Magnificent Mile, United States
Convenient location on Magnificent Mile
Stylish rooms include flat-screen TVs and coffee/tea makers
Some rooms offer seating areas and lovely lake views
Spa, fitness center, and New Balance workout gear and
shoe rental
Restaurant, Starbucks cafe, and 24-hour room service
37,000 square feet of event/meeting spaces and an on-site
FedEx center
Westin Executive Club offers free breakfast, Wi-Fi,
and snacks
Children under 17 stay for free
Free Wi-Fi in the lobby
Some complaints about cleanliness and maintenance problems
Wi-Fi for rooms and meeting spaces incurs a fee
Ongoing renovations can
cause noise issues
Some rooms get street noise
Pricey valet parking
No pool
The 752-room Westin Michigan Avenue Chicago Hotel is a four-pearl property located right on the entertainment
avenue of Magnificent Mile. The massive hotel draws many business travelers with its large selection of fully equipped meeting spaces and the new Westin Executive
Club. A spa, fitness center, restaurant, and Starbucks cafe are also
on-site, though for a hotel this size, it’s surprising that there's no pool and that in-room Wi-Fi incurs a fee. Rooms feature trendy decor and include flat-screen TVs and spacious
bathrooms, plus some have lake views. Renovations are taking place as of September 2015 and guests have made
complaints about the noise and cleanliness due to this, as well as maintenance issues in rooms
that have yet to be renovated. For those looking for a similar hotel in the same
area but with an indoor pool, it may be worth checking out the Omni
Chicago Hotel.
Disclaimer: This content was accurate at the time the hotel was reviewed. Please check our partner sites when booking to verify that details are still correct.
Scene
An attractive chain hotel that caters mostly to business travelers
The Westin Michigan Avenue Chicago hotel has an attractive, spacious lobby with wooden floors, wood-paneled walls, and white marble accents on pillars and desks. A large seating area furnished with contemporary armchairs in neutral hues accented by orange pillows is illuminated by floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the street. There are several front desks, a necessity for a hotel of this size (over 700 rooms) and the massive lobby is also home to a Starbucks cafe. The hotel is undergoing renovations as of September 2015, which have incited some complaints from guests who remark on carpet stains in the hallways, cleanliness, and noise pollution. Guests are mostly business travelers utilizing the meeting spaces and the Westin Executive Club as well as families and couples touring the city.
Location
Conveniently located on Magnificent Mile and within walking distance of popular Chicago attractions
This hotel is located on the popular Magnificent Mile, a 13-block area brimming with shopping, dining, and
nightlife. Water Tower Place, a mall, is a three-minute walk away, while the
John Hancock Center, which is a minute away on foot, has a lot of retail shops
and a popular observation deck. Other nearby attractions include the Museum of Contemporary Art (five-minute walk), Oak Street Beach (five-minute walk), and Navy
Pier (10-minute drive). The nearest subway station is the Red Line on Chicago Avenue that's an eight-minute walk away. Chicago Midway International
Airport is about an hour's drive or 40 minutes via public transportation, while O'Hare International Airport can be reached in about an hour by car or public transportation.
Rooms
Trendy rooms with flat-screen TVs and the option of lake views
Rooms at the Westin Michigan Avenue Chicago Hotel have trendy decor with a gray color palette visible in the carpets, seating, and some furniture. Large art pieces in
bold reds and oranges add a pop of color, as do matching burgundy headboards that frame beds topped with crisp, white linens. All of the spacious rooms include flat-screen TVs, though the renovated rooms have SMART TVs and in-room dining
menus. In-room Wi-Fi is an additional fee, except in Executive Club
Rooms, which includes free Wi-Fi and access to the Westin Executive Club Lounge. Suites
offer added amenities like separate sitting areas, dining tables, and even kitchenettes in some. Bathrooms are fairly large and outfitted with shower/tub combos with waterfall showerheads, bathrobes, hairdryers, and an ample amount of counter space. Rooms offer either Lake Michigan or Michigan Avenue views, though guests
report that some of the lake views are a bit lackluster. Guests have also reported
problems with cleanliness, mold, and maintenance issues, especially in the
rooms that have yet to be renovated. Other complaints include bothersome noise due to the renovation and traffic noise in some street-side rooms on lower floors.
Features
Variety of business amenities, a fitness center, and a spa
The hotel’s most popular feature is its vast amount of event and meeting space -- over 37,000-square-feet of fully equipped spaces, including a newly renovated ballroom. The Tangent
room, for instance, offers Steelcase technology, video conferencing, an Xbox 360,
and floor-to-ceiling whiteboards. A Fed Ex business center is also on-site. Wi-Fi is free in the lobby but incurs a fee in most rooms, though Executive Club Rooms have free Wi-Fi as well as access to the Westin Executive Club, which includes a free continental breakfast, free Wi-Fi, snacks throughout
the day, and evening hors d’oeuvres. The on-site restaurant, the
Grill on the Alley, serves American classics, and there's also a cafe in the lobby that serves Starbucks coffee and pastries, plus room service is available 24 hours. The large fitness center has a variety of
cardio machines and free weights, and guests can rent New Balance workout
clothes and shoes. The on-site Body Rituals Boutique Spa offers different spa packages and
a variety of treatments using Naturopathica cosmetics and SpaRituals vegan nail
care. There’s a pricey valet service and no self-parking available. The hotel’s Green Choice
Initiatives is a nice touch in that they offer a $5 credit or 500 SPG points
for opting out of housekeeping services.
