one would be the bell-staff meeting cabs in front. Second, and probably biggest, is the dual elevator trips. You enter at ground level, ride an elevator to the third floor and then transfer to another set of elevators to get to your room. There may actually be some security in this feature, as non-residents can't just go right from the street to rooms. But the elevator "transfer" area is not in direct sight of the front desk, so someone could slip through fairly easily. I personally found it a hassle to have to go through this extra step.
All in all, a very nice location. I would definitely stay here again.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
wvoz1970
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Member: Brian
Location: Central Ohio, USA
Reviews written: 20
Trusted by: 2 members
About Me:
Husband and Dad, Retail Business Analyst for manufacturing company, Videographer
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