The Gwen, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Michigan Avenue Chicago

Great reviews, and was excited to stay. Frequent traveler, 81 nights in Bonvoy hotels on the year as of late October. We checked in very late (about 10 pm) on a Friday. Woman at the check in desk was the rudest person I think I have ever encountered checking into a hotel. We then got a room on the same floor as check in, never a good sign, and then our room literally looked out on a wall and the side of an atrium. Not my style but called the front desk, noted my titanium status and said there must be a better room. Got moved two floors up to a room with a shower curtain that flooded the bathroom. Now 0 for 2 in rooms I would expect even in a 4 star hotel. Gave up, stayed in that room. Did not order any food but a pot of coffee from room service took next 40 minutes. TV did not work, apparently some software update, and did not have a visit from engineering in me after already preparing to sleep. Just don’t get it. Lobby was fine but not remarkable other than a champagne vending machine. Beds, desk, and dresser were nice, but room was otherwise underwhelming. Just don’t get it, like I stayed in a different hotel from the one being reviewed. Certainly would never come back.

We hosted our daughter’s wedding at The Old Post Office in Chicago and selected The Gwen for the wedding party hotel. From start to finish you could tell that the staff at The Gwen really wanted our experience to be a positive one. They upgraded our room to a suite with an outdoor terrace which was so nice to hang out with family and friends. The Gwen staff reserved a spot on the outdoor terrace bar for us to receive guests the night before the wedding. This was a last-minute request which they handled so well for us. Lastly, we held a casual after-wedding brunch on Sunday to say goodbye to our guests. The food was great, and the staff was very attentive the entire time. It was a really great experience working with The Gwen!

The front desk staff was atrocious. We checked in early at 11am, they said they would call when the room was ready(took all of our credit card, and id info). They never called. Check in is 3 pm - we finally checked back in at 3:35, and were told that the room "just became available". Then we were asked to recheck in again(go thru the entire process again). Front staff was rude and short. We then waited for about 15 minutes for our bags from the bell service - told the front desk we were waiting for them. After 15, we went up and asked for the bags - she rudely told my husband to "step behind the counter" - he stepped closer so he could hear her, then said the bags would be delivered to the room. Absolutely terrible start to our stay here. My husband is Lifetime Gold Elite member for Marriott currently and I was shocked at the service level. The manager, Mary Clare called us and apologized and did nothing else. Lots of places to stay in Chicago. Unfortunately The Gwen will not be on our list. Definitely not a luxury hotel.

I’ve stayed here around 15 times in last 2 years. I travel to Chicago a lot for work and it’s the only hotel I will try. The staff is amazing. Luigi at registration desk is so sweet, helpful and connected. He provides the best information and always accommodates my needs. The food is so good and I love getting room service for breakfast. The Gwen burger is so yummy. The rooms are beautifully designed and the mattresses feel like a magic spell potion is on them. I sleep so well. Best location for shopping and restaurants. Easy to stroll around for exploring and getting coffee or lunch.

This is a pleasant, modern and airy hotel in downtown Chicago. We enjoyed our stay very much, but didn't eat in the hotel (apart from one snack in the bar), so I can't comment on the cuisine. The room was a good size, spacious and comfortable, with an excellent modern en-suite shower and toilet. The bed was large and very comfortable and every night afforded us a good night's sleep. What was particularly notable was the friendliness and helpfulness of the staff, in particular the concierge (Ramon), who guided us through the available sights and eateries in Chicago, which saved us considerable time in research. Chicago is a fascinating city, with all the modernity and dynamism of Manhattan, but without the grit or the slightly abraisive denizens of that island. We found all Chigacoans we encountered to be pleasant and engaging. However, Chicago is built on two levels, the lower level being under all the main roads that are elevated and therefore walking anywhere in the lower section is far less pleasant than on the upper section. I mention this because the main entrance to the Gwen hotel is on the lower level so when you exit onto the street it's advisable to climb the stairs around the corner to go up to 'street level'. Also, if you're not going to the hotel by taxi but by public transport (as we did) you'll have to carry your luggage down the stairs from the upper level where the bus stops. Additionally, the arrangement of the lifts in the hotel is a little irritating (and confusing to start with) because the lift from the main entrance doesn't go to the levels where the bedrooms are. The main reception is on the fifth floor so you have to go to reception and then walk to another bank of lifts that take you onward to the bedrooms and conference rooms. The Gwen seems to be a business hotel first and foremost and so there is a lot of activity and many people in the building for conferences and exhibitions. The terrace area by the bar affords a pleasant view of the cityscape, but there are two huge TV screens that perpetually show sport, so many of the guests on the terrace are there to watch a game. However it seems that there is no public place in Chicago that doesn't have TV screens on all the time, showing sport (the city seems to be obsessed with sport). Every restaurant we went to had multiple screens on, even high-end establishments. To a Brit this is weird because its only pubs and bars in my country that have these intrusive, mind-numbing displays. We enjoyed our stay at the Gwen and can recommend it for a pleasant stay as a tourist. its location is good for reaching many parts of the city and public transport is cheap and extensive. If we return to Chicago we will definitely book to stay there again.