voco Chicago Downtown, an IHG Hotel

We recently stayed at this hotel and genuinely enjoyed several aspects of our experience. The location is convenient to many attractions in and around the Chicago River North. The room was clean, well-maintained, and offered a stunning view of the Chicago skyline and river—a true highlight. The bed was very comfortable, the air conditioning worked flawlessly, and the bathroom was functional with a reliably hot shower. While the decor may not have been lavish, it was tasteful and added to a pleasant ambiance. A thoughtful touch we truly appreciated was the water filling stations offering purified water in cold, hot, and even sparkling options—something quite rare and a welcome convenience. The inclusion of a steamer in the room was another unexpected but very useful amenity. That said, a few aspects could be improved to enhance the overall guest experience. The elevator system is in need of a redesign or upgrade. Having to change elevators just to reach your room adds unnecessary time and inconvenience, especially when occupancy is high. Lines tend to form, and not all elevators were functioning during our stay. High-speed elevators or a direct route from the main entrance to the guest floors would be a welcome and very well received customer experience improvement. In-room functionality also had some shortcomings. Many USB charging ports were not working. The lack of a master switch for lighting made it cumbersome to go around the room turning on or off individual lamps—a small but annoying inconvenience. The in-room safe was locked upon arrival and could not be used. Cable TV service was noticeably laggy, and the complimentary in-room coffee was not always replenished, with room service proving inconsistent. Overall, while there are areas that merit attention, the positives—especially the views and select in-room amenities—left a favorable impression. With some thoughtful operational refinements, this hotel has the potential to offer an exceptional guest experience.

We stayed here recently and were impressed by several standout features. The location is unbeatable, right by the Riverwalk, which made exploring the city incredibly easy and scenic. We were fortunate to get a room on the top floor with a gorgeous panoramic view of the skyline! The bath amenities were nice, plant based and domestically made. As many others have mentioned, the water machine in the lobby was surprisingly fancy, offering multiple temperature settings, including chilled sparkling water. The lobby itself felt upscale and well-designed, making for a great first impression. During check-in, the staff member was exceptionally warm and welcoming, even offering us locally made chocolates. However, there were a few service hiccups that detracted from the overall experience. Housekeeping accidentally let a fly into our room, and when we asked the front desk for a flyswatter or assistance, nothing was done. Also, when I bought a drink at the bar around 11:15 PM, I wasn’t informed of closing time, only to be rushed out shortly after by security.. awkward and avoidable with better communication. We also experienced some practical inconveniences: it took 2–3 minutes of running the tap to get any hot water, which felt wasteful and frustrating. Finally, checkout was a bit underwhelming. The staff seemed disinterested, and when I asked to retrieve our two small carry-on luggage, the bellman appeared annoyed and told me to go into the back room to get it myself.

Nice hotel overall. Parking is $60 per night and they do not do valet for that price. We own a pickup truck it barely fit in the garage it bent our antenna. The most important thing was the shower had mold I reported it and it was brushed off. I paid entirely too much money for that treatment. Other than that everything was good

The lobby stinks. Like it really actually smells like sewage. That’s just the worst issue, but there are a number of smaller issues. But come on, the lobby stinking everyday during a 5 day stay?! That’s just laziness. Other issues: housekeeping came once and only replaced towels, absolutely didn’t clean. Front desk staff was at best robotic, at worst rude. Getting to your room requires two lobbies and a lot of walking. Fixtures (toilet, sink, shower, etc) are an after thought at best. It’s really just a cheap attempt at trying to be relevant and upscale in a city filled with actually upscale and beautiful hotels in the same price range.